File 4 - College Mission Committee Papers, 1936-1939

Identity area

Reference code

SJCR/SJCS/49/2/1/4

Unique identifier

GB 1859 SJCR/SJCS/49/2/1/4

Title

College Mission Committee Papers, 1936-1939

Date(s)

  • 1936-1939 (Creation)

Level of description

File

Extent and medium

1 file. Paper.

Context area

Name of creator

(1880 - 1952)

Biographical history

Benians was born in Goudhurst, Kent in 1880. His father was the headmaster of Bethany School in Goudhurst, and it was here that Benians received his schooling. He was admitted to St John's in 1899 and achieved his BA in 1902. He became Lightfoot Scholar in 1903, Allen Scholar in 1903, and achieved his MA as well as being the Adam Smith Prizeman in 1906. He also became a Fellow in 1906, and then in 1911 he was elected to the Albert Kahn Travelling Fellowship. For the period 1913-19, Benians was a Local Adviser to Indian Students. He was appointed Lecturer in History in 1910, became a Tutor in 1918, and Senior Tutor in 1927. In the same year he was made University Lecturer in History, specialising in the history of the British colonies and dependencies, and the United States of America. He was Master of St John's from 1933 until his death in 1952, and served as Vice-Chancellor of the University 1939-41. In 1939 he was awarded an honorary LittD from Trinity College Dublin, before then also becoming an Honorary Fellow in 1947.

Benians married Sylvia Mary Dodd, daughter of J. Thoedore Dodd, at St Giles', Oxford in 1918, and together they had one son and two daughters. He died on 13 February 1952.

Name of creator

Biographical history

Warden of the Maurice Hostel, Hoxton.

Name of creator

(1901-1991)

Biographical history

The Reverend John Sandwith Boys Smith was born in Hampshire on 8th January 1901, the son of Edward Percy Boys Smith, Clerk in Holy Orders and St John’s College Alumnus, and Charlotte Cecilia Sandwith. Boys Smith matriculated at St John’s College, Cambridge, in 1919 and read Economics/Theology, graduating BA in 1922.

After a short time at Marburg University in 1924-25, Boys Smith was appointed to the Fellowship of St John’s in 1927. This was to be the start of a long commitment to the College, and it was a position which, apart from the 10 years he was Master of the College (1959-69), he was to hold until his death in 1991. He served as Chaplain 1927-1934, Director of Studies and Supervisor in Theology 1927-1952, Praelector 1929-1931, Assistant Tutor 1931-34, Tutor 1939-1939, Junior Bursar 1939-1944 and Senior Bursar 1944-1959.

Name of creator

(1889-1951)

Biographical history

Rev. Edward Earle Raven was born on the 27th of December 1889, the son of John E. Raven (a barrister). He was educated at Uppingham School before coming up to Cambridge to study Classics at St John’s College.

Deeply religious, Raven had always been destined for the church, and after his graduation he was ordained in 1914. He briefly worked as an army chaplain and then as Head of Maurice Hostel, before becoming chaplain at the College in 1921. He was awarded a fellowship in 1923, and then become the Dean of College in 1927. He held this post until his death.

Raven married his wife Margaret in 1930, and they had one son and three daughters. He published one book, The Heart of Christ’s Religion, and enjoyed cricket in his spare time. Raven died on the 2nd of December, 1951.

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Scope and content

Includes copies of the constitution; correspondence between E.A. Benians, S.J. Bailey, J.S. Boys-Smith, J.D. Packham, and others; notices; memoranda; summary reports; a manuscript draft copy of an appeal to members, compiled by E.E. Raven; and meeting agenda. Much of the correspondence concerns the governance, financial sustainability and development of the Boys Club, Hoxton - in particular, the proposed re-occupation of the original Club building at 64-66 Britannia Street in 1936. The building, which was adjacent to the premises on Westmoreland Place, would allow the Club to expand its membership by providing additional space for older boys. Included with one of the letters sent by Packham to Bailey in September 1936 is a draft version of a Sub-Committee report in which the future of the Britannia Street site is considered.

The file also contains a collection of letters addressed to Bailey (dated July-October 1936); documents concerning the Hoxton Market Christian Mission, c. 1938; and correspondence concerning the winding up of the College Mission in 1939.

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Note

Certain letters and committee papers were extracted from the papers of E.A.Benians (Master 1933-52) and were placed in the archives in April 2009. The items were amalgamated with other documents in the College Mission file, C22.18. The file was re-catalogued in March 2017.

Alternative identifier(s)

Fomer ref.

C22.18

Former ref.

C22.17

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Physical storage

  • Box: 2/COLLEGE