Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge

Sidney Sussex College (referred to informally as "Sidney") is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge in England. The college was founded in 1596 under the terms of the will of Frances Sidney, Countess of Sussex (1531–1589) and named after its foundress. It was from its inception an avowedly Protestant foundation;^[1] "some good and godlie moniment for the mainteynance of good learninge". In her will, Lady Sussex left the sum of £5,000 together with some plate to found a new college at Cambridge University "to be called the Lady Frances Sidney Sussex College".^[2] Her executors Sir John Harington and Henry Grey, 6th Earl of Kent, supervised by Archbishop John Whitgift, founded the college seven years after her death.^[1]

As of 2014, the college had an endowment of £36.m., and total capital and reserves of £108.m.^[3]

History

While the college's geographic size has changed little since 1596, an additional range was added to the original E-shaped buildings in the early 17th century and the appearance of the whole college was changed significantly in the 1820s and 1830s, under the leadership of the Master at the time, William Chafy. By the early 19th century, the buildings' original red brick was unfashionable and the hall range was suffering serious structural problems.

The opening up of coal mines on estates left to the College in the 18th century provided extra funds which were to be devoted to providing a new mathematical library and accommodation for Mathematical Exhibitioners. As a result, the exterior brick was covered with a layer of cement, the existing buildings were heightened slightly, and the architectural effect was also heightened, under the supervision of Sir Jeffry Wyatville.^[4]

In the late nineteenth century, the college's finances received a further boost from the development of the resort of Cleethorpes on College land on the Lincolnshire coast that was purchased in 1616, following a bequest for the benefit of scholars and fellows by Peter Blundell, a merchant from Tiverton, Devon.^[5][6] A new wing added in 1891, to the designs of John Loughborough Pearson, is stylistically richer than the original buildings and has stone staircases whereas the stairs in the older buildings are made of timber.^[7]

In the early twentieth century, a High Church group among the Fellows were instrumental in the rebuilding and enlargement of the chapel, which was provided with a richly carved interior in late seventeenth-century style, designed by T. H. Lyon, and somewhat at odds with the college's original Puritan ethos.^[8]

A Song of Sidney Sussex

At the beginning of the twentieth century, E.H. Griffiths wrote a ten verse song dedicated to Sidney Sussex. Each verse systematically identifies, then dismisses other Cambridge colleges for their faults, before settling on Sidney as the best college of all. The chorus exhorts the audience:

'Go travel round the town, my friend, whichever way you please,

From Downing up to Trinity, from Peterhouse to Caius:

Then seek a little College just beside a busy street,

Its name is Sidney Sussex, and you'll find it Bad to Beat.'^[9]

Academic profile

The college's adopted mascot, shown here topping an archway, is a blue and gold porcupine; from the Sidney family crest.^[10]

Sidney Sussex is recognised as one of the smaller, more classical Cambridge colleges. Its current student body consists of roughly 350 undergraduate students and 190 graduates.

Academically, Sidney Sussex has tended towards a mid-table position in the unofficial Tompkins Table (placing 16th out of 29 in 2016). However, the college has traditionally excelled in certain subjects, notably Mathematics, History, Engineering and Law. It is also known for the high standard of pastoral support from the Tutorial team, and a sense of mutual support from students doing the same subject.

The college ranks fourth highest amongst Cambridge colleges in Nobel Prizes won by alumni.^[3]

Student life

The Choir of Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge was nominated for a 2013 Gramophone Award in recognition of their disc of the music of Thomas Weelkes.^[11] The choir also tours regularly, most recently to Germany, in December 2016.

In the television show University Challenge, Sidney Sussex had a winning team in both 1971 and 1978–79. The 1978 team, comprising John Gilmore, John Adams, David Lidington, and Nick Graham, went on to win the "Champion of Champions" University Challenge reunion competition in 2002. The college last appeared on the television show in 2015.

It is known for producing a well-regarded May Ball for a smaller college. Notably, students created an artificial lake and canal in 2010, when the ball had a Venetian theme, to enable punting at the landlocked college.^[12][13] Recent themes have included 'Light' (2014), and 'Beyond' (2016).

As with many of the smaller colleges, Sidney Sussex does not run a May Ball every year, instead running a biennial May Ball, on even numbered years. On odd numbered years, the college previously hosted an Arts Festival, which welcomed anyone in Cambridge, town or gown, to attend. Notable guest speakers at the Sidney Arts Festival include Stephen Fry, in 2015.^[14] However, for 2017 it was decided instead to hold a June Event. June Events are similar to a May Ball, but are smaller, usually with a lower ticket price, and shorter running time.^[15]

Confraternitas Historica

The Confraternitas Historica, or Confraternitas Historica Dominae Franciscae Comitis Sussexiae, is the history society of Sidney Sussex College and is reputed to be the longest-running student history society in Europe, having existed since 1910. In fact, no meetings were held from 1914 to 1919 but since, during the First World War, "the University itself almost ceased to function ... the hiatus of 1914-19 is not counted as a break in the continuity of the society".

