Hamond's Plan of Cambridge, 1590 Legge Buildings and Gate of Humility, 1841 (Le Keux) Ancient Cubicle in Legge Building (from Willis and Clark's History) ... 49 49 49 50 : ... The Library, 1899 ... The Master's Garden, 1900 ... ... 36 36 36 164 164 168 168 169 169 179 190 196 196 198 392 ANY account of the masters of Gonville Hall must in duty commence with some account of Gonville' himself. His family occupies a somewhat remarkable position in English, and County, history. It is not one of those which gradually emerged into importance by their wealth. It did not spring at once into rank and fame by royal favour. There are no vicissitudes or tragedies in its brief history. From the first it occupied a uniformly good position in the county and state held this for five generations: and then died out. Our college owes much to the Gonvilles. The first member of the family about whom anything is really known was Edmund, our founder. The last, the Lady Anne Scroope, was a chief benefactress. Edmund Gonville was the son, not, as our Commemoration Service erroneously states, of Nicholas, but of William2. All that is known of William is the statement, in the return to a writ as to the property of the lay subjects of the King of France in Norfolk and Suffolk in 1295, that he was a native born subject of the King of France "commorans in Anglia," and that he held the manor of Lerling, with other property in Foulden and Palgrave. He had two sons; Nicholas, a knight, who married a daughter of Sir William Lerling, and Edmund, who, like many of the family, was a priest. Edmund was rector of Thelnetham, Suff., 1320-26; of Rushworth, Norf., 1326-43; and of Terrington, 1343 till his death. He was evidently held in high estimation for his business capacity, as he 1 The earliest spelling of his name appears to be Gonvile; but, for uniformity, I have adhered to the customary spelling. 2 The pedigree in the Appendix will show what is known about the family. It is extracted from Dr Bennet's Rushworth College, to whom is due most of our knowledge about the family. Our Commemoration Service,-carelessly compiled early in the last century,—is of no authority whatever. Blomefield is correct as to the parentage, but wrong as to the marriage, of Nicholas Gonvile. C. III. 1 was appointed steward, about 1318, to the powerful William Earl Warren, owner of very large property in the neighbourhood. He afterwards held the same office to the Earl of Lancaster. Subsequently he was Commissioner of the Marshlands of Norfolk, and was also Commissary to the bishop of Ely. The first sign of his active interest in spiritual matters, beyond the limits of his own parish, was shown in the House of Friars Preachers of Thetford, established, at his suggestion apparently, by the Earl of Lancaster, about 1330. This was followed by the foundation of Rushworth College, Aug. 31, 1342. It may well be asked how a parish priest, a younger son whose brother had heirs, became possessed of property for such a foundation. It was brought about, apparently, in this way. Edmund's brother, Sir Nicholas, had four sons. The eldest, John, succeeded to the family estate in Rushworth: the three others became priests, and held benefices in the neighbourhood. John was something of a mauvais sujet, was frequently absent and in hiding, and finally, in 1342, assigned all his lands in Rushworth and Lerling to two of his brothers, leaving only a portion of his property to his infant son. Apparently the influence of the uncle of the young men prevailed for the appropriation of the property to the foundation of a college at Rushworth, of which parish Edmund was at that time rector. The peculiar nature of this college deserves notice; for, though others were afterwards founded on similar lines, it appears to have been a new experiment at the time. It differed widely from the ordinary monastic conception. It was "a college, or simple community, of priests living together in God's service, under the direct control of the Bishop of the Diocese, holding their property on condition of strict obedience to statutes and regulations ordained by their founder, and subject at every point of their conduct to the Bishop's visitation and authority" (Bennet). It consisted of a master and four fellows, who were bound to reside constantly, and to wear a peculiar dress. They had the spiritual charge of the church and village of Rushworth, and were bound to a certain round of daily services, commemoration of benefactors, and similar duties; but they diverged widely from the monastic ideal in being exempt from the usual vows of obedience and poverty, and in not having their time occupied in a nearly continuous succession of services. In later times a school was added to the foundation; but it must not be supposed that either this, or the college itself, was in any way intended as a feeder for his later and grander foundation at Cambridge. Gonville soon handed over to his college the rectory of Rushworth, as part of their endowment, and went to his new living, Terrington near Lynn. Besides his endowment of Rushworth, he appears to have built the church and college there. The college survived for two centuries, having on the whole done its prescribed work well: escaping all scandal, and from time to time adding to its endowment by further benefactions. As a religious corporation it fell at the Reformation, with the monasteries and chantries, being suppressed Dec. 6, 1541. This fine foundation had not, however, exhausted the fortune at Gonville's bestowal. In a return of 1346 (Close rolls) of sums advanced to the king for his projected passage into France, Edmund Gonville ranks amongst the greatest churchmen, being rated at 300 marks: the sum assigned to the priors of Ely and Norwich, the bishop of Hereford, and other prominent church dignitaries. Still devoted to good works, whilst at Terrington he founded, or was a great benefactor to, the Hospital of St