The Colleges of Oxford: Their History and Traditions by Andrew Clark

The Colleges of Oxford: Their History and Traditions, edited by Andrew Clark, is not merely a compilation of institutional histories but an insightful collective biography of one of the world’s greatest academic centers. Drawing on contributions from members of the colleges themselves, this volume seeks to transcend mere institutional annals by showing how the history of any single Oxford college “reflects from age to age the social, religious, and intellectual conditions of the nation at large”. Clark structured the book so that individual colleges highlight particular historical periods or constitutional issues—such as the Renaissance (Balliol, Corpus Christi), the Civil War (Merton), or early social conditions (Queen’s)—thereby constructing a complete and coherent picture of collegiate life over six centuries. This approach provides a richly detailed mosaic, chronicling everything from scholarly disputations and architectural marvels to internal strife, corruption, and dramatic periods of academic reform.

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Who May Benefit from the Book

• Historians of English education and society.
• Oxford University alumni and members.
• Scholars specializing in collegiate constitutional development.
• Antiquaries interested in architecture and daily life.
• Researchers of the English Reformation and Civil War eras.

Top 3 Key Insights

1. Oxford colleges functioned as vital mirrors reflecting the constitutional, social, religious, and intellectual state of the wider nation throughout their existence.
2. Early foundations, rejecting strict monasticism, aimed to promote secular learning and maintain internal discipline, though standards fluctuated wildly.
3. The university endured cycles of profound academic decay, especially in the 18th century, interspersed with intense periods of intellectual revival and institutional reform.

4 More Lessons and Takeaways

1. College statutes imposed intricate rules concerning dress, conversation (often Latin or Greek), residency, and course of study, leading to frequent conflicts with evolving academic norms.
2. Conflicts over governance often involved contentious elections, external visitors’ interference (including royal mandates), and financial disputes between heads and fellows.
3. Intellectual movements, such as Renaissance humanism, were often concentrated and championed within specific college halls before spreading throughout the university (e.g., Balliol, Corpus Christi).
4. Philanthropic endowments sometimes included peculiar rules, such as Lady Elizabeth Hastings’ exhibition where election was partly decided by lot “as leaving something to Providence”.

The Book in 1 Sentence

This detailed collection chronicles the varied histories, evolving constitutional structures, and enduring traditions of Oxford’s colleges, illuminating their pivotal role in British intellectual life.

The Book Summary in 1 Minute

This extensive collection, featuring contributions from college members, meticulously details the history and constitutional life of Oxford’s colleges. It illustrates how these institutions, from their medieval origins, served as primary sites for intellectual and social change, navigating the Reformation, the Civil War, and periods of both torpor and brilliant scholarship. The volume emphasizes the founders’ intentions, the imposition of strict statutory discipline (often requiring Latin conversation), the architectural evolution, and the impact of great figures from Wycliffe to Dr. Johnson, offering an essential record of the collegiate system.

The 1 Completely Unique Aspect

The editor structured the twenty-one distinct college histories not for exhaustive coverage but to deliberately focus each college on a particular period or theme—such as early social conditions (Queen’s) or the Civil War (Merton)—thereby collectively generating a multifaceted, intelligible historical panorama of Oxford life.

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Chapter-wise Book Summary

Chapter I. University College

“If ever there was a lie in the world, that which we find in that Charter is as great a one as ever the Devil told since he deceived our first Parents in Paradise.”

The historical origin of University College dates back to Master William of Durham, who bequeathed 310 marks in 1249 to maintain Masters studying at Oxford, following a major influx of scholars invited by Henry III. after conflicts in Paris. Despite this, the college fabricated a fictitious antiquity, producing a forged deed dated A.D. 1220 that William Smith declared “as great a one as ever the Devil told”. The college’s history reflects broader national crises, notably during the reign of James II., when Master Obadiah Walker openly declared himself a Romanist and secured a royal dispensation. Walker installed Jesuits, seized college rooms for a mass chapel, and used his influence to put up a statue of James II., yet failed to request any favors for the society itself. Walker, however, was also a man of piety and learning, respected by figures like Dr. John Radcliffe, who, despite not being converted to Romanism, supported Walker financially in his later years.

