Most of the colleges forming the University of Cambridge and University of Oxford are paired into sister colleges across the two universities. The extent of the arrangement differs from case to case, but commonly includes the right to dine at one's sister college, the right to book accommodation there, the holding of joint events between JCRs and invitations to May balls.
Most of the pairings reflect similarities between the two colleges concerned, often parallel histories. For example, University College, Oxford (an ancient and prestigious college, founded 1249) is paired with Trinity Hall, Cambridge (of equivalent reputation, founded 1350). William Wykeham's statutes for New College, Oxford, founded in 1379, formed the basis of the foundation of its sister college, King's College, Cambridge. The two Colleges both share distinguished choral reputations. Founded by scholars from Merton College (1282), Peterhouse (Cambridge) is paired with Merton College. Similarly, Somerville College, Oxford (founded in 1879 as a women's institution) has Girton College, Cambridge (also historically a women's college, founded 1869) as its sister college. St Catherine's College, Oxford (the most recent undergraduate college in Oxford, founded 1963) is paired with Robinson College, Cambridge (the newest Cambridge college, founded 1977).
Oriel College, Oxford and St John's College, Cambridge also have links with Trinity College, Dublin. Oriel College and St Hugh's College, Oxford, currently each dispute the other's claim to sister college status with Clare College, Cambridge. While Oriel and Clare both share a common founding year of 1326 and a long history of association, in the 1980s, the now co-ed Clare associated with the then female-only St. Hugh's, in order to protest against Oriel remaining all-male. Today both St. Hugh's and Oriel are co-ed colleges.
Cambridge | Oxford | Relationship |
---|---|---|
Trinity Hall | All Souls College University College |
|
St John's College | Balliol College | |
Peterhouse | Merton College St Hilda's College |
Peterhouse (1284) founded by scholars from Merton (1264) |
(none) | Hertford College | |
Emmanuel College | Exeter College | |
Clare College | Oriel College St Hugh's College |
|
Pembroke College | The Queen's College | |
Gonville and Caius College | Brasenose College | |
Corpus Christi College | Corpus Christi College | |
King's College | New College | King's College and Eton College (1441) founded on the model of New College and Winchester College (1379) |
Downing College | Lincoln College | |
Magdalene College | Magdalen College | Both named after Saint Mary Magdalene |
Queens' College | Pembroke College | |
St Catharine's College | Worcester College | |
Jesus College | Jesus College | Both share the same name |
Christ's College | Wadham College | |
Trinity College | Christ Church | Both founded in 1546 by King Henry VIII from existing institutions |
Churchill College | Trinity College | |
Sidney Sussex College | St John's College | |
Girton College | Somerville College | |
Selwyn College | Keble College | |
Newnham College | Lady Margaret Hall | |
Murray Edwards | St Anne's College | |
Hughes Hall | Linacre College | |
St Edmund's College | Green Templeton College | |
(none) | St Peter's College | |
Fitzwilliam College | St Edmund Hall | |
(none) | Nuffield College | |
Robinson College | St Catherine's College | |
Darwin College | Wolfson College | |
Clare Hall | St Cross College | |
Lucy Cavendish College | (none) | |
Homerton College | Harris Manchester College | |
Wolfson College | St Antony's College | |
(none) | Kellogg College |
Famous quotes containing the words list of, list, sister and/or colleges:
“The advice of their elders to young men is very apt to be as unreal as a list of the hundred best books.”
—Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. (18411935)
“Lastly, his tomb
Shall list and founder in the troughs of grass
And none shall speak his name.”
—Karl Shapiro (b. 1913)
“Not all conflicts between siblings are good, of course. A child who is repeatedly humiliated or made to feel insignificant by a brother or sister is learning little except humiliation and shame.”
—Lawrence Kutner (20th century)
“If the factory people outside the colleges live under the discipline of narrow means, the people inside live under almost every other kind of discipline except that of narrow meansfrom the fruity austerities of learning, through the iron rations of English gentlemanhood, down to the modest disadvantages of occupying cold stone buildings without central heating and having to cross two or three quadrangles to take a bath.”
—Margaret Halsey (b. 1910)