The Registrary is the senior administrative officer of the
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a Public university, public collegiate university, collegiate research university in Cambridge, England. Founded in 1209, the University of Cambridge is the List of oldest universities in continuous operation, wo ...
. The term is unique to Cambridge,
and uses an archaic spelling. Most universities in the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
and in
North America
North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere, Northern and Western Hemisphere, Western hemispheres. North America is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South Ameri ...
have administrative offices entitled "
registrar" or "the registry", although typically with substantially less official responsibility than the Cambridge post.
At Cambridge, the Registrary is also Secretary to the University Council. As the head of the university's Unified Administrative Service, the Registrary is responsible for the central management and the non-academic services of the university. The Registrary has control of the University Chest (formerly a physical
chest
The thorax (: thoraces or thoraxes) or chest is a part of the anatomy of mammals and other tetrapod animals located between the neck and the abdomen.
In insects, crustaceans, and the extinct trilobites, the thorax is one of the three main di ...
in which the funds of the university were held secure, now a metaphor for the university's
bank account
A bank account is a financial account maintained by a bank or other financial institution in which the financial transaction
A financial transaction is an Contract, agreement, or communication, between a buyer and seller to exchange goods, ...
s). The actual chest is still kept in the Registrary's office. It is over 600 years old and is locked with 17 locks. The previous chest was burned in the Cambridge Peasants' Revolt of 1381. Until the 14th century, the university's books were also kept in the chest.
The office of the Registrary was established in 1506, to compile and maintain the records of the university. The office has been held by only 26 persons in continuous succession since that date. Many early registraries held, or had held, the office of
Esquire Bedell. The current Registrary is Emma Rampton, who took office in October 2017.
List of Registraries
* 1506 Robert Hobbs (Hobys)
* 1543 John Mere
* 1558 Matthew Stokys (Stokes)
* 1591 Thomas Smith
* 1600
James Tabor
* 1645 Matthew Whinn
* 1683
James Halman
* 1701 Robert Grove
* 1725 Lancelot Newton
* 1734
John Taylor
* 1751 Lynford Caryl
* 1758 Henry Hubbard
* 1778
George Borlase
* 1809 William Augustus Pemberton
* 1816 William Hustler
* 1832
Joseph Romilly
* 1862
Henry Richards Luard
* 1891
John Willis Clark
* 1910
John Neville Keynes
* 1925 Ernest Harrison
* 1943
Walter Wyatt Grave
* 1953
Robert Mantle Rattenbury
* 1969 Roderick Ewen Macpherson
* 1983
Stephen George Fleet
* 1997 Timothy John Mead
* 2007
Jonathan Nicholls
* 2017 Emma Rampton
Subordinate posts
The office of Assistant Registrary was established in 1885, and was until 1926 was a fixed term appointment of three years. A Second Assistant Registrary was added in 1920, and a Third Assistant in 1921. In April 1961 the posts were renamed as Deputy Registrary and Deputy Secretary General, Senior Assistant Registrary, and Assistant Registrary.
See also
*
Registrar of the University of Oxford
References
External links
*
{{University of Cambridge
1506 establishments in England
Registraries of the University of Cambridge