• Chapter Key Points:
  • Falsified claims of 13th-century foundation.
  • Obadiah Walker caused constitutional crisis under James II.
  • Dr. Radcliffe, a major benefactor, supported Walker despite theological difference.

Chapter II. Balliol College

“The Master was to enjoy no greater allowance than Fellows who were Masters of Arts, but he retained the right to hold a benefice.”

Balliol College underwent early constitutional instability, evidenced by the confusing, tripartite visitatorial system established by Sir Philip Somerville’s statutes (c. 1340). A pivotal change came in 1507 when Bishop Richard Fox framed new statutes, cementing the college’s unique right to elect its own Visitor and imposing a distinctively theological focus. Historically, Balliol lays claim to the famed reformer John Wycliffe, who served as Master in 1360 and 1361. More significantly, in the 15th century, Balliol became a center of the Renaissance movement, sending scholars like William Grey and John Tiptoft to study in Italy under Guarino, where they amassed magnificent collections of manuscripts for Oxford’s libraries. Despite this initial eminence, Balliol suffered centuries of “lazy torpor and bad living” until its major academic revival began after 1798 under Master John Parsons, who vigorously reformed the tutorial and public examination systems.

• Chapter Key Points:
  • Wycliffe was Master in the 14th century.
  • Pioneered Renaissance studies and manuscript collection.
  • Revival catalyzed by Master Parsons and examination reform (early 19th century).

Chapter III. Merton College

“The inmates of the College were to live by a common rule under a common head; but they were to take no vows, to join no monastic fraternity, on pain of deprivation, and to undertake no ascetic or ceremonial obligations.”

Merton College, founded by Walter de Merton in the 13th century, was revolutionary, aiming to establish a seminary for secular clergy that explicitly forbade monastic fraternity and vows. The Founder exhibited remarkable foresight by empowering members to amend the statutes as needed. The College was rigorously governed by Visitors; Archbishop Peckham, for instance, prohibited the enrollment of medical students and curtailed the study of Canon Law. Merton was a noted stronghold of Wycliffite thought and, during the Civil War, suffered internal division and external control. A key characteristic of Merton’s intellectual life was the system of “Variations,” where Masters performed public disputations in Hall on philosophical and theological topics, serving as crucial intellectual trials before the age of formal examinations.

• Chapter Key Points:
  • A constitutional pioneer focused on secular learning.
  • Visitors imposed strict control on curriculum and daily conduct.
  • Intellectual rigor maintained through the “Variations” system of disputations.

Chapter IV. Exeter College

“The life was simple. Besides the ‘commons’ (i. e. allowances for food), ‘liveries’ (i. e. clothes) were supplied about once in three years.”

Exeter College originated as Stapeldon Hall in 1314, dedicated by Walter de Stapeldon, Bishop of Exeter, to housing poor scholars studying theology. The early life was highly disciplined and simple; staples like knives and forks were sometimes chained to the table, though the emphasis on poverty fostered the rise of scholars from humble beginnings, such as Bishop John Prideaux and critic William Gifford. Exeter experienced a strong contrast in management: under the Puritan Rector John Conant (Commonwealth era), the college was a model of discipline and learning, with Conant even instructing college servants in religion. However, the Restoration brought a dramatic decline under his successor, Joseph Maynard, who was cited as a “drunken governor” and forgot the “decorum of a scholar”.

• Chapter Key Points:
  • Supported poor scholars, fostering upward mobility.
  • Rector Conant implemented exceptionally rigorous discipline and study.
  • Academic and moral decline followed rapidly after the Restoration.

Chapter V. Oriel College

“This Society, if it ever came into actual existence at all, lasted only a little more than a twelvemonth; and on the first of January, 1325-6, its possessions were surrendered by Adam de Brome into the King’s hands, as a preliminary to its re-establishment under the King’s name.”

