Cambridge with Patrick Bronte

                                                     

Patrick's family home near to Lisnacreevy, County Down, Ireland which he shared with his 5 sisters, 4 brothers and his mother and father.

In July 1802 Patrick Bronte finally left the family home above in County Down, Ireland and headed off, aged 25, to go to St. John the Evangelist College, Cambridge, registering as an undergraduate on 1st October, 1802. The time between arriving and registering was probably taken up with Patrick reading and preparing for his course. The registrar, possibly struggling to understand Patrick's Irish accent, entered him in the admissions book as Patrick Branty (not Brunty which was his family name).

 And so, in July 2018, my Bronte travelling companion Alison and I also arrived at St John's College just as Patrick had done 216 years earlier - following in his footsteps.

In the summer months, many universities, including Cambridge, offer B&B rooms to visitors, allowing them to stay in college rooms. Alison and I booked into St John's College, so we too could experience what Patrick had experienced all those years ago.

This is the road Patrick would have walked along to get to the grand entrance to his college.

The main gate into St John's College, Cambridge. Imagine Patrick who was born in a two-roomed stone, thatched-roofed cabin in Emdale, County Down, Northern Ireland walking through these gates for the first time! The heavy wooden gates date from 1665.




The coat of arms of Lady Margaret Beaufort are above the main gate at St John's college  which she founded in 15ll.  Margaret Beaufort was Henry VII's mother and grandmother to Henry VIII. Above is a statue of St John the Evangelist.

Approaching St John's College, Cambridge with the new chapel tower that was built after Patrick had left.

It was exciting enough for us to walk through the grand entrance of St John's college and across the quadrangles to climb the stairs to our rooms. Imagine what Patrick must have felt like as he walked through the grand gates having come from such a humble background.

Patrick attended the red brick 16th century chapel to the left of the new stone chapel built after Patrick's time at St John's.

St John's College, Cambridge, inner gate to the quadrangle.

                                              

The inner quadrangle of St John's College with the chapel tower built between 1866 and 1869 after Patrick had graduated.

It really drove it home to us what a fabulous achievement it was for Patrick, bearing in mind he had never benefitted from a formal and private school education many of his fellow students had enjoyed to secure a place at this prestigious university. Purely through his own great diligence and efforts, together with the support and encouragement of Drumballeyroney's vicar - the Reverend Thomas Tighe - himself an old-boy of St John's - Patrick had finally well and truly made it!

Dashing Patrick.

He had come to study Theology under a scholarship for poor boys at Cambridge University.

Let's look at some photos of where he lived and studied. This young man from a poor background had done very well.

Alison in St John's College.

The River Cam flows through  St John's College grounds.

The 'bridge of sighs' at St John's College. Patrick, unfortunately, would not have enjoyed walking across this bridge as it was only constructed in 1831.

St John's college

St John's College

Inside St John's College.

St John's College grounds.

Cambridge street scene.

King's College Cambridge

                                

Would Patrick have admired the wonderful vaulted ceiling in King's College chapel where we enjoyed listening to the world-famous choir?

Punting along the Cam by King's College, Cambridge.

Patrick finally graduated in 1806. I can only imagine he enjoyed his years in beautiful Cambridge as we too enjoyed our visit. I also wonder if he was inspired to change his surname from Brunty, to Bronte to match the grandness of his surroundings?