Exeter College was founded  in 1314 by Walter de Stapeldon who became Bishop of Exeter and Treasurer of England under Edward II. It was originally known as Stapeldon Hall and its members mainly came from the south-western counties, especially Devon and Cornwall. All that remains of this medieval college is the building known as Palmer's Tower. Through the generosity of Sir William Petre, a former undergraduate and one of the leading statesmen of his time, the college's fortunes were transformed by new property and a  wider  area of  recruitment. The results were seen in the early seventeenth century when Exeter became one of the leading colleges in the University