Alan Percival came up to Jesus College to read Mechanical Sciences in 1932. He proceeded to Harvard for his post-graduate studies, returning to Jesus as the first ever Engineering Fellow in 1938, and Lecturer in Engineering from 1946 to 1978.
Parents were Reverend Alfred Rupert Penn and Mary Elisabeth Penn (née Church). Michael’s father, Rev. A. R. Penn, was born in India in 1898 and attended Jesus College in 1918, then ordained into the Anglican Church in 1922. Michael’s mother, Mary Church, was from Cambridge and her father Canon Edward Church was the rector of Fen Ditton near Cambridge. He attended Trinity College in 1889.
Michael went to India at age 6 weeks and spent his childhood in Palayamkottai, Tamil Nadu in southern India where his father taught school and had a parish. His family spent 10 years there, but Michael returned at age 7 to go to school in England, staying with relatives at Fen Ditton. One of his uncles, George Church, CBE, later became the Archdeacon of Malta. Another, Dr. Joe (John) Church, attended Emmanuel College in 1919, and later did mission work in Rwanda, Burundi and Uganda. A third uncle, Dr. Bill Church, also attended Emmanuel College, Cambridge, as did his cousin Dr. John Church in 1949. They also spent many years working as doctors in East Africa. Michael’s son Andrew read physiology then medicine at Jesus College and Addenbrookes, and Andrew’s son Jonathan, finished a PhD in the ethics of artificial intelligence at Pembroke in 2020 – completing five generations at Cambridge.
Michael Penn attended Jesus College, around 1943-5, initially taking courses in engineering. He was called up for the RAF and did navigational training in the UK and Eastern Canada in 1945-6. After the war he was posted to the Middle East, (Cairo and Palestine) until he could finally demobilize and resume his studies at Cambridge around 1947. While there his knowledge in photography was shared with Jesus contemporary Antony Armstrong-Jones. Michael completed his medical training at St. Bartholomew’s Hospital around 1953.
In 1951 Michael married Rosemary Weaver Bridgman in Victoria, British Columbia. Rosemary was born in England but was raised in Canada, returning to England to attend university. She was in the 1948 group of Newnham College women who were the first to receive Cambridge degrees. They met while both were attending Cambridge in 1948.
Michael and Rosemary Penn moved to Victoria, BC, in 1953 and Michael practiced medicine there until his death in 1997. Rosemary, who had studied Shakespeare and Chaucer, worked most of her life as a well-loved teacher. They had 5 children: Dr. Caroline Penn studied medicine at the University of British Columbia, Dr. Andrew Penn, graduated from Jesus and Darwin, Nigel Penn flew Canso water bombers and later was a pilot for WestJet, Briony Penn obtained her PhD at the University of Edinburgh, and is an author, artist, and environmental activist on Salt Spring Island. His youngest son Malcolm Penn does forestry mapping in Gisborne, NZ.
Michael continued his hobby as a photographer, and left many portraits, landscapes and much film footage that celebrates his life and family, his love of flying (he travelled widely from Haiti to the Canadian arctic in his own planes) and his love of the mountains and travel which took him to the corners of the earth and the diverse environs of British Columbia
Christopher Pemberton was born in 1767 into an affluent and prominent land owning family of lawyers. On his father’s side his great grandfather, Sir Francis Pemberton, had been Chief Justice of the Kings Bench (1624-97) and his grandfather, Francis, had been a barrister in the Inner Temple.
His father Christopher (Fellow of Catherine Hall, 1751-60) married Anne Stevenson on 9th June 1760 and Christopher was born at Newton Hall in 1767. He was one of 6 children (4 surviving into adulthood): Anne (1761-1838); Arabella (1762-1838) and William (1765-1828).
At this time the Pemberton family owned two substantial landed estates - Trumpington Estates owned by his uncle Revd Jeremiah Pemberton (1740-1800) and Newton Estate owned by Christopher Pemberton’s father Christopher (1727-1809).
