Oxford 1863 directory index
Directory of Pubs in the UK, historical public houses, Taverns, Inns, Beer Houses and Hotels in Oxfordshire. The Oxfordshire listing uses information from census, Trade Directories and History to add licensees, bar staff, Lodgers and Visitors.
The following entries are in this format:
Year/Publican or other Resident/Relationship to Head and or Occupation/Age/Where Born/Source.
Oxford University.
THE UNIVERSITY.
Alfred the Great is usually regarded as the founder of the University of
Oxford, though it is certain that no institution resembling what is now
called an university existed in Europe prior to the latter part of the 12th,
or the beginning of the 13th century. That great monarch, who frequently
held his court here, is said to have instituted three schools for
philosophy, grammar, and divinity; and it is probable that the assigning the
origin to this prince may have reference to this fact. The earliest places
of education in Oxford appear to have been cloistral schools, coeval with
the early monastic establishments; secular schools appear to have speedily
followed, and as these grew in importance the largest of them were termed
Halls, or Hostels. It may confidently be assumed that Alfred, who so nobly
encouraged learning in a dark age, and who found his dominions, in point of
education, in so defective a condition, would extend to these institutions
his patronage and support. Oxford was certainly a place of study at the time
of the Norman invasion. Robert D'Oyley, to whom the government of the city
was intrusted under the conqueror, founded in the castle a college of
secular canons, which became annexed to the Abbey of Ouseney, and was placed
under the control of a warden, who, with the students, was called the warden
and scholars of St. George within the castle. This institution soon rose
into celebrity, and Oxford, during the reign of the early Norman Kings,
became the great seat of learning of the kingdom. According to the best
authorities, the earliest charters of incorporation were first granted about
the year 1260, in the latter part of the reign of Henry III, at which time
the educational establishments of the city began to approximate their
present form. University, Merton, and Balliol Colleges were founded in the
13th century, and in the 14th century, Exeter, Oriel, Queen's, and New
Colleges. At this time the collegiate system was fully established. The
founding of Lincoln, All Soul's, and Magdalene followed in the 15th century.
In the 16th century the colleges of Brasenose, Corpus Christi, Christ
Church, Trinity, St. John's and Jesus' were founded; Wadham and Pembroke
were erected in the 17th century, and Worcester in the 18th, making an
aggregate of nineteen colleges. In addition to these colleges, which are all
incorporated bodies, there are five halls, which differ from the colleges
only in not being incorporated; consequently the University holds in trust
the estates and other property belonging to them. Professorships have been
endowed in nearly all the fundamental branches of human knowledge, the most
important of which are as follows :—the Regius Professorships of Divinity,
Civil Law, Medicine, Hebrew and Greek, founded by Henry VIII.; a Regius
Professorship of Modern History and Modern Languages, founded by George I.
in 1724, and confirmed by George II. in 1728; a Professorship of Botany,
founded and endowed with £3,000 by Dr. William Sherard, in 1728, to which
department a Regius Professorship was added by George III., in 1793; the
Professorship of Natural Philosophy was founded in 1618, by Sir W. Sedley,
Bart., and endowed with lands which now yield about £150 per annum. The
Savilian Professorships of Geometry and Astronomy were founded in 1619, by
Sir Henry Savile, and are open to persons of every nation. The Camden
Professorship of Ancient History was founded in 1622, by William Camden,
Esq., the celebrated antiquarian, and endowed with the manor of Bexley, in
Kent; a Prelectorship of Anatomy was founded in 1623, by Richard Tombins,
Esq., and appointed to be held by the Regius Professors of Medicine; the
Professorship of Music was founded in 1626, by William Heather, Esq., but is
held on one appointment, only for the term of one year; the Laudian
Professorship of Arabic was founded in 1636, by Archbishop Laud, and endowed
with lands in the parish of Bray, in Berkshire; the Professorship of Poetry
was founded by Dr. Henry Berkhead, of tho Inner Temple, but is held for only
five years, yet admits of one re-appointment; the Anglo-Saxon Professorship
was founded in 1750, by Dr. Richard Rawlinson, and is held only for five
years, admits an Englishman and a bachelor, and is endowed with rent charges
on lands in Lancashire ; the Vinerian Professorship of Common Law, was
founded by Charles Viner, Esq., who, in 1755, bequeathed about £12,000, for
endowing both it and some fellowships and scholarships of Common Law; the
first person who held it was the great Blackstone; the Clinical
Professorship, for reading clinical lectures in the Radcliffe Infirmary to
the students in medicine, was founded and endowed by the Earl of Lichfield,
who died in 1772; the Aldrichian Professorships of Anatomy, the practice of
medicine and chemistry were founded in 1803, under the will of Dr. Aldrich,
the first is annexed to the prelectorship of anatomy, and the second and
third are in the gift of the convocation; an Anatomical Lectureship,
distinct from the Prelectorship in the same department, was founded about
1750, by Dr. Matthew Lee ; the Professorship of Political Economy was
founded in 1825, by Henry Drummond, Esq., and endowed with a rent charge of
£100 on his estates in Surrey. A Readership in Arabic is maintained out of
the Almonry bounty, and Readerships in Experimental Philosophy, ia
Mineralogy, and in Geology, are supported by a grant from the crown. Great
additions have been made to the stipends of these professorships, and
several new ones instituted, from funds provided by fellowships in certain
colleges being devoted to the purpose by the University Commissioners. The
two Radcliffe travelling Fellowships are each endowed with £300 a year and
conferred on masters of arts who have entered on the study of physic, they
can be held for ten years only, at least half of which time must be spent in
travels beyond sea; two Vjnerian Fellowships endowed with £50 per annum
each, and five scholarships endowed with £30 per annum, are also held for
ten years; the Craven Scholarships, two in number, are held for fourteen
years. The Select Preacherships are filled by annual appointment, and cannot
be held longer than two years; twelve of the twenty-four Whitehall
Preacherships established by George I., in 1724, belong to Oxford, and can
be held only by fellows of Colleges. The Bampton Lectureship, for a series
of eight lectures on divinity, is annual and cannot be held twice by the
same person. The University sermons of each Sabbath morning during term are
preached in rotation by the heads of houses, the Dean and Canons cf Christ
Church, the two Professors of Divinity, and the Professor of Hebrew.
