The corporation of Cam bridge, under the °Municipal Reform Act," consists of a mayor, 10 aldermen and 30 coun cillors. The University also returns its quota of two aldermen and six councillors. The town returns one member to Parliament.
There is every proof that in its early days Cambridge was an important trading centre. Its situation on the Cam made it easily accessible from the surrounding district for miles around, and provender, fuel and mer chandise were conveyed by water to all parts of East Anglia. It was the seat of Stourbridge Fair, one of the largest fairs in Europe. That the Romans occupied the town is evident from the fact that numerous Roman remains have been found at various periods. Miles of ancient earthworks, said to be of British origin, sur round Cambridge, and in the town itself there is a large mound called "Castle Hill," probably of Saxon origin and raised as a defense against the incursions of the Danes. In the years 870 and 1010 the town was destroyed by the Danes. William the Conqueror built a castle here in 1068. The year 1110 is alleged to be the date of the origin of the university, at which time, we read that learned monks visited Cambridge to teach philosophy and other sciences. Richard II held a Parliament at Cambridge in 1388. The town was frequently visited by the plague ("Black Death"), and in 1630 the mortality was terrible. At the time of the Civil War Oliver Cromwell (formerly a student of Sidney Sus sex College) represented Cambridge in Parlia ment, and the town supplied a large number of men for the Parliamentary army. William Downing did considerable damage both to the colleges and to the parish churches in 1643.
Queen Victoria and her consort visited Cam bridge in 1845 and again in 1847, and as chan cellor of the university, the influence for good, exercised by the Prince Consort, was pre dominant. The King and Queen visited Cam bridge on 1 March 1904 to open the new uni versity museums. The second meeting of the British association was held at Cambridge in 1833, and subsequent meetings were held in 1845, 1862 and 1904. Apart from the Univer sity, Cambridge would lose much of its import ance. The colleges with their various styles of architecture surrounded by gardens and °col lege walks," are a constant source of delight. The river Cam winds its course through the college grounds for a distance of about three quarters of a mile. Nine bridges connect the colleges and grounds where nature and art com bine. Below the town, the river is the scene of the well-known college boat races which oc casion the visit of thousands of people.
Area and Population.— The town covers an area of 3,278 acres. Much house property has been destroyed to make room for the con tinuous additions to colleges and university buildings, with the result that residents have migrated to adjacent districts. Pop. 40,027.
Atkinson and Clark, 'His tory of Cambridge) (1£397); Carter, 'History of Cambridgeshire' (1819) ; Clark, (Historical and Descriptive Notei on Cambridge) ' • Cony beare,