Oriel College, initially styled the College of St. Mary, was founded by Adam de Brome in 1324 and subsequently refounded by Edward II.. Early collegiate life was threatened when the University forcibly seized Bishop Cobham’s valuable library, which Adam de Brome had acquired for Oriel, using it instead as the basis for the University’s first library. The college’s internal politics were tumultuous, grappling with Lollardism among its members and persistent election corruption due to the selectors’ absolute freedom of choice. The Visitor, Bishop Fell, severely criticized this practice in 1673. A highly unusual aspect of Oriel’s history is the Hastings foundation (1739), which established exhibitions where the final selection of candidates was made by lot from the top performers, as the founder, Lady Elizabeth Hastings, believed this method left “something to Providence”.

• Chapter Key Points:
  • Lost its initial library collection to the University.
  • Suffered from internal corruption in fellowship elections.
  • Benefitted from the Hastings exhibitions, selected by lot.

Chapter VII. New College

“His appeal was heard by the Bishop of Winchester as Visitor, with Mr. Justice Patteson and Dr. Lushington as Assessors; a New College man, Mr. Erle (afterwards Lord Chief Justice), was one of the petitioner’s counsel.”

New College was the magnificent foundation of William of Wykeham, whose public career is inextricably linked with the history of England. Wykeham structured the academic path meticulously, requiring students to spend seven years (four for B.A., three for M.A.) studying the Seven Arts and Three Philosophies, relying heavily on Aristotle. The college’s deep connection to Winchester College meant it provided “golden Scholars” who gained sinecure positions exempting them from University examinations, a system criticized for producing “leaden Masters”. Disputes over the statutory rights of Founder’s-kin were a recurrent issue, culminating in a major legal appeal in 1829 where Augustus Hare successfully resisted claims based on fictitious pedigrees.

• Chapter Key Points:
  • Curriculum emphasized Seven Arts and three Philosophies.
  • Winchester connection led to unique academic exemptions.
  • Disputes arose over the legitimacy of Founder’s-kin claims.

Chapter VIII. Lincoln College

“The Master, being celebrant, had been assigned double the allowance of any Fellow; and in elections, according to an almost universal custom in Oxford Colleges, his vote counted for two.”

Lincoln College, founded primarily to counter Lollardism, faced early threats of dissolution but was rescued by George Nevill, who was honored with a place in the college’s prayers equal to that of the founder. Archbishop Rotheram refined its statutes, heavily favoring natives of the York and Lincoln dioceses for foundation places. The college suffered severe political manipulation when the Earl of Leicester, the University Chancellor, imposed non-statutory rectors. The late 18th and early 19th centuries were characterized by deep decline, including neglect of endowments and the prevalence of hard-drinking Fellows who spent “wet nights” together. The Rectorship of Edward Tatham, a contentious Bampton Lecturer, was marked by eccentricity; he famously ordered the removal of the grotesque “devil” statue from the gate-tower, irritated by lampoons comparing him to the fiend.

• Chapter Key Points:
  • Saved from dissolution by Archbishop Nevill.
  • Eccentric Rector Edward Tatham battled satirists and removed the “devil” statue.
  • College life declined drastically in the 18th century, exemplified by high-alcohol common room culture.

Chapter IX. All Souls College

“It is to Christopher Codrington that the College owes the magnificent library, which so far surpasses all its rivals in the University, save the Bodleian alone.”

All Souls College, founded by Archbishop Chicheley, holds the tradition of producing early Greek scholars like Linacre, remaining focused on medicine for two centuries, resulting in a large collection of medical books in its library. Warden Hoveden (1571-1614) distinguished himself by successfully resisting attempts by Queen Elizabeth and Sir Walter Raleigh to seize or lease college lands unfairly. All Souls was intensely loyal to the monarchy during the Civil War, contributing significantly to the King’s plate and seeing its Warden, Sheldon, ejected by Parliament. The college is famous for the Codrington Library, a magnificent benefaction from Christopher Codrington (d. 1710), who left 12,000 books and £10,000 for the building. However, the college suffered greatly in the 18th century from non-residence, as Fellows claimed fictitious excuses like studying “physic” or being in Crown service to draw emoluments without fulfilling duties.

