5

'Ordered by the master and seniors that the noblemen and fellowcommoners be subject to the same regulations of writing themes for the rhetoric lecturer, and to the same penalties for non-attendance at their tutor's lectures, as the rest of the undergraduates are.'

17 Oct. 1782. Agreed that Mr. Craven have leave to take out of the library a MS. of the Hebrew bible.

'Agreed that new posts and rails be put up at the college gate in Trumpington street.'

'Agreed that Mr. Diemarr be desired to examine the pictures in the library, 10 that we may determine where to remove them for their better preservation.' 23 Oct. 1782. Agreed that at the end of Stain coat [originally written court] passage doors be put up under the direction of Mr. Essex.'

4 Nov. 1782. Agreed that the pictures, which may be brought into the hall, be framed and gilt according to Mr. Dumarr's directions.

15 'Agreed that notice for the sacrament in the October and Lent terms be given on the Sunday preceding the division, and in the May term to be at the usual time.'

23 Nov. 1782. ‘Agreed that Mr. [Edm.] Barry, having kept all his terms at Oxford, and being of sufficient standing for the degree of LL.B., and 20 intending to take his degree in a few days, be allowed to admit [sic] fellow commoner, without paying his plate caution.'

26 Nov. 1782. 'Agreed to give half a guinea each to two or three of the persons who first entered the room at the late fire.'

27 Jan. 1783.

‘Agreed to make Mr. Lawrence a present of £50 as an 25 acknowledgement of his services to the college.'

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35

11 Febr. 1783. Agreed to melt down the plate condemned at the late audit, and to purchase

2 doz. of knives and forks for the master.

3 doz. of dessert spoons.

8 butter ladles.

1 salver 15 in.

2 waiters 7 do.

2 common crewet stands.

3 common mustard pots.

2 pr. of tea-tongs.

12 pr. of snuffers and trays.

6 porringers.

9 Apr. 1783.

40 Mr. Diemar.'

3 pr. of candlesticks.'

‘Agreed to subscribe 2 guineas for 2 copies of a print by

30 June 1783. Agreed that the illness of D. [Joshua] Smith is a reasonable cause of deferring for the present the taking of his M. A, degree.'

3 July 1783. Agreed that the wainscot of the hall be new painted and 45 the walls washed, and that the buildings and seats in the gardens be painted. 'Agreed that the library roof be repaired under the direction of Mr. Essex and the walls washed.'

25 Mar. 1784. 'Agreed on the 13th of May last to advance to the Rev. Samuel Ryder Weston the sum of £480, without interest, towards the rebuilding of the rectory house at Marwood, on the mortgage of the living, according to the act of parliament for such purposes.

'N.B. The money was advanced on the 17th of May 1783, which is the 5 date of the mortgage.'

15 July 1784. Agreed that the outside of the chapel be stuccoed according to the directions of Mr. Layer.'

8 Nov. 1784. Agreed to give Wilby [probably Tho. Wilby of St. John's B.A. 1788] the sum of 5 guineas for making out some class catalogues in 10 the library.'

8 Nov. 1784. Agreed to allow the college butcher 41d. per lb. for meat to commence from Friday next and to continue till Midsummer.'

'Agreed that Sir Salmon [T. P. D. Salmon] have leave to defer his degree of M.A. for 1 year, he having assigned a reason that appears satisfactory to 15

the master and seniors.'

12 Febr. 1785. Agreed to nominate to the Brewers' Company for the school at Aldenham Mr. Hughes, Mr. Walmsley and Mr. Cory.'

26 Apr. 1785. 'Agreed that Mr. Marsh have leave to go abroad.' This is Herbert M.

23 May 1785.

Agreed to allow a sum not exceeding £5 for replacing the monument of Mr. Robins in the church of Sutton in Kent.'

14 Oct. 1785. 'Agreed to Mr. Youde's request that if, after he has vacated the living of Higham, the fellows shall every one refuse it, we will present him again to the same.'

8 Febr. 1786. 'Agreed that no person in statu pupillari be allowed to give a dinner in college, unless he first obtain leave from his tutor.'

22 Febr. 1786. 'Agreed that the chapel hour in the morning be continued at 7 o'clock no longer than from the end of the examination in December to the time when the dinner in the hall begins at 1 o'clock.'

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30

WILLIAM CRAVEN, THIRTIETH MASTER.

ADMITTED 29 MARCH, 1789.

