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Master of Jesus College, 1820-1849.

William French was the son of Thomas French, a wealthy yeoman at Eye in Suffolk. He was educated at Ipswich Grammar School. In 1807 he entered Gonville and Caius College and was second wrangler and Smith's prizeman. He graduated BA in 1811 and MA in 1814. In 1811 he was elected as a Fellow and Tutor at Pembroke College. He became a University Proctor in 1816.

In 1821 he married Elizabeth Maria, daughter of John Wythe of Eye, and was made DD by Royal Mandate, and served in the office of Vice-Chancellor. He held this position again in 1834, when he also acted as one of the syndics appointed to superintend the building of the Fitzwilliam Museum.

In 1827 he was presented by the Lord Chancellor to the living of Moor Monkton, Yorkshire. In 1832 he became a canon of Ely Cathedral.

He died in the lodge at Jesus College on 12 November 1849.

Thomas Musgrave Francis was the eldest surviving son of Clement Francis and Sarah (nee Parmeter). They had 13 children, 6 surviving into adulthood:
Wolstan (1855-1943); Henry Clement (1857 - emigrated to Australia); Walter Hamond (1858-1940); Charles Decimus (1860 - emigrated to Australia) and Ellen (1864-19?)

Thomas Musgrave was educated at Eton and Trinity College where he was admitted pensioner in 1867, he was awarded his BA in 1871 and MA in 1874. He qualified as a solicitor in 1874 and worked as an assistant in his father's law practice (Francis Webster and Riches) until he was taken into the partnership in 1876 following the retirement from the practice of Thomas Webster. The practice Francis Riches and Francis lasted until the death of Alfred Smith Riches in 1879. Father and son then continued working together as Francis and Francis until the sudden death of Clement Francis in 1880. Thomas Musgrave continued using the name Francis and Francis until 1887 and was assisted in his work by Edmund Parker and his younger brother Walter Hammond (who had qualified in 1882). The firm continued changing its name to reflect the partners involved until 1907 when it changed Francis & Co. It stayed that way until 1987.

Musgrave held many professional and public appointments including Under Sheriff for Cambridge and Huntingdon; Clerk to the Conservators of the River Cam, Clerk to the County Lunatic Asylum; served as a County Magistrate; Chairman of Quarter Sessions; Chairman of the Licensing Committee of the County; Chairman of the Governors of Addenbrooke's Hospital; Chairman of the Papworth Hospital Committee; and a number of local government appointments.

An obituary from the Cambridge Chronicle for 11th March 1931 said that "everyone thought of him as a great gentleman. He had charm of manner which was not superficial but was
the product of character and had the strength of growth." He never married.

The Francis family lived at 17 Emmanuel Street next to the office at No.18. On 11th October 1855 his father Clement Francis bought Quy Hall Estate from Mr and Mrs J. T. Martin but major refurbishment work meant that the family didn’t start to move into the Hall before 1858. Then it was used as their summer house and Emmanuel Street as their winter one due to discomfort of the Hall and the state of the roads. In 1913 the firm's premises moved from 18 Emmanuel Street to 10 Peas Hill.

Clement was born in 1816 and was the son of Thomas Clement Francis (1774-1837) and his wife Mary Elizabeth (nee Cann) of Wymondham (1792-1879). Thomas and Mary had been married at Wymondham on 20th September 1814. Clement had two sisters - Sarah Anne (1817-1860) and Ellen (1820-1856). Clement's grandfather had been a draper in Aylsham Norfolk and his father, Thomas Clement Francis, used to assist him in the shop before deciding to move to Newcastle-upon-Tyne where he established himself as a wine merchant. This is where Clement was born and spent his childhood before deciding on a career in the law.

Career:
In 1832 Clement Francis moved to Cambridge to join Francis Gunning (solicitor) in order to undertake his articles. He completed his sixth and final year of articles in London with Francis Thomas Bircham (a former articled clerk of Francis Gunning who had qualified as an attorney in 1833 and had started a practice on his own at 52 Lincoln's Inn Fields).
After he had qualified as an attorney Clement returned to Cambridge and in December 1838 he formed a partnership with his former principal Francis Gunning and they traded as Gunning and Francis. Clement saw the advantages of a university education and membership of the University of Cambridge and so on 7th December 1838 he was admitted as a fellow commoner at Trinity Hall, matriculating in Lent term 1839. He received his BA in 1843 and MA in 1846. In 1842 the practice of Gunning and Francis moved to an office at 18 Emmanuel Street where it remained until 1913 when it moved to Peas Hill. In 1846 Francis Gunning died and so the partnership was dissolved and from then until 1850 Clement worked as a sole practitioner. In 1850 he looked to go into partnership with another Cambridge law practice. A Memorandum of Agreement dated 6th July 1850 anticipated the establishment of a partnership between Christopher Pemberton, William Thrower and Clement Francis but another Agreement dated 18th July involved only Thrower and Francis (Christopher Pemberton had decided to retire). However, both Thrower and Pemberton died in 1850 leaving Clement Francis to take over the work of Pemberton and Thrower and continue on his own. In 1861 he went into partnership with Thomas Webster and Alfred Smith Riches and formed Francis, Webster and Riches. In 1876 Thomas Webster retired from the practice (but continued the work of his London practice) and so Clement took his son Thomas Musgrave Francis into the business, trading as Francis, Riches and Francis. In 1879 Alfred Riches died and Clement and his son continued their partnership until Clement died in 1880.

