The confraternity was founded in 1857 as an Anglo-Catholic devotional brotherhood and was otherwise known as Sanctae Trinitatis Confraternitas or the S.T.C. The members were encouraged to be regular in their attendance at Eucharist services both in college chapels and in the parish churches of Cambridge. Formal society meetings were known as ''Chapters'' and there were additional meetings with guest speakers. The charitable use of Alms collected by the society was decided at Chapter. The members were initially referred to as the ''Brethren'' and were drawn from both male senior members and male undergraduates. Latterly women were also admitted.