Peterhouse

Peterhouse, college of the University of Cambridge, England. The oldest college in Cambridge, Peterhouse was founded in 1284 by Hugo de Balsham, Bishop of Ely; it was once known as St Peter's College, but its full name is now Peterhouse. It is also the smallest undergraduate college in Cambridge. The college accepts both male and female graduate and undergraduate students. The head of Peterhouse is referred to as the Master. Notable alumni of Peterhouse include the scientists Henry Cavendish and James Clerk Maxwell, the engineer Sir Frank Whittle, and the early American pioneer William Brewster. The Hall in Peterhouse's Old Court is Cambridge's oldest collegiate building, dating from 1290, with Pre-Raphaelite additions by William Morris, Edward Burne-Jones, and Ford Madox Brown.