Robert Willis's monumental architectural history of the University of Cambridge, first published in 1886 in a revised and extended edition by his nephew J. W. Clark, was hailed as 'one of the most important contributors to the social and intellectual history of England which has ever been made by a Cambridge man'. The three illustrated text volumes are now reprinted for the first time, in their entirety, with new introductory material in Volume 1 by David Watkin. Although 'Willis and Clark' has always been reorganised by architectural historians as one of the greatest studies of the buildings of a single historic city, its wider importance and status have been recognised only more recently by those interested generally in the conservation of buildings and in the historic development of architectural style and taste. Its unique collection of over three hundred plans, antique and specially commissioned engravings is alone sufficient to make this the one indispensable work of reference on Cambridge architecture before the onset of the modern age.
Vols. for 1871-76, 1913-14 include an extra number, The Christmas bookseller, separately paged and not included in the consecutive numbering of the regular series.
Before the modern growth of centralised government, the most important unit of administration was the county. Counties were run by Justices of the Peace sitting together at Quarter Sessions where, as well as trying criminal cases, they dealt with all county business. In the years between 1650 and 1830 a increasing proportion of their time and resources was taken up in erecting public buildings. Building by counties, taken together, represents a substantial and previously little noticed programme of public works. Unlike most other building works in this period, where the details of planning, building, execution and cost are lost, county building is well documented, allowing us to follow clearly the stages of erection. The county building programme reflected changes in society and in the economy, apart from being itself an indication of the growing wealth of the period. A sizeable part of county budgets was spent on bridges. A series of increasingly elaborate bridewells and gaols reflected concerns over employment and crime, also reflected in the erection of judges' lodgings and court houses; the latter being often incorporated in shire halls. Rising humanitarian alarm about mental illness led to the building of pauper lunatic asylums after 1800. English Counties and Public Building, 1650-1830 is an original and important contribution to both administrative and architectural history. Before the modern growth of centralised government, the most important unit of administration was the county. Counties were run by Justices of the Peace sitting together at Quarter Sessions where, as well as trying criminal cases, they dealt with all county business. In the years between 1650 and 1830 a increasing proportion of their time and resources was taken up in erecting public buildings. Building by counties, taken together, represents a substantial and previously little noticed programme of public works. Unlike most other building works in this period, where the details of planning, building, execution and cost are lost, county building is well documented, allowing us to follow clearly the stages of erection. The county building programme reflected changes in society and in the economy, apart from being itself an indication of the growing wealth of the period. A sizeable part of county budgets was spent on bridges. A series of increasingly elaborate bridewells and gaols reflected concerns over employment and crime, also reflected in the erection of judges' lodgings and court houses; the latter being often incorporated in shire halls. Rising humanitarian alarm about mental illness led to the building of pauper lunatic asylums after 1800. English Counties and Public Building, 1650-1830 is an original and important contribution to both administrative and architectural history.
First Published in 1999. This work presents a composite view of medieval English university life. The author offers detailed insights into the social and economic conditions of the lives of students, their teaching masters and fellows. The experiences of college benefactors, women and university servants are also examined, demonstrating the vibrancy they brought to university life. The second half of the book is concerned with the complex methods of teaching and learning, the regime of studies taught, the relationship between the universities in Oxford and Cambridge, as well as the relationship between "town" and "gown".
It may seem like a recent trend, but businesses have been practising compassionate capitalism for nearly a thousand years. Based on the newly discovered historical documents on Cambridge’s sophisticated urban property market during the Commercial Revolution in the thirteenth century, this book explores how successful entrepreneurs employed the wealth they had accumulated to the benefit of the community. Cutting across disciplines, from economic and business history to entrepreneurship, philanthropy and medieval studies, this outstanding volume presents an invaluable contribution to our knowledge of the early phases of capitalism. A companion book, The Cambridge Hundred Rolls Sources Volume, replacing the previous incomplete and inaccurate transcription by the Record Commission of 1818, is also available from Bristol University Press.
This issue of History of Universities, Volume XXXIII / 1, contains the customary mix of learned articles and book reviews which makes this publication such an indispensable tool for the historian of higher education.
