Peterhouse, Cambridge

Peterhouse is the oldest college in the University of Cambridge. It was founded in 1284 by Hugo de Balsham, Bishop of Ely. Peterhouse has 270 undergraduates, 125 graduate students and 45 fellows, making it the smallest College in Cambridge.

Oddities, traditions and legends

Thomas Gray was a Fellow of Peterhouse until he took offense at a practical joke. Terrified of fire, he installed a metal bar by his window on the top floor of the Burrough's building, so that he could tie his sheets to it and climb to safety in the event of a fire. One night undergraduates decided to play a prank and shouted "fire". Gray climbed down from his window, landing in a barrel of water placed beneath. He is said to have moved across the road to become a Fellow of Pembroke College as a result.

Related Topics:
Thomas Gray - Pembroke College

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A popular College rumour that the deer in the Deer Park were eaten as a result of rationing during the Second World War is apocryphal.

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In 1997, Peterhouse's May Ball was featured in Pseud's Corner in Private Eye due to the superior nature of tailoring facilities offered by the Ball.

Related Topics:
1997 - May Ball - Private Eye

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In 1998 Peterhouse was the subject of media interest in the UK after several members of kitchen staff claimed to have seen a ghost in the College's Combination Room. The ghost was said to be that of a former Bursar, who had hanged himself with a bell rope and who is now buried in the churchyard of Little St Mary's, immediately to the north of the College. After the ghost was publicised in a series of newspaper articles, the College was rumoured to have conducted an exorcism.

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Peterhouse is home to many oddly-named dining societies, such as the Strafford Club and the Cocoa Tree Club.

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Peterhouse JCR's official title is the Sexcentenary Club. This is often abbreviated to the Sex Club.

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