& under ye banner of ye son of a Popish Pretender to his Crowns, invaded this kingdom, thereby threatning ye subversion of our religion, Laws & Liberties. WE ye Lord Lieutenant, Nobility, Deputy Lieutenants, Justices of ye Peace, Gentry, Clergy, Freeholders, & others of ye County of Cambridge, & Isle of Ely, moved with a just sense of our duty to our country, ourselves & our Posterity, in order to secure ye inestimable blessings of a free Protestant Government & avert ye dreadful calamities which must inevitably attend ye success of this wicked & audacious enterprize, do in this time of common danger solemnly engage to support each other in defence of his Majesty King George ye 2nd, our only rightfull Sovereign & his family, & in maintenance of our most excellent constitution in Church & State, & to that end by force of Arms & otherwise, to resist, oppose & pursue ye said Popish Pretender & all his adherents & abettors whatsoever. DONE at Cambridge this 22 of November, in ye of our Lord 1745, and in ye 19 year of ye reign of our most gracious Sovereign King George ye 2nd.(1) At the same time a general subscription for raising recruits for the King's forces was entered into, the following document being signed by the subscribers: WE whose names are hereunto subscribed do oblige ourselves to advance ye sums of money respectively set against our names, for ye raising recruits for his Majesties Forces (as being ye most speedy & effectual method of pro "and that as soon as he should have heard from his Grace, he would acquaint us with "his further advice. At this meeting Mr. Western publickly accused at the table before "all the Company, being a numerous meeting of almost all the Justices for the County, "Mr. Commissary Greaves, with being the author & reporter of a scandal, as if he, the said "Mr. Western, should have been extreamly averse to any Association : Mr Greaves shuffled "it off as usual, partly by denying of the charge & partly by saying that he only heard it "generally reported at Newmarket; but that he did not say that he was particularly against "it, Mr. Western did not seem to be satisfied with the answer no more than the rest of the company. "We were afterwards informed that the Duke of Somerset, my Lord Chancellor & others at the helm were not for encouraging a Subscription: & it was intimated that Mr. Greaves "had put a stop to any further proceedings by his over business in the affair & his meddling "in it; so that it was thought not proper at that time; and we heard no further of it till it "was advertized in the Cambridge Journal of the 16 of November; when the young Cheva"lier & his party had strengthed themselves by the capture of Carlisle & were advancing "a pace into the south: when it was thought high time to look about us; & accordingly, "on Fryday the 22d of November, according to the desire of the Earl of Lincoln our Lord "Lieutenant & Custos Rotulorum of this County, we met at the Town Hall on the Market "Hill in Cambridge, where my Lord Montford opened the meeting with an excuse for my "Lord Lincoln's not attending in person, by reason of his Countess expecting every hour to "lie in with her first child: but that he had commissioned him to act for him: Then an "association was read by the Clerk of the Peace, Mr. Alderman York, & proposals for a present subscription, of money, whereof only a 10th part was to be paid down now. Then a Committee of 9 for the County, whereof my Lord Montford & the Gentlemen named me "one, but I begg'd his Lordship to excuse me, so my lord named Mr. Benet of Babram in my room, & 7 for the Isle of Ely, Mr. Greaves was thought to have influenced a few gen"tlemen who subscribed with him, that they put down so small a sum considering their "estates; but it was conjectured that because they were not permitted to have the lead in "this affair, so they were determined to damp as much as he could; tho' he had been "raising a terment throughout the County & University. When it was seen how the prime Gentry of the County subscribed, others of more moderate fortunes, did not do more "because of their example; but it was also thought many were pleased to have such a rule "to go by. However 3 Gentlemen of my friends who had subscribed only 20 Guineas apiece "at first, presently altered their minds & put down 50. These were Colonel Vachel of "Abington, Captain Richardson of Hinxton, & Mr. Carter of Westow by Linton. Lord "Montford subscribed for the Earls of Lincoln & Godolphin : & Mr. York, eldest son of my "Lord Chancellor subscribed for his father. His brother Colonel York was in the room & "enlisted about 17 Soldiers this day. Mr. Wm. Finch, Merchant of Cambridge was ap"pointed Treasurer; & he collected the tenth part that day at the Rose after Dinner. The "Gentlemen of the other Club refused to join in the association or Subscription; but "look'd upon it, as they gave out, as a party business."-MS. Cole, vii. 90. (1) MS. Cole, vii. 91. viding for ye common safety of ye whole) upon ye following conditions: viz. 1. Four Guineas to be paid to each man as enlisting money. 2. The men to engage for ye space of six months, or until ye Rebellion shall be extinguished. 3. That ye men enlisted be under forty years of age & above eighteen & be at least five foot five inches in height. 