North wall
Elizabeth (c.1437–1492)
Queen of King Edward IV.
Born as Elizabeth Woodville, c.1437. The spelling “Woodville” is modern and was not used in her lifetime. Commonly seen contemporary spellings were Wydeville, Widvile, and other such variants. First married to John Grey of Groby, a Lancastrian supporter killed in battle 1461, with whom she had two sons, Thomas and Richard.
Secondly married in secret to King Edward IV in 1464, and crowned Queen in May 1465.
Considered to be the second foundress queen of this college with effect from March 1465, when the king issued letters patent to the college “which exists by the patronage of Elizabeth, Queen of England, our beloved consort”.
Elizabeth and Edward had ten children: two sons (who later became the “Princes in the Tower” and disappeared), and eight daughters, the eldest of which, Elizabeth, married King Henry VII and founded the Tudor dynasty. Thus every subsequent English monarch has been descended from Elizabeth Woodville.
This portrait, on panel, is probably a 16th century copy of an earlier version.
East wall
Erasmus of Rotterdam (c.1466–1536).
Peripatetic humanist scholar.
Visited Queens’ for a short period in 1506 (while John Fisher was President), and for a longer period 1511–14, when he was said to have had a study in Queens’ (thought to be on the upper floor of what is now known as staircase ‘I’ in Pump Court). During his longer stay, he taught Greek in the university, and worked on some of his major publications, including his new translation of the New Testament.
This portrait was purchased in 1924, and is probably a modern re-imagining of a characteristic Erasmus pose.
Benjamin Langwith (1684–1743)
Admitted as a sizar, and matriculated, 1701. B.A. 1704/5. M.A. 1708. Fellow 1706–?. Ordained priest 1712. B.D. 1716. D.D. 1717.
Rector of Petworth, Sussex, 1718–.
Salsy Prebend at Chichester Cathedral 1725–.
Noted as an antiquary, numismatist and natural philosopher (scientist). He published four times in Philosophical Transactions.
Died 1743, buried at Petworth.
John Aylmer (1521–1594).
Otherwise spelled Ælmer, Ailmer, Elmer.
“Probably of Queens’” (Venn, no evidence).
B.A. 1540/1; M.A. 1545; B.D. ?before 1560; D.D. 1572.
Rector of Rodney Stoke, and Stoke Gifford 1541; Vicar of Wellington 1543; Prebendary of Wells 1543; Rector of Market Bosworth 1553; Archdeacon of Stow 1553.
Married in March 1554, and deprived of all preferments; this wife died by 1561.
Retired to the continent under Queen Mary 1554, returned in 1558.
Ordained deacon 1560; priest 1560. By 1561 had married again.
Rector of Cossington 1561–77; Archdeacon of Lincoln 1562–77.
Bishop of London (1577–1594).
Notorious for his harsh treatment of all who differed from him on ecclesiastical questions, whether Puritan or Roman Catholic.
Unknown man.
Falsely labelled as John Fisher (1469–1535), Bishop of Rochester, President of Queens’ College 1505–08.
This is a copy, made between 1740 and 1790, of a similar portrait at St John’s College, at a time when that college thought their portrait was of John Fisher. But (a) the man is not in clerical attire (and ostentatiously holds a money purse); (b) the St John’s portrait has the inscription ÆTATIS SVÆ 74, an age that Fisher never reached, since he was executed at age 65; and (c) this man does not resemble other known portraits of John Fisher. The portrait at St John’s College is no longer considered to be of John Fisher.
South wall
Thomas Penny White (1778–1845).
Admitted as a sizar 1797; matriculated 1798; B.A., Senior Wrangler, 1st Smith’s Prize 1802; Fellow 1802–12?; M.A. 1805.
Ordained deacon 1804; ordained priest 1805.
Curate of Soberton Chapel, Meonstoke 1813–25.
Curate of Droxford 1826–?.
Minister of St John-the-Baptist’s Chapel, Winchester 1838–.
Endowed the Penny White annual prize.
Unknown man.
17th century.
Richard Hopkins (c.1728–1799).
