Robert Masters
Robert Masters (1713–1798) was an English clergyman and academic, known as the historian of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge.
Masters was born in Hethersett in 1713 and was admitted to Corpus Christi College in 1731; graduated B.A. in 1734, M.A. in 1738, B.D. in 1746; and was fellow and tutor of the college from 1738 to 1750.
On 14th May 1752, he was elected a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries and continued to reside in college until he was presented by that society to the rectory of Landbeach in Cambridgeshire in 1756. He later went on to serve at Linton and Waterbeach. In 1784 he resigned the benefice of Waterbeach in favour of his son William.
He lived at the parsonage in Landbeach until his death on 5th July, 1798. He was buried in Landbeach where a monument was erected to his memory
His major work was: "The History of the College of Corpus Christi and the Blessed Virgin Mary (commonly called Bene't) in the University of Cambridge, from its foundation to the present time." It was published in two parts with the first part appearing in 1753 and the second part in 1755. The second part contained descriptions of the lives of members of the college and an appendix of documents. An expanded edition by Dr John Lamb appeared at Cambridge in 1831.
Masters' other works are:
About 1757, Masters married a granddaughter of one of his predecessors at Landbeach, and daughter of John Cory, rector of Impington and Waterbeach. She died on 29 August 1764, leaving a son William, who died rector of Waterbeach in 1794, and two daughters: Anne, married to the Rev. Andrew Sprole; and Mary, wife of the Rev. T. C. Burroughes.
Masters was born in Hethersett in 1713 and was admitted to Corpus Christi College in 1731; graduated B.A. in 1734, M.A. in 1738, B.D. in 1746; and was fellow and tutor of the college from 1738 to 1750.
On 14th May 1752, he was elected a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries and continued to reside in college until he was presented by that society to the rectory of Landbeach in Cambridgeshire in 1756. He later went on to serve at Linton and Waterbeach. In 1784 he resigned the benefice of Waterbeach in favour of his son William.
He lived at the parsonage in Landbeach until his death on 5th July, 1798. He was buried in Landbeach where a monument was erected to his memory
His major work was: "The History of the College of Corpus Christi and the Blessed Virgin Mary (commonly called Bene't) in the University of Cambridge, from its foundation to the present time." It was published in two parts with the first part appearing in 1753 and the second part in 1755. The second part contained descriptions of the lives of members of the college and an appendix of documents. An expanded edition by Dr John Lamb appeared at Cambridge in 1831.
Masters' other works are:
- A List of the Names, Counties, Times of Admission, Degrees, &c., of all that are known to have been Members of Corpus Christi College in Cambridge (1749), and subsequently appended to the history of the college.
- "Some Remarks on Mr. Walpole's Historic Doubts on the Life and Reign of King Richard III", in Archaeologia, vol. 2 (1771), p. 198; also printed separately (London, 1772).
- Memoirs of the Life and Writings of Thomas Baker, B.D., of St. John's College in Cambridge, from the papers of Dr. Zachary Grey, with a Catalogue of his MS. Collections (Cambridge, 1784).
- "Account of some Stone Coffins and Skeletons found on making some alterations and repairs in Cambridge Castle", in Archaeologia, vol. 8 (1785), p. 63.
- "Account of an Antient Painting on Glass", representing the pedigree of the Stewart family, in Archæologia, vol. 8 (1787), pp. 321–5.
- Catalogue of the Pictures in the Public Library and Colleges in the University of Cambridge [1790].
- A Short Account of the Parish of Waterbeach, in the Diocese of Ely, by a late Vicar (1795), with a sketch of Denny Abbey; for private circulation.
- "Collectanea de Landbeach", included in Rev. William Keatinge Clay's History of Landbeach (1861), printed for the Cambridge Antiquarian Society.[3]
About 1757, Masters married a granddaughter of one of his predecessors at Landbeach, and daughter of John Cory, rector of Impington and Waterbeach. She died on 29 August 1764, leaving a son William, who died rector of Waterbeach in 1794, and two daughters: Anne, married to the Rev. Andrew Sprole; and Mary, wife of the Rev. T. C. Burroughes.