Cambridge Myths
Created | Updated Apr 7, 2002
In a place as old as Cambridge, with colleges dating back to the thirteenth century (some of which still have their original fellows), there are bound to be a few historical quirks. Where there are quirks there are stories, like the one about the Mathematical Bridge. The Queen's College bridge was reputedly built by Isaac Newton from interlocking pieces of wood and is not in fact a tacky little footbridge held together by rusting iron bolts.
Most of these stories refer to previous students or University regulations, which can be found in a book that nobody has ever seen called the "University Statutes and Ordnances". Some of the folklore is true, for example only students of Kings College are allowed to shoot and eat Cambridge Swans, or that the land at the back of Kings was a gift from Trinity College on the condition that it was used for keeping animals, hence Kings keeps a small herd of cows on it for part of the year.
On the other hand, there are some stories that need at least a small pinch of salt. For example, it is said that a wiley student once found a statute saying that his College had to provide him with nine pints of ale during one of his exams. He presented this to the College, who duly obliged with nine pints on exam day. Sadly, we don't know what the drink did for his answers, but we do know that the College took its duties seriously enough to read the whole statute and had no choice but to fail the student for being improperly attired - he didn't wear a sword to his exam.
Most of these stories refer to previous students or University regulations, which can be found in a book that nobody has ever seen called the "University Statutes and Ordnances". Some of the folklore is true, for example only students of Kings College are allowed to shoot and eat Cambridge Swans, or that the land at the back of Kings was a gift from Trinity College on the condition that it was used for keeping animals, hence Kings keeps a small herd of cows on it for part of the year.
On the other hand, there are some stories that need at least a small pinch of salt. For example, it is said that a wiley student once found a statute saying that his College had to provide him with nine pints of ale during one of his exams. He presented this to the College, who duly obliged with nine pints on exam day. Sadly, we don't know what the drink did for his answers, but we do know that the College took its duties seriously enough to read the whole statute and had no choice but to fail the student for being improperly attired - he didn't wear a sword to his exam.