The University of Oxford is a corporate body styled the Chancellor, Masters,
and Scholars of the University of Oxford—the house of Congregation and the
house of Convocation. It is governed by statutes of its own making, and
returns two members to parliament. The office of Chancellor is generally
held by a peer of the realm, who is elected by the votes of the members of
the convocation. He is required to attend the meetings of the University at
his installation, and in the case of royal visits. The Vice Chancellor is
the highest resident officer of the University; he is always the Lead of a
college, and is nominated by the Chancellor, and approved by tho
Convocation. The Proctors are chosen annually out of the colleges in turns,
and are two masters of arts of at least four years standing. Each of the
Proctors nominate two Pro-Proctors as deputies; the latter are masters of
arts of any college or hall. The Public Orator is chosen by Convocation, and
is appointed to the office for life.
Each college or hall has a President, who is elected for life, and is
variously styled in the different institutions Dean, Rector, Provost,
Warden, President, Master, of Principal. The Heads of Colleges are chosen by
the Fellows, except in the case of Christ Church, the Dean of which is
nominated by the crown, and of four of the halls, who are appointed by the
Chancellor. The Provost of Worcester College is also appointed by the
Chancellor- The Principal of St. Edmund's Hall is appointed by the Provost
and Fellows of Queen's College. The Fellows, in conjunction with the Heads
of Colleges, are the managers of the internal affairs and estates of the
society. The church preferment attached to each college is distributed by
this body according to seniority as vacancies occur. The other members of
the various colleges consist of scholars, embracing noblemen,
gentlemen-commoners, commoners, students (of Christ Church), chaplains,
bible clerks, exhibitioners, and servitors. There are also tutors who
conduct the studies of the junior members, and bursars or treasurers;
singing clerks, choristers, and organists are attached to those colleges
that have choirs. The college servants are the butler, the manciple or
steward, the cook, and the porter. The periods during which the University
is open are called terms; there are four in the year, viz., Michaelmas term,
from 10th October to 17th December; Hilary term, from 14th January to the
day before Palm Sunday, except that day should be a festival, in which case
the term ends the Monday following; Easter Term, from the 10th day after
Easter Sunday to the day before Whit Sunday; and Trinity term, which begins
on the Wednesday after Whit Sunday, and ends on the first Saturday in July.
Every member of the University on his matriculation (excepting those who
declare themselves not to be of the Church of England), subscribes before
the Vice-Chancellor to the thirty-nine Articles, takes the oaths of
allegiance and supremacy, and swears to observe all the statutes,
privileges, and customs of the University. Previous to obtaining a degree,
the members are termed "undergraduates." The decrees taken are in arts, law,
divinity, medicine, and music. The degree of bachelor of arts requires
twelve terms from the sons of peers, baronets, and knights, and 16 terms in
duration, but twelve only in attendance, from all other persons; and that of
master requires, in addition, twelve terms in duration. The degree of
bachelor in civil law, without proceeding through the arts, requires
twenty-eight terms in duration, and 17 in residence, yet is allowed at an
earlier period to persons upon a law foundation, in certain colleges; and
that of doctor in civil law requires four years in addition for professional
practice in Doctors Commons, and five years from all other persons. Masters
of arts, dating from the period of their becoming such, require to spend
three years for the degree of bachelor of civil law, and four more for that
of doctor; one year for that of bachelor in medicine, and three more for
that of doctor; seven years for that of bachelor in divinity, and four more
for that of doctor. Previous to admission to the degree of bachelor of arts,
it is necessary to undergo responsions and two public examinations. The
responsians, called " little-go" or "smalls," are usually taken at the end
of the Student's first year; the first public examination, called "
moderations" or "mods" at the end of the second year; the second public
examination called "great-go" or "greats," at the end of the third, year.
The responsions are held thrice, the public examinations each twice in the
year.
The members of the University are robed according to rank and degree. A
master of arts is distinguished by a black gown with pendent sleeves, and
hood of black silk, lined with crimson; a doctor in divinity has the same
dress with the addition of cassock, sash, and scarf; a bachelor of arts has
a black gown with full sleeves looped at the elbow and running to a point; a
proctor has black gown with sleeves and facings of black velvet, and a
tippet hanging from the left shoulder; a pro-proctor has the gown of a
master of arts, with velvet facings, and a tippet on the left shoulder. The
dresses of undergraduates vary with their rank: a nobleman has a black silk
gown, and square velvet cap with gold tassel; a gentleman-commoner, silk
gown, with plaited sleeves, and square black velvet cap with silk tassel; a
commoner, black gown without sleeves, a broad strip hanging from each
shoulder, attached to the bottom of the gown, and gathered into plaits near
the top, with a black cloth cap, with silk tassel; the dress of a servitor
is similar, but has no plaits, and the cap isf without tassel.
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