Trinity College and the Steamboat Ladies

On Saturday, April 29th, [1905] a good number (87) of women from Oxford and Cambridge — mostly from the latter University — assembled in No. 6 to don their gowns and hoods. It was a merry gathering old friends who had not met since College days greeted each other.19 

With this flood of women arriving at the gates of Trinity, attempts were made to abrogate the agreement, but Traill insisted that the Senate could not renege on its commitment. He mollified the Senate by promising that all fees collected would be committed to the construction of a women s residence at Trinity. 

During the near-four-year period this dispensation was in effect, approximately 700 Oxbridge women availed themselves of the opportunity to purchase a formal degree. Following the expiration of the agreement, Girton and Newnham students jointly petitioned the Trinity Senate to renew the privilege, but this was denied. Subsequent petitions, even one by two Indian princesses, were also dismissed.20 The window of opportunity had closed. 

---