Cambridge in the Sixteenth Century
Fifteenth Century <- Time Thread -> Seventeenth Century
1501-1510
1511-1520
- 1511: John Fisher, Bishop of Rochester and Chancellor of the University,
carried out Lady Margaret Beaufort's wishes and founded St John's College
- 1514: John Fisher resigned as Chancellor; the post was offered to Cardinal Wolsey but he declined.
Fisher was reappointed for life and this was the start of the custom of having an eminent person as head
(Before the Chancellor was elected annually.)
- 1517: Martin Luther published his 95 theses
- 1519: the post of Vice-Chancellor became the head of affairs for practical purposes,
with holders elected from the heads of colleges.
(Before the post was bought and held for life)
- 1519: Leonardo da Vinci died (b. 1452)
1521-1530
- 1528: Albrecht Durer died (b. 1471)
1531-1540
- 1533: Vice-Chancellor voluntarily renounced the right of excommunication in temporal matters
- 1534: Act of Supremacy established the Church of England
- 1534: The University received a charter confirming its right since 1520 to licence three printers to print its books.
The only other printers allowed in England were in Oxford and London
- 1536: King Henry VIII ordered the University to stop teaching Canon Law
and scholastic philosophy, as part of his church reform. This allowed Latin, Greek and Mathematics teaching to expand.
Around this time Heads of Houses were allowed to marry
(Fellows weren't till 1860)
- 1538: the Austin, Black and Grey friars surrendered their possessions
- 1540: Regius (royal) Professorships in Greek, Hebrew, Theology, Civil Law and Physic (medicine) were founded
1541-1550
1551-1560
- 1553: Queen Mary I
- 1557: Dr. John Caius refounded Gonville Hall as Gonville & Caius College
- 1558: Queen Elizabeth I
1561-1570
- 1561: Charter confirming and increasing the University's privileges
- 1564: Michaelangelo died (b. 1475)
- 1566: At Christ's College there was a performance
of the play Gammer Gurton's Needle written by John Still.
The play was held to be the first comedy in English and the first that was neither Mystery nor Morality
- 1570: An Act of Parliament confirmed the incorporation of the University and its privileges,
superceding the "ancient statutes" dating from at least 1250.
The statutes were next revised in 1856
1571-1580
1581-1590
1591-1600
Around this time colleges became dominant over private halls and lodgings.
In the late middle ages colleges had been mainly for graduates studying in the
higher faculties such as Theology or Law
(New College, Oxford, had been the first in the new style, followed by King's.)
Fifteenth Century <- Time Thread -> Seventeenth Century
Cambridge
: History