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Past Masters:
an online exhibition celebrating five centuries of leadership at Christ's College Cambridge
Masters of Business
Electing our Masters
Masters of Learning
Modern Masters
In 1505, Christ’s College was founded by the mother of the Tudor dynasty, Lady Margaret Beaufort.
Masters of Women
Masters of Men
"It is not seemly that any College should be acephalous, that is, without a head..."
[1506 Statutes, Chapter XII]
“He will administer the domestic affairs of the...College with faithfulness, devotion and diligent zeal...and will guard to the best of his power the property, lands, possessions, liberties, privileges and rights of all sorts”
[1506 Statutes, Chapter II]
Until 1978, Masters of Christ’s presided over an exclusively male
student body.
Nearly a century earlier, however, the College had numbered amongst its members one of the most vigorous advocates for the cause of women’s education in the figure of its 26th Master John Peile.
“We therefore assign...to the Master and Keeper...authority over all the Scholars of the same College, both Fellows and Pupils, to govern, rule, punish and remove the same...”
[1506 Statutes, Chapter II]
Nowadays, the demands of College business are greater than ever. Human resources, catering, administrative regulation, public outreach and the cultivation of alumni relations are just a few of the manifold issues which a modern Master must address.
“The Master shall be a Master of Arts or of some equal or superior degree...who in the judgement of the Fellows is well qualified to preside over the College as a place of education, religion, learning and research”
[1926 Statutes, Chapter V]
College Fellows were officially summoned to this ceremony by way of a notice fixed to the Chapel door. The notice from the Mastership election of 1936 is below.
Lady Margaret Beaufort chose the College's first Master. Thereafter, the Statutes ruled that successors were to be elected by the College’s Fellows in a private voting ceremony in the Chapel.
Until a revision of the Statutes in 1882, the Master of Christ’s was required to be in holy orders. It was not until the Mastership of John Peile between 1887 and 1910 that Christ’s had its first secular Head.
Here is the official letter relating to the election of the 14th Master of Christ’s, Ralph Cudworth, who held the position between 1654 and 1688. The remnants of the College seal are still visible on the cord at the bottom of the document.
The first – and only – Master of Christ’s to be removed from office was Thomas Browne, who held the position between 1809 and 1814.
Lady Margaret Beaufort
In 1957, the Nobel Prize for chemistry was awarded to the then Fellow of Christ’s, Alexander Robertus Todd (from 1962 Lord Todd of Trumpington) in recognition of his pioneering biochemical research into the structure and synthesis of nucleotides, nucleosides and nucleotide co-enzymes.
Although subject to slight modifications over the intervening centuries, in essence, this election process remains unchanged to this day.
In its 14th Master Ralph Cudworth (1654-1688) Christ’s had a Head of real intellectual weight.
By the terms of the 1506 Statutes, once the Master has been elected and declared, “letters shall be drawn up and signed with the College seal”. These are then presented to the Vice-Chancellor of the University for confirmation.
An astute businessman, Browne had taken it upon himself to instigate the enclosure of the College-owned property of Bourn in Cambridgeshire.
Suspicions amongst the Fellows began to be raised when no rents were received from the estate. In 1813, the Visitor (a University-wide body to whom appeals could be made by dissatisfied Fellows) was called in, and it was found that Browne owed the College
some £1300.
The fine was remitted, but only upon the understanding that Browne would depart peaceably.
Few international awards can rival the Nobel Prize, and in the figure of Lord Todd of Trumpington, Christ’s College possesses a magisterial recipient of this prestigious accolade.
Cudworth had been preceded in the Mastership by the clergyman Samuel Bolton, who was reputed to be so intensely powerful a preacher that, as one contemporary reminisced, “he snatcht our souls by vigorous sympathy”.
Of course, deep learning and expertise need not always be directed into purely academic channels. Besides being the leading authority on eighteenth-century Britain, the 33rd Master of Christ’s Sir John Plumb was a connoisseur of fine wines. His dedication to, and knowledge of, the subject ensured that he swiftly gained renown for entertaining on a spectacularly lavish scale in the Lodge, so much so, in fact, that during the years of his Mastership it became known as ‘Jack’s Palace’.
