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The main hospital in Cambridge during medieval times was St John’s. It was built on an area of marshy land next to the river. Founded about 1200 it received many large endowments from local people such as the Dunning family. Its purpose was to care for the sick with the exception of pregnant women, lepers, the wounded, paralysed cripples and the insane, who were supposed to go to St Radegund’s, the Leper hospital and St Anthony’s.
Hugh de Balsham, bishop of Ely, used it to provide hostel accommodation for his monks. However, in 1284, the bishop removed the students into hostel on Trumpington Street, the origin of Peterhouse.
The hospital was turned into a college on the initiative of Lade Margaret, mother of Henry VII, in 1511. The chapel survived until 1868 when it was demolished and replaced.
A detailed history of the hospital can be found here:
https://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/cambs/vol2/pp303-307
General information about St John’s College can be found on Wikipedia.
The School of Pythagoras is the oldest secular building in Cambridge and was constructed around the middle of the 12th century.
Originally called the Stone House, it belonged to the Dunning family. Eustace Dunning occupied it with his wife and three children.
Rattee and Kett constructed (1866-1869) the entire interior of the chapel – woodwork, oak stalls, screen etc. The architect was Sir Gilbert Scott. A more detailed description can be found here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_John’s_College,_Cambridge#College_Chapel
John S Wood, president, 58, clerk in holy orders, b Yorks
John Eyton Bickersteth Mayor, fellow, 56, clerk in holy orders, b Ceylon
Peter H Mason, fellow, 54, clerk in holy orders, b Hants
John W Peiten, fellow, 57, clerk in holy orders, b Middlesex
Henry Mussell, fellow, 58, clerk in holy orders, b India
Philip T Mann, fellow, 40, college lecturer, b Kent
Charles Taylor, fellow, 40, clerk in holy orders, b London
William Emerton Heitland, fellow, 33, college lecturer, b Norfolk
Joseph T Ward, fellow, 27, clerk in holy orders, b Oxon
Donald MacAlister, fellow, 26, demonstrator of physics, b Scotland
Richard E Verdon, fellow, 35, university lecturer, b Lancs
Henry A Mead, MA, 29, university extension lecturer, b Norfolk
John S Hill, BA, 26, student, b Ireland
Daniel W Samways, 24, undergraduate, b Hants
John H Winter, 21, undergraduate, b Northumberland
Robert A H MacFarland, 20, student, b Northern Ireland
William E Cleaver, 22, student, b Middlesex
Francis Woodward Clementson, 18, student, b Staffs
George C Herbert, 18, student, b Salop
Thomas C Ward, 21, student, b Nottingham
Algernon C Clifford, 18, student, b Sea
Arthur J Wells, 20, student, b India
Edward S Chapman, 21, student, b Australia
Dudley E C Falcks, 22, undergraduate, b Middlesex
Frank Hill, 18, undergraduate, b Leics
Jeremiah Cohmaw, 21, undergraduate, b Middlesex
Alleyne Fitzherbert, 21, undergraduate, b Derbysh.
Edward J Mapson, 19, undergraduate, b Somerset
John T Knight, 20, undergraduate, b Northants
Charles S Middlemiss, 21, undergraduate, Yorks
Henry A Thomas, 23, undergraduate, b Wales
Frederick F P Penruddock, undergraduate, b Wilts
Alexander Cameron, visitor, 20, candidate for scholarship, b N Ireland
Nathaniel H Garland, 21, undergraduate, b Derbyshire
Richard B Davies, 20, undergraduate, b Herefordshire
Edward Ackroyd, 20 undergraduate, b Yorkshire
Roger N Goodman, 18, undergraduate, b Cambridge
Harry G Chance, 19, undergraduate, b Gloucestershire
Ernest H Ellison, 20, undergraduate, b Yorks
John H Edwards, 21, undergraduate, b Lancs
John B Ridges, 25, undergraduate, b Staffs
Joseph R Tanner, 20, undergraduate, b Somerset
Alfred c Scott, 19, undergraduate, b Surrey
James Peiris, 21, undergraduate, b Ceylon
James B Whitehead, BA, 23, b Trieste
Leonard T Horne, undergraduate, 20, b Hants
John H Haviland, undergraduate, 21, b Sussex
Hugh L Dawson, undergraduate, 21, b Lancs
Walter M Landers, visitor, 20, b Lancs
Frank W Graham, undergraduate, 20, b Durham
Leonard Wilkinson, undergraduate, 19, b Surrey
Thomas Clarke, 20, undergraduate, b Lancs
Henry E Mills, 20, under gate porter, 33, b Sussex
St John’s College gateway
Joseph Larmor, 43, teacher, b Northern Ireland
Jean Etienne Reenen de Villiers, 26, barrister, b South Africa
Frederick F Blackman, 34, teacher, b London
William H Barker, 21, college porter, b Cambridge
St John’s College, 1903
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Frederick Frost Blackman, 44, reader in Botany Cambridge University, b London
Charles Gawthrop, 36, college servant gate porter, b Histon
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St John’s College, 1912 (photo H Skelton)
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Cambridge Standard 13.9.1935: Last year, when the front of the college was restored the two gateway turrets facing St John’s Street were demolished and rebuilt; now the turrets within the court are being renovated. Restoration work has disclosed old oak panelling.
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