St John's College U.57-63
Copies of historical documents relating to Cambridge and Cambridgeshire. Latin and English, c. 1820.
Historical documents relating to the university, colleges and town of Cambridge, to Cambridgeshire, and to the diocese of Ely, chiefly copied from the manuscripts of Thomas Baker (1656-1740), in seven volumes.
- U.57: 330 x 210 mm. Most of the pages are blank; only the first five and pp. 193-248 carry text. Contains a copy of letters patent on the visitation to the university and to Eton undertaken in 2 Edward VI (1548) and copies of various 16th- and 17th-century documents relating to the university drawn from Baker 'Vol. 24'.
- U.58: 340 x 220 mm. 445 p. + blanks. Contains copies of documents of the 16th to 19th centuries relating to St Catharine's, St John's and Christ's Colleges, drawn from Baker's manuscripts and other sources. The latest dated document appears to be of 1820. The gilt spine label reads 'Corporis Xti Coll., Cath. Hall, St John's Coll., Christ's Coll., Downing Coll.'.
- U.59: 330 x 210 mm. 562 p. + blanks. Contains copies of 16th- to 18th-century documents relating to Trinity, Sidney Sussex, Jesus, Emmanuel, Gonville & Caius, and Magdalene Colleges, and to Trinity Hall, drawn from Baker's manuscripts. Loose within the volume are three printed circulars authored by Francis Martin of Trinity in 1857. The gilt spine label reads 'Trinity Coll., Sidney Coll., Jesus Coll., Eman: Coll., Magdalen Coll., Caius Coll., Trinity Hall'.
- U.60: 340 x 220 mm. 503 p. Contains copies of documents relating to the colleges and university of Cambridge derived from Baker's manuscripts. A list of contents is provided on a preliminary leaf. The gilt spine label reads 'University'.
- U.61: 340 x 220 mm. 238 p. + blanks + some loose pages. Contains copies of documents relating to the town of Cambridge, drawn from Baker's manuscripts. The gilt spine label reads 'Town of Cambridge'.
- U.62: 335 x 215 mm. 658 p. (several of which are blank). Contains copies of documents relating to Cambridgeshire, drawn from Baker's manuscripts, mostly arranged alphabetically by village. An index appears on pp. 657-8. The gilt spine label reads 'County of Cambridge'.
- U.63: 330 x 210 mm. 401 p. + blanks. Contains copies of documents covering the 14th to 16th centuries relating to the diocese of Ely, taken from Baker's manuscripts. The gilt spine label reads 'Diocese of Ely'.
The paper is watermarked 1817. All seven volumes are bound in plain brown calf over boards and have been re-backed. The text is written in a few different hands.
A faint pencil note on the flyleaf of vol. 1 reads: 'These 7 volumes folio I bought at Dr Webb's (Master of Clare Hall) sale for 10 £. Much competition for them. J. Hailstone.' William Webb (1775-1856) was Master of Clare 1815-56. John Hailstone (d. 1871) was a graduate of Trinity and an antiquary and archaeologist. These manuscripts were at one time acquired by Robert Forsyth Scott (1849-1933), Master of St John's, whose widow, Jenny gave them to the Library in 1934 (book label).