History of Little Trinity
The history of the site can be traced back to grants of land made to the nunnery of St Radegund in the 13th century and the first evidence of a building on the site dates to 1392 when a cottage was left by Roger Mason to his executors to be sold to discharge his debts. Further evidence of a house on the site comes from a reversionary lease granted in 1579 to John Harvey (burgess and draper). The lease was for 40 years indicating it was for a house rather than just land. Harvey assigned the remainder of his term four years later in 1583 to Thomas Hodiloe, a beer brewer and the tenant of the Brewhouse belonging to the College in Magdalene Street. There are then stated to be buildings on the site.
There were frequent changes of lessee during the Commonwealth which was typical of the period including to Thomas Docwra in 1657 (he was a Quaker and owned the site of the present meeting house of the Society of Friends in Jesus Lane).
In 1672 the Fox family acquired the house and held the lease until 1754 when Mrs Fox sold it to Charles Beridge LL.D who build the present house. It has been described by the Royal Commission in City of Cambridge. A Survey and Inventory by the Royal Commission on Historical Monuments who date it to c. 1725 based on its domestic architecture. However, Freda Jones (Archivist and wife of a former Fellow who did extensive research into the College’s property) dates it to c. 1755. Her evidence is the amount paid in fines in subsequent leases (see detailed notes for her explanation).
In 1782 the remainder of Dr Beridge’s lease was alienated to Lettice King (niece of Dr Caryl, Master 1758-1781) on her marriage to William Roberts.
The Roberts family held the lease until 1876 when the Reverend Robert Roberts died. It was leased to John Charles Pearce in 1877 and in 1899 to Mrs Mary Elizabeth Taylor (his daughter). In 1926 the lease was surrendered by Mrs Mary Ethel Emery.
In 1927 it was converted into a Lodging House with 5 sets of rooms for students (not exclusively Jesus College students, for example we have a letter from B. McLean Leach & Sons to the Bursar informing him that Lord Duncannon, a student at Trinity, had asked for his sitting room to be redecorated and asking for permission to clean and varnish the painting above the mantlepiece) and accommodation for a tenant or caretaker. There was no electric lighting in the house at this time.
In 1957 it was converted into a hostel for graduate students.
In 1974 central heating was put in and there was a refurbishment in 1990.
Timeline
1392 Roger Mason left a cottage on this site to his executors to be sold to discharge his debts
1478 It was a garden let to William Warde
1502 Leased to Richard Coole or Cole for 99 years at a rent of 8s per annum
???? Leased to Derek Cole (son of Richard)
???? Leased to Robert Twyn
???? Leased to John Wylkynson
1559 New lease John Baker (cook) for 21 years at a rent of 18s 0d
1579 Lease to John Harvey (burgess and draper). By this time a house must have been built for the lease was for 40 years. The
rent was raised to £1 at which it remained until 1805.
1583 Leased to Thomas Hodiloe (beer brewer, the tenant of the Brewhouse belonging to the College in Magdalene Street) but
occupied by John Wallys
1631 Leased to Rose and William Conaway
1633 Leased to Mary Hammond
1652 Mrs Hammond assigned her lease to William Pickering (gentleman)
1657 He assigned it to Thomas Docwra (Quaker and owner of the site of the Society of Friends House)
1662 New lease was granted to Christopher Anthill. It is endorsed “Mr Anthill’s Brick House” which is the only suggestion of a
rebuilding in this period.
1672 The Fox family acquired the house from Anthill’s widow
1754 Mrs Fox sold the lease to Charles Beridge LL.D. who built the present house
1782 Remainder of Dr Beridge’s lease was alienated to Lettice King (niece of Dr Caryl) on her marriage to William Roberts
1819 The Robertses were still living there
1834 Valuation says leased to Rev’d R. Roberts and occupied by Alderman Abbott
1864 Leased to Reverend Robert Roberts (died 1876)
1877 Leased to John Charles Pearce
1899 Leased to Mrs Mary Elizabeth Taylor
1926 Lease surrendered by Mrs Mary Ethel Emery
1927 Converted into a Lodging House with 5 sets of rooms for students and accommodation for a Tenant or caretaker. There
was no electric lighting in the house at this time
1957 Converted to a hostel for graduate students
Name ‘Little Trinity’
It has not been possible to find evidence of exactly why it is called Little Trinity.
It was first described as Little Trinity in a lease of 1877 made to John Charles Pearce.
Pearce’s daughter had married James Taylor in 1869 and they had come to live in Cambridge in 1874 where Taylor worked as a Tutor (having previously been an undergraduate of Trinity College).
They moved into Little Trinity somewhere between 1877, when the lease was taken, and 1881 when they are listed as occupants in the 1881 census which also refers to No. 16 as ‘Little Trinity’ (it doesn’t in the 1871 census). Taylor continued to work as a tutor for Trinity students up until his death in 1914. His funeral was held in the Chapel at Trinity College where the flag flew at half mast.
James Hebert TAYLOR
Approx. lifespan: 1840–1914
31 Jan 1840 Born in Bristol, eldest son of Rev. James Taylor
School Wakefield
1859 Matriculated Queen’s College, Oxford
1864 Admitted as an undergraduate at Trinity College
1866 Gained a scholarship and the Browne Medal for a Greek Ode
1868 1st Class in the Classical Tripos and the first Chancellor’s Medal with a Senior Optime’s place in the Mathematical
Tripos
1869-72 Assistant Master at Mill Hill School, London
1869 Married Mary Elizabeth Pearce (daughter of John Charles Pearce)
1872-74 Headmaster of Brewood School Brewood, Staffordshire
1874 Came to live in Cambridge and worked as a private tutor
1877 John Charles Pearce (his father in law) took a lease of 16 Jesus Lane and it was first called Little Trinity
1899 Lease assigned to Mrs Mary Elizabeth Taylor (his wife)
5 Apt 1914 He died at his residence Little Trinity (funeral in Trinity College Chapel and flag flew at half mast)