• Chapter Key Points:
  • Early strength in medicine (Linacre) and resistance to Crown pressure.
  • The second largest contributor of plate to Charles I.
  • The Codrington Library is the College’s most famous benefaction.

Chapter X. Magdalen College

“Stokesley himself was accused, among other things, of having taken part in some magical incantations, including the baptizing of a cat, in order to discover hidden treasure.”

Magdalen College was founded by William of Waynflete, who had been master of Eton, linking the new foundation to the royal interests of Henry VI. The college received continued royal patronage, notably from Henry VII. The struggle over the Presidentship following Richard Mayew’s departure led to a formal visitation, uncovering extraordinary charges of internal faction and even magical practices among the Fellows. Magdalen was central to later political crises: it suffered greatly during the Civil War, and its Fellows famously resisted James II.’s attempts to impose a President, John Hough, leading to their subsequent expulsion. Despite the turmoil, Magdalen educated celebrated figures like Thomas Wolsey, John Colet, and Joseph Addison.

• Chapter Key Points:
  • Founder tied to Henry VI and Eton College.
  • Early visitations revealed charges of magic and violence among members.
  • Famous for staunch resistance to James II’s mandate on the Presidentship.

Chapter XI. Brasenose College

“The signs of this are unmistakable. The numbers show an unusual increase, and the College is in the front both in the class-lists and in outdoor sports.”

Brasenose College (B.N.C.) was co-founded in 1509 by Bishop William Smyth and Sir Richard Sutton, the first lay founder of any Oxford college. The college’s Royalist zeal was evident during the Parliamentary Visitation when, despite the intrusion of a new Principal, the Fellows secretly elected their preferred candidate, Thomas Yate. B.N.C. experienced a notable era of prosperity leading up to the 19th century, excelling highly in both academics (monopolizing class lists in the early 1800s) and physical activity, representing a combination of “sound bodies and minds”. This period included the composition of Reginald Heber’s famous poem Palestine. The Phoenix Common-room, one of the oldest social clubs in the University, originated here.

• Chapter Key Points:
  • Joint foundation by a Bishop and the first lay founder (Sutton).
  • Noted for intellectual and physical pre-eminence in the 19th century.
  • Reginald Heber composed his prize poem Palestine while residing here.

Chapter XII. Corpus Christi College

“Similar regulations as to teaching are laid down with regard to the Professor of Humanity or Latin, whose special province it is carefully to extirpate all ‘barbarism’ from our ‘bee-hive,’ the name by which, throughout these statutes, Foxe fondly calls his College.”

Founded by Bishop Richard Fox, Corpus Christi was designed as a modern academic powerhouse. Its statutes mandated a groundbreaking approach to learning: it instituted the first permanent public readership in Greek for the entire University. The rigorous regimen required members to attend multiple daily lectures and converse exclusively in Greek or Latin, cultivating the college’s nickname, the “bee-hive”. The curriculum emphasized ancient doctors (Jerome, Augustine) and classical literature (Cicero, Virgil). Corpus Christi, despite its small size, was highly selective, producing titans of divinity and literature like Bishop Jewel and Richard Hooker. Discipline was exceptionally strict; under the Puritan régime in 1648, scholars were punished by being put out of commons and forced to transcribe Aristotle’s Ethics in Greek.

• Chapter Key Points:
  • Inaugurated the first permanent Greek readership.
  • Statutes enforced speaking Latin or Greek at all times.
  • Produced eminent scholars (Hooker, Jewel, Reynolds) despite small numbers.

Chapter XIII. Christ Church

“He did not invent new rules; but worked the old ones with a just and determined spirit, using ‘all the advantages which a capacious mind, an enlarged knowledge of the world, a spirit of command or guidance, and an unconquerable perseverance, could confer.”

