Read all about it! Discover the history of Gresham College with special book offer

Gresham College has been an integral part of the City of London since the 16th century and has quite the story to tell.

We were founded by Sir Thomas Gresham, an integral part in the history of Tudor England. The son of a Lord Mayor of London, he became one of the most powerful and influential people of the 16th century. As a financial agent to Henry VIII, Edward VI, Mary Tudor and Elizabeth I, a landowner, founder of the Royal Exchange, and a public benefactor, Sir Thomas had a busy and full life.

His vision for Gresham College was to ensure that those who work in the City had access to ongoing education, specifying seven different subjects. We still adhere to this today, with Physic, Music, Divinity, Rhetoric, Law, Geometry and Astronomy now joined by three additional subjects: Business, IT, and the Environment.

This story is fascinating, and it should come as no surprise that it has formed the subject for many books, some of which were written a couple of centuries ago.

In the College, we have stocks of two fascinating books:  A Brief History of Gresham College 1597-1997 by Richard Chartres and David Vermont, and Sir Thomas Gresham and his Vision for Gresham College by Dr Valerie Shrimplin.

The first is an excellent potted history of the first 400 years of the College, detailing its foundation, how it has moved, and notable events in its life.

The latter is a pictorial history that allows readers to see as well as read how, through his will of 1575, Sir Thomas established London’s first institution of higher learning as a provider of free public lectures. It also celebrates the man behind the growth and success of the City of London in Tudor England.

These two books are available from the College in exchange for a suggested donation of £10 each or more (card payments or cash only). Please select ‘Gresham College Books’ in the designation dropdown.

They can be collected before lectures across the year. They can also be posted worldwide, please contact us for the postage costs. 

They make great gifts and act as great primers for those wanting to know more about the historic City of London and Gresham College's role within it.