List of masters of Trinity College, Cambridge

Historic building in a quadrangle
Master's lodge in Great Court, Trinity College

Trinity College, a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, is headed by a master who oversees the general operation of the college. The role is officially appointed by the monarch at the recommendation of the college, and involves presiding over meetings of the college council and its governing body, although the executive powers of the master are limited.[1] In addition, the master supports relations with students and alumni of the college, and serves as an ambassador for its global development activities.[2]

In 1546, Trinity College was founded by Henry VIII, merging the colleges of Michaelhouse and King's Hall.[3] John Redman, then Warden of King's Hall, was thus appointed first Master of Trinity College. There have been 40 appointments to the position; William Bill was appointed master twice, in 1551 and 1558.[4] The longest serving master was Richard Bentley, from 1700 until his death in 1741. He held the post despite widespread unpopularity amongst the fellows, a feud which lasted for about 30 years. During this, Bentley survived numerous criminal charges, and had his university degree rescinded between 1718 and 1724.[5] The current master, Dame Sally Davies, was appointed on 8 February 2019. She assumed the role during a ceremony on 8 October of that year, becoming the 39th Master of Trinity College, and the first woman to hold the position.[6][7]

For much of the past, the master was required to hold a degree from the University of Cambridge, and was usually a member of Trinity College. Historical statutes also stated that the office of the master could only be held up to the age of 70 or 75, at the decision of the fellows.[1] Currently, the master holds office for a fixed term of up to eight years. There is no longer a requirement to have studied at Trinity College, or the University of Cambridge, but recent masters have usually been distinguished academics. The incumbent is always referred to as the master, regardless of gender, for historical reasons.[2]

The Master of Trinity College resides in the Master's Lodge, located in Great Court. It was originally built in 1554, and is a Grade I listed building. The entrance hall has 16th-century panelling, and the drawing room has a late 15th-century plaster ceiling. The façade of the building towards Great Court was renovated between 1841 and 1843 by Anthony Salvin. In 1892, the architect Arthur Blomfield constructed the west wing of the lodge with additional rooms for private accommodation of the master, which freed some of the historic rooms for public use.[8] The Master's Lodge is customarily the royal residence when visiting the university.[9] It includes a state bedroom that was refurbished for the 1843 visit of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert.[10]

Several masters of the college contributed to the development of its buildings throughout history. Thomas Nevile, master of the college from 1593, remodelled the majority of the college buildings. He demolished several buildings to clear space for the Great Court, which is now reputedly the largest enclosed courtyard in Europe.[11] Upon his death, he bequeathed a sum of money that entirely paid for the construction of Nevile's Court.[12] In the late 17th century, Nevile's Court was further developed by Christopher Wren under the instruction of the master of the college, Isaac Barrow, forming the Wren Library.[13] In the 1860s, William Whewell paid for the construction of Whewell's Court, two neo-Gothic courts located on the opposite side of Trinity Street.[14]

  1. ^ a b "The Master of Trinity". Trinity College, Cambridge. Retrieved 8 May 2024.
  2. ^ a b Holland, Fiona (28 June 2018). "Applications invited for the next Master of Trinity". Trinity College, Cambridge. Retrieved 8 May 2024.
  3. ^ "Historical Overview". Trinity College, Cambridge. Retrieved 8 May 2024.
  4. ^ Holland, Fiona (8 February 2019). "Professor Dame Sally Davies appointed Master of Trinity". Trinity College, Cambridge. Retrieved 7 May 2024.
  5. ^  This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Richard Bentley". Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 3 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 751.
  6. ^ "Master of Trinity College, Cambridge: Professor Dame Sally Davies". GOV.UK. 8 February 2019. Retrieved 13 February 2019.
  7. ^ "Dame Sally installed as Master". Trinity College, Cambridge. 8 October 2019. Retrieved 10 October 2019.
  8. ^ Historic England. "Trinity College: The Buildings surrounding Great Court, Nevile's Court and New Court, and including King's Hostel (Grade I) (1106371)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 8 May 2024.
  9. ^ "Great Court, Trinity College, University of Cambridge (albumen photograph)". Victorian Web. Retrieved 8 May 2024.
  10. ^ Williams, Robert (1976). "A Cambridge Family of Furniture Makers and the Furnishing of the Master's Lodge Trinity College, Cambridge, 1795–1820". Furniture History. 12: 78. ISSN 0016-3058. JSTOR 23404079.
  11. ^ Brewer, Stephen; Olson, Donald (2006). Best Day Trips from London: 25 Great Escapes by Train, Bus Or Car. Frommer's. p. 56. ISBN 0-470-04453-5.
  12. ^ Stourton, Edward; Lonsdale, John (2011). Trinity: A Portrait. Third Millenium Publishing. ISBN 978-1-906507-31-2.
  13. ^ McKitterick, David (27 July 1995). The Making of the Wren Library: Trinity College, Cambridge. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-44305-0.
  14. ^ Historic England. "Whewell's Court, Trinity College (Grade II) (1331806)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 8 May 2024.