Probably born in Dieppe, around 1650-1660. Cavalier was a Huguenot who travelled extensively, working as a wax modeller and ivory sculptor, and specialising in portrait medallions. In 1682/3 he went to London, where he stayed until 1686; he then went to Trier, perhaps Stuttgart, Düsseldorf, Hamburg, Hannover, Kassel, and in 1689 to Vienna, Munich and perhaps Dresden. By 1690 he was back in London, where he carved pictures of the King and Queen and was given the passport as the 'King's medallist'. He was then at the Danish Court in 1691/3, and from 1694/5-7 in Stockholm, from whence he and his brother Denis, also a sculptor, journeyed as ambassadors on behalf of Sweden to Russia and Persia, where they both died. Cavalier was the most accomplished ivory-carver working in late Stuart England until the arrival of David Le Marchand around 1700.
Arthur Guy Lee known informally as Guy Lee, was a British Classical scholar and poet. He was particularly notable as a Latinist for his work on the Roman poets Ovid, Propertius, and Catullus; he also translated Virgil's Eclogues, Tibullus, and Persius.
He was an undergraduate at St John's College, Cambridge. He taught at the University of Cambridge for most of his career, where he was admitted as a Fellow of St John's in 1946.
In the Second World War, he joined the British military, and was posted in Iceland, where he learned Icelandic and earned a military award for his work on ciphers. He was later posted to French North Africa, Belgium, Italy, Norway, and Germany.
He returned to Cambridge after the war and served as a librarian, tutor, praelector, and lecturer of classics at various times.
He died in Cambridge in 2005, and is buried at Ascension Parish Burial Ground.
Professor Helen Vendler was an American academic, writer and literary critic. She was a professor of English language and history at Boston University, Cornell, Harvard, and other universities. Her academic focus was critical analysis of poetry and she studied poets from Shakespeare and George Herbert to modern poets such as Wallace Stevens and Seamus Heaney. Her technique was close reading, which she described as "reading from the point of view of a writer".
She was the Parnell Fellow at Magdalene College from 1994-1995 and was elected as an Honorary Fellow in 1997.
Her portrait, by Mrs Mary Minifie, is the first of a female Fellow to hang in Hall (2024).
Obituary - College Magazine, No. 68 (2023-24)
Richard Ladborough was a Fellow of French at Magdalene College, Cambridge, and Pepys Librarian. He specialised in the Enlightenment era of French literature, and donated a wealth of such books to the College which are now held by the Old Library. Friend and correspondent of C.S. Lewis.
Obituary: Magdalene College Magazine and Record, New Series No. 16: 1971-72, p. 3
Admitted to Magdalene College aged 20 on 28 July 1881. Pensioner.
2nd son of the Rev. Lord Edward Henry Julius of Wighill Park, Tadcaster, Yorks and Jane, daughter of Henry Dowker, of Laysthorpe, Yorks. Born 6 August 1860.
School - Eton
Matriculated Michaelmas 1881. Cricket 'blue,' 1882-5 (Capt., 1885).
Succeeded his father as 7th Baron Hawke, of Towton, Yorks. on 5 December 1887.
J.P. for the West Riding.
Served in the 3rd Battalion, The Green Howards, retiring in 1894 with the rank of Hon. Major.
Captain of the Yorkshire Cricket XI, 1883-1910; of the England team on two South African tours; President of the M.C.C., 1914-18.
Received the Freedom of Scarborough.
Author, Recollections and Reminiscences.
Died 10 October 1938 in Edinburgh.
At Magdalene from 1964 to 1967
Born 1 July 1945. Educated St John’s School, Leatherhead and St Catharine’s College Cambridge (Exhibitioner 1964).
Lecturer, Dept of Modern Subjects, Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst, 1967–69.
Fellow of St Catharine’s (Research Fellow 1970, Official Fellow 1972),
University Assistant Lecturer, 1972
University Lecturer in English,1978
Fellow of Magdalene College (Official Fellow 1978, Emeritus Fellow 2012)
Pepys Librarian and Keeper
Obituary: College Magazine, No. 65 2021-2021
Born in c. 1762, the son of Christopher, of Holland, Lancs. (apothecary, of Liverpool and Upholland)
School - Halifax
Admitted pensioner at Magdalene on 1May 1779
Matriculated at Lent, 1780
B.A. (2nd Wrangler) 1783
M.A. 1786
Fellow
28 September 1802 he was replaced as Bursar and Steward by Rev Thomas Paley was appointed Bursar and Rev Samuel Lowe was appointed Steward [MCGB/4/2/1]
Ordained Deacon at Ely on 10 May 1789
Ordained Priest on 20 December 1789
Rector of Fletton, Hunts., 1798-1828
P.C. of St Catherine Cree, London, 1803-14
Vicar of Yaxley, Hunts., 1806-28 (resigned). Succeeded his brother-in-law, John Hull, at Agecroft Hall, near Manchester, in 1813.
