Identity area
Reference code
GC/GOV
Unique identifier
Title
Date(s)
- 1559-2004 (Creation)
Level of description
Extent and medium
8 metres paper
Context area
Name of creator
Administrative history
The College consists of the corporate body of the Master and Fellows. The College is governed according to a set of statutes, whether imposed by a founder, such as William Bateman or John Caius as was the case until the nineteenth century, or by Statutory Commissioners, as has been the case thereafter. Since the sixteenth century, executive decision-making has been undertaken by the Senior Fellows, and since the nineteenth century by the College Council, consisting of the Master and twelve Fellows. Since the early twentieth century, the majority of the Fellowship have also met corporately once a term in the General Meeting.
The records of the Council and of the General Meeting are produced by the Registrary and authenticated by the Master or 'custos'. Dr Caius in his sixteenth century statutes established the office of Registrary, a College officer drawn from among the fellowship, whose duties were to keep the records of college meetings, to write the admission register (a function since passed on to the Senior Tutor and Tutorial Office) and generally to act as the secretary of the College in important matters.
(A list of the holders of the office of Registrary was compiled by Catherine Hall, and published in The Caian, 1990).
Archival history
Immediate source of acquisition or transfer
Content and structure area
Scope and content
The records consist of:
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copies of the College's published statutes, Privy Council orders for their amendment, and minutes and papers relating to challenges to and reform of their provisions.
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the pandectae which recorded corporate transactions which required the College seal
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the gesta, the proceedings of the College Council together with supporting papers
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the minutes and supporting papers of the General Meeting of the Fellows.
Appraisal, destruction and scheduling
Accruals
System of arrangement
Conditions of access and use area
Conditions governing access
The published statutes and their supporting papers and the Pandectae are on open access with no restrictions.
For external research access (which will be considered to include former Fellows and Caians)
Statutes: open access
Gesta: closed for 30 years
Registrary's Supplement: closed for 99 years
Expurgated Supplement: closed for 30 years
Council papers: closed for 99 years
Registrary's book: closed for 99 years
General Meeting minutes and papers: closed for thirty years
Compendium: closed for thirty years
For current members of Council:
Access to all records of the Council and the General Meeting, except the Registrary's book.
For former members of Council:
Access to the gesta and the records of the General Meeting, and to those council papers which were submitted during their period on the Council.
For Fellows who are not members of Council:
Access to the gesta and the records of the General Meeting, and to any Council papers that they themselves may have generated.
For student representatives toCouncil:
Access to the unreserved gesta.
Conditions governing reproduction
Language of material
Script of material
Language and script notes
Physical characteristics and technical requirements
Finding aids
Allied materials area
Existence and location of originals
Existence and location of copies
Related units of description
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See foundation deeds, and Gonville and Bateman's manuscript statutes in the Bursary records (BUR)
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See the Magisterial records (MAS) for additional records of governance, including additional copies of the gesta
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See the papers of E.S. Roberts (PPC/ESR).