Bursar

Identity area

Type of entity

Person

Authorized form of name

Bursar

Parallel form(s) of name

  • Senior Bursar

Standardized form(s) of name according to other rules

    Other form(s) of name

      Identifiers for corporate bodies

      Description area

      Dates of existence

      1348 to 2023

      History

      Since the foundation of Gonville Hall, it has always been the responsibility of the bursar to keep accounts and manage the College estates (and latterly, investments). It was to the bursar that the Steward, Registrary and Tutors accounted for the money that passed through their hands.

      Under the statutes of Gonville and of Bateman, the Master was the sole Bursar; while under the statutes of Dr Caius, he was meant to act together with another Fellow. The office rotated among the fellows, until the mid-nineteenth century when reform of College accounting, and the growing complexity of the College's financial and business interests led to the post being filled by someone with specialist knowledge, who could devote the majority of their time to the task. An increasing number of support staff were also required to deal with the day-to-day work of accounting, and dealing with the bills, stipends and salaries of Fellows, students and staff.

      (A list of the holders of the office of Bursar was compiled by Catherine Hall, and published in The Caian, 1990. Additional information on individual estate histories was compiled by E. Gross in the 'Estates Chronicle' published as part of Biographical History, Volumes IV (Cambridge, 1912)

      Places

      Senior administrative Officer of the College. Member of the College Council.

      Legal status

      Functions, occupations and activities

      Bursar is in charge of the financial decision making of the College, reporting to the College Council and General Meeting of the Fellows.

      Mandates/sources of authority

      According to College Statutes

      Internal structures/genealogy

      General context

      Relationships area

      Access points area

      Subject access points

      Place access points

      Occupations

      Control area

      Authority record identifier

      GB 2198 000407

      Institution identifier

      GB 2198

      Rules and/or conventions used

      Status

      Level of detail

      Dates of creation, revision and deletion

      Language(s)

        Script(s)

          Sources

          Maintenance notes