Since 2006, the office of Master has been filled by Frank Kelly, Professor of the Mathematics of Systems. His primary research interests lie in the mathematics of random processes, networks and optimization. First published in 1979, 'Reversibility and stochastic networks' broke new ground in the area of probability theory, and remains the standard introduction in the field to this day.
In the twentieth century, the quality, breadth and depth of learning amongst the Masters of Christ’s has been recognised on an international scale. As well as assuming the reins of the 31st Mastership at Christ’s, in 1950 Brian Westerdale Downs had been appointed as the first Professor of Scandinavian Studies at Cambridge.
The certificate reproduced below was awarded to Downs by the Swedish monarch Gustaf VI Adolf in 1954. It announced Downs’s appointment as a Commander of the illustrious ‘Order of the North Star’ (Swedish Nordstjärneorden), an honour bestowed upon the Christ’s Master in recognition of his contribution to Swedish literature and culture.
Scarcely a month before Peile died in the Master’s Lodge at Christ’s, the first volume of the 'Biographical Register' covering the period 1448-1665 was published. The second (spanning the period 1666-1870) was brought out posthumously in 1913 under the editorship of J.A. Venn of Trinity College, who undertook additional research to bring the record up to 1905.
In The true bounds of Christian freedome, which originated as a sermon preached in the year of his election to the Christ’s Mastership in 1646, Samuel Bolton sought to elucidate the place of law in Christian life – a pressing issue in light of the explosion of religious radicalism occasioned by the civil and religious strife in Britain at that time.
Amidst all the demands associated with the Mastership, in the early 1890s John Peile embarked upon an astonishing academic project to research and publish a detailed history of his beloved Christ’s College. It was to become a labour which would occupy every spare moment until his death two decades later in 1910.
For more than a century the University’s Regius Professor of Divinity had not delivered any public lectures. When Kaye was elected to this illustrious post in 1816, he resolved to halt such a trend. Determined to revive the study of the theology of the Greek and Latin Fathers of the early Christian Church, Kaye delivered a series of lectures on Tertullian and the ecclesiastical history of the second and third centuries. The lectures were subsequently published (seen below).
Master John Kaye was a man of considerable intellectual standing: graduating Senior Wrangler and first Chancellor’s Medallist in 1804, he was elected to the Christ’s Fellowship at the tender age of 20, and was made the 21st Master of the College a decade later.
Over the centuries, Christ’s Masters have consistently combined the leadership of the College with deep learning and rigorous research. Spanning a range of disciplines including theology, philosophy, literature, science and history, there is in fact scarcely a field in which the Masters of Christ’s have not made their scholarly mark.
Together with his Christ’s colleague Henry More, Cudworth emerged as one of the leaders of the so-called Cambridge Platonists, a movement whose reaction against Puritan dogmatism did much to shape a more rational or ‘reasonable’ theology, and whose emphasis upon a spirit-driven world sought to refute notions of a purely materialistic, mechanical universe driven by inflexible laws.
The following week, one perturbed Christ’s student wrote in to correct some of the alleged details of the affair.
But Master Cartmell also had a compassionate side. One of the most gifted, if highly eccentric, students to stride the Courts of Christ’s College during the ninteenth century was Charles Stuart Calverley, whose whimsical “Ode to Tobacco” is commemorated on a bronze plaque on Rose Crescent opposite Cambridge Market.
Signature of Thomas Browne (1766-1832)
Christ’s College Master’s Lodge
Christ’s College Muniment Room, Misc. (I) By
Sir John Plumb (1927-2008)
This letter was written by Covel on
3 November 1702.
Christ's College Library C.P.S. 6/2
Christ's College Chapel
In November 1865, a considerable rumpus was caused when the undergraduates at Christ’s decided to protest against the dinners being served up in Hall by staging a walk-out, opting to dine in a Cambridge hotel instead. The whole affair was reported in the Morning Post.
