Downing College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, and
currently has around 650 students. Founded in 1800, it was the only college
to be added to Cambridge University between 1596 and 1869, and is often
described as the oldest of the new colleges and the newest of the old.
The current Master of the college is Geoffrey Grimmett, Professor of
Mathematical Statistics at the University.
History Upon the death of Sir George Downing,
3rd Baronet in 1749, the wealth left by his grandfather, Sir George Downing, who
served both Cromwell and Charles II and built 10 Downing Street, was applied by
his will. Under this will, as he had no direct issue, the family fortune was
left to his cousin, Sir Jacob Downing, and if he died without heir, to three
cousins in succession. If they all died without issue, the estates were to be
used to found a college at Cambridge called Downing.
Sir Jacob died in 1764, and as the other named heirs had also died, the college
should have come into existence then, but Sir Jacob's widow, Margaret, refused
to give up the estates and the various relatives who were Sir George's legal
heirs had to take costly and prolonged action in the Court of Chancery to
compel her to do so. She died in 1778 but her second husband and the son of
her sister continued to resist the heirs-at-law's action until 1800 when
the Court decided in favour of Sir George's will and George III granted
Downing a Royal Charter, marking the official foundation of the college.
= Buildings= The architect William Wilkins was
commissioned by the trustees of the Downing estate, who included the Master
of Clare College and St John's College and the Archbishops of Canterbury and
York, to design the plan for the college. Wilkins, a disciple of the
neo-classical architectural style, designed the first wholly campus-based
college plan in the world based on a magnificent entrance on Downing Street
reaching back to form the largest court in Cambridge, extending to Lensfield
Road. But this was not to be. The estate was much reduced by the suit
in Chancery, and the grand plans failed. Much of the north side of what was then
the Pembroke Leys was sold to the University and is now home to scientific
buildings. In fact, only limited East and West ranges were initially built,
with the plans for a library and chapel on the south face of the college
shelved. The third side of the square was only
completed in 1951 with the building of the college chapel. Where the fourth
side would have been is now a large paddock, with many trees. Though not
fully enclosed, the court formed before the Downing College is perhaps largest
in Cambridge or Oxford. An urban legend amongst Cambridge students claims that
Trinity pays an undisclosed sum to the college annually with the condition that
it will never build the fourth side of the square, so that Trinity may maintain
the distinction of having the largest enclosed court of all colleges of
Cambridge. The most recent building additions are
the Howard Lodge accommodation, the Howard Building, and most recent of all
the Howard Theatre which opened in 2010. These were sponsored by the Howard
family and are located behind the main court around their own small garden.
These facilities are used for conference and businesses gatherings outside of the
student term. Student life
Downing students remain prominent in the University world; in the past few years
Cambridge Union Presidents, Blues captains, Law and Economic Society
Presidents and more have hailed from the college. It is also a politically active
college, with politically active members and alumni occupying different parts of
the British political spectrum, from the far left to the extreme right. In this
sense, it is quite different from other colleges, as the student body of many of
the politically active colleges tend to incline toward one party or another.
Downing has a particular reputation for medicine and law, and a secret society
is rumoured to exist in respect of the latter.
The Griffin has been the undergraduate student magazine for over 100 years.
= Sport= The college fields teams in a range of
sports including, men's football, men's and women's rugby, tennis and Ultimate
Frisbee. Downing College Boat Club is successful
too, with the Women's first boat gaining Lents Headship of the river in the 1994
Lent Bumps, and more recently the Mays Headship in the 2014 and 2015 May Bumps.
The men's first boat has held the headship several times in the 1980s and
1990s while gaining the Mays headship in 1996 and the Lents Headship in 2014, on
each occasion recognising the tradition of "burning the boat", while the rowers
of the winning boat jump the flames. They both currently hold positions at or
near the top in both University bumps races [Lents and Mays].
Gallery People associated with Downing
The college is renowned for its strong legal and medical tradition, the former
subject being built up by Clive Parry, his pupil and successor John Hopkins and
the ex-Senior Tutor Graham Virgo. Legal notables who have been honorary fellows
of the college include the late Sir John Smith, the pre-eminent criminal lawyer
of his generation; Lord Collins of Mapesbury, the first solicitor to be
appointed to the Court of Appeal and House of Lords; and Sir Robert Jennings,
former President of the International Court of Justice.
= Notable alumni= = Fellows=
Association The Downing College Alumni Association
was founded in 1922 by the then Master of Downing and eminent botanist Sir
Albert Charles Seward. The main objects of the association are:
(a) To keep Members of Downing in touch with one another and the College.
(b) To facilitate united action in any matter concerning the welfare of the
College and its Members. (c) To publish and circulate an annual
Newsletter. (d) To hold an annual dinner.
The Association sells a range of merchandise, with profits going towards
the Alumni Student Fund. References
External links Downing College website
Downing JCR website Downing MCR website
Downing College Alumni Association website