COLL BA

COLL BA

Building accounts

Series

The detailed work of Willis and Clarke and of Knoop and Jones on the building of the College was made possible by the survival of many of the account books kept by the various Clerks of the Works: William Lynde, John Vady, Richard Burton, Roger Keys and John Medehill. Keys appears to have had the title of Master of the Works. In addition to enabling the progress of the building to be followed through purchase of materials many of these books also record the payments to the workmen, often on a daily or fortnightly basis, so that we know not only the names but also the absence records of those who built the College. On the whole these volumes have the appearance of final accounts or at least of a late stage in the accounting process. The work on the west range of the Cloisters undertaken by Provost Lupton has left what are clearly rough notes from which final accounts were made up as well as the accounts themselves (BA/20-22). Again, we have the names of the workmen engaged on this job. BA/1-2 all bear 20th century pencil numbers or letters apparently given to them by Provost Marten. Knoop & Jones, who were only interested in the original building, not the later work, list eleven volumes they consulted and these have Roman numerals, while those they did not see have letters. These numbers or letters have been recorded but other modern annotations such as dates have not been listed.

1441 - 1954

60 items

These records include Clerk of the Works Journals for the original building of the College, giving workmen's names and wages. 0 means present, + means absent.

ECR 38/288-309 should also be consulted.

Typed list available

For detailed discussion of these accounts the student should consult Willis & Clark and Knoop & Jones, bearing in mind that the latter were apparently unaware of the existence of several of the early accounts.