An extract from the 1536 account book is reproduced below, showing expenses relating to the kitchens (left-hand page) and chapel (right-hand page).
Christie's Catalogue of Plumb's wine cellar
Christ’s College Library, AA.2.13
Master Cartmell’s leniency was duly rewarded: Calverley won the Craven scholarship in 1854, the Camden medal in 1853 and 1855, the Browne medal (for the composition of an original Greek ode) in 1855, and the members’ prize for a Latin essay in 1856, graduating second class in the Classical Tripos that year. Two years later he was elected a Fellow of Christ's.
Christ’s College Library, Box 86 i
His work on these compounds was of prime importance in comprehending the functioning of genes, and represented the culmination of over 20 years’ research on B-group vitamins.
Master Frank Kelly's, Reversibility and stochastic networks (Cambridge, 1979)
As the letter reproduced below from June 1942 reveals, Raven himself had been undertaking the organisation of the College’s “A.R.P.”, that is Air Raid Precautions.
John Peile (1838-1910)
Christ’s College Library, LF144.A3P4 1913
Many Masters would have made use of a version or variant of the College seal in handling their own personal business transactions and correspondence.
Christ’s College Library, Downs 64 i
Ralph Cudworth (1617-1688)
This original seal and the silver stamp (or matrix) which created it are pictured below.
The requirement for Christ’s Masters to keep the College accounts remained in place until 1881, when the 25th Master, Charles Anthony Swainson, delegated the task to a Fellow appointed annually. Only in 1915 did the College create a regular Bursarship.
Christ’s College Library, C.12.35
The Lord Todd (1907-1997)
Samuel Bolton (1606-1654)
Brian Westerdale Downs (1893-1984)
Although suffering from recurrent bouts off ill-health, from 1903 Peile began collating his voluminous notes, producing individual card entries – such as can be seen here – for each individual Christ’s alumnus.
The man she chose to lead her fledgling institution was John Syclyng, who became the first Master of Christ's.
More than 500 years on, and 37 incumbents later, the position of Master remains.
John Kaye (1783-1853)
Syclyng's extensive powers as Master were set out in the College's founding Statutes of 1506, which remained in force until the 19th century.
As can be seen below, an elaborate “Draft Scheme of Union” was drawn up, which even extended to suggestions for possible names for the proposed new institution, such as “St Andrew’s College” or “Christ-Emmanuel College”. Despite being offered the Mastership of the new institution, the Christ’s Head James Cartmell vociferously opposed the initiative, and it foundered.
Christ’s College Library, C.11.38
John Covel was Master of Christ’s between 1688 and 1722, during which time he proved himself to be an able and conscientious College Head, who took a close interest in the well-being of his students.
In a time of war, the Master’s business demands could take an unusual turn. The eminent theologian – and, ironically, leading pacifist – Charles Earle Raven held the Mastership throughout the years of the Second World War.
First held by Professor Martin Johnson, since late 2010 the post of College President has been filled by Dr David Jones.
The founding Statutes of 1506 stipulated that twice a year, at Easter and at Michaelmas, the Master “shall render a true and faithful account of all things relating to his office and administration, what he has spent, what he has received...what the College owes and what in turn is owing to the same”.
Since 2006, the Mastership at Christ's has been filled by Frank Kelly,
Professor of the Mathematics of Systems at Cambridge University.
Nevertheless, Cartmell too had a taste of Calverley’s notorious wit. As a keen jumper, Calverley regularly completed his evening strolls by hurdling over the high fence which used to surround Christ’s First Court. On one occasion, Cartmell caught sight of such a performance, and sent for Calverley.
“Mr Calverley”, said the Master, “I often look out of the window of the Lodge and see you jumping over the hurdles on to the grass, where you know undergraduates are not allowed to walk!”
“Dear me, Master”, replied Calverley with characteristic nonchalance, “what a remarkable coincidence. I hardly ever jump those railings without seeing you looking out of the Lodge window”.
