Sir Thomas Gresham's grasshopper crest is used as a symbol of the College

Gresham College is an unusual institution of higher learning off Holborn in central London. Holborn (ˈhoʊbɚn or /ˈhoʊbɝːn/ "ho bun" is an area of Central London, England London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. It enrolls no students and grants no degrees. A degree is any of a wide range of status levels conferred by institutions of Higher education, such as universities, normally as the result of successfully completing The Collège de France offers perhaps a Parisian equivalent. The Collège de France is a higher education and research establishment ( Grand établissement) located in Paris, France, in the 5th arrondissement Paris (ˈpærɨs in English; in French) is the Capital of France and the country's largest city

Gresham College has provided lectures free and open to the public since its foundation under the Will of Sir Thomas Gresham in 1597, long before there was any university in London — excepting the quasi-university Inns of Court. A lecture is an oral Presentation intended to present information or teach people about a particular subject for example by a University or College In Common law, a will or testament is a document by which a person (the Testator) regulates the rights of others over his or her Property Sir Thomas Gresham (c 1519 &ndash 21 November, 1579) was an English Merchant and Financier who worked for King Edward VI of England A university is an institution of Higher education and Research, which grants Academic degrees in a variety of subjects The Inns of Court in London are the professional associations to one of which every barrister in England and Wales (and those judges who were formerly barristers

Gresham left his estate jointly to the City of London Corporation and to the Mercers' Company, which operate through the Joint Grand Gresham Committee under the presidency of the Lord Mayor of the City of London. The City of London Corporation (formerly known as the Corporation of London)is the municipal governing body of the City of London. The Worshipful Company of Mercers is one of the Livery Companies of the City of London. The Right Honourable Lord Mayor of London is the legal title for the Mayor of (and head of the City of London Corporation. Gresham's will provided for the setting up of the College — in Gresham's mansion in Bishopsgate (on the site now occupied by Tower 42, the former NatWest Tower), and endowed it with the rental income from shops sited around the Royal Exchange, which Gresham had established. See Bishopsgate Insurance for the Australian insurance company bankrupted in 1982 Tower 42 is the tallest Skyscraper in the City of London and the fifth tallest in London as a whole The Royal Exchange in the City of London was founded in 1565 by Sir Thomas Gresham to act as a centre of Commerce for the city

The early success of the College led to the incorporation of the Royal Society in 1663, which pursued its activities at the College in Bishopsgate before moving to its own premises in Crane Court in 1710. The Royal Society of London for the Improvement of Natural Knowledge, known simply as The Royal Society, is a Learned society for science that was founded in 1660 See Bishopsgate Insurance for the Australian insurance company bankrupted in 1982 Year 1710 ( MDCCX) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar or a Common year The College remained in Gresham's mansion in Bishopsgate until 1768, and moved about London thereafter until the construction in 1842 of its own buildings in Gresham Street EC2. Year 1768 ( MDCCLXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Year 1842 ( MDCCCXLII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common Gresham College did not become part of the University of London on the founding of the University in the 19th century, although a close association between the College and the University persisted for many years. The University of London is a university based primarily in London, England, UK. The 19th century of the Common Era began on January 1, 1801 and ended on December 31, 1900, according to the Gregorian calendar Since 1991, the College has operated at Barnard's Inn Hall, Holborn EC1. Year 1991 ( MCMXCI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar. Barnard's Inn is the current home of Gresham College in Holborn, London. Holborn (ˈhoʊbɚn or /ˈhoʊbɝːn/ "ho bun" is an area of Central London, England

Professors

Gresham's seven original endowed chairs of Divinity, Music, Astronomy, Geometry, Physic (meaning Medicine), Law and Rhetoric reflect the curriculum of the medieval university (the trivium and quadrivium); but as a place for the public and frequent voicing of new ideas, the college played an important role in the Enlightenment and in the formation of the Royal Society. Divinity and divine (sometimes 'the Divinity' or 'the Divine' are broadly applied but loosely defined terms used variously within different faiths and belief systems — Music is an Art form in which the medium is Sound organized in Time. Astronomy (from the Greek words astron (ἄστρον "star" and nomos (νόμος "law" is the scientific study Geometry ( Greek γεωμετρία; geo = earth metria = measure is a part of Mathematics concerned with questions of size shape and relative position Medicine is the art and science of healing It encompasses a range of Health care practices evolved to maintain and restore Human Health by the Law is a system of rules enforced through a set of Institutions used as an instrument to underpin civil obedience politics economics and society Rhetoric has had many definitions no simple definition can do it justice A university is an institution of Higher education and Research, which grants Academic degrees in a variety of subjects In medieval universities, the trivium comprised the three subjects taught first Grammar, Logic, and Rhetoric. The quadrivium comprised the four subjects or arts taught in Medieval universities after the trivium. The Age of Enlightenment or The Enlightenment is a term used to describe a phase in Western philosophy and cultural life centered upon the eighteenth century The Royal Society of London for the Improvement of Natural Knowledge, known simply as The Royal Society, is a Learned society for science that was founded in 1660 Its famous professors have included Christopher Wren, who lectured on astronomy in the 17th century, and Robert Hooke. Sir Christopher Wren ( 20 October 1632 &ndash 25 February 1723) was a 17th century English Designer, Astronomer As a means of recording the passage of Time, the 17th Century was that Century which lasted from 1601 - 1700 in the Gregorian calendar Robert Hooke, FRS (18 July 1635 – 3 March 1703 was an English Natural philosopher and Polymath who played an important role in the

