Richard Herbert Sutton was born on the 19th August 1918 in Hong Kong with his family later moving to 31 Beccles Road, Great Yarmouth. Richard's father, H. Sutton, was a silk merchant. From January 1926 to April 1930, he attended Gorleston prep school, before moving to Gresham's school in May 1930, where he was editor of the school magazine.
In 1936, he became a history exhibitioner, before coming up to Jesus in 1937 to study history. In his third year, he also studied law. According to his tutorial file, Richard's strength of character was praised highly by the College's academic staff, particularly his 'good spirits' and 'hard efforts'. Although tall at 6ft 4, with a build described as less than robust, he was involved with various sports including rowing, hockey, and tennis.
Outside of sport, he had interests in poetry, writing some himself, and public affairs. A Conservative, he was active in the College Debating Society. Richard was also awarded a travel grant in May 1938.
Richard suffered from various medical issues and, although not serious, they had an impact upon his studies. In 1937, he suffered from eye problems, requiring a Certificate in Case of Illness to allow him to stay at home for much of his first term. His condition improved, although the eye problems returned in November 1940. While part of the Officer Training Corps (O.T.C) in the last term of his first year, Richard suffered a riding accident whilst on a parade that resulted in a broken arm. This left him unable to sit for his preliminary examination for History Honours in June 1938. Despite this, he still managed to obtain a 2:1 in June 1939 of the Historical Tripos.
On 10th February 1939, Richard signed up for active duty for the war. He became a Lieutenant in the Royal Artillery, serving in Italy from 1943, but was wounded at Anzio, in March 1944. After the war ended, he joined the Civil Service.
Unfortunately, he became fully blind in 1961 but judging from his tone in letters to the college, he remained in good spirits and wit. Richard died on 22nd October 2002.
Arthur Goodwin Stubbs was born on 10 January 1871 at Nottingham, attended school at Haileybury, and came up to Jesus College in 1889.
He was the elder son of Arthur Stubbs, of Sherwood Rise, Nottingham, and was educated at Haileybury and Jesus College, Cambridge. He contrived to turn his interest in botany to practical account by going into business as a nursery gardener. He married in 1895, and had one daughter, two grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
Stubbs was captain of his school and college cricket teams and a first class lawn tennis player of Wimbledon standard; he was also proficient at hockey, golf and billiards. In contrast to his athletic prowess he was a chess expert of international reputation, and contributed over 2,000 chess problems to various newspapers. This, however, did not exhaust his versatility, for Stubbs was gifted with a high degree of artistic talent, and was awarded the Grenfell Medal (silver and bronze) for about 20 years in succession by the Royal Horticultural Society for his watercolour paintings of flowers.
To his other interests and pursuits Stubbs added an enthusiasm for conchology, and his exquisite paintings of shells used to form one of the most popular exhibits at annual meetings of the Conchological Society. The more variable species of Helicidae particularly attracted him, and in the portrayal of their numerous mutations of colour and markings his delicate artistry found its most felicitous expression. His Illustrated Index of British Freshwater Shells was published by Taylor Brothers of Leeds in 1907, but some of the reproductions fail to do full justice to the accuracy of the original drawings. Stubbs was celebrated for his skill in cleaning even the most intractable shells, and his specimens never failed to evoke the admiration and envy of less accomplished conchologists. He had a pamphlet printed in 1900 for private circulation, entitled “Hints on cleaning the smaller transparent species of British Land Mollusca”.
Stubbs’ collection and paintings of shells are now in the possession of Mr. David A. Richardson, who has kindly supplied most of the above particulars of his grandfather’s life.
He died on 23 February 1950.