To this day, certain documents regarding College business require the application of an impression of the official Christ’s College seal to authenticate them.
By the terms of the founding 1506 Statutes, it was deputed to the Master, and to the Master alone, to have possession of the key to the box in which the College seal was secured.
Amongst a varied assortment of culinary items, we find a total of a shilling and a half being spent on the making of a basket for market, the sweeping of the chimney, and for payment to the “tynker for mendyng of the pannes”.
The chapel’s expenses were much more considerable. The accounts record that a sum of 22 shillings and 13 pence was spent on a “halffe hundrede weyght of wax”, whilst a total of 36 shillings and sixpence went towards the purchasing of 27 gallons of Malmsey (a sweet variety of Madeira wine) and 4 gallons of
red wine!
Henry Lockwood, the 4th Master, evidently took such duties extremely seriously. During his tenure, the long sequence of Master’s account books was initiated. The first, which was meticulously kept in Lockwood’s own hand, covered the period between 1531 and 1545.
A handwritten document drawn up some time after the event records that, two days after the ‘strike’, a specially-constituted student committee was received at the Master’s Lodge to discuss the matter.
There, Master James Cartmell – “evidently much put out” – is purported to have laid down the law, chastising the pensioners (those students whose families paid for their education) and the scholars (whose fees were paid by the College) for their “base ingratitude”, as well as their contravention of the College Statutes, which stipulated that they should dine daily at the assigned table in Hall.
In the last quarter of the nineteenth century, the Masters of Christ’s College were involved in a remarkable initiative, which, if accepted, would have resulted in a radical transformation of the governing structures of College.
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Although for the most part caring shepherds of their academic flock, on occasions Masters were required to play the role of the stern disciplinarian.
For centuries, the basis of the traditional Cambridge education had been Latin, Greek, theology and mathematics. However, from the mid-nineteenth century onwards other disciplines, such as history, natural science and philosophy began to emerge.
This posed a problem. For how could the different Colleges each provide teaching for this ever increasing range of subjects? In 1877, the Government offered an answer: Colleges should be empowered to merge and pool their resources if they saw fit.
To that end, in February 1878 discussions were set on foot between Christ’s and its close neighbour Emmanuel College to see if just such a union could be achieved.
Christ's College seal (right) and matrix (left)
Christ's College Muniment Room, Seals collection
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Although there had been an office of Vice-Master since 1939, in practice, the holder had exercised relatively little power except at times of magisterial elections.
In consequence, it was decided to create an entirely new office of College President.
In 2009, Christ’s College took steps to relieve the demands of business and administration placed upon the shoulders of those holding the position of Master.
This is the personal stamp of the 27th Master of Christ’s, Sir Arthur Shipley, complete with a stunning decorated ivory handle, which was presumably added at his personal direction. The wax impression produced by the matrix can be seen on the right. It depicts the College arms, with a crest of an eagle rising from a crown, and two of the mythical goat-like ‘yales’ as supporters. The banner reads “Coll.[egium] Christi Cant.[abrigienses]”.
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As a member of the nobility, Lord Irwin would have been required to pay for his board and tuition.
However, in return, as Covel’s letter makes clear, he would have been accommodated in a “fine aery” room, possessed an army of personal servants, and been permitted to dine with the Fellows in Hall.
Evidently, he also had the eye of the Master, who appears to have taken a close interest in the financial, constitutional and moral well-being of his illustrious stead.
On 27 January 1896, Peile wrote to his close friend, the eminent physician, Sir Edward Henry Sieveking, requesting his support and signature for the admission of women.
Christ’s College Muniment Room, Account Books, B 1:1, ff. 126-127
The duties of the position are diverse, ranging from hosting alumni events, to communicating with potential donors, to chairing and steering internal College committees.
At the same time, an additional alteration in the Statutes allowed for the election of an Acting Master during times when the Master needed to devote himself entirely to a prolonged period of academic research.
Christ’s College Library, Box 236
Women were not admitted to full membership of the University until 1948.
