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TRINITY HALL.

FOUNDED 1350, A.D.

WILLIAM BATEMAN, a native of the city of Norwich, and afterwards bishop of Norwich, obtained a charter in the 24th year of Edward III. for founding a College, which in the Letters of Foundation is designed to be “ unum perpetuum Collegium Scholarium Juris Canonici et Civilis-ad cultusque divini ac Scientiæ Canonicæ et Civilis, Universitatisque Cantabrigiensis augmentum, necnon ad commodum, regimen et directionem reipublicæ, et specialiter dictæ nostræ ecclesiæ nostræque diœceseos Norvicensis." In 1352 bishop Bateman gave the Statutes for the government of the College, which in the same year were confirmed by the Archbishop of Canterbury, and afterwards by the University.

The Statutes declare that he designed the College to consist of a master, 20 fellows (Canonista et Legista), besides two or three scholars; but dying at Avignon in 1355, before he had completed his designed Foundation, the endowments he left were only found sufficient for the maintenance of a master, 3 fellows and 2 scholars.

The Statutes declare that when the number of fellows amounts to 20, of these 10 at least shall be Legistæ, and 7 at least Canonistæ, so that if at any time the Legista changed their study to that of Canon Law there shall not be more than 10 Canonistæ at most, and in want of Canonist fellows, 13 Legista at most. The Canonist fellows are required to enter into Holy Orders. In election to fellowships preference is to be given:-1. To scholars of the College. 2. To scholars of the Hall of Annunciation. 3. To scholars from the Norwich diocese. 4. To scholars from the University of Cambridge or any other University; and the poorer are to be chosen, cæteris paribus, before the richer scholars. There are no restrictions laid down with respect to the election of scholars. According to the Founder's additional Statute, two were to be elected as soon as convenient, and the number was to be increased to seven when the College had sufficient means. They were to study the Civil Law and to read the Sacred Scriptures in mensa,

besides to attend to some menial duties: and they were to receive "pro omnibus necessariis," three marks per annum.

In the 37th year of Henry VIII. the College was visited by Archbishop Parker and others, by whom a Declaratio Status Collegii was drawn up, by which it appears that the various fellows were Presbyters, Canonistæ and Legistæ. At this period the granting of degrees in Canon Law and its public study were prohibited by the king: by which means all the injunctions in the Statutes of the College referring to the Canonista became impracticable.

The Canonist combined the characters of priest and lawyer, and the profession having ceased to exist which admitted such combination, it became necessary for the College to decide what the Canonist fellows were to become. Thenceforth, with the exception of two Presbyters, they became Legistæ or Civilistæ, though in the time of Queen Mary the Canoniste reappear.

The Acts of Henry VIII, with respect to the Canon Law, were repealed by Queen Mary, but were re-enacted in the first year of Queen Elizabeth.

The annual revenue of Trinity Hall as reported by the Commissioners of Henry VIII. was £119. 2s.

An Act of Parliament was obtained (probably through the influence of Archbishop Parker) in the first year of Elizabeth, confirming the title of the College to its possessions against “all cavillation."

1508. Robert Goodnape gave certain lands and tenements to the College, to found and maintain with the proceeds one fellow, to be in priests' orders, according to the special Statutes framed by the master and fellows, of the date 1508. He is required to observe the Founder's Statutes, and is to have perfectly equal rights with every other fellow and priest.

1518. Walter Hewke by will gave certain tenements in Cambridge to the master and fellows, on condition that they maintain one perpetual priest secular, who is to have all manner of rights, &c. in the said College as any other canonist, priest, and fellow hath or shall have in time to come-yearly in all things. He is to study Civil or Canon Law, or both, to the intent that he may proceed to the doctorate.

Mr Spicer gave to the College £83. 6s. 8d. to maintain therewith one scholar, who is to be chosen by the master and fellows from (1) the Grammar School at Cokefield; (2) from Clare Hall, Ikkylington or Hyngston; (3) from St Catharine Hall; and to have as much as any other scholar, and 6s. 8d. and his lectures freely above all other.

1549. The College was visited by the Commissioners* of King Edward VI; an account of their proceedings will be

• It was intended by the Commission issued in the time of Edward VI. to unite Clare Hall to Trinity Hall, and to form out of them one College of civilians. At the time of this visitation in 1549, Stephen Gardiner, Lord Bishop of Winchester, was master of Trinity Hall, and Dr Madew, master of Clare Hall. Clare Hall refused to submit to the proposal of the Commissioners, and one of them, Bishop Ridley, appears to have been adverse to the union of these two colleges, as will appear from the following private letter to Edward, Duke of Somerset, the Lord Protector. In the works of Bp. Ridley, published by the Parker Society, there is a second letter (dated June 1, 1549) on this subject from the bishop to the Lord Protector, and his reply (dated June 10, 1549); but this first letter (1549) does not appear in that publication, nor in the Supplement. It appears, however, to be of sufficient importance to be printed, as it is a matter of fact, that Clare Hall was not merged into Trinity Hall.

"It may please your Grace to be advertised concerning our procedyng in the Visitation of the Universitie of Cambrig, specyally in that point of our instructions pretending to the uniting of Clare Hall to — Hall, for the study of the law, wherin I thought it my bound duty to signifye unto your Grace bysids our common letters also with thes my privet letters, the privits of my hart and consciance in that matter; nothing doubting but as I shall disclose my mind unto your Grace with your Graces leve frankly and plainly, and that moved upon consciance and for fear of the offense of God, so likewise your Grace having befor your Graces eyes the feare of God, wyl tak in good worth the uttering of the same; for as I do knoledge my bound deuty to be no lesse than to be ready to preserve the Kinges Highnes and your Grace in God to the utter most of my small power, witt or lernyng, so I am assuredly persuaded that it is neder the Kinges Majesties nor your Graces pleasor that in the exeqution of any suche service I should do any thing whearin I should judge myselfe to offend Almightie God, or not to have in the doyng of the same a clear and quiett consciance.