4. That ye men shall not be draughted, or sent abroad. Subjoined is a list of the subscribers with the sums contributed by each: Henry Earl of Lincoln Lord Lieutenant of the County, Philip Samuel Shepheard, Esq. The Hon. Philip Yorke, Soame Jenyns, Esq., Viscount Dupplin, the Corporation of Cambridge, £200 each Peter Allix, D.D. Dean of Ely William Vachell, John Richardson, Thomas Carter, G. Greene, E. Nightingale, Thomas Western, John Stevenson, William Thomas Westby, Esq. £21; Edward Bassett, £20 E. Partheriche, Charles Plumptre, Henry Morley, William Cole, Sutton John Coney, Esq., T. Malyn, £8 each. M. Wilkin, Thomas Cockayne, Robert Churchman, John Bird, Samuel Luke, £3 3s.; Richard Wakeling, £3; John West, £2 2s.; James Robinson, £2 2s.; James Bentham, £2; Thomas Metcalfe, £2; Joseph Porter, £1 10s.; W. Harrison, £1 1s, £. 8. d. 2500 0 (1) MS. Cole, vii. 93. 1745 The University on the 30th of November, voted £400. from the common chest for raising soldiers.(1) At a sessions held on the 4th of February, the Court ordered the Chief Constable to pay to Alderman Pretlove a bill of £1. 6s. for a 46) ducking chair at the Great Bridge.(2) 1746: At Kensington on the 14th of May, "the Reverend Dr. Rooke, "Master of Christ College and Vice Chancellor of the University of Cambridge, and his Grace the Duke of Newcastle High Steward of "the University, attended by several Heads of Houses, Doctors in "the several Faculties, Masters of Arts and other members of that "learned Body, waited on his Majesty in their Formalties, with the "following Address : TO THE KING'S MOST EXCELLENT MAJESTY. THE HUMBLE ADDRESS of the Chancellor, Masters, and Scholars, of the University of Cambridge. Most Gracious Sovereign WE your Majestys most dutiful and loyal Subjects, the Chancellor, Masters, and Scholars of your University of Cambridge deeply sensible of the great Importance of the signal Victory lately obtained by your Majesty's Arms under the Command of his Royal Highness the Duke of Cumberland, over the Rebels, beg Leave to offer our most hearty and unfeigned Congratulations to your Majesty on this happy Event. As the Apprehension of what must have been the Consequences, had they succeeded in their wicked and traiterous Attempts, was beyond Measure alarming; so the effectual Stop that has been put to them, excites equal sentiments of Joy in the Hearts of all your Majesty's faithful Subjects: and this Joy is the more affecting, when we see this great work accomplished by a Prince, whose Actions bespeak his Illustrious Descent, and whose admirable Conduct and Heroic Bravery, at the same time that they gained immortal Honour to (1) "1745-Nov. 26. Grace to give £400. from the chest, for his Majesty's service, "with an appointment of Syndics for the disposal of it. Stopt by the Non-Regents, be"cause too many of the Heads were to be made Syndics. Grace carried to the Vice Chan. by Mr. Ross, Joh; refused by him to be read. "Nov. 30. Grace passed to give £400. Ad Novos milites conseribendos, et veteres sub"levandos, without appointing any persons to have the disposal of it. "DEC. 4. The Vice Ch. having made some alterations in the Grace offered by Mr. Ross, " and those alterations being agreed to by Mr. Ross, &c., it was expected he would have "read it; but he refused it, & read another, which therefore did not pass, the votes in "the Non-Regent House being, placets 26, Non-Placets, 26. "DEC. 5. The same Grace (with only the addition of Senr. Non-Regent, & Senr. Regent "to the Syndics) read again, & stopt by the Non-Regents, Placets 27, Non-placets 29. After "this, a Grace passed the Caput, to impower the Vice Ch. to pay 4 Guineas (out of the £400. "before granted) to every soldier that should be procured by any member of the Senate, & "enlisted among his Majesties forces. "Objected to the Regius Professor being in the Caput; because by the foundation of the "Professorship, he ought not Officium Magistratum aut Lecturam aliam in Academia habere. "DEC. 6. This last Grace passed, Non-Regents, Placets 36, Non-Placets 16, Regents "Placets 26, Non-Placets 20."-Mr. Hubbard's Book, (MS. Cole, LI. 113.) (2) Town Sessions Book. himself, have in one glorious Day under God, secured to your People the most valuable of all Blessings, the full Enjoyment of their Religion, Liberties, and Laws. EVERY Return therefore of Duty and Gratitude that can be paid, are due to your Majesty, whose Care for, and Love of your People determined you to employ one so near and dear to you on this important occasion. AND when these are, we persuade ourselves the general Sentiments of our Fellow Subjects, they are ours in a particular manner, and upon particular Considerations. We are sensible that had the desperate Designes of your Majesty's Enemies succeeded, this loyal University would have stood exposed to their severest Vengeance, and that a Protestant Seminary of Learning must have met with nothing but the cruellest Treatment, from a bigotted Conqueror acting under the Influence of a popish Clergy. THERE was no Danger indeed, which we should not (if called upon) have encounter'd with chearfulness in Defence of your Majesty and the Cause of our Country; but being now so happily, by the Blessing of God upon your Majesty's Counsels and Arms freed from all Apprehensions of them, it shall be our Business, as it is our Duty, to give constant and substantial proof of our Loyalty to, and Zeal for your Majesty, by infusing them, as far as we are able, into all those who are under our Influence, or shall be committed to our Care. MAY the same good Providence, which hath wrought this great Deliverance for us, continue to watch over your Majesty's sacred Person, and prosper your Endeavours to advance the Welfare of these Kingdoms and establish the Liberties and Tranquility of Europe. "To which Address his Majesty was pleased to return the following most gracious Answer : I thank you for this affectionate Address. Your congratulations on the Success of my Arms, under the Command of my Son the Duke, against the Rebels, are very agreeable to me, and are a fresh mark of your Duty and Affection to my Person and Government. The University may always depend upon my Favour and Protection.