Cambridge Colleges Clare College

History of Clare College

Clare College was originally founded in 1326 by the Chancellor of Cambridge as University Hall. However, it very quickly had financial problems and within a decade only had the funds for 10 scholars. Lady Elizabeth de Clare generously gave the college a large amount of money. By 1339 it was known as Clare Hall (later changed to Clare College).

Lady Elizabeth de Clare has a fascinating history. She was a granddaughter of Edward I and a wealthy heiress in her own right. However, by the time she was 26, she had been married and widowed three times, each time to a very wealthy husband. As an unmarried medieval women there was very little she could do with her vast wealth other than donate to religious or educational foundations. Thus, she chose to rescue the College.

Much of the early history of Clare College is unknown as a fire in 1521 destroyed much of the evidence as well as some of its medieval buildings. New buildings were built around the ‘Old Court’ in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. These buildings have become one of the most famous sites in England as they sit on the left of the infamous view of King’s College Chapel.