Masters of St John's College, Cambridge

Six centuries, forty-five Masters

The Master is elected by the Fellows of the College and is chosen as the person best qualified to secure the good government of the College as a place of education, religion, learning, and research. St John’s College has been led by 45 Masters since its foundation in 1511.

See below for the full list of Masters of the College, in chronological order with the year of election.

Heather Hancock admitted to College - Geoff Robinson_0.jpg
Heather Hancock is formally admitted as 45th Master of St John's. Credit: Geoff Robinson

 

List of Masters

1. Robert Shorton (1511)
2. Alan Percy (1516)
3. Nicholas Metcalfe (1518)
4. George Day (1537)
5. John Tayler (1538)
6. William Bill (1546)
7. Thomas Lever (1551)
8. Thomas Watson (1553)
9. George Bullock (1554)
10. James Pilkington (1559)
11. Leonard Pilkington (1561)
12. Richard Longworth (1564)
13. Nicholas Shepherd (1569)
14. John Still (1574)
15. Richard Howland (1577)
16. William Whitaker (1586)
17. Richard Clayton (1595)
18. Owen Gwyn (1612)
19. William Beale (1633)
20. John Arrowsmith (1644)
21. Anthony Tuckney (1653)
22. Peter Gunning (1661)
23. Francis Turner (1670)
24. Humphrey Gower (1679)
25. Robert Jenkin (1711)
26. Robert Lambert (1727)
27. John Newcome (1735)
28. William Samuel Powell (1765)
29. John Chevallier (1775)
30. William Craven (1789)
31. James Wood (1815)
32. Ralph Tatham (1839)
33. William Henry Bateson (1857)
34. Charles Taylor (1881)
35. Robert Forsyth Scott (1908)
36. Ernest Alfred Benians (1933)
37. James Mann Wordie (1952)
38. John Sandwith Boys Smith (1959)
39. Philip Nicholas Seton Mansergh (1969)
40. Francis Harry Hinsley (1979)
41. Robert Aubrey Hinde (1989)
42. Peter Goddard (1994)
43. Richard Perham (2004)
44. Christopher Dobson (2007)
45. Heather Hancock (2020)