Christ Church began as Cardinal College (1524), founded by Wolsey, and was re-established by Henry VIII. in 1546, uniquely combining the College with the Cathedral Church of Oxford. The college was present at the beginnings of the English Reformation, seeing the arrest of early reformers like Garrett. Christ Church holds an important place in intellectual history as the center of the famous 17th-century Phalaris controversy against Richard Bentley, led by members like Charles Boyle and Dean Aldrich. The most influential period of discipline and scholarship was the tenure of Dean Cyril Jackson (1783-1809), who personally taught undergraduates and fostered order that has never since been lost. The legacy of the Oxford Movement is linked to Christ Church through figures like Dr. E. B. Pusey and Dr. H. P. Liddon.

• Chapter Key Points:
  • Dual nature as both College and Cathedral.
  • Led the opposition during the Phalaris controversy.
  • Dean Cyril Jackson defined its modern reputation for discipline and high standards.

Chapter XIV. Trinity College

“The college books record as undergraduates many generations of the Popes and Pope-Blounts and Norths, and members of families connected with them by descent or marriage…”

Trinity College, founded by Sir Thomas Pope in 1555 on the site of the former Durham College, was endowed by a Tudor statesman keenly interested in the revival of learning. Pope’s statutes mandated that conversation be conducted in a learned language, prescribing classical authors like Virgil and Cicero, though with caution regarding Greek. The college attracted numerous high-ranking gentleman-commoners. President Ralph Kettell (1598/9) was noted for his eccentric, giant-like appearance and strict discipline, often trimming students’ hair with the buttery-hatch knife. President Ralph Bathurst’s zeal was so extreme he was once found throwing stones at the dilapidated ruins of rival Balliol College. Trinity played a role in the 19th-century revival, attracting scholars like Cardinal Newman, who maintained a lifelong affection for his first college.

• Chapter Key Points:
  • Founded by Sir Thomas Pope, emphasizing classical humanities.
  • President Kettell enforced eccentric, strict discipline.
  • Notable for attracting many aristocratic commoners (Bathurst era).

Chapter XV. S. John Baptist College

“The most interesting period of the College history was during the reigns of the Stuarts. The same spirit of devotion to the Church and loyalty to the throne which had animated Laud and Juxon still breathed in their successors.”

St. John’s was founded in 1555 by Sir Thomas White, who exhausted his wealth on the foundation and left a touching farewell letter urging the society to “love one another as brethren”. Early on, poverty and religious divisions plagued the college, leading to the departure or deprivation of many Fellows, including the Jesuit martyr Edmund Campion. Its golden age was the early Stuart period, championed by its “second founder,” Archbishop Laud, who augmented its architecture and endowments. St. John’s became renowned for its fierce loyalty to the Stuarts, providing substantial plate to Charles I. and remaining a Jacobite stronghold well into the 18th century; they once asked Charles II. for the restoration of a portrait of his father as their most precious gift.

• Chapter Key Points:
  • Founder White bequeathed a famous letter on fraternal love.
  • Second Founder Archbishop Laud secured its reputation and wealth.
  • Noted as a major stronghold of Stuart loyalty and Jacobitism.

Chapter XVI. Jesus College

“He was made a Knight, and became Member of Parliament for Hythe, one of the Cinque Ports, and afterwards Burgess for his own University.”

Jesus College, founded in the late 16th century and formalized in 1589, was closely tied to the Welsh Principality and specialized in Civil and Canon Law. Sir Leoline Jenkins, the “second founder,” provided exceptional services, completing the buildings, reviving discipline, and augmenting revenues, culminating in his magnificent burial in the college chapel. The college supported the Royalist cause during the Civil War. The 18th century saw the establishment of the Meyricke Fund, which created exhibitions strictly confined to Welshmen. This encouraged students from the middle and lower classes in Wales, changing the college’s social composition. The college also served as the Oxford residence for Dr. Johnson during his later visits.

• Chapter Key Points:
  • Sir Leoline Jenkins powerfully shaped its structure and finances.
  • Endowments specialized in Welsh students (Meyricke Fund).
  • Dr. Johnson used the college as his Oxford headquarters late in life.

