Relhan Collection : 92 Cambridge St John’s College. Detail of carved wooden ornament on staircase to Library

Relhan, Richard, 1782-1844

Relhan Collection

<p style='text-align: justify;'><p>Possibly not drawn by Relhan</p><p>St John’s College new library was built 1623-5 and its staircase inserted 1628, cutting through the gallery, part of the plastered ceiling of which can be seen today. The design for the staircase was probably by Henry Man, carpenter for this project, or perhaps Thomas Grumbold, described as a freemason and later master mason for Clare College, building their E gate and bridge, the oldest surviving bridge in Cambridge. Both were craftsmen of humble origin whose skills as architects and builders meant they were entrusted with early Renaissance work in Cambridge before Civil War broke out. Grumbold was buried at St Benet’s in 1657. He was succeeded by his relative, Robert Grumbold, who undertook a range of building works in Cambridge after the Restoration. This ornament is in solid Jacobean style and the drawing, not in Relhan’s style, looks more elegant than the original. It is decorative, with elaborate scrolls, a pierced pyramid as a finial, and a stag’s head, as shown in the drawing, but out of scale, especially in relation to the wooden arch and its pierced wooden pendant, which are much higher than shown.</p><p>VCH 1959; Willis and Clark 1886 Vol 3</p></p>