CORPUS CHRISTI COLLEGE, CAMBRIDGE

'Corpus Christi College' (full name: 'The College of Corpus Christi and the Blessed Virgin Mary', in daily usage often referred to simply as 'Corpus') is a College of the University of Cambridge. It is notable for being the only college to have been founded by Cambridge townspeople, having been founded in 1352 by the Guilds of Corpus Christi and the Blessed Virgin Mary. It is the second-smallest college (after Peterhouse).

Contents

History

Buildings

Oddities, traditions, myths and legends

Famous alumni

See also

References

External links

History

The licence to build an eighth college in the University of Cambridge was granted by Edward III in 1352 to the newly merged guilds of Corpus Christi and St Mary in the parish of St Bene't's. They immediately began the construction of a single modest court near the parish church and in 1356 it was ready to house a Master and two fellows, who drew up the college's statutes. Continuing their studies in theology and Canon law, they served as chaplains to the guild.
The college's first couple of centuries saw its wealth increase, which was put on display as part of the Corpus Christi guild's annual procession. This involved parading through the streets to Magdalene bridge, before returning for an extravagant dinner. The parade continued until Henry VIII put a stop to it in 1535.
Corpus is exceptionally rich in silver, but its greatest treasure is the Parker Library, one of the finest and most important collections of medieval manuscripts in the world. Its most famous possession is the Canterbury Gospels, probably brought to England in 597 AD by St. Augustine, when he was sent by Pope Gregory I to convert the people of Britain. However, it also contains the principal manuscript of the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, works by Matthew Paris and Chaucer's ''Troilus and Criseyde'', to name only a few.
Christopher Marlowe is perhaps the college's most-celebrated son, having matriculated to Corpus in 1580. Although little is known about his time there, it is often believed that it was during his study for his MA that he began his work as a spy, a claim based on only a single cryptic statement by the Privy Council. In 1953 during renovation of the Master's Lodge a portrait of a man "in the 21st year of his age" was discovered. As the painting is dated 1585, the year Marlowe was 21, it is inevitable that it has been claimed as a portrait of the playwright himself.
In recent years, the College has spearheaded the Northern Ireland Initiative which was set up to encourage students from Northern Ireland to apply to Oxbridge, but particularly Cambridge. They hold "Cambridge Taster Days" across the province and Dr. Melanie Taylor spends much of her year travelling around Northern Ireland talking to prospective students and allaying their fears over the interviews and other myths that have appeared over the years.
The college is the venue of the Intelligence History Seminar, a group of postgraduate historians that discuss newly released intelligence documents. These weekly meetings are presided over by the College's current President, Prof. Christopher Andrew. Invited guests occasionally include past members of the British and other intelligence services. At this seminar, views are expressed according to the Chatham House Rule and under an informal agreement with the group's members such views cannot be published.
In May 2007, following the resignation of Professor Sir Alan Wilson as Master, Professor Paul Mellars, FBA, was appointed acting Master. [1]
In July 2007, Corpus retained its position of 8th in the Tompkins Table with a score of 65.57% (25.9% firsts). [2]

