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Born in 1430 to Owen Tudor and the dowager queen Catherine of Valois at Much Hadham Palace in Hertfordshire, Edmund Tudor was the half-brother of Henry VI of England and father to Henry VII. After the death of his mother in 1437, Edmund and his brother Jasper were raised in the care of Katherine de la Pole, the eldest daughter of the 2nd Earl of Suffolk, Michael de la Pole. He became a prominent member of the royal court of Henry VI and was ennobled as Earl of Richmond in 1449.

In 1453, Edmund was given the wardship of the then nine-year old Margaret Beaufort, Countess of Richmond and Derby. The two were married two years later at Bletsoe Castle on 1st November 1455 and the marriage was subsequently consummated. However, Edmund died before the birth of their son, Henry.

As half-brother to the King, Edmund was inevitably implicated in the bloody power struggles of the Wars of the Roses. In late 1455, he was sent to Wales to enforce the authority of the King and remained there until August 1456 in order to suppress a rebellion led by Gruffydd ap Nicholas. During this time, however, Henry VI was incarcerated by Richard, Duke of York, who resumed the office of Protector and sent troops under William Herbert in August 1456 to seize South Wales. On reaching Carmarthen Castle, Herbert’s forces captured Edmund and imprisoned him in the Castle. He died in captivity in November 1456.

Architect, English courtier, and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster under Henry VII, from 1486-1503. Bray was born c. 1440 in the parish of St. John Bedwardine, near Worcester, and was educated at the Royal Grammar School Worcester. From 1467 onwards, he assumed an important role in Lady Margaret Beaufort’s household as receiver-general, primarily to Lady Margaret Beaufort and Sir Henry Stafford until 1471, and then subsequently to Lady Margaret and Thomas Stanley. He remained in the service of Lady Margaret until c.1499 and held principal responsibility for managing lands granted to her in 1487.

Other notable appointments include Knight of the Bath, and subsequently, Knight of the Garter; and Steward of the University of Oxford (1496).

In his work as an architect, Bray designed both St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle and Henry VII’s Chapel at Westminster. Together with John Alcock, he also played a key part in the construction of Jesus College, Cambridge, founded in 1496.

Bray married Katherine Hussey (d.1506) around 1475 and died without issue. He was buried at Windsor in St. George’s Chapel.

Chief Justice of the King’s Bench, 1545-1552.

Born to Richard and Agnes Metcalfe of Askrigg, North Yorkshire, Nicholas Metcalfe studied at Cambridge (possibly at Michaelhouse) and graduated BA in 1495, MA in 1498, BTh in 1504, and DTh in 1507. He was released from lecturing duties in 1507 in order to conduct business on behalf of John Fisher, then Chancellor of England.

In 1512, Metcalfe became archdeacon of Rochester, one of many ecclesiastical positions he was to hold throughout his life. Other notable appointments include Rector of Henley, Oxfordshire (1510-1521); Rector of Woodham Ferrers, Essex (1517-1539); vicar of Southfleet, Kent (1531-1537); and canon and prebendary of Lincoln (1526-1539).

Metcalfe served as Master of St. John’s College, Cambridge from 1518 to 1537, following the resignation of his predecessor, Alan Percy. Working alongside John Fisher, Metcalfe greatly enhanced the College’s foundation during the course of his mastership, securing, for instance, properties such as Broomhall Priory in Berkshire and Higham Priory in Kent and acquiring a number of benefactions to support the fellows and scholars of the College. He was executor to Lady Margaret Beaufort.

Like Fisher, Metcalfe opposed the divorce of Henry VIII from his first wife, Catherine of Aragon, in 1533. However, his religious views and proximity to Fisher meant that, following Fisher’s execution in 1535, Metcalfe was subject to suspicion and was eventually summoned to London, where he testified to Thomas Cromwell. In 1537, he was compelled to resign his mastership. He died two years later in 1539 and was buried at Woodham Ferrers.

Born in Ufford, Northamptonshire around 1475, George Quarles served as Royal Auditor to both King Henry VII and King Henry VIII of England.

Thomas Thomson was Master of Christ’s College, Cambridge, 1510-1517, and Vice-Chancellor, 1510-1512. Other notable appointments include Vicar of Gateley, Norfolk, 1520- 1530, and Vicar of Enfield, Middlesex, from 1505 to his death c.1540. An early benefactor to St. John’s College, Thomson helped to support the income of two fellowships and contributed, through a donation of rents in Cambridge, to the construction of a chantry on the south side of the College Chapel in 1524.

