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before-mentioned £200. At the present time there is one exhibition of £23 per annum arising from Mr Ham's benefaction.

1680. Mr Downham Yeomans, dyer, of the town of Cambridge bequeathed to the College all his lands in Denston, and his houses and lands in Stradishall, both in Suffolk, of the yearly value of £24, for the use and benefit of three scholars of Bedfordshire, being scholars of the College. The yearly rental from the property is £26.

Mr Barcroft left two Exhibitions each of £12 per annum, for orphans and sons of clergymen of the Church of England.

Rev. Thomas Lovett by will founded two Exhibitions, and directed that no Scholar whatever shall be entitled to such exhibitions, except the son of a clergyman of the Established Church of England, and whose father, if living, shall then be, or if dead, shall have been, in priests' orders, and duly qualified for such orders by having taken a regular degree in the university of Oxford or Cambridge. The candidates for these exhibitions are required to promise and engage to enter into deacons' orders at the age of twenty-three years; a preference is reserved in favour of such as have been instructed in the Free Grammar School of Grantham in the first place, or of Oakham. These exhibitions are above the value of £40 a year, and are tenable for seven years.

1732. Mr Samuel Taylor bequeathed an estate to found a Mathematical Lectureship in the College. It was provided by the Testator that in case any money should be received out of the estate from any coal or other mine upon it, such money should be invested, and the produce applied, first in making good any deficiency in the rent of the estate, caused by the working such mines, and then for the assistance of one or more students in mathematics in the College. Accordingly, mines of iron and coal having been discovered, and the College conceiving that they had not power to dispose of the proceeds in the manner which, in their judgment, would most promote the objects indicated in Mr Taylor's will, application was made to parliament, and powers obtained to grant a lease of the mineral property, and out of the money so raised to purchase land for the founding of exhibitions, to build and fit up apartments and lecture

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rooms for the exhibitioners, to establish a mathematical library, and to augment the stipend of the lecturer received from the estate. Accordingly, nine exhibitions of £50 a year have been founded, rooms have been prepared for the exhibitioners, and a lecture room provided; also the Taylor Library is gradually increasing and becoming of great use in the College, the students being allowed the use of books under regulations administered by a librarian.

The value of the mathematical lectureship is now £200 per

annum.

The rental of the mathematical lectureship estate in 1851 was £177. 12s. 9d. and of the mathematical exhibition estate, £869. Os. 1d.

1854. The present society consists of the Master, seven foundation Fellows, two on Sir J. Hart's foundation, two Byefellows on the foundation of Mr Peter Blundell, and one founded by Mr Leonard Smith.

The foundation fellows of the College are elected by the votes of the master and fellows, after an examination in Hebrew, Greek, Latin and general Physics. The candidates are required to be British subjects, and they must be at least Bachelors of Arts. They are to be chosen from the scholars of the College if any be found qualified; otherwise from other studious members of the College, or from the members of any other College, provided they have studied six years in the University, and be properly qualified in character and attainments. All the fellows are required to take priests' orders within three years of their admission to their fellowships, and to proceed to the degree of Bachelor of Divinity, at the earliest time the University allows.

The yearly dividend of a fellow on an average of the twenty years ending in 1851 was £178, and no fellow derives any advantage from his fellowship, unless he be a Master of Arts complete.

The Statutes thus describe the qualifications for candidates for the scholarships.

"Volumus et statuimus, quod discipulorum electio fiat ex illis juvenibus, qui paupiores, probiores, aptiores, atque egregii magis fuerint; quique sint probitate, indole, ac bona spe, nec

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Baccalaurei in Artibus, nec ad Sacrum Ministerium admissi; quique sacram Theologiam, ac Ministerium Sanctum proposuerint sibi: sintque saltem mediocriter instructi et periti in Græcis, Rhetorica et Logica; indigentes tamen imprimis, modo cæteris conditionibus fuerint pares; ob quod et illos præcipue, qui de comitatibus Cantii et Rutlandiæ oriundi sunt præponi volumus: de quibus duos Scholares semper esse volumus in ipso Collegio."

