Michaelhouse 700

A new exhibition at Trinity celebrating 700 years since the foundation of Michaelhouse throws light on one of the oldest colleges in Cambridge.

In September 1324 the Chancellor of the Exchequer Hervey de Stanton founded Michaelhouse, following a tradition common in medieval times of wealthy people endowing religious institutions where prayers would be said for their soul. Instead of a church, monastery or friary, however, de Stanton created an educational college

Peterhouse College had been established in 1284, outside Trumpington Gate. The founding of Michaelhouse, the second residential college in Cambridge, catalysed the transformation of the town from a centre of trade to a city of learning. Within 30 years, six colleges had sprung up in the heart of Cambridge.

In its 222-year-existence, Michaelhouse acquired a long list of benefactors and bequests of religious relics and land, as the exhibition in Trinity’s Wren Library shows.

The demise of Michaelhouse came in 1546 when Henry VIII amalgamated it and nearby King’s Hall to found ‘The College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity’. Nothing remains of Michaelhouse above ground except the church which acted as its chapel – Michaelhouse Church and Café on Trinity Street.

Today Michaelhouse is best known to the public through the series of novels by Susanna Gregory, whose fictional detective Matthew Bartholomew is a Fellow of the College.

Trinity Archivist Adam Green said the exhibition, which includes manuscripts and illustrations from the Wren Library and Trinity’s archive, sought to throw light on an institution overshadowed by King’s Hall, which had been established in 1317 by King Edward II.

Read more from Adam Green about the collaborative effort that made the exhibition possible.

What challenges did you face in creating Michaelhouse 700?

Where the historical materials relating to a subject are limited, every detail seems precious. To fill in the gaps for the Michaelhouse exhibition we had to use our imaginations to make connections between things we know or think are likely.

Exhibiting archival material can be challenging, as people generally don’t want to see lots of documents, even if they can decipher them. So we try to find ways of enlivening exhibitions, for example with illustrations, maps and other drawings, and emphasising the people behind the documents, and how the evidence suggests they lived.

Many Library staff contributed their skills and knowledge to Michaelhouse 700, which as a result has helped to make it more appealing.

What was Hervey de Stanton, Chancellor of the Exchequer, hoping to achieve by founding Michaelhouse in 1324?

His aim was, firstly, to improve his fortunes in the next life through the act of giving itself and through the prayers said for his soul by the members of the college.

He must also have had an interest in the education of future generations. It is interesting that, despite having a distinguished legal career, his college was not founded for those studying law, as Trinity Hall was shortly afterwards.

Why was the new institution called Michaelhouse?

The college’s name came from nearby Michaelhouse Church, which de Stanton bought to provide its endowment. We don’t know exactly when the church was founded, or who named it. But, as the exhibition shows, the dedication to St Michael – an Archangel – has left traces in many places at Trinity, from the seal of a medieval woman to the naming of 1950s’ Angel Court.

What does Michaelhouse 700 hope to achieve?

This exhibition aims to give some idea of the character and importance of Michaelhouse and bring to life the people connected with it.

The statutes outlined the Fellows’ academic and religious duties including the responsibility for praying for the souls of the College’s benefactors – which eventually amounted to over 150 names all recorded in the ‘Otryngham Book’, on display in the exhibition.

The Wren Library is open to the public from 12-2pm, Monday-Friday, and 10:30am-12:30pm on Saturdays during full term. The Michaelhouse 700 exhibition runs until March 2025.

Read more about ‘Michaelhouse: the Mystery College.’

Banner image: Page from Trinity’s Memoriale or register of benefactors (1614) commemorating Hervey de Stanton as the founder of Michaelhouse. Trinity College Library, MS R.17.8