'Eboracensis, filius Ricardi C., agricolae, natus ap. Gonthwaite Hall Nidderdale, literis institutus apud Sedbergh sub Mro Bateman, admissus est subsizator pro Mr Scales Julii 3tlo 1749, annos habens 19 et quod excurrit; tutore et fideiussore Mr Powell.' Craven scholar 1750; Hewytt exhibitioner 5 (the date not given), dec. Stubbs; elected Lupton scholar, dec. Myres, 6 Nov. 1752, adm. 7 Nov.; B.A. 1753, 4th wrangler and senior medallist (the medals were founded in 1751 by Tho. Holles d. of Newcastle; the medallists of 1752 were F. [afterwards baron] Maseres and Beilby [afterwards bp.] Porteus; Craven's colleague was John Pilgrim, also of St. IO John's, who died 12 July 1753, æt. 23; see his epitaph in Gent. Mag. 1793, p. 1192); M.A.1756; B.D. 1763; D.D. by mandate 1789. Lector matutinus 6 July 1759; sublector sive moderator 4 July 1760; examinator in rhetorica 10 July 1761; lector mathematicus in arithmetica 9 July 1762; sacrist 28 Febr. 1766; steward from 29 Jan. 1767 to 18 Febr. 1769 in15 clusive; custos bibliothecae 1769; jun. bursar from 20 Febr. 1770 to 9 Mar. 1774; thesaurarius de pistrina 24 Mar. 1775 to 31 Mar. 1785; pres. 15 Mar. 1777, 26 Mar. 1778, 17 Mar. 1780; senr. bursar 27 Apr. 1786 to 17 Mar. 1789. Thesaurar. Sen Dr. Wood [Jas. Wood, not the master] 2 April, Mr. Craven being elected master of the college 29th March.'

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In a short autobiography of Wm. Chafin, B.A. Eman. 1753, is a graphic picture of Craven's public examinations (Gent. Mag. Jan. 1818, p. 11): 'I had the advantage of being known to Mr. [Wm.] Barford, a fellow of King's college, from my infancy, and he introduced me to the good and learned doctor [Rob.] Glyn, an eminent physician, fellow also of the same 25 college. These good friends were very indulgent to me, and I was invited to their rooms two or three times in the week to afternoon tea-drinking, when they examined me respecting my college lectures, and gave me, in the most pleasing manner, such instructions as were of the greatest benefit to me through all my exercises in the schools. And to enhance my good 30 fortune, my friend Mr. Barford was chosen one of the moderators for the very year when it came to my turn to keep exercises in the public schools; the other was Mr. Eliot of Queens' [Lawr. Eliot of Magd. moderator in

1752]. When Mr. Barford presided, I was generally classed with some of the best scholars of the year, particularly when the questions for disputation were such as he deemed not above my abilities; and in the course of these exercises I had the honour of being concerned in them, with Mr. Bell of Magdalen [Wm. Bell, founder of the scholarships, 8th wrangler 1753]; 5 [Wm.] Disney [sen. wrangler, 1753, Hebr. prof.], of Trinity; Craven, of St. John's; Denn, of Peterhouse [Sam. Denne of C. C. C. C., 10th wrangler 1753]; [Wm.] Preston [2nd wrangler, 1753], who was afterwards bishop of Killala; and other eminent scholars. I must here mention an extraordinary occurrence, which in reality is the cause of this little narrative being at this 10 time written, because the truth of it hath been doubted. It happened whilst I was keeping an act as respondent under Mr. Eliot the moderator, and Craven, of St. John's, was my second opponent. I had gone through all the syllogisms of my first, who was Disney, tolerably well; one of the questions was a mathematical one from Newton's Principia, and Mr. Craven 15 brought an argument against me fraught with fluxions, of which I knew very little, and was therefore at a nonplus, and should in one minute have been exposed, had not at that instant the esquire bedell entered the schools, and demanded the book which the moderator carries with him and is the badge of his office. A convocation was that afternoon held in the 20 senate-house, and on some demur that happened, it was found requisite to inspect this book, which was immediately delivered, and the moderator's authority stopped for that day, and we were all dismissed; and it was the happiest and most grateful moment of my life, for I was saved from imminent disgrace, and it was the last exercise I had to keep in the schools.' 1757. 'Thomas Todington B. A. of St. John's college having appealed to the bp. of Ely as visitor against the election of Wm. Craven B.A. into one of the fellowships founded there by Dr. John Keton, the master and senior fellows prayed the court of king's bench for a prohibition, on the ground that the bishop's visitatorial power did not extend to engrafted foundations. 30 The court however, on the 3rd of Febr. this year, decided otherwise, and refused the prohibition' (Cooper's Annals, IV. 296, 297, quoting Sir W. Blackstone's Reports, 1. 71, 81; Burrow's Reports, 1. 158; ld. Kenyon's Reports, I. 441). See also Rastall's Southwell, p. 99.