These foundation scholarships are perfectly open, and the original allowance of 1s. has been raised to 7s. per week during residence. It has been the practice of the College of late years, to admit four Sizars, who enjoy certain advantages, although there is nothing in the Statutes which renders the admission of Sizars obligatory on the College. The Statutes direct with respect to students not on the foundation, that there shall be admitted to reside in College, as pensioners, such only as have led an honest life and are of unblemished reputation, and who, before they are admitted, promise faithfully, in the presence of the master, that they will be conformable to what is required both of the fellows and scholars in cultivating good habits, celebrating Divine worship, and practising scholastic exercises, and that they will obey the statutes and regulations of the College.

There are two Examinations in each academical year, one of which takes place at the end of the Michaelmas Term, and the other at the division of the Easter Term.

After the latter of these examinations the foundation and other scholarships are awarded to the most meritorious students, as also the mathematical exhibitions on Mr Taylor's foundation. In case of two or more candidates being equal in merit, or of there being no candidates deemed worthy of Mr Taylor's exhibitions, the election is deferred to the following year, and the amount of the vacant exhibitions is divided among the most deserving of the candidates.

These exhibitions continue to be paid if the exhibitioner be a wrangler, till he is of sufficient standing to be admitted to the degree of M.A. The emoluments of the Taylor Exhibitions are estimated to commence from the preceding Lady Day at which the vacancy generally occurs.

Besides these, there are three other exhibitions estimated at the rate of £60 per annum, but of shorter duration, depending upon circumstances: these are assigned at either of the annual College examinations.

In addition to the scholarships and exhibitions, there are prizes of books awarded to the most distinguished students in Divinity, Classics, Mathematics and general Physics, after the college examinations.

Four prizes are annually given by the College for the best Latin, and the best English Declamation, the best Latin Theme, and the best reader of the Lessons in Chapel. A purse of £10 is yearly given to the best proficient in Mathematics at the time of his admission to the degree of B.A., provided that his name appears in the first Tripos.

The Ecclesiastical patronage of the College consists of the right of presentation to seven Church-livings.

The gross annual revenue of the College, on an average, was reported to the Commission in 1851 as £5392. 16s. 10d.

FOUNDED 1800, A.D.

THE founder of this College was Sir George Downing, Bart., of Gamlingay Park, in the county of Cambridge, who by his will dated 20th December, 1717, devised his estates in the counties of Cambridge, Bedford and Suffolk, first to Sir Jacob Gerrard Downing, and afterwards to other relations in succession, and in failure thereof, to build and found a College in the University of Cambridge, upon a plan to be approved by the Archbishops of Canterbury and York, and the masters of St John's College and Clare Hall.

Sir George Downing died in 1749, and Sir Jacob in 1764; and, as the other devisees died without issue before the death of Sir Jacob, the foundation ought to have been carried into execution in 1764. The estates remained in the possession of Lady Downing, and afterwards of her devisees without any real title, and when the University sued in Chancery for the establishment of the College, the suit was resisted by the persons then in possession; but in 1769 a decree was obtained in favour of the foundation.

The execution of the trusts devolved upon the heirs-at-law, who after a long series of opposition and litigation, and overcoming various obstacles, preferred a petition to the Crown for a Charter, and at length the Privy Council decided to recommend the foundation to his Majesty. On the 22nd September, 1800, the great seal was affixed to the Charter by Lord Loughborough. By this Charter the College is incorporated with all the privileges belonging to any College in the University, and endowed with the estates devised by the founder, with power to hold landed property, in addition, to the value of £1500 per annum. The Charter directs Statutes to be framed for the government of the College, which was done in the year 1805.

The Charter authorises the purchase of a piece of land called Doll's Close, upon which "there shall be erected and established one perpetual College for students in law, physic, and other useful arts and learning, which College shall be called by the name of Downing College, in the University of

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