1838 - 1846 Gunning and Francis
1846 - 1861 Clement Francis
1861 - 1876 Francis, Webster and Riches
1876 - 1879 Francis, Riches and Francis
1879 - 1880 Francis and Francis

His obituary in the Cambridge Independent Press, described him as "one of the leading solicitors of this town".
He had acted as adviser to a majority of colleges; was solicitor to the University; clerk to the visitors of the Cambridgeshire and Isle of Ely Lunatic Asylum; clerk to the Income Tax Commissioners; clerk to the Conservators of the Cam; deputy-lieutenant for the county; a member of the Council of the Incorporated Law Society; and on many occasions acted as Under-Sheriff for the counties of Cambridge and Huntingdon.

Personal Life:
On 8th May 1848 Clement married Sarah nee Parmeter (1827-1897) at Aylsham. They had 13 children (6 surviving to adulthood):
Thomas Musgrave (1850-1931); Wolstan (1855-1943); Henry Clement (1857 - emigrated to Australia); Walter Hamond (1858-1940); Charles Decimus (1860 - emigrated to Australia) and Ellen (1864-19?). The family lived at 17 Emmanuel Street next to the office at No.18. On 11th October 1855 Clement Francis bought Quy Hall Estate from Mr and Mrs J. T. Martin but major refurbishment work meant that they didn’t start to move into the Hall before 1858. Then it was used as their summer house and Emmanuel Street as their winter one due to discomfort of the Hall and the state of the roads. Clement was a keen cyclist and often cycled to the office from Quy. It was here at Quy Hall that Clement died suddenly on 7th March 1880 after an acute attack of bronchitis.

This firm of solicitors can trace its origins back to 1789 when Christopher Pemberton set up a legal practice on his own in Cambridge. On his death in 1850 the work of his practice passed to Clement Francis (who had his own legal practice in Cambridge). He worked as a sole practitioner until 1861 when he took into partnership Thomas Webster and Alfred Smith Riches and formed Francis Webster and Riches. In 1876 Thomas Webster retired from the practice (but continued the work of his London practice) and so Clement took his son Thomas Musgrave Francis into the business, trading as Francis Riches and Francis. In 1879 Alfred Riches died and Clement and his son continued their partnership until Clement died in 1880 (although the name Francis and Francis continued to be used until 1887).

This firm of solicitors can trace its origins back to 1789 when Christopher Pemberton set up a legal practice on his own in Cambridge. On his death in 1850 the work of his practice passed to Clement Francis (who had his own legal practice in Cambridge). He worked as a sole practitioner until 1861 when he took into partnership Thomas Webster and Alfred Smith Riches and formed Francis Webster and Riches. In 1876 Thomas Webster retired from the practice (but continued the work of his London practice) and so Clement took his son Thomas Musgrave Francis into the business, trading as Francis Riches and Francis. In 1879 Alfred Riches died and Clement and his son continued their partnership until Clement died in 1880 (although the name Francis and Francis continued to be used until 1887).

This firm of solicitors can trace its origins back to 1789 when Christopher Pemberton set up a legal practice on his own in Cambridge. On his death in 1850 the work of his practice passed to Clement Francis (who had his own legal practice in Cambridge). He worked as a sole practitioner until 1861 when he took into partnership Thomas Webster and Alfred Smith Riches and formed Francis Webster and Riches. This firm continued in business over the years changing its name to reflect the partners involved. Clement Francis died in 1880. In 1898 Clement's two sons Thomas Musgrave and Walter Hamond took into partnership their former articled clerk and assistant John Collin to form Francis Francis and Collin. In 1897 Frank Kitchener Peile (son of the Master of Christ’s College, Rev. Dr. John Peile) qualified as a solicitor and joined the firm as an assistant. He became a partner in 1905 and the name was changed to Francis Francis Collin and Peile. In 1907 it was decided to shorten the name to Francis & Co.

Thomas Musgrave Francis died in 1931, Walter Hamond Francis died in 1940, John Collin retired in 1939 and died in 1944 (his son Hugh Collin became a partner in 1934) and Frank Peile died in 1927.

This firm of solicitors can trace its origins back to 1789 when Christopher Pemberton set up a legal practice on his own in Cambridge. On his death in 1850 the work of his practice passed to Clement Francis (who had his own legal practice in Cambridge). He worked as a sole practitioner until 1861 when he took into partnership Thomas Webster and Alfred Smith Riches and formed Francis Webster and Riches. This firm continued in business over the years changing its name to reflect the partners involved. Clement Francis died in 1880 and Musgrave needed assistance in running the business and so looked to his younger brother Walter Hamond Francis and Edmund Henry Parker. Walter Hamond was completing his articles which he did in 1882. He then work as an assistant solicitor in the firm for five years before being taken into partnership. Edmund Parker was a qualified solicitor but wanted to join Kings College as had his brother before him and needed employment to support him during his undergraduate studies. He matriculated in 1882 and entered Kings College in 1883. In June 1885 he was equal first in the first class list of law tripos. On 1st January 1887 Walter Hamond and Edmund Parker both 29 years old were admitted into partnership as Francis Francis and Parker.

One of the firm's major client's was Mortlock's Bank. A dispute broke out between the partners of the bank leading to Mr Mortlock looking for a new partner. He asked Mr Francis but he suggested Edmund Parker who left the firm in 1888 and joined the bank. Also in that year he married Ellen Francis (Musgrave and Walter Hamond’s sister). Mortlock's Bank continued to be major clients and the firm changed its name to Francis and Francis [Mortlock's Bank was one of the constituent banks that is now Barclays plc]