Pietro Torrigiano was a fifteenth-century Florentine sculptor who played an important role in introducing Renaissance art to England. In the account of his life given by Giorgio Vasari, Torrigiano was born in Florence in 1472 and studied art in Florence as a young man under the patronage of Lorenzo de’ Medici. He came to England c.1509 and in 1511, was commissioned to create the monument for the tomb of Lady Margaret Beaufort. He went on to receive appointments for a number of other royal works, including a commission to create a terracotta bust of King Henry VII and the monument and effigies of Henry VII and Queen Elizabeth of York. The monument and effigies may still be seen in the Henry VII Lady Chapel at Westminster Abbey and were completed c.1517. Torrigiano spent the later years of his life in Spain, especially at Seville. He died in 1528.

Florentine merchant and guarantor for royal works completed by Pietro Torrigiano.

Leonardo Frescobaldi was a Florentine merchant and member of the Frescobaldi family, a prominent noble family of bankers and merchants active in Florence from the thirteenth century onwards. He was the son of Girolamo di Leonardo Frescobaldi (d.1518) and was based in London during the early sixteenth century. Together with Giovanni Cavalcanti, Frescobaldi served as a guarantor for Pietro Torrigiano in 1511 for his work on the tomb of Lady Margaret Beaufort.

Cofferer to Lady Margaret Beaufort, also named as treasurer of the chamber from 1506.

Hugh M. Stewart matriculated in 1947. He was the cox of the Lady Margaret crew at Henley Regatta when they beat the Thames Rowing Club in the Thames Club Cup and set a course record. The same year Lady Margaret broke the course record for all events at Henley during a Ladies' plate race. Races features include Fairburn Cup, Henley Royal Regatta and Marlow Regatta, as well as some mixed crew races.

Joseph Timmis Ward was born in Banbury in 1853, and subsequently educated at King’s School, Rochester. He was matriculated at St John’s in 1872, and took his degree in 1876 as Senior Wrangler. Following this, he was first Smith’s prizeman, and was elected to a Fellowship that lasted until his death.
Ward was ordained as a deacon in 1877, and then as a priest at Ely in 1879. After returning to Cambridge, he became mathematical lecturer at St John’s, where he also served as a tutor for twelve years started in 1883. From 1896 to 1903, he was also Senior Dean.
Ward was an original founder of Westcott House, Cambridge. He was a supporter of the Cambridge Mission to Delhi, and served as Secretary of the Committee for the St John’s College Mission at Walworth c.1906-1910. He died in Cambridge on the 23rd June 1935.

Obituary in the Eagle: Vol. 49, Mich 1935, p. 122

Student and subsequent fellow of Emmanuel College, Cambridge. Ordained in 1744 and appointed preacher at Lincoln's Inn in 1765, archdeacon of Gloucester in 1767. Hurd became bishop of Lichfield and Coventry in 1774, and was selected in 1776 to be tutor to the Prince of Wales and the Duke of York. From 1781 until his death in 1808, he served as Bishop of Worcester, residing chiefly at Hartlebury Castle.

Adm. sizar to St. John's College in 1679. B.A. 1682-1683; M.A. 1686. Fellow 1685-1692. Headmaster of Shrewsbury School, 1687-1722. Prebend of Hereford, 1708-1733.

Adm. sizar to St. John's College in 1706; B.A. 1709-1710, M.A. 1713. Vicar of St. Mary's, Shrewsbury, 1715-1743. Brother of Richard Lloyd, headmaster of Shrewsbury School.

English judge and Member of Parliament for Maldon. Graduated from Queens' College, Cambridge. Member of Lincoln's Inn (called to the bar, 1690). Elected serjeant-at-law (1705) and subsequently appointed a Baron of the Exchequer, a Justice of Common Pleas (1736) and Chief Baron of the Exchequer (1738).

SJC Matric. 1712; B.A. 1715/6; M.A. 1719; Fellow 1717-1725. Nominated by St. John's to be Headmaster of Shrewsbury School in 1723, but not appointed. Rector of Buxted, Sussex, 1724-1768. Chancellor of Chichester Diocese, 1770.

SJC Matric. 1697; B.A. 1700-1; M.A. 1710. Third Master at Shrewsbury School, 1702-1715; and Master 1715-1728.

Acting solicitor / legal adviser to St. John's College.