This may have been occasioned by the carelessness of young students, not aware of the importance of inscribing their names, and if so, it was probably caused also by some carelessness in the Junior Proctors, whose duty it was to see that the Candidates had correctly written their names, before they were presented for Degrees. But it seems to have frequently happened that when the B. A, Degree is not recorded, the entrance is left unrecorded also. This was probably because the Candidate had taken his first Degree at Oxford or Cambridge, and no record of his admission ad eundem to Dublin was kept, the ad eundem Degree being only an acceptance of the English Degree, and accompanied by no special ceremony in this University.
III. The Senior Lecturers' Books. These contain, in the handwriting of the Senior Lecturer of the year, the names and Christian names of all students admitted to enter the College, with the names and professions of their fathers, the place of their own births, age at entrance, the school at which they were educated, and their College Tutors.
The oldest Senior Lecturer's book now extant begins 12th January, 163⅞, and continues to 28th November, 1644: there is then a chasm to 20th January, 1652, when the entries are resumed. The earliest admission recorded in this book[1] is that of William, eldest son of the Earl of Strafford, being then (12th Jan. 163⅞) 11½ years old. His College Tutor was Dr. Harding, then Vice-Provost.
At a later period the Senior Lecturers kept another series of books, containing an account of the attendance of students at the Quarterly, or Term Examinations, and their answering.
IV. The Books of the Registrar of Chambers contain the names of students who have occupied Chambers in the College, with the rent paid, and duration of their residence. These
- ↑ A curious custom exists, designed to mark the relative merit of the students who are admitted on the same day. The best answerer is said to be admitted at noon; the second best, one minute after noon; the third, two minutes after noon, and so on. This custom has been noticed, Notes and Queries, 4th S. II., No. 48, p. 510, and seems to have puzzled the Querist.