Married Margaret, daughter of Richard Hull, of Agecroft Hall.
Died Aug. 28, 1845, aged 84, at Blackpool.
Father of John (1834) and of Robert (1829).
Thomas Riddel was the cook of Magdalene College, 1799-1826.
On his appointment in 1799 (succeeding William Winder) he secured a substantial rise in the cook's wages from £7 to £12 10s 0d along with £5 for coals.
In 1826 he left the College and set up as a beer retailer in Magdalene Street.
His name is written in the front of the Buttery Books [MCAD/14/2]. The first time it is written on the inside page is in MCAD/1/4/2/3 which covers 1672-76.
The Buttery Book, 1686-1690 [MCAD/14/2/6] is the first one in which Edward Townsend has written his name.
Buttery Book starting in 1743 [MCAD/14/2/1/19] is the first in which John Palmer's name appears.
He was witness to the bond of resignation prepared by George Sandby (Master) in 1761 at the request of the Countess of Portsmouth as part of the conditions of his appointment.
The first Buttery book in which Edward Mills writes his name begins in 1789 [MCAD/14/2/1/28].
It was recorded at a meeting of the Master and Fellows on 7 March 1799 that the College had been defrauded by the late Butler Edward Mills to a very considerable amount and they resolved to use all legal means to recover the amount of that fraud [MCGB/4/2/1 pg. 181].
Born in Helston, Cornwall in 1778, son of Edward
Schools - Helston and Shacklewell
Admitted sizar at Jesus College on 10 July 1794
Matriculated Michaelmas 1795; Scholar, 1796; B.A. 1799; M.A. 1802
Fellow of Magdalene, 1803; Tutor
Vicar of Bishopstone, Wilts., 1816
Vicar of Constantine, Cornwall, 1817-56
Prebendary of Salisbury
He married:
(1) Sophia
(2) 22 Nov, 1821, Catherine Groube, daughter of John Boulderson, of St Mawnan, and had issue
Died at Constantine on 25 Aug 1856
Born in Walesby, Lincs. in 1681. Son of Henry Waterland, Rector of Walesby
Admitted sizar at Clare College on 4 May 1699
Matriculated 1699
B.A. 1702/3; M.A. 1706
D.D. from Magdalene, 1725
Fellow of Clare, 1705-14
Fellow of Magdalene, 1714-24
Brother of Daniel Waterland, Master of Magdalene College who appointed him Bursar and Steward in c. 1718
Senior Proctor, 1721-22
Incorporated at Oxford in 1724
Ordained priest (Ely) 30 May 1708
Vicar of St Peter's, Cambridge, 1711-18
Vicar of St Giles', Cambridge, 1711-20
Vicar of Longstanton All Saints' and Longstanton St Michael's, Cambridgeshire, 1720-64
Minister of St Benetfink, London
Died in Hackney, 18 March 1764
Son of Benjamin Bywater of Lanchester, Co. Durham
Admitted pensioner at Magdalene College on 22 April 1769
Scholar, 1768; matriculated Michaelmas 1769
B.A. 1773; M.A. 1776
Fellow, Steward and Bursar
Rector of Anderby-cum-Cumberworth, Lincs., 1791-1820
P.C. of Grainthorpe
Vicar of West Wratting, Cambs., 1792-1820
Died in West Wratting on 31 October 1820
Admitted as a pensioner at Magdalene on 15 May 1806
Matriculated Michaelmas 1806
B.A. 1810; M.A. 1813
Fellow
Ordained deacon (Norwich) 8 July 1810; priest, 21 June 1812
Rector of Long Stanton St Michael's, Cambs., 1819-23
Died 1823.
In the Audit receipts and Account Books he signs as Steward in 1811, 1814-1818 and as Bursar in 1813 - not comprehensive as we are still cataloguing (Nov 2025)
Born 5 May 1796 the third son of Hugh, Earl Fortescue, of Castle Hill, near South Molton, Devon.