Career:
In 1789 Christopher Pemberton qualified as an attorney and solicitor and started up in practice on his own account. He remained in practice on his own for 24 years until he took on his first partner Thomas Fiske in 1813. They remained in business together until Thomas Fiske died in 1829. In 1820 William Woodcock Hayward joined the firm as a third partner. He died in 1838. In 1843 Pemberton entered into partnership with William Thrower which continued until 1850. A Memorandum of Agreement dated 6th July 1850 anticipated the establishment of a partnership between Pemberton, Thrower and Clement Francis (a young solicitor with his own practice in Emmanuel Street) but another Agreement dated 18th July involved only Thrower and Francis. So Christopher Pemberton enjoyed 3 months retirement before he died on 26th October 1850.
Public appointments:
1793 - Clerk of the Peace
1803 - Treasurer to the Eau Brink Commissioners
1806 - Receiver General for the County of Cambridgeshire. Appointed to the post by 3rd Earl of Hardwicke on the death of his father (who had been the previous post holder)
1813 - Member of the Society of Clerks of the Peace (the Society had only been founded 2 years previously)
He was also Solicitor to the University and a very large number of Colleges; Steward of upwards of 30 manors and served in the Office of Under Sheriff on many occasions.
The practice started by Christopher Pemberton in 1789 went on to become Mills & Reeve.
1789 - 1813 Christopher Pemberton
1813 - 1820 Pemberton and Fiske
1820 - 1829 Pemberton Fiske and Hayward
1829 - 1838 Pemberton and Hayward
1838 - 1843 Christopher Pemberton
1843 - 1850 Pemberton and Thrower
1850 - 1861 Clement Francis
1861 - 1876 Francis Webster and Riches
1876 - 1879 Francis Riches and Francis
1879 - 1887 Francis and Francis
1887 - 1888 Francis Francis and Parker
1888 - 1898 Francis and Francis
1898 - 1905 Francis Francis and Collin
1905 - 1907 Francis Francis Collin and Peile
1907 - 1987 Francis & Co
1987 - Mills & Reeve Francis
Personal Life:
Christopher Pemberton never married. There is a memorial tablet erected to his memory in Newton Parish Church
In 1789 Christopher Pemberton, a newly qualified attorney and solicitor, set up in business on his own. He remained trading on his own for 24 years until he took on his first partner Thomas Fiske in 1813. They traded as Pemberton and Fiske until 1820 when they were joined by William Woodcock Hayward and traded as Pemberton, Fiske and Hayward.
In 1829 Thomas Fiske died (aged 44) and the firm changed its name to Pemberton and Hayward. This lasted until Hayward died in 1838.
In 1789 Christopher Pemberton, a newly qualified attorney and solicitor, set up in business on his own. He remained trading on his own for 24 years until he took on his first partner Thomas Fiske in 1813. They traded as Pemberton and Fiske until 1820 when they were joined by William Woodcock Hayward and traded as Pemberton, Fiske and Hayward.
In 1829 Thomas Fiske died (aged 44) and the firm changed its name to Pemberton and Hayward. This lasted until Hayward died in 1838. Christopher Pemberton traded on his own until William thrower joined him in 1843. Both Thrower and Pemberton died in 1850 and the work of the practice was taken over by Clement Francis.
In 1789 Christopher Pemberton, a newly qualified attorney and solicitor, set up in business on his own. He remained trading on his own for 24 years until he took on his first partner Thomas Fiske in 1813. They traded as Pemberton and Fiske until 1820 when they were joined by William Woodcock Hayward and traded as Pemberton, Fiske and Hayward.
In 1829 Thomas Fiske died (aged 44) and the firm changed its name to Pemberton and Hayward. This lasted until Hayward died in 1838.
In 1789 Christopher Pemberton, a newly qualified attorney and solicitor, set up in business on his own. He remained trading on his own for 24 years until he took on his first partner Thomas Fiske in 1813. They traded as Pemberton and Fiske until 1820 when they were joined by William Woodcock Hayward and traded as Pemberton, Fiske and Hayward.
Thomas Fiske died 27th June 1829 aged 44.
Samuel Peed was a member of the University of Cambridge, secretary at the Cambridge Waterworks Company, and a solicitor. He served two terms as mayor of Cambridge: 1870-1871 and 1871-1872.