PEEFACE vii natives of the diocese of Coventry and Lichfield, with a preference for natives of Lancashire and Cheshire, and especially natives of Prescot in Lancashire [the birthplace ofWilliam Smyth], and Prestbury in Cheshire [the seat of the Sutton family and probably the birthplace of Richard Sutton]. Failing fit candidates from the diocese aforesaid, the Principal and Fellows were to be natives of the diocese of Lincoln, and failing this, to be taken ' de aptioribus et habilioribus qui in Universitate praedicta reperiri poterunt '. The conditions of eligibility to the Fellowships, other than those on the original foundation, are given in the Quater- centenary Monographs^ vol. i, Mon. iv. In 1855 the Com- missioners framed an Ordinance, by which it was laid down that no preference should be given to any person in election to any Fellowship ' in respect of such person's place of birth, or of his being of the name, lineage, kindred, or con- sanguinity of any person named in any charter, or other instrument of foundation or endowment '. From 1856 onwards, therefore, the record of the particular foundation disappears. The College Officers were normally appointed in De- cember, just before Christmas, so that their period of office extended over part of two calendar years. Thus, e.g. a Vice-Principalappointed in 1601, held office from December, 1601, to December, 1602. The Bursars, however, originally, as shown by the Bursars' Rolls, held office from Michael- mas to Michaelmas. A Rescript from the Visitor in 1717 directs that they shall enter upon their offices on or before St. Thomas's Day. The only College Offices which have been regularly recorded in vol. i are those of Vice-Principal, and Senior and Junior Bursar. In the lists of College Officers, the dates prefixed to the names are those of appointment to the Office.^ In connexion with College Offices it may be well to mention that Tutorships do not, strictly speaking, fall ^ In the lists of men who have belonged to other Colleges, the dates refer to the years under which the names appear in the Register.