Buildings

Old Court, built in the 1350s, is one of Cambridge's oldest buildings and retains many of its original features, including sills and jambs to hold oil-soaked linen in the days prior to the arrival of glass. The court was possibly built from the core of an even older building and is the oldest courtyard in Oxford or Cambridge (a claim disputed by Merton College, Oxford who say the same of their Mob Quad) as well as, some say, the oldest continually inhabited courtyard in the country. A new library complex, designed by Wright & Wright Architects, is in the process of being built in the building on the corner of Trumptington and Bene't Street that used to house the NatWest Bank.
St Bene't's church next door is itself the oldest building in the city, and served as the college's chapel until one was built in around 1500.
New Court (completed 1827) was designed by William Wilkins, who is buried in the college chapel. New Court is also the site of the Parker Library, which was begun in 1376 and much improved by a bequest from Matthew Parker, the college's Master between 1544 and 1553, who as Archbishop of Canterbury formed a fine collection of manuscripts from the libraries of dissolved monasteries. This court also houses Butler Library, which is the college's main library used by students.
There are also several outlying college properties. These include Bene't Street Hostel and Botolph Court, the former being located just above the famous Eagle pub. These house students of all years, but a large proportion of rooms are occupied by freshers. Newnham House, which is located near to Newnham College, accommodates mostly second-years. The Robert Beldam Building, adjacent to Bene't Street Hostel is a modern accommodation block. There are also 2 houses (Nos 6 & 8) in Trumpington Street which are almost directly opposite the University Engineering Department, though these have been rented to private tenants since 1999. There is also a graduate campus at Leckhampton, which is situated about a mile west of the main college site, just outside the city centre. Here there are playing fields, 9½ acres (38,000 m²) of gardens, an open air swimming pool and some of the best graduate housing in the University.

Oddities, traditions, myths and legends

As with all old institutions, Corpus has many legends, traditions and general oddities. Here is a sampling:

★ Corpus owns the Eagle pub (though it is managed by Greene King). Watson and Crick are said to have refreshed themselves in this pub while deliberating over the structure of DNA.

★ The chapel's three windows by the same stained-glass artist appear at the beginning of a story by M.R. James, ''The Treasure of Abbot Thomas''.

★ In Corpus slang, a bop is called a 'slack', and members of the college often refer to themselves as 'Corpuscles'.^[1]

★ Each Lent term, a one day series of competitions is held against Corpus Cambridge's sister college, Corpus Christi College, Oxford. This competition, the Corpus Challenge, encompasses a number of different field and bar sports and is alternately hosted at Cambridge and Oxford. The 2006 challenge was held in Cambridge and was won by Cambridge for the first time since 1998, with victories in mixed lacrosse, badminton, men's hockey, mixed hockey, ladies football and mixed netball. The 2007 challenge was held in Oxford and won by Oxford.

★ The mathematics society is named "T. Batterby" after the last Corpus recipient of the wooden spoon. The spoon is still in the college's possession. and hangs in the McCurdy Room

★ The law society is named after Nicholas Bacon.

★ While the College is known for playwright Christopher Marlowe, its drama society is named the Fletcher Players, after John Fletcher.

★ The college Grace is read in Latin at formal dinners in the dining hall. The grace runs as follows: "Benedic, Domine, nobis et his donis tuis, quae de tuae largitate sumus sumpturi, et concede ut, iis salubriter nutriti, tibi debitum obsequium praestare valeamus. Per Christum, Dominum nostrum", to which the response is called out "Amen." When the fellows leave the following is said "Laus Deo, Per Jesum Christum, Dominum nostrum", to which the response is called out "Deo Gratias".

★ On Sundays and Feast Days, the Grace is preceded by the following antiphon: "Mensae caelestis participes faciat nos Rex gloriae aeternae".

★ The College is said to be haunted by a number of ghosts. Most famous, and feared, is the terrifying apparition of Henry Butts, hero of the plague of 1630, who hanged himself with his garters in the then Master's Lodge on Easter Sunday, 1632 ''Treasures of Silver at Corpus Christi College'', , Oliver, Rackham, Cambridge University Press, , . Butts' ghost was subject to an attempted (and purportedly unsuccessful) exorcism by three students in 1904.^[2] Another is that of Elisabeth Spencer, daughter of the master, and her young lover (both dead in 1667). Their ghosts are said to walk on Christmas Eve.

★ Corpus was the only college not to sell its silverware in support of either side during the Civil War. That - and its unrivaled collection of manuscripts and massive collection of rare wines and ports - fuels rumours that it is Cambridge's richest college per student. This is a moot point, since these assets cannot be sold and most cannot be valued.

★ Part of one of the college's buildings, Botolph Court, which houses some 30 students, is said to be built on top of a 17th century plague pit and slowly sinking into it. This rumour is supported by the old basement under the building, sloping walls and floors and that the building lies just outside the old city wall. The other part is medieval..