A view of the college from Sidney Street

The Latin name of the society reflects the tastes of Jack Reynolds, the High Church Fellow who presided over its creation, who also "endowed the Society with an elaborate Latin initiation ceremony".^[16] Similarly, rather than being led by a President, the student in charge of the society is instead 'Princeps'. Other society roles include the 'Magister' and 'Comes'. Further, during society meetings all attendees are referred to in an egalitarian, though still Latinate, manner. Regardless of academic standing or stitle, all attendees are given the title of 'soror' (sister) or 'frater' (brother).

Boat Club

Founded in 1837, the club has spent most of its time in the 2nd division of the Lent and May Bumps, with brief times spent in the 1st division. Being a small college, the club has never had the consistency to rise to take a headship of either event, and has been as high as 6th in the Lent Bumps in 1913, and 11th in the May Bumps in 1923.

A women's crew first appeared in 1978 and has spent most of its time in the lower half of the 1st division in both the Lent and May Bumps, but recently has fallen to the middle of the 2nd division of both the Lent Bumps and the May Bumps.

People associated with the college

David Owen, former leader of the Social Democratic Party, now a member of the House of Lords

Asa Briggs, Historian

Oliver Cromwell, Lord Protector of the Commonwealth

Carol Vorderman, British media personality

Former members of the college include the political and military leader Oliver Cromwell, who was among the first students - although he never graduated, dropping out after his father became ill - and his skull is now buried beneath the college's ante-chapel. His ghost was reported on a number of occasions in the 1960 after the skull's interment.^[17]

Other former college members include early historian Thomas Fuller; historical writer Thomas Rymer; the 17th century poet and dramatist Thomas May; and Dean of Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge and later Bishop Robert Machray.

Another famous alumnus was the theologian and moral philosopher William Wollaston who wrote 'Religion of Nature Delineated' (1724). Notable legal alumni include Antônio Augusto Cançado Trindade (judge on the International Court of Justice 2009 -).

Politicians

Notable politicians to have attended the college include the civil servant Sir Basil Engholm; and the former Foreign Secretary and leader of the Social Democratic Party Lord Owen. Former students also include current MPs, Secretary of State for Transport Chris Grayling; Leader of the House of Commons David Lidington; Rebecca Evans, Minister for Social Care and Public Health in the Welsh Government;^[18] and the late Brian Lenihan, former Minister of Finance in the Republic of Ireland.

Scientists

The college's strong tradition in the sciences is seen by the association of the Nobel Prize–winning physicists Cecil Frank Powell and C. T. R. Wilson, 1997 Nobel Prize in Chemistry recipient John E. Walker and the 2002 Nobel prize in Chemistry recipient Alan MacDiarmid. Sir Benjamin Lockspeiser, the first president of CERN was also an undergraduate at the college, along with psychiatrist W. Ross Ashby. Robert McCance Professor of Experimental Medicine, played a leading part in wartime rationing and 1940s government nutrition efforts. Professor Dame Ann Dowling has been a Fellow since 1977 and is the President of the Royal Academy of Engineering.^[19] The inaugural recipient of the Rosalind Franklin award Professor Sue Gibson was an undergraduate at the College.^[20]

Bletchley Park Codebreakers

Eleven members of the college worked at Bletchley Park during World War Two. They were Gordon Welchman, a Sidney Research Fellow in Mathematics who recruited many of them, John Herivel, Asa Briggs, Paul Coales, Malcolm Chamberlain, Edward Dudley Smith, John Manisty, Jim Passant, David Rees, Howard Smith (later head of MI5) and Leslie Yoxall (famous for his work in Hut 8 on breaking the German naval officers’ code).

Artists and popular figures

More recently alumni include best-selling author, broadcaster and Associate Editor of The Observer newspaper Andrew Rawnsley; technical director of the Mercedes-Benz Formula One team Paddy Lowe; television host known primarily for her role on the game show Countdown Carol Vorderman and the comedian Alex Horne. Also, the Hollywood director John Madden known for the Academy-award-winning Shakespeare In Love, and professor and writer John Fraser.

Musical alumni include Al Doyle (1998) and Felix Martin (1999) of the electronic band Hot Chip.^[21] In 2010, American composer Eric Whitacre was named Visiting Fellow and Composer-in-Residence.

Sherlock Holmes

Author Dorothy L. Sayers suggested that, given details in two of the stories, the fictional character Sherlock Holmes must have been at Cambridge rather than Oxford and that "of all the Cambridge colleges, Sidney Sussex (College) perhaps offered the greatest number of advantages to a man in Holmes's position and, in default of more exact information, we may tentatively place him there".^[22]

List of alumni

See also

• Sidney Sussex Boat Club
• List of non-ecclesiastical works by J. L. Pearson

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge.

• Sidney Sussex College official website
• Confraternitas Historica

Coordinates: 52°12′26″N 0°7′13″E / 52.20722°N 0.12028°E / 52.20722; 0.12028