Excerpt from Biographical Register of Christ's College, 1505-1905, and of the Earlier Foundation, God's House, 1448-1505, Vol. 1: 1448-1665

N consequence of my husband's serious illness, I have been asked to write a few words of Preface to his biographical Register of Christ's College. It was in the early '9o's, that he first conceived the idea of writing a history of Christ's College. He began by making a careful examination of the papers in the Muniment Room. From these, and from mss. At the British Museum, and from various other sources he obtained much information, and he intended to write a complete history of the College and of its more distinguished sons. This work was interrupted, when he was asked by Mr Robinson to write a short history of the College for his Series of Histories of the Cambridge Colleges, and consequently, he had to cut down and omit very much that he had already prepared. After this history was completed, he determined to write a biographical Register on the lines laid down by Dr Venn in his Biographical History (f Gonville and Caius College, to gain materials for which he visited the diocesan Registries in England, working also in the Library at Lambeth and at the British Museum. His first illness in 1903 interrupted his work, but during his convalescence at Exmouth' in 1903 - 4, he began to arrange his facts; and worked steadily till his second illness in 1907. Indeed, this work occupied all his leisure during the latter years of his life. The final revision was practically ended when his illness began in 1909. His greatest trouble then was the completion of his work, but this anxiety was entirely removed when Dr Venn, one of his oldest Cambridge friends, suggested to me that his son Mr J. A. Venn, who was already engaged in similar work, would see the book through the Press; while he, in all cases of difficulty, would give it the benefit of his ripe experience. It is difficult to put into words the gratitude, which I, together with all my family - and I am asked by members of the Society to add the College - feel to Dr Venn and his son, for the relief thus afforded to my husband - a gratitude which he fully shares.

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