School - Eton
Admitted Fellow-Commoner at Magdalene on 14 January 1814
Matriculated Lent, 1814; M.A. 1816
Fellow
Rector of Anderby with Cumberworth, Lincs., 1821-35
Canon Residentiary of Worcester, 1834-69
Rector of Poltimore with Huxham, Devon, 1835-69
Master of St Oswald's Hospital, Worcester, 1847-69
13 April 1842 married Sophia, daughter of Henry Nevile, Rector of Cottesmore, Rutland
Died on 3 January 1869
Appointed as cook in 1875 [MCGB/4/2/1] and was the last of the cooks to run the kitchens as an independent business. On his retirement in 1901 the College took the kitchens in-house (being the last College to do so). This decision as guided by the then Steward A.S. Ramsey. He purchased the cooking utensils and crockery owned by Swannell which was valued at £700.
1841 Census – his father, George Swannell’s occupation is listed as ’Cook’ and the family were living in King St
1851 Census - his father, George Swannell’s occupation is listed as ’Cook’ and the family were living in Fitzroy St
His father was George (aged 48), his mother was Mary Ann (aged 33)
William was 14 and listed as an errand boy
John (aged 13), Elizabeth Sarah (aged 11), Thomas (aged 7)
Rachel Hayles - servant
1861 Census – William’s occupation is listed as ‘Cook’ and he was married to Hannah and living on Histon Rd
1871 Census – same as the 1861 census but with the addition of children:
William G (aged 9), Elizabeth (aged 4)
William Hewson (nephew aged 18)
John A.W. Culpin (boarder aged 18)
1881 Census – Now living at 74 Castle St with his wife Hannah, his daughter Elizabeth and their domestic servant Emma Smith (aged 15)
1891 Census – Had moved to Huntingdon Road
Servant was now Eliza Beldam
1901 Census – Living at 6 Huntingdon Rd
Listed as ‘widow’
Occupation ‘Head College Cook’
Living on his own and two servants - Lucy Baker (aged 50) and Annie Adams (aged 23)
William died on 16 September 1902 at Carnarvonshire. He left to Elizabeth Hannah Sarah Robinson (his daughter and the wife of the Revd Henry Edwin Robinson) effects worth £14865 5s 4d
Born in Histon, near Cambridge, in 1855, son of William, an agricultural labourer, and Louisa.
In 1877 he was appointed under-porter [MCGB/4/2/1] and rose to Head Porter serving the College for 43 years before his retirement in 1918.
1881 census – he was living at 30 Albert Street. He was married, to Elizabeth Foreman who was five years older. Their first child, four-month old Sydney James, had been born around the turn of the year.
1891 census - they had moved to number 1 Albert Street. A second son, Ernest had been born in 1883, followed by two daughters, Louisa in 1886 and Laura in 1889.
1911 census - three children were alive and two had died, suggesting there had been a fifth baby that did not survive infancy. Ernest, their second son, was eighteen in 1901, and working as a kitchen porter, although the college that employed him is not known. We might expect him to disappear from the family home as he made his life of his own, but the fact that Sydney's death notice in 1917 describes him as "only son" of James and Elizabeth suggests that Ernest had died before 1911. Louisa and Laura both trained as dressmakers.
Sydney Stearn served in the Royal Navy during the First World War and was killed in 1917.
James Stearn found it hard to cope after the death of his son. He retired, early in 1918, at the age of 63. The Fellows presented their outgoing Head Porter with a clock.
He died on 10 July 1918.
For more information see Ged Martin's article James Stearn: The Head Porter who Died of Grief
https://gedmartin.net/martinalia-mainmenu-3/344-magdalene-college-cambridge-notes-james-stearn
1912 - Jack French died at a dinner of the Conservative Club. He had served the College for fifty years, since the age of 17 or 18, first employed as a servant in 1862, before rising to Under-porter, Porter, Butler, Kitchen Manager, and sometime caterer.
College Magazine, No. 12 March 1913
“The other loss was a very severe one. The newly-appointed President [AC Benson] had signalised his accession to his office by a supper to the College servants, and the Butler, Jack French, presided at it with his accustomed tact and good humour. He was forced to leave it rather early, in order to keep an engagement, and walked down to the Conservative Club, where he was a very familiar figure; he spoke to a couple of friends, and in a moment rolled over from his chair, dead: the cause was afterwards found to be valvular disease of the heart. He was buried on the 27th and the first part of the service took place in the College Chapel, the Master officiating; besides the family and private friends, including the Mayor, were present.
