Magdalene College Cambridge
Before embarking on a visit to Magdalene College, we would recommend doing a little exercise in pronunciation. Any normal person, meaning you and I, would clearly enunciate each syllable. Any Cambridge student in the vicinity would rush at you admonishing you. "That it is meant to be said as Maudlin or Modlin". We will get to why later.
History - Size Isn't Everything
Magdalene remains one of the smaller ones in terms of size and number of students. It has a bit of a nondescript air about it, which one can adjudge to its origins. The world of Medieval Britain in the early XVth Century was alive with debate as the Renaissance began to take hold across Europe. A group of Benedictine monks obtained permission from Henry VI to open a hostel for students. They deliberately chose a site across the river to distance themselves from the profane airs of the city.
Construction
Construction only truly got started in the 1470s. The First Court was built in pieces as each participating abbey added its bit one at a time. The monks were helped when Henry Stafford, Duke of Buckingham, gave an endowment in 1483, for which the college was renamed in his honour. In 1519, his son oversaw the construction of the main Hall.
The First Court was restored in the 1950s and 1960s. The Master's house and garden and Fellow's garden are on the north side. They overlook the area where the punts depart to do a tour downstream. Built in 2005, Cripps Court on Chesterton Road is the most recent addition.
Surviving King Henry's Dissolution of the Monasteries
Henry VIII dissolved the monasteries. The college stood precariously without support until Lord Thomas Audley came to its rescue in 1542. He chose the name St. Magdalene and brought the college into the university. He initiated the construction of the Second Court.
Audley Decides on Maudly - Pronunciation
A short digression: the answer to why the strange pronunciation. Lord Audley ‘enforced’ it so that it could be as close to his name as possible: Magdalene, Audley and Maudleyn. Quite a bit of hubris, would you not say? He also gave the college its crest and motto Garde ta foy or Keep your faith.
In Need of Rejuvenation
During the first half of the XVIIIth Century, the college declined. Both in terms of student output and quality. It regained its lustre through the efforts of some strong Masters.
Samuel Pepys Library
Magdalene's most famous alumnus is Samuel Pepys. He was a writer and government official during the reigns of Charles II and James II. He famously kept a diary between 1660 and 1669 noting down everything in his life, however trivial. Future scholars would praise it, because it offered them a clear glimpse in life during the Restoration. In 1723, all of his books, including the diaries, were donated to the college. They are safely kept in the Pepys Library.
Traditions of the College
Magdalene College has a very traditional and conservative reputation. This is most exemplified in their formal halls. These rooms open to all college members and their guests. It was the last college to accept women. This finally happened in 1988. Although many male members wore black armbands to mark the occasion as if something or someone important had died.
Official Site for Magdalene College Cambridge
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