The Origin of Cambridge University

Schools were usually for supplying the Church with literate recruits and were often sponsored by the Church. Scholars would form a guild for mutual protection and advantage, much like merchants, and this would be called a university, meaning simply a community.

Oxford University was formed in this way in the latter twelfth century, much like Paris (1119) and Bologna (1088). There is no firm date but it seems to be recognisably functioning by about 1190.

The chronicler Roger of Wendover recorded the following event. In 1209 an Oxford student apparently killed a woman and in revenge a mob of townsmen seized two or three other students and hung them, apparently with the King's blessing. At this time the King was in dispute with the Pope over the appointment of a new Archbishop of Canterbury and the Pope had excommunicated the King. This meant that the Church was in a weak position and could not insist on the normal rights of the clergy such as the right to try clerks in holy orders. The University suspended its operations, probably out of fear as much as a protest, and its members dispersed, notably to Reading (being convenient), Cambridge and Paris.

Once the dispute was resolved and a new Archbishop appointed, the Church imposed a heavy penalty upon the town, part of which was an annual fine which lasted until 1984.

There is no documentary clue as to why some came to Cambridge. It is likely there were appropriate schools here already - ones of advanced study - but there were many towns with such at that time, particularly Northampton (which nearly rivalled Oxford), Lincoln, York, London, Hertford and Exeter. It does seem from recent research that at least some of them were originally from Cambridge or the surrounding area.

Some of the early papers of the university (and perhaps some precursors) were destroyed in a riot by townsmen in 1381 (or possibly a smaller one in 1385), which may explain the lack of early documentation. However enough early charters do survive to suggest that there is no missing charter creating a University before 1209.

The Black Book of New College, Oxford, records the existence of a Chancellor by 1226.