★ The nickname 'Old House' has historically been used to refer to the whole college, but most usually (if, nowadays, at all) to designate the main college buildings, as opposed to outlying places like Leckhampton (e.g. "After my morning swim at Leckers, I'm going to eat lunch at Old House"). It is no longer in common usage among undergraduates (save for in the Latin form, ''Floreat antiqua domus'' (i.e. ''May the old house flourish''), in the college toast), although it is in wide use among fellows, postgraduates and college staff.^[3]

Famous alumni

{|border="2" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="0" style="margin: 1em 1em 1em 0; border: 1px #aaa solid; border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 95%;"
|-bgcolor="#f7f7f7"
!Name
!Birth
!Death
!Career
|-
|St Richard Reynolds
|
|1535
|Catholic Martyr
|-
|Matthew Parker
|1504
|1575
|Archbishop of Canterbury
|-
|Nicholas Bacon
|1509
|1579
|Politician
|-
|John Jewel
|1522
|1571
|Bishop of Salisbury; leader in the English Reformation
|-
|Thomas Cavendish
|1555
|1592
|
|-
|John Greenwood
|
|1593
|Puritan and Separatist
|-
|Christopher Marlowe
|1564
|1593
|Dramatist, poet, translator
|-
|Richard Boyle, 1st Earl of Cork
|1566
|1643
|
|-
|John Fletcher
|1579
|1625
|Playwright
|-
|Thomas Tenison
|1636
|1715
|Archbishop of Canterbury
|-
|Stephen Hales
|1677
|1761
|Physiologist, chemist and inventor
|-
|William Stukeley
|1687
|1765
|Antiquary
|-
|Richard Rigby
|
|
|Paymaster of the Forces
|-
|Richard Gough
|1735
|1809
|Antiquarian
|-
|John James Stewart Perowne
|1823
|1904
|Thelogian
|-
|John Cowper Powys
|1872
|1963
|Writer, lecturer, philosopher
|-
|Llewelyn Powys
|1884
|1939
|Writer
|-
|B.H. Liddell Hart
|1895
|1970
|Military historian
|-
|Edward Upward
|1903
|
|Novelist
|-
|Christopher Isherwood
|1904
|1986
|Novelist
|-
|John Chadwick
|1920
|1998
|Classicist and decipherer of Linear B
|-
|Campbell Adamson
|1922
|2000
|Director General of the CBI
|-
|E.P. Thompson
|1924
|1993
|Historian, socialist, peace campaigner
|-
|Alistair Macdonald
|1925
|1999
|Politician
|-
|Michael Mayne
|1929
|
|Dean of Westminster Abbey (1986-1996)
|-
|Alan Wilson
|1939
|
|Scientist, Former Master of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge
|-
|Neil Hamilton[3]3
|1947
|
|Conservative MP (1983-1997)
|-
|Francis Maude
|1953
|
|Chairman of the Conservative Party
|-
|Peter Luff
|1955
|
|Conservative MP (1992-present)
|-
|Scott H. MacKenzie
|1958
|
|Historian, Scholar
|-
|Bernard Jenkin
|1959
|
|Shadow Minister for Trade and Industry and Deputy Chairman of the Conservative Party
|-
|Simon Heffer
|1960
|
|Journalist
|-
|Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi
|1956
|
|former minister of finance, planning and development & law, Government of Pakistan
|- }

See also

★

★

★ Corpus Christi College Boat Club (Cambridge)

References

1. Life at Corpus - Glossary
2. http://www.corpus.cam.ac.uk/about/history.htm#11
3. As used in this entry - http://www.corpus.cam.ac.uk/oldmembers/diary.php?diaid=20 - on the college website.

External links

★ http://www.corpus.cam.ac.uk/ - Corpus Christi College main page

★ http://www.corpus.cam.ac.uk/jcr - JCR page

★ http://www.corpus.cam.ac.uk/mcr - MCR page