Chapter XVII. Wadham College

“The man appointed to the vacant Wardenship was the famous John Wilkins, divine, philosopher, and mathematician, who enjoyed the almost unique honour of being promoted by the Parliament, by Richard Cromwell, and by Charles II…”

Wadham College was established by Dorothy Wadham (after her husband’s death) and was built according to specific, intricate designs . Despite losing most of its plate to Charles I., the college flourished intellectually under the Parliament-appointed Warden John Wilkins, a man of unique political adaptability. Wilkins made Wadham the “cradle of the Royal Society,” hosting early meetings of scientific pioneers like Christopher Wren and Seth Ward. Politically, Wadham became a stronghold of Whig and Low Church principles, prominently displaying portraits of William III. and George I.. The college underwent a spectacular modern revival, excelling academically and physically (e.g., in rowing) in the mid-19th century.

• Chapter Key Points:
  • Infamous as the “cradle of the Royal Society” under Wilkins.
  • Notable for its Whig political and Low Church religious alignment.
  • Achieved intellectual and physical distinction in the 19th century revival.

Chapter XVIII. Pembroke College

“I was miserably poor, and I thought to fight my way by my literature and my wit; so I disregarded all power and all authority.”

Pembroke College was founded in 1624, superseding the ancient Broadgates Hall, a former center for Civil Law study. The college was named for King James I. and the Earl of Pembroke but was chiefly endowed by Thomas Tesdale and Richard Wightwick. The most celebrated alumnus is Dr. Samuel Johnson, who entered in 1728. Johnson’s undergraduate period was marked by poverty, pride, and eccentricity—he was known to lounge at the gate entertaining crowds and rudely defying tutors. Despite this, his tutors treated him with kindness, and his contemporaries recalled it as the “happiest part of his life”. Pembroke’s roll includes influential figures such as the antiquary William Camden and the Archbishop of Canterbury, John Moore.

• Chapter Key Points:
  • Evolved from the ancient Broadgates Hall (1624).
  • The college of Dr. Samuel Johnson, who struggled with poverty and pride.
  • Alumni include Archbishop Moore and historian William Camden.

Chapter XIX. Worcester College

“The ground Plats of Gloucester Hall and the Gloucester Hall buildings Quadrangles and Gardens are 3 times as much as Magdalen Hall… and the place is pleasantly situated and in a good air.”

Worcester College was incorporated in 1714, succeeding Gloucester Hall, a site previously occupied by Gloucester College, a medieval Benedictine colony. In the late 17th century, Gloucester Hall briefly hosted a noble but ultimately mismanaged Greek College intended to educate Orthodox youths for the Eastern Church, which failed disastrously. The incorporation of Worcester was delayed by years of legal wrangling over Sir Thomas Cookes’s substantial bequest. Its later success was partly secured by acquiring surrounding land, allowing for large, ornamental gardens—providing a rare “rus in urbe”. The college is noted for the extraordinary longevity of its Provosts (three held office for a combined 126 years).

• Chapter Key Points:
  • Emerged from the historic Benedictine Gloucester College.
  • Briefly hosted a failed experiment to establish a Greek College.
  • Secured extensive gardens, providing a unique rural atmosphere in Oxford.

Chapter XX. Hertford College

“Dr. Newton is very fond of founding a College,” wrote another, in 1721. The patronage which he would not stoop to ask for himself, he sought to use for his College.

Hertford College (1740-1816) was the creation of Dr. Richard Newton, Principal of Hart Hall, driven by an unfulfilled ambition to be a founder. Newton’s statutes were meticulously strict, governing everything from the organization of tutorial “Angles” to prohibiting debts exceeding five shillings, earning him the reputation of the “Monarch of Hart Hall”. Hart Hall’s location had earlier served as a refuge for oppressed Puritans, fostering noted scholars like Thomas Hobbes and John Wilkins. Although the first Hertford foundation lapsed, the societal need for university expansion, highlighted by figures like Marriott, soon arose, leading to new proposals for affordable collegiate education.

• Chapter Key Points:
  • Established by Dr. Richard Newton out of personal ambition and expense.
  • Statutes imposed strict, detailed rules on student conduct and finance.
  • The site was historically linked to eminent Puritan scholars.