By Joshua Reynolds (1723–1792): recorded in Reynolds’s Sitter Book in 1765, paid for in September 1766. This portrait was gifted to the college by the sitter.
Mistakenly labelled as “Mr Fitzwilliam” (possibly the name of the carrier who brought the painting from London to Cambridge).
The present pale flesh tones are characteristic of the fading over time of the pigment used by Reynolds.
Hopkins was admitted as a Fellow-Commoner in 1745/6, matriculated 1746. Did not graduate.
Member of Parliament for Dartmouth 1766–80, 1784–90; Thetford 1780–84; Queenborough 1790–96; Harwich 1796–99.
Lord of the Admiralty 1782–3, 1784–91.
Lord of the Treasury 1791–97.
History of Parliament Online entry.
John Lewis Petit (1736–1780).
Admitted as pensioner 1752; matriculated 1752; B.A. 1756; M.A. 1759; M.D. 1766.
Fellow of the Royal Society 1759.
Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians 1767.
Censor 1768, 1774, and 1777.
Gulstonian Lecturer 1768.
Physician to St George’s Hospital 1770–74.
Physician to St Bartholomew’s Hospital 1774–80.
Munk’s Roll entry.
Thomas Pellet (c.1671–1744)
Alternatively spelled “Pellett”.
Admitted as pensioner and matriculated 1689; M.B. 1694; M.D. 1705.
Fellow of the Royal Society 1712.
Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians 1716.
Harveian orator 1719.
President of Royal College of Physicians 1735–39.
This portrait appears to be a copy of part of a portrait of Pellet by Michael Dahl 1737 at the R.C.P.
Biography: Proc. roy. Soc. Med. Volume 63, Issue 2, Feb. 1970, pp. 147–152.
Munk’s Roll entry.
West wall
Herbert Edward Ryle (1856–1925)
By Hugh Goldwin Rivière (1869–1956), 1922.
Admitted scholar at King’s and matriculated 1875; Carus prize 1875 & 1879; Jeremie prize 1877; Winchester Reading prize 1878; B.A. 1879; Crosse Scholar 1880; Evans prize 1881; Hebrew prize 1881; Scholefield prize 1881; M.A. 1882; B.D. 1892; D.D. 1895.
Fellow of King’s 1881–8; Professorial Fellow 1888–1901.
Ordained deacon 1882; priest 1883.
Principal of St David’s College, Lampeter 1886–8. Hulsean Professor 1887–1901.
Hon. Canon of Ripon 1895–1901.
President of Queens’ 1896–1901.
Warburton Lecturer at Lincoln’s Inn 1898–1901.
Hon. Chaplain to Queen Victoria 1896–8. Chaplain in Ordinary 1898–1901.
Bishop of Exeter 1901–3; of Winchester 1903–11. Dean of Westminster 1911–25.
Hon. Fellow of King’s 1901. Hon. Fellow of Queens’ 1901. C.V.O. 1911; K.C.V.O. 1921.
Hon. D.D., Oxford, 1908; Hon. D.D., Glasgow, 1914. Fellow of the British Academy 1917.
Composer of the inscription on the tomb of the Unknown Warrior.
Wikipedia entry.
Frederic Henry Chase (1853–1925)
By Hugh Goldwin Rivière (1869–1956), 1921.
Admitted pensioner at Christ’s 1871; Matriculated 1872; Scholar 1872; Powys Medal 1875; B.A. 1876; M.A. 1880; Prizeman 1884. B.D. 1891; D.D. 1895.
Ordained deacon 1876; priest 1877.
Curate of Sherborne 1876–9. Curate of St Michael’s, Cambridge 1879–84.
Lecturer in Divinity at Pembroke 1881–90.
Christ’s College Chaplain 1882.
Tutor of the Clergy Training School [now Westcott House], Cambridge 1884–7; Principal 1887–1901.
Lecturer in Theology 1893–1901.
Fellow of King’s College, London 1896.
Hulsean Lecturer 1900.
Norrisian Professor of Divinity 1901–5; Lady Margaret’s Preacher 1905–12.
President of Queens’ 1901-6. Vice-Chancellor 1902–4.
Bishop of Ely 1905–24.
Wikipedia entry.