1584 Emmanuel College founded

Emmanuel was founded by Sir Walter Mildmay, a student of the neighbouring Christ's College. He was a Calvinist puritan, and a highly placed Crown servant who had worked in the Augmentations office, which administered the dissolution of the monastries.

In 1582 he was asked to help select a new Master of Christ's. He became so displeased with the running of Christ's however that he decided to found his own college as a stronghold of conformist Puritanism. The seminary was to educate clergy for the Reformed Church.

He insisted that Laurance Chaderton, another Christ's man, be head of the new college. In fact it was Chaderton, in 1583, who bought the grounds and remaining buildings of a Dominican Friary to be used by Emmanuel. The licence for its foundation came in 1584.

The Dominican's church became the hall and kitchen range, the western range of the friary housed members of the College, and a new southern range was erected.

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