Chapter XXI. Keble College

“The college was intended first to be a heartfelt and national tribute of affection and admiration to the memory of one of the most eminent and religious writers whom the Church of England has ever produced, one whose holy example was perhaps even a greater power for good than his Christian Year.”

Keble College, founded in 1870, represents the culmination of 19th-century movements for University Extension, specifically to aid less wealthy students and those seeking the Christian ministry. Its foundation served as the preferred memorial to the revered author and divine, the Rev. John Keble. To achieve economy, the architectural plan deviated from traditional collegiate design, utilizing corridors instead of staircases and furnishing student rooms. The college emphasizes Anglican loyalty. Its magnificent Chapel, a gift from W. Gibbs, utilizes extensive mosaics to portray Christ as the “sum and centre of all history,” surrounded by saints across the centuries. The library holds valuable manuscripts of Keble and the later collection of Dr. Liddon.

• Chapter Key Points:
  • Founded as a memorial to Rev. John Keble.
  • Designed economically to facilitate University Extension.
  • Chapel’s mosaics depict Christ as the center of history.

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10 ‘Notable Quotes from the Book’

1. “The constitutional changes which it has experienced in the six, or four, or two centuries of its existence have been neither few nor slight.”
2. “The bright and dark sides of the eighteenth century are exhibited in Pembroke and Lincoln.”
3. “Scholastic philosophy had lost its vitality and become over-elaborated into a trivial formalism.”
4. “He will turn out a great scholar, and we shall get the credit of making him so, though in point of fact we shall have done nothing for him whatever.” (Dr. Parsons on Sir William Hamilton)
5. “The aim was not to live as students ought to do, viz. temperate, abstemious, and plain and grave in their apparel; but to live like gentry, to keep dogs and horses…” (Anthony Wood on the Restoration)
6. “We can well believe that, in the age before examinations, these intellectual trials of strength played no mean part in education…” (On Merton’s Variations)
7. “I was miserably poor, and I thought to fight my way by my literature and my wit; so I disregarded all power and all authority.” (Samuel Johnson)
8. “The Warden was already married; and his ‘Zurichian discipline’ did not prove palatable to the Fellows.” (On William Cole at Corpus Christi)
9. “This is what the present volume seeks to do. Brasenose and Hertford chapters give a hint of the multiplicity of halls for Seculars out of which the Colleges grew…”
10. “The rising sun displays the gallantry of your spirit, and withall puts us in mind as often as we enter to our devotions to remember you and your good actions towards us.” (Letter to Dr. Radcliffe concerning a window)

About the Author

Andrew Clark, M.A., Fellow of Lincoln College, Oxford, served as the editor for this extensive historical compilation, The Colleges of Oxford: Their History and Traditions. The book comprises twenty-one chapters contributed by various members of the colleges, designed to provide a cohesive historical view. Clark, himself a contributor, provided the history of Lincoln College (Chapter VIII). As editor, he explicitly noted that he imposed constraints on length and selected specific themes for special treatment in each chapter, aiming to combine the separate histories into a single volume that gives an “intelligible picture of College life generally at successive periods of time”. His personal experiences and professional focus, including detailing constitutional arrangements and exhibiting the “bright and dark sides of the eighteenth century” (Lincoln and Pembroke), heavily influenced the book’s thematic structure.

How to Get the Most from the Books

To maximize insights, focus on comparative analysis across colleges, prioritizing chapters that describe contrasting historical periods or constitutional developments, providing an understanding of the evolution of Oxford life.

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Conclusion

The Colleges of Oxford: Their History and Traditions successfully achieves its ambitious goal of utilizing individual college histories to tell the larger story of the University and the nation. From the secular founding principles laid down by Walter de Merton and the Renaissance intellectual rigor enforced at Corpus Christi, to the dramatic loyalty of St. John’s to the Stuarts and the late scientific revival at Wadham, the book serves as a vital repository of Oxford’s enduring yet perpetually changing academic tradition. Edited with an evident appreciation for both minute detail and broad historical sweep, this compilation ensures that the wealth of these institutions’ complex narratives, with their “many passing generations of teachers and students,” is preserved for future generations.