Sir William Browne Medallists
The Top Sir William Browne Medallists
Sir William Browne (1692-1774) left money in his will for the foundation of an annual prize of three gold medals, each worth five guineas, for original Latin and Greek verse compositions on specified topics according to the standards of the primary Classical authors. These medals have been offered annually since 1775 and continue to be contested in the present day. In the middle of the nineteenth century (1858), the medal for 'Epigram' was divided into two, one for each ancient language, so that thereafter four medals were available each year, for a (i) Greek Ode; (ii) Latin Ode; (iii) Greek Epigram; (iv) Latin Epigram. The medals, which are only awarded if an entry is judged to be sufficiently good by the three examiners, are open for competition to all undergraduate members of the University of Cambridge. Below are listed the top winners of medals, in terms of the total accrued, over the last 235 years. Theoretically, since four medals are offered each year, twelve could be won during an individual's three-year undergraduate career, but no one has come close to such a formidable achievement.
|
Composer |
College |
Medal Tally |
Medals Won |
| J. C. Moss |
St John's |
8 |
Greek Ode 1879, Latin Ode 1879, Greek Epigram 1879, Greek Ode 1880, Latin Ode 1880, Greek Ode 1881, Latin Ode 1881, Greek Epigram 1881
|
| D. J. Butterfield |
Christ's |
7 |
Greek Ode 2005, Latin Ode 2005, Greek Epigram 2005, Latin Epigram 2005, Greek Ode 2006, Latin Ode 2006, Greek Epigram 2006
|
|
N. Hopkinson |
Peterhouse | 7 |
Greek Ode 1978, Greek Epigram 1978, Latin Epigram 1978, Greek Ode 1979, Latin Ode 1979, Greek Epigram 1979 Latin Epigram 1979
|
| W. G. Headlam |
King's | 7 |
Greek Ode 1885, Latin Ode 1885, Greek Ode 1886, Latin Ode 1886, Greek Ode 1887, Latin Ode 1887, Latin Epigram 1888
|
| J. Hildyard |
Christ's | 6 (7) |
Greek Ode 1830, Greek Ode 1831, Latin Ode 1831, Epigram 1831, Greek Ode 1832, Latin Ode 1832
|
| F. H. Rawlins |
King's | 6 |
Greek Epigram 1871, Greek Ode 1872, Latin Epigram 1872, Greek Ode 1873, Latin Ode 1873, Greek Epigram 1873
|
| M. McCullagh |
Trinity | 5 |
Greek Ode 1996, Latin Epigram 1996, Greek Ode 1997, Latin Ode 1997, Latin Epigram 1997
|
| J. C. McKeown |
Queens' | 5 |
Greek Ode 1973, Latin Ode 1973, Greek Ode 1974, Latin Ode 1974, Greek Epigram 1974
|
| W. M. Praed |
Trinity |
4 (6) |
Greek Ode 1822, Epigram 1822, Greek Ode 1823, Epigram 1824
|
|
W. Frere |
Trinity |
3 (5) |
Epigram 1796, Greek Ode 1797,
Epigram 1797
|
| J. Goodall | King's | 3 (5) |
Greek Ode 1781, Epigram 1781, Epigram 1782 |
| K. A. A. Kwarteng | Trinity | 4 |
Greek Ode 1995, Latin Ode 1995,
Latin Epigram 1995, Latin Ode 1996
|
| C. L. Bullock | Trinity | 4 |
Latin Ode 1912, Latin Ode 1913, Greek Epigram 1913, Latin Epigram 1914
|
| L. D. Barnett | Trinity | 4 |
Greek Ode 1893, Greek Epigram 1893, Greek Ode 1894, Greek Ode 1896
|
|
H. V. MacNaghten |
King's |
4
|
Greek Epigram 1883, Latin Epigram 1883,
Greek Ode 1884, Latin Ode 1884
|
| H. J. S. Maine | Pembroke | 3 (4) |
Latin Ode 1842, Latin Ode 1843, Epigram 1843
|
| H. J. T. Drury | Caius | 3 (4) |
Latin Ode 1833, Latin Ode 1835, Epigram 1835
|
| B. H. Kennedy | St John's | 3 (4) |
Greek Ode 1824, Latin Ode 1824, Epigram 1824
|
| E. V. Blomfield | Caius | 3 (4) |
Greek Ode 1808, Epigram 1808, Greek Ode 1809 |
The 'clean sweep' of all available medals has been achieved only four times, by Frere in 1824 (3 medals available), Hildyard in 1831 (3 medals available), Hopkinson in 1979 (4 medals available) and Butterfield in 2005 (4 medals available).
Classical Turns - Latin translator
for swift and professional Latin translation etc.