St John's College, Cambridge

St John's College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge founded by Lady Margaret Beaufort in 1511. It is geographically one of the largest colleges of the University of Cambridge, and the third largest in terms of its membership. It is the second richest of all the Oxbridge colleges, with fixed assets of £504,109,000 and an annual income from endowments estimated at £7,000,000. Eight Nobel Prizes have been awarded to members of St John's. The college is also known for its famous choir.

The college was founded on the site of the 13th century Hospital of St John in Cambridge at the suggestion of Saint John Fisher, Bishop of Rochester and chaplain to Lady Margaret. However, Lady Margaret died without having mentioned the foundation of St John's in her will, and it was largely the work of Fisher that ensured that the college was founded. He had to obtain the approval of King Henry VIII of England, the Pope through the intermediary Polydore Vergil, and the Bishop of Ely to suppress the religious hospital and convert it to a college. The college received its charter on April 9, 1511. Further complications arose in obtaining money from the estate of Lady Margaret to pay for the foundation and it was not until October 22, 1512 that a codicil was obtained in the court of the Archbishop of Canterbury. In November 1512 the Court of Chancery allowed Lady Margaret's executors to pay for the foundation of the college from her estates.

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