Roger Kay gained his BA from St John's in 1688, his MA in 1691, and became a Fellow. He was Rector of Fittleton in Wiltshire and Prebendary of Sarum until his death, while also founding the Grammar School in his native town of Bury, Lancashire.

Kay's bequest to the Library

Robert Grove gained his BA at St John's in 1691/2, and proceeded MA in 1695. He became a Fellow in 1694 and remained so until his death. He was Principal Academic Registrar from 1701.

Grove's gift to the Library

Matthew Prior took to poetry at an early age, translating Horace for the entertainment of the Earl of Dorset in his uncle's tavern. He attended Westminster School, and later studied at St John's, gaining his BA in 1687. After spending some years as a Fellow of the College, and continuing to write poetry, he became secretary to the British ambassador to the Hague, where he was eventually to become involved in drawing up the Treaty of Ryswick at the end of the Nine Years War (1697).

Richard Berry matriculated from St John's, and became BA (1667-8), MA (1671) and LLD (1679). He was a Fellow from 1674.

Berry's gift to the Library

Berry apparently gave "a large number of law books" to the Library, and there are around twelve volumes on Roman law in the Library which bear his mark, nearly all from the 17th century.

Provenance markings

The volumes given by Berry bear a spine label with the name "Dr Berry" in gilt.

Robert Jenkin graduated BA at St John's in 1678, became a Fellow in 1680, and proceeded MA in 1681. He then took holy orders and became vicar of Waterbeach in Cambridgeshire, as well as chaplain to John Lake, Bishop of Chichester. His mentor was to be placed in the Tower for his opposition to James II's ecclesiastical policy, and Jenkin was to publish an attack on the King's Roman Catholicism in support.

Although Charles Otway gave one of the largest collections to the Library very little is known about him. He was born in Fareham, Hampshire, son of Sir John Otway, who was at various times a Fellow of St John's, Vice-Chancellor of the County Palatine of Lancaster and Chancellor of Durham, and who gave £100 for the building of Third Court at St John's. Charles attended Sedbergh School in Cumbria, was admitted to Gray's Inn in 1671, studied at St John's and gained his BA in 1674-5. His MA followed in 1678, and his LL.D. in 1688.

Originating from County Durham, Francis Roper came to St John's in 1658, and, although he appears to have spent some time at Corpus Christi College in Oxford, graduated BA in 1662-3, MA in 1666, and BD in 1673. He became a Fellow of St John's, and held several Church preferments, including deacon of Peterborough and canon of Ely. Like Thomas Baker he was deprived of his fellowship as a non-juror, but died very soon afterwards.

Roper's bequest to the Library

Thomas Thurlin graduated BA from St John's in 1654-5, before proceeding MA and BD, and becoming a Fellow. He was President of the College for thirty years and Rector of Gaywood in Norfolk.

Thurlin's bequest

Thurlin left about £300 to the College Library, and this appears to have been used to purchase fairly contemporary texts of an historical nature.

Provenance markings

The books bought with Thurlin's money simply bear a book label detailing his bequest. Translated it reads:

Humphrey Gower was born in Herefordshire and graduated from St John's in 1659. He then proceeded MA, BD, DD, and was elected to the Lady Margaret Professorship of Divinity. Over the course of his career he was also rector of a number of parishes in counties as far apart as Dorset and Norfolk, as well as prebendary of Ely. Peter Gunning made him Master of Jesus College in 1679, and later that year he became Master of St John's.

Thomas Smoult graduated BA from St John's in 1654 and became a Fellow in 1664. He proceeded BD in 1666 and DD in 1684. Smoult was the first Professor of Moral Theology at Cambridge, and held various livings in Hertfordshire and Kent. From 1697 until his death he was Royal Chaplain.

Smoult's bequest to the Library