In transcribing the following paragraphs from the Internet Archive online version, I have expanded the abbreviations for easier reading and added paragraphing, subtitles, and links to material on this site, chiefly images of the university’s colleges. The illustrations are in the original. The Gazetteer has 1856 on the title-page for this volume, but the statements in this essay date it to 1851. — George P. Landow]
AMBRIDGE, a parliamentary borough and market town in England, in the county of Cambridge, 50 miles North-northeast London, on a level tract of ground on both sides of the Cam, but the greater portion on the right bank of that river, which is crossed by a neat cast-iron and several other public bridges, besides which, each college contiguous to the river has a private one. It is about 3 miles in length, East to West, and about 1½ in breadth; is wanting in elegance, and, as a town, has, with exception of its celebrated university, few points of interest, and fewer of beauty. The streets, formerly narrow, winding, and irregular, are now much altered and improved, and are well paved and well lighted. The principal market place, recently much improved, is centrically situated, and consists of two spacious oblong squares, in one of which is a conduit, supplied by water from an aqueduct, at a distance of 3 miles, erected for the benefit of the town, in 1614, by Hobson, livery stabler, who gave rise to the well-known proverb of Hobson’s choice, by adhering to a rule of letting his horses by rotation only, thus leaving the hirer no alternative but to take the one whose turn it was to go out. At the South end of the market-place stands the guild hall, which contains several large rooms for public purposes ; and near the Northwest extremity of the town is the county courthouse, a spacious and handsome structure.
Churches in Cambridge
There are, altogether, 14 parish churches in the town, and seven places of worship for different religious bodies; one for Independents, three for Methodists Wesleyan and Primitive, and three for Baptists. With exception of St. Sepulchre’s, and probably St. Mary’s the Greater, there are none of the churches in any way remarkable as specimens of architecture. The former, called, from its shape, the round church, was built in imitation of the Holy Sepulchre at Jerusalem. In 1843 it was restored, at considerable expense, under the auspices of the Camden Society, St. Mary’s church is adorned with a massive and lofty tower, crowned with four turrets.
St. Sepulchre’s< Church, Cambridge. “From a Print by Rudge.” Click on image to enlarge it.
The University of Cambridge
But it is to its university that Cambridge owes the interest which it excites. The buildings of this illustrious institution extend along the greater portion of the western part of the town, between it and the Cam, to both of which they run nearly parallel. They consist of the senate-house, the university library, and schools, the former containing about 170,000 volumes; the university or Pitt press, the Fitzwilliam museum, the anatomical museum, and the observatory, most of them remarkable for architectural elegance. The colleges are 17 in number, called, respectively, St. Peter’s, Clare Hall, Pembroke, Gonville and Caius, Trinity Hall, Corpus Christi, King’s, Queen’s, St. Catherine’s Hall, Jesus, Christ’s, St. John’s, Magdalene, Trinity, Emmanuel, Sidney Sussex, and Downing the most recent, all of them magnificent structures. The greater number of the colleges are contiguous to each other, chiefly along the Cam river, but there are several in different parts of the town.
Gateway of Trinity College, Cambridge. From Le Keux’s Memorials of Cambridge. Click on image to enlarge it.
The origin of this learned foundation is involved in obscurity, but is supposed to date from the seventh century, and to have been founded by Sigebert, a king of the East Angles. It did not, however, assume the regular corporate form of a university till about the 13th century, when the first college was erected by Henry III. In 1333, King Edward III. granted the university some important privileges; and, in 1430, Pope Martin V. invested it with exclusive ecclesiastical and spiritual jurisdiction over its own scholars. In the reign of Elizabeth, further privileges and rights were bestowed on it, all preceding grants were confirmed, and the university declared to be incorporated by the name of the chancellor, masters, and scholars. The present university comprises, as already mentioned, 17 colleges. Each college is a body corporate, and bound by its own statutes, but under the control of the general laws of the university. Each furnishes members for the executive and legislative government of the university. The place of assembly is the senate-house. All persons who are masters of arts, or doctors in divinity, civil law, or physic, having their names upon the college boards, holding any university office, or being resident in the town of Cambridge, have votes in this assembly. The annual income of the university is about £5500, arising from various sources, including the produce of fees at matriculations, for degrees, &c., and the profits of the university press, but chiefly from the proceeds of the rectory of Burwell. The public professors are paid, some from the university chest, some by the Government, and others from estates left for that purpose. The degrees conferred by the university are those of doctors in divinity, civil law, and medicine, and also in the science of music; that of master of arts, and the degree of bachelor, in each of the foregoing. The academical year consists of three terms, Michaelmas, Lent, and Easter. The languages, arts, sciences, &c., taught, are Arabic, anatomy, astronomy, and geometry, botany, casuistry, chemistry, divinity, laws of England, geology, Greek, Hebrew, modern history, civil law, mathematics, medicine, mineralogy, music, natural philosophy, physic, besides various endowed lectureships. The botanical garden, on the S.E. side of the town, occupies between three and four acres. The anatomical school contains a large collection of valuable preparations. On an eminence, at the distance of 1 mile from the college walks, on the road to Madingley, stands the observatory, which cost £19,000.
The Fitzwilliam museum, bequeathed to the university by Lord Viscount Fitzwilliam, is a magnificent structure, of the Corinthian order, and contains a noble collection of books, paintings, drawings, &c. The university sends two members to the House of Commons, the privilege having been granted by James I. The right of election is vested in the members of the senate, in number (in 1845) 3204. The vice-chancellor is the returning officer. The principal charitable institution is Addenbrooke s hospital, situated at the South entrance to the town. The annual cost of its maintenance is about £2600. There are, besides, several alms-houses, minor charities, and free schools. The markets in Cambridge are well supplied with every kind of provision, but from the very great con sumption of the university, the articles are comparatively dear.
The weekly market-day is Saturday. There are two fairs annually, one in June, the other in September; the former continued for a week, the latter, which is called Sturbridge Fair, for 14 days; but both are now much curtailed. The principal articles brought to sale on these occasions are horses, cattle, timber, pottery, leather, cheese, hops, wool, and hard ware. There are no manufactures in the town, but a considerable trade is carried on with the port of Lynn in corn, coal, timber, oil, and iron.
No dramatic performances are allowed in Cambridge, but there is a theatre in the adjoining village of Harnwell, which is occasionally opened; great musical festivals, however, are often celebrated in the town, where there is a permanent musical society on a great scale.
Cambridge is a town of great antiquity; in Doomsday book, where it is described as an important place, it is called Grentebrige, from one of the names of the fiver; the present name, derived from the modern name of the river Cam, being comparatively recent. In 871, it was burnt by the Danes, and again in 1010. Subsequently to this, it was the scene, at various periods, of events which have become matter of his tory, including several royal visits, and some military experiences in the time of Cromwell. Of the ancient castle built by William the Conqueror on the site of a Roman station, and some years used as the county jail, only the gateway now remains. Population, (1841) 24,453, (1851) 27,803; increase 18 per cent.
Bibliography
Blackie, Walker Graham. The Imperial Gazetteer: A General Dictionary of Geography, Physical, Political, Statistical and Descriptive. 4 vol South London: Blackie & Son, 1856. Internet Archive online version of a copy in the University of California Library. Web. 15 November 2018.
Last modified 15 November 2018