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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 04 January 2010
page 466 note a University College…The Rev. G. G. Bradley, M.A., Master, and C. J. Faulkner, M.A., Tutor and Bursar.
page 467 note a The whole system of Matriculation, never very regular, fell into great disorder in consequence of the troubles of the Civil War and the subsequent Visitation. Men were very often not matriculated till years after they had become Scholars or Fellows of Colleges, and often not at all. The University Book marked “P. P.,” containing the Matriculations from 1615 to 1647, was abstracted, like the Bedells' staves, which gave so much trouble, by the Bedell at Law, and lost sight of for many years; and in the interval between 1647 and 1649, the office of Vice Chancellor being practically suspended, there seems to have been no record of Matriculations at all, if indeed there were any. Thus when the Bedell appointed by the Visitors began to register Matriculations in 1649, having had no experience, nor any former book to serve as a model, he made the serious mistake of omitting to enter the age and place of birth against the names of those who were matriculated during the period of the Commonwealth. The Book which he used was lost in its turn at the Restoration, and only recovered, through the persevering sagacity of Anthony Wood, in 1686.
Thus we have in these books, though irregularly, one constant element in the history of members of the University, the “condition” of their parents; and, for the period of the Commonwealth, that alone; and we owe this information to the circumstance that the University required fees, and that these were graduated according to the rank of the parent. The exceeding value of the information accumulated in the course of centuries in the Oxford Matriculation Books, and which was not to be found at Cambridge, attracted some years ago the attention of Colonel Chester; and it may surely be hoped that the pains he has bestowed upon them will not be lost to the public.
The column headed “Town or County” usually gives the Place of Birth, but, where the information has been obtained from the Subscription Book, represents the place to which the person belonged at the time. Where the Diocese only is entered it is from some information obtained at a College, and not from the University Books. The year of Matriculation is always entered as commencing from Jan. 1.
It may be interesting to state in this place the amount of the Matriculation fees paid in the period of the Commonwealth. It was as follows:—
The terms “Sacerdos,” “Clericus,” and “Minister” are all used for clergymen in the seventeenth century, bnt it has been thought best to adopt the general term “Cler.” in the following Tables.
The scale of Matriculation Fees was simplified atva later date, Peers and their eldest Sons paying £8; the other sons of Peers, Baronets, and their eldest son, as well as Knights, paying £5; and all others, except Servitors and Bible Clerks, who paid 10s., a uniform fee of £2 8s. The present scale is £2 10s. for all, except the Servitor and Bible Clerk, who still pay 10s., and the “Privileged Person” (almost obsolete), who pays £1.
page 468 note b As this is all which the Index of the Register professed to do, and that only for certain Colleges and at a particular date, it has not been thought worth while to print that part of the Index, or indeed any other part, in this edition.
page 469 note a See pp. 203, 24a, 250, 365.
page 470 note a It may also be remarked that the incompleteness of the list of Appointments in pp. 169–178 was not fully understood when this suggestion was made. See Note (c), p. 477.