The Past Esquire (and Yeoman) Bedells

Esquire Bedell and Yeoman Bedell by T. Uwins for Ackerman's History of Cambridge

The office of Bedell dates to the earliest period of the University. Originally appointed to assist in the conduct of the University’s business, and to act as emissaries and guardians of ceremonial, there are presently two Esquire Bedells, members of the Senate appointed by the Council to attend the Chancellor and the Vice-Chancellor on public occasions, and to perform other duties in connection with University ceremonial. 

The Bedells were almost always men of substance, resident in the town; they generally held some other occupation; and the early lists of benefactors contain a remarkable number of University Beadles. Later on, they became Esquire Bedells, and the office has long been held by distinguished graduates. As they generally served for many years, and, as the technicalities of the many ceremonies were often intricate, they naturally became the storehouse of information and precedent. There was formerly also a Yeoman, or Dog, Bedell, whose functions, including serving warrants on those summoned to the University Courts, have been partly assumed by the University Marshal.

The maces now carried by the Esquire Bedells were presented by George Villiers, Duke of Buckingham and Chancellor of the University, in 1626; and the Yeoman Bedell’s mace, now carried by the University Marshal, was presented by Henry Rich, Earl of Holland and Chancellor of the University, in 1628.

The following is an incomplete list of Bedells from c. 1250. It is noticeable that the first three Registraries of the University were Bedells (Robert Hobbs; John Mere; and Matthew Stokys). As authorities on ceremonial, Bedells have, over the centuries, produced a number of manuals: Matthew Stokys, Liber Rerum Memorabilium; John Beverley, Account of the Different Ceremonies Observed in the Senate House of the University of Cambridge (1788); Adam Wall, Ceremonies Observed in the Senate House of the University of Cambridge (1798; revised by Henry Gunning in 1828).

2022              Humbles, Jake Joseph 

2022              Ottewell, Karen 

2021              Schmalz, Tim

2010              Scarlett, Sheila Veronica 

2003              Hardy, Nicola 

1997              Williams, John Horace 

1996              Emmines, John Peter 

1987              Johnson, Malcolm MacDonald

1977              Tee, Peter 

1976              Poole, Richard Neal Barlow 

1968              Melville, Paul Clifton 

1960              Sinker, Philip Tennant 

1946              Wilson, Norman Scarlyn 

1937              Thompson, Colin Hustwick 

1936              Garrett, Herbert Leonard

1922              Sumner, Charles Pinfold 

1920              Carey, Gordon Vero

1913              Smith, Rupert Hamblin 

1900              Evans, Arthur Humble 

1893              Gill, Wilfred Austin 

1877              Wace, Frederick Charles

1877              Humphry, Alfred Paget 

1873              Gross, Edward John 

1870              Miller, Robert Kalley

1866              Besant, William Henry 

1854              Godfray, Hugh 

1827              Hopkins, William 

1826              Leapingwell, George 

1814              Ware, George 

1797              Isola, Charles

1789              Gunning, Henry 

1775              Mathew, William 

1772–75        Hey, Richard 

1770              Beverley, John 

1767              Chafy William

1755              Dawes, Francis 

1754              Porteus, Beilby 

1749              Bennett, Thomas 

1734              Burrowes, Thomas 

1727              Burrough, James

1727              Huntman, Thomas 

1716              Simpson, Robert 

1715              Attwood, Richard 

1704–27        Clarke, Edward 

1683–1715    Perne, John 

1682              Richardson, Purbeck 

1680              Martin, Hugh 

1670              Worts, William 

1669              Peck, John 

1629              Hughes, Francis

1626              Buck, John 

1624              Buck, Thomas 

c. 1605          Wiseman, John 

1596              Ridding, Richard 

c.1592           Ingram, William 

1591              Brooke, Thomas 

1585              Smith, Thomas 

c. 1579          Stringer, Philip 

1563              Redman, John: Bedell of Arts

1557              Stokys (Stokes), Matthew: Bedell of Divinity

1556              Baxter, John: Third Bedell

1555              Muryell, William: Third Bedell

c. 1550          Bronsted, William: Bedell of Arts

1549              Flued, William: Bedell of Arts

1539              Pykerell, John

c. 1530          Urrnston, James: Bedell of Divinity

1530              Mere, John: Bedell of Divinity

c. 1529          Sherwood, Thomas: Bedell of Arts

c. 1521          Adams, Thomas: Third Bedell

c. 1510          Clark, John: Third Bedell

c. 1509          Cheke, Peter: Bedell of Divinity

c. 1505          Hobbs (Hobys), Robert: Bedell of Arts

c. 1500          Pickerell, William

c. 1495          Bedford, John: Third Bedell;

c. 1490          Morgan, Philip: Bedell of Arts

c. 1485          Carsey, John: Bedell of Divinity

c. 1485          Bretherton, Laurence

c. 1470          Canterbury, John

c. 1460          Semper, Alan

c. 1460          Dalton, William

c. 1460          Bury, Thomas

c. 1455          Christopher the Bedell

c. 1450          William Bedell

c. 1440          Woodlark, Robert

c. 1418          Physwick, John

c. 1408          Bristow, Richard

c. 1360          Wigmore, William

c. 1360          Physwick, William

c. 1360          John de Wesenham

c. 1355          John de Arundel

c. 1350          Henry the Bedell

c. 1350          Adam de la More

c. 1347–68    Richard de Betelee/Betelle

c. 1324          Stephen de Eye

c. 1315          Thurstan de Huningham

c. 1300          Robert the Bedell

c. 1300          Reginald the Bedell

c. 1300          Christopher the Bedell

c. 1290          Thomas de Watlington

c. 1290          Carless, Robert

c. 1287          Russell, William

c. 1287          Robert the Bedell

c. 1279          Walter le Bedel

c. 1270          Walter de Oxford

c. 1270          Thomas le Bedel

c. 1270          Thomas de Tuddenham

[1260]            Walter de Wells

[1250]            Piroun, Ralph

[1250]            Gossel, Robert