1800 Downing College founded

Founded posthumosly by Sir George Downing, 3rd Baronet of Gamlingay Park. His grandfather was responsible for the building of Downing Street and Horse Guards Parade in London.

George Downing married at the age of 13, but never lived with his wife. Consequently, in his will he left his estate to his four cousins. In the event that all cousins died with no issue, his estate was to be used to found a College. He had specified that the foundation process should be supervised by the Bishops of Canterbury and York, and the Masters of St John's and Clare Colleges Otherwise he did little to influence the outcome of the foundation, which at the time of writing must have seemed very unikely anyway.

On Sir George's death in 1764, the foundation of the College should have gone ahead, but the widow of his first cousin contested the will for over 25 years. Consequently, it was not until 1800 that Downing College obtained its Royal Charter. Only two of the fellows were to be in Holy Orders, and endowments were provided for Professors of Law and Medicine, whose lectures were to be open to anyone in the University. Official houses in the College were to be provided for these Professors.

Several sites and designs were considered for the College, many of which proved to be too ambitious following the costly litigatation involved in contesting Sir George's will. Finally, a spacious site was chosen, and designs by William Wilkins were accepted. It was to be one of the first major buildings of the Greek Revival. Work on the buildings started slowly in 1807.

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