"It may please therefor your Grace to wete, that when I consider thes kind of uniting of thes twoo colleges (the matter standing as by our common letters is signified unto your Grace), I can not but thinke it to be a very sore thing, a great sclandre to them that shall presently hear of the matter, and a dangerouse example to the worlde to cum, to take a Colledge funded for the study of Goddes worde, and to apply it to the use of students in mans lawes, to take it I mean without the consent of the present possessioners of the same; for the history of Nabal vynhared, taken away without the possessioners good will, which I have hard at diverse tims gravly preached in the court, dooth terribly sound in min eares, and maketh me to tremble when I hear of any thing sounding to the like. I consider also (and it like your Grace) that the Fundatrix purpose was wonderouse godly, her facte was godly, so that in my

found in the documents edited by the late Dr Lamb, Master of Corpus Christi College.

1557. Richard Nicke, bishop of Norwich, gave certain property to the College, sufficient to maintain three fellows, of whom one was to be a Civilista, two were to be Canonista, who

judgement no faut can be found, ether in hir entent or in the mean ways whearby she wrought to accompleshe the same, which was the glory of God and the setting forth of His word; and if we do alow thus both hir entent and the circumstances of the same, seing it hir facte, is ratified by hir death and thus approved of the living, methinks St Paules words doth much conferme itt when he saith (Gal. 3), H licet testamentum tamen sit comprobatum nemo

aut addit aliquid.

"I consider also not only what lerned men may be brought up ther in time to cum, but also how many haith ben alredy; sum suche as I thinke it is hard for the hole Universitie to mache them with the like. I will speak now but of one, I mean Mastr Latimer, whiche is as I do thinke a man appointed of God, and indued with excellent gifts of grace to set forth God's word, to whom (in my judgment) not only the Kinges Majestie and his honorable counsaille, but also the hole realme is much bond not only for his constant maintenance and defense of Godds treuth when Papists perseqution did assault the godly, but also for that now he preacheth the Gospel so purely and so earnestly, and frely rebuketh the worlde of his wickedness. Alexander, if I do right remember the history, in the victorouse course of his con. quest, did spare a cite for the memory of the famose poet Homer sake; Latymer far passes by that poete, and the Kynges Highnes by your Graces advise shall also excelle that gentyl prince in all kynd of mercy and clemency.

"Thus I am moved to make my most humble petition unto your Grace, not so much for the students of that College now being (of the which (if the report which is made of some of them be found trew) I think no lesse, but that sum of them ar worthy to be expulsed both thense and out of the University, and some other grevosly to be punished, to the ensample of others) as for the study of Gods word, that it may, according to the godly will of their Fundatrix, continew ther.

"Finally, if it shall be otherwise seen unto your Graces wysdome, then I beseche your Grace to give me leve with your Graces favor soe to ordre my self, or by min abscense thense for the time, or by my silence, that I shall nede to do no facte therin contrary to the judgment or peace of my conscience.

"Thes things thus moved I have also the more boldly writen unto your Grace, because your Grace (as me thought most godly moved) willed and commanded once me in your Graces gallery at London, so to do, by my private letters whensoever I shuld thinke me to have just occasion. Thus I wishe most entirly your Grace evermore to encrease in all godliness to the setting forth of Goddes glory, and to the attaining of your Graces own endles honour and salvation.

"Your Graces humble and dayly orator of his bond duty, Nic. ROFFEN."

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This letter was copied from the Records in the State Paper Office (Local History, Vol. IV. p. 374), and was communicated (Feb. 4, 1828) by R. Lemon, Esq. to Dr Webb, the Master of Clare Hall, to whose kindness and courtesy the Editor's best thanks are due for the use of his copy, and his permission to print it.

were to proceed to priests' orders within one year from the day of their admission.

He also founded two scholarships, and choice is to be made by the master and fellows of persons who shall appear fit “tam moribus quam scientia,” but no other restriction is imposed.

1558. Lawrence Moptyd gave £60 to the College, to found one scholarship. The scholar is required to be of the diocese of Norwich, and to have been brought up by the space of two years at least in the common schools of Ipswich or Bury St Edmund's. He is to be allowed £2. 13s. 4d. per annum, with all other commodities that other scholars enjoy.

1560. Gabriel Dunne left to the College £120 with which, according to the Decretum Erectionis, was founded one scholarship. The scholar is to have 12d. per week, and the same emoluments as the other scholars of the house.

1562. Dr Hervey gave to the College certain lands to support two scholars. Each of these scholars is to have 1s. per week together with all other emoluments which the rest of the scholars enjoy.

1577. Dr Busby left to the College £53, for the maintenance of two poor scholars from Suffolk, each to receive 6d. per week, to be preferred (cæteris paribus) before all other scholars to the foundation scholarships.

1581. The College, on the 21st May in this year, founded a supernumerary fellowship from the increased revenues of the College.

1586. William Mowse gave by will to the College the sum of £400, to buy lands of the yearly value of £20, to be settled on Trinity Hall, for the maintenance of as many fellows and scholars as, according to the rate of fellowships and scholarships then, £20 would maintain. The College from this benefaction founded one fellowship and one scholarship.

1586. Archbishop Parker gave to the College £60. 138. 4d. for founding one scholarship for the study of the Civil Law, such scholar to have yearly £3. Os. 8d. or 18. 2d. per week. The scholar is to be chosen from his own scholars at Corpus Christi, College, and from Norwich School (if any of these scholars so will), according to an indenture dated 9 Eliz. June 24.

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