John at Lynn. He was at this time Commissioner of the Marshlands of Norfolk. There remains the great foundation by which he is known at the present day. Large as his benefactions had already been, he was still a rich man. He had established a college of secular priests, and a hospital where should he seek now for a fresh field of usefulness? For the ancient monastic system he had apparently no high esteem, and it was many years since he had shown an interest in the Orders of Friars. Possibly a recent residence in Cambridge,-where he is said to have obtained the degree of Doctor of Divinity, -may have convinced him, by the example of two or three new foundations, that there was another and a better way, than that which followed the old monastic ideal, of serving God and promoting the cause of His Church. Peterhouse had been in existence since 1284, followed by Michaelhouse in 1324, University Hall (afterwards refounded as Clare) in 1326, and King's Hall in 1337. The idea was evidently "in the air" at this time, as almost simultaneously with Gonville's own college, Trinity Hall, Pembroke and Corpus came into existence. This close coincidence in time with Trinity Hall is significant. Gonville was a friend of Bateman, and left him, as his executor, to carry out his project. One cannot but think that he and the bishop must have often discussed the subject together; and however they differed as regards the relative importance of Theology and Canon Law, must have been in agreement in holding that the main hope of the Church then lay in the wise encouragement of houses for the secular clergy in the Universities. His first step of which we have any evidence was the purchase, from John Brunne and Daniel Festede, March 5, 1346-7, of 'three messuages and a garden with appurtenances, in Lurtheburne Strete,' now Freeschool Lane: the original' site of the college, afterwards exchanged with Corpus. The next step consisted in procuring the necessary licences. That of the king is dated at Westminster Jan. 28, 1347-8. Recognizing, through his escheator, that such a foundation would not be to the royal loss or damage, he grants permission to Edmund Gonville 'to erect and create anew a certain college of twenty scholars in the University of Cambridge, in dialectics and other sciences of students, and to give a name to the same college, and that he may grant and assign to a certain master and scholars his messuages and garden with its appurtenances in the street called Lurtheburne Strete in the same town...' (v. Appendix). It deserves notice that in these Letters Patent it is expressly stated that the permission is granted at the request of Sir Walter de Manny, the famous warrior. This was followed by two deeds conveying the assent of those from whom the land was held in fief, viz. one by 1 It was a small piece of ground, now mostly included in the master's garden, having one door from the lane, and one from St Botolph's churchyard. It was only held for five years. The deed is in our Treasury (Box I. 3). The plan will explain the position of the ground. 2 Manny was an intimate friend of the Earl of Lancaster, himself the friend and patron of Gonville. Thomas Norys, burgess of Cambridge, dated Dec. 6, 1348; and one by the prior and convent of Barnwell, dated the same day (Appendix). After this came the deed of foundation, dated at Terrington, on June 4, 1349,-towards the height, it may be remarked, so far as Norfolk is concerned, of the awful plague, "the Black Death." This is the first document in which John Colton is mentioned as master of the Hall. The "scholars" (i.e. fellows) are also referred to, but whether they had yet been actually nominated is not certain: they are first mentioned by name in 1354 in the deed of conveyance of the manor of Triplow (Dr Caius has erroneously antedated their names. The deed is dated Thursday after the feast of St Mathias the Apostle, 28th Edw. III.'; i.e. Feb. 27, 1353-4). On the above-mentioned day, June 4, 1349, Gonville appointed Richard Ely, rector of Thelveton, his attorney. This is the last document we have during his lifetime (v. Appendix). He then proceeded to draw up a body of Statutes (v. Appendix), but whether these ever obtained any formal sanction seems very doubtful. We have a copy in our Treasury (Box I. 10), transcribed by Sheriffe in his Evidences, but the date is not filled in; and though the statutes are followed by acknowledgements of approval by the Master (John de Tyrington) and by the Vice-Chancellor (Adam de Grantchester) these persons are only indicated by initials. It looks, in fact, as if these documents were only drafts. They have evidently never had any seal attached. Gonville did not live to carry out his designs any further than this; but left it to Bateman, bishop of Norwich, as executor, to complete his foundation. The exact date of his death is not known, but it was some time in 1351; and he was therefore not, like so many of his fellow parish clergy, a victim of the Pestilence. He was certainly alive March 20, 1350-1 (Feast of St Cuthbert, 24th Edw. III:— deed amongst the Buxton MSS.'); and his successor at Terrington was instituted Oct. 18, 1351. After careful search, no trace of his Will or Inquisition post mortem has been found. Though we rightly regard Gonville as our founder, it is not certain that we owe to him any part of our endowment. He is known to have been a rich man, as already stated, or at least to have had ample means at his disposal. Dr Caius says (Annals) that he supported the master and fellows during his life-time, viz. for about three years; and that he left a large sum in the hands of his executor in order to provide a permanent endowment. What became of this money is not clear very possibly it was employed in the purchase of advowsons as presently mentioned. 1 E. K. Bennet, Rushworth College. (This has been issued separately, but is also published in Vol. x. of Norfolk Archæology.) |