annual gazette | 23
A ‘Small-College Man’: George Gabriel Stokes and Pembroke College, Cambridge Jayne Ringrose This paper was originally delivered at the Stokes 200 Conference at Pembroke College on 17 September 2019. I should like to thank the organizers of the conference, Professor Silvana Cardoso and Professor Julyan Cartwright, and especially Dr Christopher Ness, Fellow of Pembroke College, for help with preparing the original presentation. Mr Matthew Mellor, Fellows’ Steward at the College kindly gave permission for me to quote from the Parlour wine books. I am grateful to the Master and Fellows of Pembroke College Cambridge for permission to cite and quote from the College Archives, and to my successor as College Archivist, Mrs Elizabeth Ennion-Smith and to the College Librarian, Ms Genny Grim for facilitating this and for much other help. I am likewise grateful to the Syndics of Cambridge University Library and to the Superintendent of the Manuscripts Reading Room, Mr Frank Bowles and his staff for much assistance. Finally I owe a debt of gratitude to Dr Mark McCartney, Dr Elisabeth Leedham-Green, Professor David B. Wilson and Mrs Julia Wilson, and the Reverend Margaret Widdess.
Introduction According to the Cambridge University Calendar (1837, 193–197), when George Gabriel Stokes first came up to Pembroke College, there were 40 undergraduates, plus two sizars,1 in addition to the Master, Gilbert Ainslie, and 12 Fellows (there were two vacancies and two Bye-fellows),2 while according to the University Calendar of 1902–03 (708–720), there were 13 foundation fellowships but over 240 undergraduates. Stokes became a member of Pembroke on 7 July 1837, when his name appears in the admissions book (in Latin) as follows:3 Stokes, George Gabriel, fourth son of the Reverend Gabriel Stokes, Rector of Skreen in county Sligo in Ireland, born there, and having reached his nineteenth year [i.e. aged eighteen], was admitted to the second [undergraduate] table under the Tutor, Mr Arlett, 7 July 1837