Fittingly in light of the endeavours of his magisterial predecessor John Peile, it was the Christ’s Master Charles Earle Raven, in his role as the Vice-Chancellor, who bestowed the first honorary degree upon a woman, when he made the Queen (the late Queen Mother) a Doctor of the University in October 1948.
Dating from the time of the College’s foundation in 1505, it depicts Christ rising from his sepulchre, flanked on the left by two angels holding the lid of his tomb, and on the right by Mary Magdalene. A crowned Tudor rose is above, and portcullises and marguerites (daisies) below.
Peile and his colleagues succeeded in persuading the University’s governing authorities to consider the admission of women to degrees. However, in 1897, amid chaotic scenes outside Senate House, a vote on the motion was lost by 1,713 to 662. All those who held a Cambridge MA degree or higher had been eligible to partake. The events of that fateful day were captured in the photograph reproduced below.
This exhibition celebrates this most enduring of positions and the inspirational figures who have filled it.
However, the proposal to grant degrees to women proved deeply controversial throughout the University and nation at large. A sense of the widespread hostility to the initiative can be seen in this anonymous letter of 10 February 1896, which was addressed to Peile in his role as Chairman of the University’s governing body, the Council of the Senate.
Charles Anthony Swainson (1820-1887)
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In 1895, moves were set on foot by Peile and his reform-minded colleagues in the University to rectify this particular situation. Memorials and petitions were launched calling for the admission of women to degrees. One of the memorials with which Peile was closely involved is reproduced below.
As such, he would have been involved in issuing gas masks, maintaining the College’s blackout, and, if called upon, attending to fire fighting. Indeed, the College over which Raven presided at this time must have been a rather peculiar sight, with air raid shelters constructed in the Garden, and a look-out post
erected on the roof of the Fellows’ Building!
Christ's College Library Box 89
As Senior Tutor at Christ’s between 1870 and 1884, Peile had ensured that the College was the first to open its lectures to women. As well as being Master of Christ’s, from 1890 until his death Peile served as President of the Council of Newnham College, a body to which his wife, Annette, was also appointed.
The establishment of Girton and Newnham Colleges in the late nineteenth century had ensured that women were able to study for, and take, exams at Cambridge. However, since the University did not formally recognise these all-female institutions, it was not possible for women to be admitted to the degrees which they had achieved. Instead, they merely received a so-called ‘Tripos certificate’.
Calverley's "Ode to Tobacco"
Extract from the Morning Post, 22 November 1865
Christ’s College Library, Box 24
Charles Earle Raven (1885-1964
Charles Stuart Calverley (1831-1884)
Extract from the Morning Post, 25 November 1865
By the time Calverley applied to come to Christ’s, however, he had already acquired a notorious reputation, previously having been expelled from Balliol College in Oxford for bad behaviour. His admission was very much dependent on Master Cartmell’s willingness to give him a second chance.
Regarding the events of that fateful day, one contemporary recalled:
"The scene will never be forgotten; the excitement of the undergraduates who assembled in great numbers, the spectators at every window and on the tops of houses and St Mary’s Church...The dons, after voting, stood in solemn and serried array, within the Senate House Yard...someone threw a cracker over the palings, and this was the signal for the commencement of a general bombardment. Cooped up like sheep in a pen, the devoted dons, some thousands in number, were pelted with fireworks of every description..."
Not until 1921 were women permitted to have Cambridge degrees conferred upon them, and even then they were not eligible to partake in the government of the University.
Christ's College Muniment Room, Collegium D
In 2013, Professor Kelly was awarded a CBE in the New Year honours list for "services to mathematical science".
Martin Johnson (left) and David Jones (right)
It describes the progress made by the young nobleman Lord Irwin of Temple Newsam (1686-1714), who had come to study at Christ’s that autumn. It is addressed to one John Roades who appears to have been the teenage aristocrat’s minder back in his native Yorkshire.
John Syclyng's crest
John Covel (1638-1722)
In compiling this exhibition, all efforts have been made to trace rights holders. If you have any concerns, please email library@christs.cam.ac.uk.