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Vice-chancellor 1790, Sir Thos. Adams' prof. Arab. 1770-1795, lord 35 Almoner's prof. Arab. 1770—1815 (Hardy's Le Neve, 111. 611, 661, 662). In 1793 Craven signed the decree expelling Wm. Frend (Cooper's Ann. IV. 449, Gunning's Reminiscences, ed. 2. 1. 271).

In 1794 St. John's contributed £100 towards raising volunteer cavalry (Cooper's Annals, IV. 451) and in 1798 £525 for the defence of the country 40 (ibid. 461, Gunning, II. 88).

In 1803 the number of Johnian volunteers was 46, while Trinity sent 44. Our officers were ld. Palmerston, Is. Pennington, Hen. Martin B.A., fellow (Cooper, 479, Otter, Life of E. D. Clarke, II. 210).

Gunning, ibid. II. 182: 'At this meeting [of heads at Caius lodge, 16 45 June 1804] Davy used many violent and offensive expressions towards Dr. Craven, who took the opposite side of the question, but in so meek and mild a manner as to form a powerful contrast to his opponent. It was proverbial that Dr. Craven could never use a harsh or unkind expression to any one;

and he was so hurt at the insulting manner of the vice-chancellor, that he expected for many days after, he would call upon him with an apology for his rudeness.'

Sam. Denne in a letter dated 12 June 1798 (Nichols, Lit. Illustr. VI. 738 : 5 Thos. Postlethwaite 'was not very active after he became master of the college, i. e.... he soon discovered that, if he was alert, he and the seniors should be at variance, according to antient usage: and as he was advancing in age, he therefore thought it would be more for his ease to keep within his lodge, and to enjoy the company of his brother head of St John's; for 10 Masters Postlethwaite and Craven (who were of the same year) it seems chose to dine at each other's lodges one day in a week at least.'

Dr. Miles Bland, Annotations on the historical books of the N. T.... Vol. I....St. Matthew's gospel. Cambridge, 1828. 8vo. Preface: 'Several years ago, Dr. CRAVEN, then master of St. John's College,-a man of pri15 mitive simplicity, of unostentatious merit, and a Christian indeed without guile, anxious that the students of the society over which he presided, should receive some religious instruction in addition to the usual course of college lectures, directed that all those over whom he had any control, should be lectured and examined in the Gospels or Acts of the Apostles 20 every Sunday during term:-his directions were warmly seconded by those who were engaged in the tuition of the college:-and it may be added from a personal experience of several years, that there seemed to be, in by far the greater portion of the young men themselves, a regularity, attention and anxiety for information more general and more eager than was usually 25 to be found in their ordinary studies.'

One unworthy motive certainly concurred to the establishment of these Sunday evening lectures, the desire to keep the undergraduates from Chas. Simeon's church.

John Jebb (Memoir, 20, 27) had been a candidate for the Arabic chair 30 on the death of Leon. Chappelow 14 Jan. 1768. When it was again vacant in 1770, he again sought it: 'but as he had now, by exercising that liberty of prophesying, which becomes every protestant Christian, and by recommending the same to others in his theological lectures, greatly offended the majority of the electors, he was again disappointed. When he was opposed 35 by Dr. Hallifax, the electors were well inclined to do justice to his learning; on his second canvass for the same office, the spirit of inquiry which he had raised among the younger students, was imputed to him as a crime deserving the resentment of their seniors. In these observations his opponent is no way concerned. Mr. Craven, the successful candidate, was a 40 truly respectable character, and now enjoys with reputation that laurel, which friendship would have placed on the brow of Mr. Jebb.'

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It is pleasant to see Craven's name among the subscribers to Jebb's works.

No. 22 of Divines of the church of England, ed. by T. S. Hughes, dedicated to Dr. Sam. Butler, 'in token of sincere respect and affection for his excellent preceptor and invaluable friend,' contains Sermons by Rev. Samuel Ogden, D.D. Lond. Valpy, 1832. 8vo. In the memoir we read (xvi, xvii): By his will he left a handsome fortune to various members of the family into which his father had married, and who were indebted for this favour to