The professors received £50 a year, and the terms of their position were very precise, for example:

The geometrician is to read as followeth, every Trinity term arithmetique, in Michaelmas and Hilary terms theoretical geometry, in Easter term practical geometry. The astronomy reader is to read in his solemn lectures, first the principles of the sphere, and the theory of the planets, and the use of the astrolabe and the staff, and other common instruments for the capacity of mariners. ^[1]

Today, the professors hold their positions for three years, and an eighth chair, of Commerce, joined the original seven in 1985. Commerce is a division of trade or production which deals with the exchange of goods and services from producer to final consumer Year 1985 ( MCMLXXXV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link displays 1985 Gregorian calendar) Since 2000, the college has regularly hosted visiting professors to lecture on topics outside its usual range, and it also hosts occasional seminars and conferences. 2000 ( MM) was a Leap year that started on Saturday of the Common Era, in accordance with the Gregorian calendar.

Excerpts from The Last Will of Sir Thomas Gresham (1575)

THIS IS THE LASTE WILL WRITTEN and disposition of me Sir Thomas Gresham of the cittye of London knighte, concerninge all my mannors, landes, tenementes, and hereditamentes, mentioned and conteyned in one quadripartite indenture, made betweene me the said Sir Thomas Gresham and dame Anne my wife on the one partye, and Phillippe Scudamore gent. and Thomas Celey on thother partie, dated the 20 day of May, in the seaventeenth yere of the raigne of our soveraigne lady queene Elizabeth. . . .

AND I will and dispose, that . . . the said maior and corporation of the said cittye [London] . . . shall give and distribute to and for the sustentation, mayntenaunce, and findinge foure persons from tyme to tyme to be chosen, nominated, and appointed by the said maior and cominalty and cittezens and theire successors, mete to read the lectures of divynitye, astronomy, musicke, and geometry, within myne owne dwellinge house in the parishe of St. Hellynes in Bishopsgate streete and St. Peeters the pore in the cittye of London . . . the somme of two hundred pounds of lawfull money of England, in manner and forme followinge, viz. to every of the said readers for the tyme beinge the somme of fifty pounds of lawfull money of England yerely, for theire sallaries and stipendes, mete for foure sufficiently learned to read the said lectures; the same stipendes and sallaries , and every of them, to be paid at two usuall tearmes in the yere yerely, that is to say, at the feastes of thannunciation of St. Mary the Virgin and of St. Mighell tharchangell, by even portions to be paid. . . .

AND . . . that they and theire successors every yere yerely shall give, and pay, and distribute to and for the findinge, sustentation and maynetenaunce of three persons, by them the said wardeins and cominalty and theire successors from tyme to tyme to be chossen and appointed, meete to reade the lectures of law, phissicke, and rethoricke, within myne nowe dwellinge house in the parrishe of St. Hellyns in Bishopesgate streete and St. Peters the pore, in the said cittye of London . . . the somme of one hundred and fifty poundes of lawfull money of England, in manner and forme followinge, viz. to every of the said readers for the tyme beinge the somme of fiftye poundes, for theire sallaries and stipendes, mete for three sufficeintly learned to reade the said lectures, at two usuall tearmes in the yere, that is to say, at the feast of thannunciation of the blessed Virgin Marye and of St. Mighell the Archangell, by even portions to be paid. . . .

Thomas Gresham's mansion converted into an instructional facility with lodgings and research space for professors of Law, Physics, Music, Divinity, Geometry, Rhetoric, and Astronomy.

AND . . . shall permitte and suffer seaven persons, by them from tyme to tyme to be elected and appointed in manner and forme aforesaid, meete and sufficiently learned to reade the said seaven lectures, to have the occupation of all my said mansion house, gardeins, and of all other thappurtenaunces, for them and every of them there to inhabite, study, and daylie to reade the said severall lectures. And my will is, that none shall be chossen to reade any of the said lectures, so longe as he shall be married, nor be suffered to reade any of the said lectures after that he shalbe married, neither shall receave any fee or stipend appointed for the readinge of the said lectures. . . .

IN WITNES whereof I the said Sir Thomas Gresham have written this will all with myne owne hand, and to each of the eight leaves have subscribed my name ; and to a labell fixed there unto all the eight leaves have setto my seal with the grashopper, the 5 day of July, in the seventeenth yere of the raigne of our soveraigne lady queene Elizabeth, and in the yere of our Lord God, ann. 1575.

By me THOMAS GRESHAM

Witnesses to this last will and testament of the said Sir Thomas Gresham the persons whose names be subscribed,

PH. SCUDAMOR,

THOMAS BILLINGFORD,

HENRY NOWELL.

Notes and references

• 1 "Who invented the calculus? - and other 17th century topics" Gresham lecture by Robin Wilson, 16 November 2005. Events 534 - A second and final revision of the Codex Justinianus is published Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Retrieved 16 February 2006. Events 1249 - Andrew of Longjumeau is dispatched by Louis IX of France as his ambassador to meet with the Khan of the Mongols Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar.

See also

• Sir Thomas Gresham
• Gresham Professor of Astronomy
• Gresham Professor of Commerce
• Gresham Professor of Divinity
• Gresham Professor of Geometry (mathematics)
• Gresham Professor of Law
• Gresham Professor of Music
• Gresham Professor of Physic (medicine)
• Gresham Professor of Rhetoric
• Visiting Gresham Professor

External links

• Gresham College website
• A Brief History of Gresham College 1497-1997, Richard Chartres and David Vermont (1998), ISBN 0-947822-16-X (PDF, 108 pages)