(1) At the summer assizes, one Brinkley an undergraduate of St. John's College, was tried for the murder of James Ashton scholar of that college, on the 10th of March preceding. It appears to have been a most mysterious case.(2) Brinkley "was acquitted upon want "of proper Evidence: tho' he was much suspected by most people "to be ye Murtherer. He was however not suffered to stay in Col"lege afterwards."(3) The 9th of October, was observed as a day of thanksgiving for the suppression of the Scotch rebellion. There was a sermon before the University at St. Mary's.(4) (1) London Gazette, 13 to 17 May 1746; Gentleman's Magazine, xvi. 256. (2) Gentleman's Magazine, xvi. 466, 469. (3) MS. Cole, iii. 140. (4) Mr. Hubbard's Book, (MS. Cole, LI. 114.) 1746) 47 On the 11th of December, there was a contested election for the Professorship of Anatomy. The candidates were William Gibson M.D. of Jesus College, Samuel Hutchinson M.A. fellow of St. John's College, and John Scotman M.A. fellow of Caius College. Dr. Gibson was successful, the votes being Gibson 55; Hutchinson 43; Scotman 42.(1) In an act respecting window duties, which received the royal assent on the 5th of February, it was provided that each distinct apartment in any College or Hall in any of the Universities in Great Britain, should be subject to the same rates or duties as if it were an entire house paying to church and poor.(2) 1747. In April, was acted in Pembroke College hall,(3) a comedy called A Trip to Cambridge or the Grateful Fair, written by Christopher Smart M.A. fellow of that society. Only two fragments of this play are extant.(4) It is believed that this is the latest instance of a public dramatic performance in any College here. On the 29th of June, the Court of Common Pleas gave judgment in an action of trespass, brought by James Austin against King (1) Mr. Hubbard's Book, (MS. Cole, Lt. 114). (2) Stat. 20 Geo. II. c. 3, s. 32. (3)" After many disappointments in attempting to get an old play-house at Hunni"bun's the coach-maker's, and afterwards the Free-School in Free-School-Lane."-Smart's Poems, ed. 1791, vol. i. p. xiv. n. (4) "An eminent person who was an actor in it" has given the following account of the plot. "The business of the Drama was laid in bringing up an old country Baronet "to admit his nephew a Fellow Commoner at one of the Colleges; in which expedition "a daughter or niece attended. In their approach to the seat of the Muses, the waters "from a heavy rain happened to be out at Fenstanton, which gave a young student of "Emmanuel an opportunity of shewing his gallantry as he was riding out, by jumping "from his horse and plunging into the flood to rescue the distressed damsel, who was "near perishing in the stream, into which she had fallen from her pony, as the party "travelled on horseback. The swain being lucky enough to effect his purpose, of course gained an interest in the lady's heart, and an acquaintance with the rest of the family, "which he did not fail to cultivate on their arrival at Cambridge, with success as far "as the fair one was concerned, To bring about the consent of the father, (or guar"dian, for my memory is not accurate) it was contrived to have a play acted, of which "entertainment he was highly fond; and the Norwich Company luckily came to Cambridge just at the time; only one of the actors had been detained on the road; and "they could not perform the play that night, unless the Baronet would consent to take "a part; which, rather than be disappointed of his favourite amusement, he was pre"vailed upon to do, especially as he was assured that it would amount to nothing more "than sitting at a great table, and signing an instrument, as a Justice of Peace might "sign a warrant; and, having been some years of the Quorum, he felt himself quite equal to the undertaking. The under play to be acted by the Norwich company on "this occasion, was the Bloody War of the King of Diamonds with the King of Spades; "and the actors in it came on with their respective emblems on their shoulders, taken "from the suits of the cards they represented. The Baronet was the King of one of "the parties, and in signing a declaration of war, signed his consent to the marriage "of his niece or daughter, and a surrender of all her fortune." The actors were Mr. Smart the author, Mr. Grimston of Trinity Hall, Dr. Cooper afterwards Archdeacon of Durham, Mr. Gorden afterwards Precentor of Lincoln, Spencer Madan of Trinity College afterwards Bishop of Peterborough, John Randall afterwards Professor of Music, Mr. Bailey of Emmanuel College, G. Nailor, R. Forester afterwards rector of Passenham. R. Halford B.A. of Pembroke College, and R. Stonhewer Esq.Smart's Poems, ed. 1791, vol. i. p. xiii. n. |