The College Archive

Reading Room and Enquiries

210 enquiries were received and answered in the year beginning 5 October 2021, with responses in a significant number of cases including the supply of low-resolution digital images. In the Reading Room, 280 files and items were produced for 50 people over the course of 69 visits. Research topics included: Lady Margaret Beaufort’s household accounts; early 16th -century paper manufactured in Cambridge; investments in the South Sea Company; the histories of particular properties once owned by the College, and aspects of the careers of individual former Fellows who are the subject of dissertations.

Cataloguing

Senior Bursar’s account books, 1534-51, and Junior Bursar’s account rolls, 1586-1768, are now listed on the online catalogue. Work on the ‘governing records’ section of the online catalogue relating to the foundation of the College has been completed, meaning that the Foundation Charter now has the reference ‘SJGR/1/1’. Pre-1511 records relating to the dissolution of St John’s Hospital have been catalogued as part of the ‘SJHO’ collection, but are unpublished pending completion of cataloguing of the rest of that extensive collection. The section relating to benefactions to the College by William Cecil, Lord Burghley, his wife and descendants has also been completed and published. Work on the very large ‘estate records’ section continues, with hundreds more records added to the online catalogue, but in draft form pending finalisation of the overall arrangement of the whole section.

Agreement between Lady Burghley and St John's College, 1581 (ref: SJGR/5/3/2)

Preservation

The following items have been treated by the Cambridge Conservation Consortium:  SJGR/1/4 – Bishop of Ely’s charter of confirmation of the foundation of St John’s College, 1514. The charter was surface-cleaned, gently flattened, and a presentation box to house it custom-made, with housing for the seal to keep it from moving when the box is carried.  SJCS/22/6/20 – cricket score book, too badly water and mould damaged to be produced for researchers. Dirt was removed, damaged paper stabilised and infilled with Japanese tissue, new endpapers made and the volume rebound.  SJAR/8/1/3/1 – Dean’s order book, 1806-95. The binding has been repaired and strengthened, torn pages repaired, the paper surface cleaned, and loose fragments rehoused.  SB16/11 – Senior Bursar’s accounts ledger, 1927-29. Historic water damage resulted in the separation of book block and binding; the cloth covering the boards was completely detached and water damage had weakened the paper. Damaged paper was stabilised and infilled with Japanese tissue, pages were surface-cleaned, new endpapers were made, the spine strengthened, and the volume rebound.  SB16/10 – Senior Bursar’s cash book, 1893-1933. Damaged binding; surface dirt. The volume has been cleaned, paper repaired, and a new binding made.  SB1/67 – Senior Bursar’s list of subscribers and subscriptions to The Eagle, 1895-1924. Historic water damage resulted in the separation of the book block and binding; spine piece was lost; paper damaged; cloth covering the boards completely detached. The volume has been rebound and the paper repaired and cleaned.

The Consortium is currently conserving photographs of the Lady Margaret Boat Club dating to the 1920s, removing them from their frame, which will include separating one from the glass of the frame, to which it had become stuck due to water damage.

Other Activities

Weekly palaeography sessions have taken place since February, held via Zoom so that students can attend from anywhere, including from home during the holidays, and using digital images of documents in the archives. Documents from the 16th and 17th centuries written in English are used (with the occasional smattering of Latin).

The archivist has researched, selected images, and written text for two information banners on the subjects of ‘Lady Margaret Beaufort’ and ‘Early Benefactors of St John’s’, the latter featuring Roger Lupton, Lady Mildred Burghley, and Sarah, Duchess of Somerset. At the time of writing, proofs have been designed by a professional team who are now approaching manufacturers. The creation of the banners is timed to coincide with the fortieth anniversary of the admission of female undergraduates to St John’s and it is envisaged that, while based in the Pythagoras Building, the pull-up banners will be displayed in other parts of College when various events are taking place. A PowerPoint presentation, for display on the existing screens in the Working Library and Buttery, is being prepared on the subject of the history of women and St John’s more generally, including aspects of what the earliest statutes had to say on the subject and attitudes in the 19th century towards female students.

A pair of May Ball tickets from 1929: blue for a gentleman’s ticket and pink for a lady’s! (ref: SJCL/4/1/5)

Gifts

The following items have been received, with grateful thanks to their donors:

 Photographs from album of Douglas Sargent (BA 1900), 1897  Rowing photographs, 1925 and 1926  St John’s College sports jacket, 1930  Foundation Dinner menu and seating plan, 1936  Lady Margaret Boat Club jacket, tie, cap and scarf, c. 1949  Dinner menus: Coronation 1953; May Ball 1953; Hockey Club 1952 and 1953  Lady Margaret Boat Club, Captain’s Book, 1966-87  Copy of rowing training diary of David Sturge (BA 1969), 1973-76  DVD of Hugh Sykes Davies (Fellow, 1933-84), 'The Don's Tale', BBC East documentary 1981  Copies of the texts of sermons made by Dr Kenneth Budden (Fellow, 1947-2005) and

Prof. Roger Griffin (Fellow, 1962-65 and 1972-2001) at the Commemoration of

Benefactors services, 1981 and 1987  Pig Club papers, 1984-2001  Memorial service for Dr Frederick Sanger (BA 1939), 2014  Order of Service for Choral Evensong in commemoration of the quincentenary of the birth of William Cecil, the Lord Burghley, 2021  May Ball programme, poster, and wrist bands, 2022

Regular accessions from within College include audio recordings of the Hinsley and Linacre Lectures.

Lynsey Darby College Archivist