Chapter I - William Byngham, the First Founder

Summary

Most colleges have to be content with one founder, while some, like Gonville and Caius College, have two; Christ's College, however, has three. The earliest of the three is overshadowed by the royal splendour of his successors, but, though Christ's College owes most of its possessions to Henry VI and his niece, the Lady Margaret, it owes the fact of its existence to a plain parochial rector, William Byngham.

We could wish to know something of the source whence Byngham issued, but, though there may be indications that point with some probability to his family, there are no documents to enable us to replace conjecture with certainty. Peile, untiring pursuer of biographical detail, has to admit ‘nothing is certainly known of his birth: he may have been one of the Binghams of Carcolston, Notts.’ He gives no information concerning the basis of his supposition, but such straws as it has been possible to observe independently do seem to point in the direction of the Midlands.

In the first place, the initial solid fact in Byngham's life-history is found in bis presentation to the rectory of Carlton Curly [hodie Carlton Curlieu], Leicestershire, to which he was instituted 23 June 1423; Carlton Curlieu is near to Market Harborough and, in a direct line, lies about thirty-five miles from Carcolston.