The Registrary is the senior administrative officer of the University of Cambridge

University of Cambridge

The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...

. The term is unique to Cambridge, and uses an archaic spelling. Most universities in the United Kingdom

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

 and in North America

North America

North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...

 have administrative offices entitled "Registrar

Registrar (academic)

In education outside the United Kingdom, a registrar or registrary is an official in an academic institution who handles student records. Typically, a registrar processes registration requests, schedules classes and maintains class lists, enforces the rules for entering or leaving classes, and...

" or "the Registry", although typically with substantially less official responsibility than the Cambridge post.

At Cambridge, the Registrary is also Secretary to the University Council. As the head of the University's Unified Administrative Service, the Registrary is responsible for the central management and the non-academic services of the University. The Registrary has control of the University Chest (formerly a physical chest

Chest (furniture)

A chest is one of the oldest forms of furniture. It is typically a rectangular structure with four walls and a liftable lid, for storage. The interior space may be subdivided...

 in which the funds of the University were held secure, now a metaphor for the University's bank account

Bank account

A Bank account is a financial account recording the financial transactions between the customer and the bank and the resulting financial position of the customer with the bank .-Account types:...

s). The actual chest is still kept in the Registrary's office. It is over 600 years old and is locked with 17 locks. The previous chest was burned in the Cambridge Peasants Revolt of 1381. Until the 14th Century, the University's books were also kept in the chest.

The office of the Registrary was established in 1506, to compile and maintain the records of the University. The office has been held by only 26 persons in continuous succession since that date. Many early Registraries held, or had held, the office of Esquire Bedell

Esquire Bedell

An Esquire Bedell is a junior ceremonial officer of a university, usually with official duties relating to the conduct of ceremonies for the conferment of degrees. The word is closely related to the archaic Bedel and modern English Beadle. The term is primarily associated with universities in the...

. The current Registrary is Dr Jonathan Nicholls

Jonathan Nicholls

Jonathan Nicholls has been the Registrary of the University of Cambridge since October 2007.Nicholls was educated at Culford School, the University of Bristol , and Emmanuel College . He was a Herchel Smith Scholar at Harvard...

, who took office in October 2007.

List of Registrarys

• 1506 Robert Hobbs (Hobys)
• 1543 John Mere
• 1558 Matthew Stokys (Stokes)
• 1591 Thomas Smith
• 1600 James Tabor
• 1645 Matthew Whinn
• 1683 James Halman
• 1701 Robert Grove
• 1725 Lancelot Newton
• 1734 John Taylor
• 1751 Lynford Caryl
• 1758 Henry Hubbard
• 1778 George Borlase
• 1809 William Augustus Pemberton
• 1816 William Hustler
• 1832 Joseph Romilly
  Joseph Romilly
  -Life:He was son of Thomas Peter Romilly of London, by his cousin Jane Anne, second daughter of Isaac Romilly. Sir Samuel Romilly was his uncle. He entered Trinity College, Cambridge, in 1809, became a scholar of the college, and graduated B.A. in 1813 as fourth wrangler. He was elected Fellow in...
  
  
• 1862 Henry Richards Luard
  Henry Richards Luard
  Henry Richards Luard was a British medieval historian and antiquary.-Biography:Luard was the son of Henry Luard. He received his early education at Cheam. He graduated from Trinity College, Cambridge in 1847, and 1849 was elected to a Fellowship. He entered holy orders, and served as vicar of...
  
  
• 1891 John Willis Clark
  John Willis Clark
  John Willis Clark , sometimes J. W. Clark, was an English academic and antiquarian.Clark was born into a Cambridge University academic family, and was a nephew of Prof. Robert Willis...
  
  
• 1910 John Neville Keynes
  John Neville Keynes
  John Neville Keynes was a British economist and father of John Maynard Keynes.-Biography:Born in Salisbury, he was the son of Dr John Keynes and his wife Anna Maynard Neville . He was educated at Amersham Hall School, University College London and Pembroke College, Cambridge, where he became a...
  
  
• 1925 Ernest Harrison
• 1943 Walter Wyatt Grave
• 1953 Robert Mantle Rattenbury
• 1969 Roderick Ewen Macpherson
• 1983 Stephen George Fleet
  Stephen Fleet
  Stephen George Fleet was a Master of Downing College, Cambridge, the Cambridge University Registrary and a researcher in mineral sciences and crystallography....
  
  
• 1997 Timothy John Mead
• 2007 Jonathan Nicholls
  Jonathan Nicholls
  Jonathan Nicholls has been the Registrary of the University of Cambridge since October 2007.Nicholls was educated at Culford School, the University of Bristol , and Emmanuel College . He was a Herchel Smith Scholar at Harvard...