College Crest
The arms of Girton College were first granted in 1928. They are an amalgamation of the various arms of the founders and benefactors of the college.
Emily Davies
The green and white of the Girton Shield represent (Sarah) Emily Davies (1830–1921), considered to be the principal founder of the college. As she had no family coat of arms, the colours were designed to reflect her Welsh ancestry. With Barbara Bodichon, she organised the first women’s suffrage petition to Parliament in 1866, presented by John Stuart Mill. She then went on to be Mistress of Girton from 1872–1875, and directed the College’s financial and general policy until 1904. She is also commemorated by the Emily Davies Court (the first part of the College to be built) and the Emily Davies Bursary Fund.
Barbara Bodichon
Barbara (Leigh-Smith) Bodichon (1827–1891) is represented by the ermines, taken from the ‘Ermines, three roundels or’ of the Smith family shield. She was one of the original campaigners for women’s suffrage and education and, with Emily Davies, was instrumental in founding Girton. She was an accomplished artist, and many of her pictures now hang in the College. Ermines are represented by three dots above an arrow-like shape, though sometimes the ermines on the College Crest have been erroneously represented as a single christmas tree-like figure.
Henry Tomkinson
The cross dividing the shield into four is taken from the arms of Henry R Tomkinson (1831–1906), Treasurer of the College from 1869–1875. His family shield bears ‘Azure, a cross patonce between four martlets or, all within a border ermine’. Tomkinson was an important diplomat for Girton within the University of Cambridge. He was ‘a product of Rugby, Trinity, a Wrangler and a Blue, ex-Bursar of Marlborough, managing director of the Sun Life Insurance Office’ and ‘possessed more influence over Emily Davies than anyone else…his conciliation – even more, his sense of humour – was needed both to combat outside prejudice and to reconcile the conflicting ideals of Miss Davies and her little band’ (quotes from Muriel Bradbrook, That Infidel Place: A short history of Girton College 1869–1969 Chatto & Windus 1969, p 7).
Lady Stanley
Finally, the red crescent shapes are taken from the arms of Henrietta Maria, Lady Stanley of Alderley (1807–1895). Her arms are ‘Argent, a lion passant between three crescents gules’, from the arms of 13th Viscount Dillon, her father. She was a great benefactor of Girton and an Acting Mistress, and an avid campaigner for women’s suffrage and education. After the death of her husband, she became a public supporter of Girton, and the Stanley Library is named after her.
