Who founded Trinity College + year?
Henry 8th, 1542
Explain the series of events behind Henry 8’s excommunication (include dates)
- Henry 8 was excommunicated by the Pope in 1531 after marrying Anne Boleyn in a secret ceremony in order to ensure an heir to the throne
- This did not line up with the Anglican principles, as Henry was already married to his first wife (Catherine of Aragon)
- After his excommunication, Henry stripped England of all Anglican heritage: over the course of the subsequent years, he demolished all Catholic monasteries once all valuables had been taken.
- All the land that once belonged to the monasteries now belonged to him.
What did Henry 8 do with his immense wealth after stripping the Anglican heritage out of England? (4)
- Henry 8 formed Church of England, appointing himself as the head
- Shift from Catholic -> Protestant ways
- Translated Bible into English
- Built Trinity College
Briefly explain the reasoning behind the naming of the college
- Trinity –> daggers shot at the Roman Catholic church that Henry was excommunicated from (Holy Trinity)
Not only was Henry 8 a rude cunt, he was also stingy with his massive wealth. Explain why
- Henry 8 minimized the funding spent on establishing Trinity as an official college by merging two pre-existing colleges: King’s Hall & Michaelhouse.
- This is why Trinity is the second largest in Cambridge, population wise. (Behind Homerton)
Explain the size of Trinity’s wealth. (3)
- 3rd richest land owner in the UK
- Net worth of around £1.5bn
- Owns around 3000 acres
3000 acres, in comparison to the Ministry of Defence’s 750,000, does not sound a lot at all. Briefly explain where the wealth comes from. (3) + (1)
In those 3000 acres, Trinity owns:
- Felixstowe Container Port
- The O2 Arena in London
- The airfield which housed the former test track for Top Gear
–> They also own 50% of all shares in Tesco.
When was Trinity Hall founded and why?
- Trinity Hall was founded in 1350 for the sole purpose of training up future lawyers after many were wiped out by the Black Death
Briefly explain the founding of Clare College (with dates)
- Originally founded in 1326, although establishment was put on hold due to lack of funding
- Finished by Lady Elizabeth de Clare in 1338
- Wealthiest woman in England at the time
Even though Elizabeth de Clare was the wealthiest woman in England, she suffered a lot of hardships. Explain them in detail.
- Hardships with men, known as the black widow of the Cam due to husbands dying shortly after marrying her.
- First marriage was at age 12 when she married one of the richest men in England
- After her first husband died, she was captured by a Justicar from Ireland and forced into her second marriage
- After escaping the second marriage, she married a Lord supporter of her father, one of England’s most powerful nobles.
- Due to the politics of it all, she ended up being captured by his opponents after his death.
It was only after a rocky few decades that she ended up being free. How was she able to fund Clare College, and why was it named ‘Clare’?
- She was able to fund the establishment of Clare College due to the inheritance of wealth from each of her marriages, as well as her family’s wealth. (Explaining why she was the richest woman in England)
- In an attempt to put the past behind her, she kept her original family name
Describe the founding of King’s College.
- Initially founded in 1441 by King Henry 6
- However the establishment was halted due to the War of the Roses. This was a violent feud between the two wealthiest families in England. The cost of the war meant that barely any funds went to the construction of the college.
- Finished by King Henry 8 during his reign of power
What was originally the main purpose of King’s College?
- King’s College was initially meant for the top graduates of Eton School, who were from underprivileged backgrounds.
- Now known as a school exclusively for extremely upper-class children, it was not always the case.
- Eton School was originally developed as a place for poor children to be educated. It was funded by the monarchy as a gesture of charity.
- Wealthier children were often not educated, as they were believed to be born intelligent.
Explain how King’s College still persists in this purpose.
- King’s College still has an atmosphere that caters to students from working class / minority backgrounds
- It has the highest percentage of state school students of any of the colleges.
List 3 achievements of King’s College
- Discovery of DNA
- 12 Nobel Prizes
- Choir
What is the name of the unattractive building that is located just beyond King’s College?
- Erasmus Building
Who designed the Erasmus Building + year?
- Sir Basil Spence
- 1959
What is the Erasmus Building used for?
- Accommodation for Queens students
- Grades ?
Briefly explain the myth behind the design of the Erasmus Building.
- Sir Basil Spence took a large dose of LSD before designing the architecture
- Designed the building to look like the trees & leaves that are situated on the other side of the bank
When was Queens’ College established? Why is this special?
- 1416
- Makes it the oldest riverside structure in the city
Explain the connection of the phrase ‘daylight robbery’ to Queens’ College. (W. date)
- Back in the day, the poorest people in the city used to live in the college next to the river
- This was the cheapest place to live, because the river used to be used as a sewer
- You can notice where they lived due to the very small windows
- They had small windows due to a window tax that was introduced in 1696
- Daylight robbery g
Who designed the Mathematical Bridge + what year?
- William Etheridge
- 1749
Why is it called the Mathematical Bridge?
- Uses the least amount of materials to yield the greatest strength
Myth?
- Told that it is held up purely through slotting it in-between the two sides of the bank, with no nuts and bolts
