During the early morning hours of Wednesday, 11 February 1807, William Elliston, Master of Sidney, lay dying at his Lodge. He had been Master for nearly fifty years, and had seen many changes in the life and manners of the University. When a comparatively young man he had, as Vice-Chancellor, played an important, and, some thought a decisive, part in the contest between Lord Hardwicke and Lord Sandwich for the High Stewardship; but except on that occasion he had not been active as a University politician. He had, however, been a good Master; and though he had probably outlived his usefulness, his loss would be regretted, particularly because there was no obvious person to succeed him. John Holden, who had been an extremely successful Tutor of the college, and had seemed destined to become its Master in due course, had died a few years before; and his colleague in the tutorship, George Butler, who had attained the rare honour for a Sidney man of being Senior Wrangler, and was a much respected member of the society, had in 1805 become Headmaster of Harrow School. Butler, though still a Fellow, had therefore ceased to play an active part in college business, and as the Master was under a statutory obligation to reside for at least six months of the year, he seemed to have abandoned any idea of being Elliston's successor. Some of the other Fellows were unwilling to shoulder the burden of high office, and others were thought unfit to do so.