Old Cottage, Queens’ College, Silver Street

History of Old Cottage, Queen's College

This cottage was one of a number of old buildings that survived until 1935 to make way for the Fisher Building.

For more detail about the development of this area of Queens’ College and Cambridge see:

https://www.queens.cam.ac.uk/life-at-queens/about-the-college/college-facts/the-buildings/old-views-and-plans

Gwen Raverat mentions ‘a little Tudor cottage which stood among the trees‘ in period Piece p.44.

An undated note on a contemporary postcard says: ‘An old cottage belonging to Queens’ on the opposite side of the river. Some of the college dependants and servants live in it.’

1891

Queen’s Cottages 1 Silver Street

John W Sumpter, 51, college porter, b Windsor

Eliza, 54, b Suffolk

Arthur G, 19, chemist, b Cambridge

Queen’s Cottages 2 Silver Street

William Digby, 34, college servant, b Essex

Rebecca, 33, b Little Downham

William, 9, b Cambridge

Reginald S, 8, b Cambridge

Frank L, 7, b Cambridge

Ethel, 5, b Cambridge

Alfred E V, 3, b Cambridge

George F, 1, b Cambridge

Queen’s Cottages 3 Silver Street

Robert M Jones, 45, gardener, b St Asaph wales

Emily née Rallings, 38, b Duxford

Leonard, 10, b Cambridge

Mabel M, 8, b Cambridge [This is the same person as Madeline Myfanwy Jones who later founded the Garden House Hotel]

Florence E, 5, b Cambridge

Frank Ibberson, lodger, 33, grocer’s assistant, b Leics

Queens College cottage on Backs, later demolished (MoC209/54)

Queens’ College extension 1935 (MoC538/55)