Man and boy, Jack French had been a devoted servant and friend to the College for fifty years. His father was once Head Porter, and he too, started at the gate, but was comparatively soon transferred to the buttery, where he spent the rest of his life, rising finally to be Butler and Kitchen Manager. He had many interests outside the College, such as politics, and a share in a catering business, which very successfully supplied the Royal Show for some years, but his heart was above all things in the welfare of Magdalene, and it is certain that nobody rejoiced more at its latter-day prosperity than Jack French. A neat brass to his memory has been placed in the Ante-Chapel by the President.
See MCCA/MCPH/3/1 32a for a photograph
Born in 1870 the son of Thomas Johnson, of Windermere House, Windermere
School - Heversham
Admitted pensioner at Magdalene on 16 July 1887
Matriculated Michaelmas 1887; Scholar
B.A. (28th Wrangler) 1890; M.A. 1897
Assistant Master at Bath College, 1891
Assistant Master at St Mark's, Windsor, 1895
Assistant Master at St Paul's School, London, 1902-32
Head Mathematical Master, 1924-32
Died on 26 February 1942
Born in Willenhall, Staffordshire and was the son of an engineer.
Educated at West Bridgford Grammar School and Nottingham University.
In 1936 he moved to Cambridge where he taught for the University Correspondence College. He produced a number of editions for the University Tutorial Press.
In 1956, a chance meeting with John Stevens (Director of Studies at Magdalene) secured an invitation to supervise for the College.
1965 - became a Lecturer in English
1980 - he retired and was made a Fellow-Commoner
He met his first wife, Nell, at local meetings of young socialists during the 1930s. They married in 1936 and had two sons.
After her death in 1989 he married Penny Moffett.
He died in Girton in 2000.
Obituary in the College Magazine, 1999-2000, pp. 14-15
School - Charterhouse
Admitted to Magdalene in October 1928
November 1933 - Joined the India Civil Service and became a Judge in the Punjab until partition in 1947.
Moved to Canada where he owned a fruit farm in British Columbia before becoming a schoolmaster.
Moved to become a schoolmaster at Kings School, Wimbledon.
Joined the War Office (later the Ministry of Defence). Posted to East Africa (Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, and Zanzibar), and later Gibraltar.
Benefactor to Magdalene College
Born in 1679 in Norwich, the son of John.
Admitted sizar at Magdalene on 14 October 1695
Matriculated in 1696
B.A. 1699/1700
Vicar of Childerditch, Essex, 1709
Chaplain to Robert, Earl of Holderness
Author
Benefactor of Magdalene College
Married Mary Moor at Gray's Inn Chapel, on 28 June 1712
Died on 31 July 1760
Born in 1652 the son of John, clerk, of Leeds, West Riding of Yorkshire
Admitted as a pensioner at Magdalene on 12 May 1669
Matriculated in 1672
B.A. 1672/3
M.A. 1676
Fellow, 1674 - mid 1680s
Ordained deacon (London) 11 March 1676/7; priest, 10 June 1677
Perhaps Vicar of Heversham, Westmorland, 1678-86
Rector of Bexhill, Sussex, 1686-1722
Major benefactor of the College. In 1722 he left £1,000 for three closed scholarships for boys from Halifax, Leeds, or Heversham in Westmoreland. His sister-in-law had a life interest in the capital, and so the College did not benefit from the benefaction until 1736 when she died, having herself augmented the original bequest so as to provide four scholarships.
Died 1722
Born in 1653, the son of Anthony Millington of Shropshire
Admitted pensioner (age 15) at Magdalene on 26 June 1668
Matriculated in 1669
B.A. 1671/2
M.A. 1675
D.D. 1702
Fellow, 1674 until at least 1701
Taxor, 1691
Senior Proctor, 1700-1
Incorporated at Oxford, 1677
Ordained deacon (Ely) 18 September 1675; priest (London) 24 February 1677/8
Vicar of Fulbourn All Saints', Cambridgeshire, 1690
Vicar of Kensington, 1700-28
Prebend of St Paul's, 1703-28
Rector of Stoke Newington, Middlesex, 1705-28
In 1724 set up a trust to be presided over by Daniel Waterland and his successors, for two closed scholarships for boys from several Shrewsbury schools. He also provided for the establishment of a fellowship after the lapse of 40 years, to be funded by the proceeds from the sale of the timber from a newly planted woodland.
Millington’s brother, James was a successful draper in Shrewsbury, and he held a life interest in the properties which would generate the income of the scholarships, so the first scholars did not arrive until after his death in 1734.
Died on 25 March 1728