The Archives are a living collection whose mission is to acquire, preserve and make accessible the records of the College, its members, staff and students. In addition to the household accounts of Lady Margaret Beaufort, the College’s Foundress and mother of King Henry VII, the Archives hold five centuries of records detailing the administration, benefactions, finances and property of St John’s, including statutes, registers of membership, orders and minutes of its organs of government, accounts and records of its buildings.
The Archives also contain the deeds and financial records of earlier foundations annexed to the College, namely the Hospital of St John the Evangelist Cambridge, which preceded the College on the same site, the Hospital of St Mary at Ospringe, the Priory of Higham, Kent, and the Priory of Broomhall, Berks. Among the rich medieval archive inherited from the Hospital of St John the Evangelist is a 13th-century cartulary whose numerous deeds shed light on the people, property and occupations of Cambridge and the surrounding countryside.
A significant portion of the College Archives are catalogued online and fully searchable via AtoM. External researchers and College members can consult the Archives in the Reading Room of the beautifully refurbished 12th-century School of Pythagoras on Wednesdays and Thursdays by appointment.
We welcome small group visits by students, researchers and staff from other College and University departments, including general familiarisation visits for new students and timetabled teaching sessions involving hands-on use of archive documents and rare books to complement specific course modules. Introductory classes in palaeography are also offered to members of St John’s studying any subject who are interested in developing their research skills.
