Simpkin (cat)
{{Short description|Resident cat at the University of Oxford}}
Simpkin is the name of the resident cat at Hertford College, Oxford. The college's tradition of keeping a mouser was started in the early 1970s by the former college principal Geoffrey Warnock.{{Cite news|url=https://www.hertford.ox.ac.uk/alumni/hertford-today/the-simpkin-dynasty|title=The Simpkin Dynasty - Hertford College {{!}} University of Oxford|work=Hertford College {{!}} University of Oxford|access-date=2024-09-13|language=en-GB}} The college's cat is named Simpkin after a character in the children's book, The Tailor of Gloucester, by Beatrix Potter.{{cite book |last=Potter |first=Beatrix |date=2002 |title=The Tailor of Gloucester |publisher=Frederick Warne & Co. |isbn=978-0-7232-4772-2 |edition= |url=https://archive.org/details/tailorofgloucest00pottuoft}}
To date, Hertford College has had four college cats called Simpkin. The first three were black with white chest and feet, but the current one, Simpkin IV, is entirely black.
Simpkin I (mouser from c.1971 – ?)
Simpkin I, originally named Blanca, was given to the daughter of Hertford College's then principal, Geoffrey Warnock, and arrived at the college as a kitten. Renamed Simpkin after the character in The Tailor of Gloucester, he gained public notoriety on one occasion by having to be rescued from a high roof at New College, Oxford by the local fire brigade.{{Cite news|url=https://www.hertford.ox.ac.uk/alumni/hertford-today/the-simpkin-dynasty/simpkin|title=Simpkin I {{!}} University of Oxford|work=Hertford College {{!}} University of Oxford|access-date=2024-09-13|language=en-GB}}
Simpkin II (1986 – 17 Dec 1999)
Simpkins (aka Simpkin II) was born in Oxford in 1986, and arrived at the college in that year. Noted for being a keen hunter, he is mentioned in the book College Cats of Oxford and Cambridge{{cite book |last=Surman |first=Richard |date=1995 |title=College Cats of Oxford and Cambridge |publisher=HarperCollins |isbn=978-0-0062-7869-6 |edition=1st |url=https://archive.org/details/collegecats00surm/}} as stalking and then being forced to flee by an angry mallard drake.
Simpkins died on 17 December 1999, aged 14 years. He was succeeded very briefly by a white kitten called "Sir G", who was stolen soon after arriving on campus.{{Cite news|url=https://www.hertford.ox.ac.uk/alumni/hertford-today/the-simpkin-dynasty/simpkins-simpkin-ii|title=Simpkins (Simpkin II) {{!}} University of Oxford|work=Hertford College {{!}} University of Oxford|access-date=2024-09-13|language=en-GB}}
Simpkin III (2000 – Aug 2016)
Simpkin III came to Hertford College in 2000, and served as mouser for 15 years. A notable event of his career was an occasion where he boarded a milk delivery van and was inadvertently carried to Winchester, over 50 miles away.
He died in August 2016 and his remains buried in Hertford College's OB Quad.{{Cite news|url=https://www.hertford.ox.ac.uk/alumni/hertford-today/the-simpkin-dynasty/simpkin-iii|title=Simpkin III {{!}} University of Oxford|work=Hertford College {{!}} University of Oxford|access-date=2024-09-13|language=en-GB}}
Simpkin IV (2017 – )
Simpkin IV, the current incumbent mouser, was originally called Buddy, and was 4 or 5 years old when he joined the college. He was found as a stray in the Torbay region and, after various adventures, ended up at the nicest home of his life, the college, after Christmas 2017.{{Cite news|url=https://www.hertford.ox.ac.uk/alumni/hertford-today/the-simpkin-dynasty/simpkin-iv|title=Simpkin IV {{!}} University of Oxford|work=Hertford College {{!}} University of Oxford|access-date=2024-09-13|language=en-GB}} He is known for incursions into the territory of Walter, the mouser of Exeter College, Oxford; in January 2022 he was formally banned from entry to Exeter's library.{{Cite news|url=https://cherwell.org/2022/10/14/wags-in-the-rag/|title=Wags in the Rag - Hertford’s college cat, Simpkin|work=Cherwell, Oxford's oldest student newspaper|access-date=2024-09-13|language=en-GB}}
Simpkin IV has his own Instagram page, operated on his behalf by the Hertford College JCR.{{Instagram | simpkinthehertfordcat | simpkinthehertfordcat}}