Commemoration
Graham CopeKoga
COM MEMOR AT ION
Chapel Address at Commemoration of Benefactors 10 March 2022 Sir Gregory Winter CBE FRS FMedSci (1970) The Dean of Chapel challenged me to give an address on the theme of benefaction, rooted, or not, in something in the College’s history. In return, I was promised a blessing, if merited; otherwise, excommunication. This was too interesting a challenge to refuse - so here goes! My text is the Commemoration Prayer, printed at the beginning of the Order of Service. It lists the major benefactors and exhorts us to remember them. I would like to take a look at a few of these benefactions, and the expectations the benefactors had of the College. An excellent source of information is Robert Neild’s book, Riches and Responsibility; the Financial History of Trinity College. The first benefaction was in 1317 when Edward II founded the King’s Scholars. The 32 scholars were the children of noblemen, sent from the Chapel Royal to attend Cambridge University. Edward II paid for their meals, rent and clothes, and for the services of a Warden to supervise and beat them from time to time. Edward II was followed by his son, Edward III. He consolidated these arrangements by the foundation of a new College, the King’s Hall in 1337, committing to an annual grant for the scholars’ expenses, and purchasing a house on the site of the Chapel lawn for their accommodation. The annual grant continued to be paid until the King’s Hall was “merged” into Trinity. Edward II and III made these benefactions for good practical reasons – a pipeline of educated men was needed to serve the State. Furthermore, the Kings could take the long view – they were both Plantagenets, with a sense of history and of
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