Oxford County England History and Geograhy

OXFORD, a university and city, having separate jurisdiction, locally in the hundred of Wootton, county of OXFORD, of which it is the capital, 55 miles (N.N.W.) from London, containing 16,364 inhabitants. This place, which, from a very remote period of antiquity, has been celebrated as a seat of learning, is supposed by some to have derived its Saxon name, Oxenford, from its ford over the river for the passage of oxen. By others that name is said to be a corruption of Ouseford, from the river Ouse, now the Isis, from which source an island in that river, whereon the wealthy abbey was erected, was also named Ouseney, or Osney. To the establishment of schools in this place, supposed to have been originally by Alfred the Great, the origin of the city is by some historians attributed; but though Alfred unquestionably restored, and more liberally endowed, the university, its original foundation is demonstrated to have been many years prior to the reign of that monarch, in an act of confirmation by Pope Martin II., in 802, in which it is described as an ancient academy of learning. During the earlier times of the Saxons, a monastery, dedicated to St. Mary and All Saints, was founded here, about the year 730, by Didanus, one of the Saxon princes, for twelve sisters of noble birth, of which Frideswide, his daughter, was first abbess, who, being canonized after her death, the abbey, in which she was interred, was dedicated to St. Frideswide, in honour of her memory: this monastery having been plundered during the Danish wars, and the nuns dispersing, was restored for Secular canons. In the interval between the destruction of the abbey and its restoration, Alfred, with his three sons, resided here, where he founded three public schools, established a royal mint, and contributed greatly to the rebuilding of the city. In the reign of Ethelred, the Danes burnt the city, in retaliation for the general massacre of their countrymen by order of that monarch; and, in 1013, another party of those rapacious invaders, under the command of King Sweyn, landed in England, and having laid waste the adjoining country, compelled the inhabitants of Oxford to surrender, and to give hostages for their fulfilment of the terms of capitulation. The city was again burnt by the Danes, in 1032; and, in 1036, Harold Harefoot was crowned at Oxford, on which, in revenge for the slaughter of some of his men, be inflicted considerable injury. At the time of the Norman Conquest, Oxford, refusing to submit to the Conqueror, was, in 1067, taken by storm, and given to Robert D'Oily, who erected a strong castle on the west side of it, for the purpose of keeping the inhabitants in subjection, and fortified it with strong earthworks, within which he built a collegiate church, dedicated to St. George, and settled in it Secular canons of the order of St. Augustine. William Rufus held a council in the town, under Lanfranc, Archbishop of Canterbury, at which several bishops assisted, for the purpose of defeating a conspiracy formed against him by Odo, Bishop of Bayeux, his uncle, in favour of Robert, Duke of Normandy. Robert D'Oily, nephew of the former, and chamberlain to Henry I., founded the abbey of Osney, which was situated a little below the castle. Henry I. built a new hall, or palace, at Oxford, called Beaumont, where he celebrated the festival of Easter, in 1133, with great pomp, and in which Richard I. was born. Stephen, in the early part of his reign, assembled a council of the principal nobility here, to whom, in order to attach them to his interests, and to strengthen his party in the kingdom, he promised to abolish the tax called Dane Gelt, and to restore the laws of Edward the Confessor. Matilda, having obtained possession of the castle, was besieged by Stephen, but, previously to surrendering it, she contrived to escape by night over the river, which was at that time frozen. During this siege, the inhabitants being excluded from the church of St. George, within the castle, the chapel of St. Thomas was erected for their accommodation, and Stephen is reported to have repaired the city walls, which had fallen into decay: these walls are supposed to have been built in the seventh century, but by whom is uncertain.

During the contest between Henry II. and Thomas ? Becket, that monarch held a parliament at Oxford, for the purpose of counteracting the authority of the pope, who had threatened to lay the kingdom under an interdict, and in 1167, another parliament, in which the partitioning of Ireland among those of his subjects who had at different times achieved the conquest of it, was deliberated upon. Richard I. invested Oxford, his native city, with many privileges, in gratitude for which, the citizens contributed largely to his ransom when detained prisoner in Austria, on his return from the Holy Land. King John held a parliament here in 1204, in order to raise supplies, which were liberally granted. In the reign of Henry III., who kept the festival of Christmas in this city, in 1222, Stephen Langton, Archbishop of Canterbury, held here a synod for reforming abuses in the ecclesiastical polity of the kingdom, by a decree of which two men were crucified, each pretending that he was Christ, and two women starved to death, for pretending to be the Virgin Mary, and Mary Magdalene. The same king, in 1227, when he became of age, assembled a parliament here, in which he assumed the government, and revoked the grant of Magna Charta, and the charter of Forests, alledging that they were signed by him when a minor. Towards the end of this reign, an adjourned parliament was held at Oxford, in which all Poictevins and other foreigners were ordered to leave the kingdom. In 1319, a man named Pondras, son of a tanner at Exeter, came to Oxford, affirming that he was the rightful heir of Edward I., and had been stolen from his cradle and exchanged for Edward II., the reigning prince; but the imposture was soon detected, and Pondras was executed at Northampton. Queen Isabel, on her return from France, remained for some time in this city, while prosecuting the war against the two Spensers. In the reign of Henry IV., a conspiracy was formed by the Earls of Huntingdon, Kent, Salisbury, and Rutland, for assassinating the king at a tournament to be held here, and restoring the deposed monarch, Richard II., to the throne; but their plot was discovered, and the Earls of Kent and Salisbury, Sir Thomas Blount, and others, were hung at Greenditch, near Oxford. Henry VIII. erected Oxford into a see, separating it, with the county, from the diocese of Lincoln, in which it had previously been included. Soon after the accession of Mary, Cranmer, Archbishop of Canterbury, Ridley, Bishop of London, and Latimer, Bishop of Worcester, were conveyed from the Tower, where they had been imprisoned, to hold a disputation with the learned men of the University, at a convocation held in St. Mary's church; and in the following year, the Bishops of London, Gloucester, and Bristol, were sent commissioners to Oxford, to examine Ridley and Latimer, whom they condemned to the stake. This sentence was executed in a place called Canditch, on the 16th of October, 1555, in presence of the chief magistrates of the university and city; and on the 21st of the following March, Cranmer, who had witnessed the spectacle from the prison Bocardo, in which he was confined, suffered martyrdom in the same place. In 1625, the parliament having adjourned from London, on account of the plague, assembled at Oxford; but, on symptoms of the infection appearing in the city, the king hastily dissolved it, after repeated and unavailing attempts to procure supplies.

Oxford was intimately connected with many of the principal events during the parliamentary war. In the earlier part of it, Sir John Byron, with a party of the royal forces, attempted to garrison the city for the king; but Lord Say, then lieutenant of the county, advancing against him with a superior force, the former retired, leaving Oxford in possession of the latter. Sir John Byron, on his retreat from Oxford, advanced to Worcester, of which he gained possession, and garrisoned it for the king, who, reinforced by numbers whom his victory at Edgehill had drawn over to his party, marched to Oxford, took possession of it, and there fixed his headquarters. During the king's occupation of the town, a treaty of negociation was opened, and the Earl of Northumberland, and four members of the lower house, were appointed commissioners by the parliament: the conferences continued for several weeks, and after various propositions for a mutual accommodation, terminated without their differences being adjusted. A deputation from the citizens of London afterwards waited upon the king, who had resolved to pass the winter at Oxford, with proposals for peace, which, through the agency of the parliament, were also rendered ineffectual. The king invited the members who had either retired or had been expelled from the Westminster parliament, to meet him at Oxford, and assembled a parliament in the great hall of Christ Church College. Sir Thomas Fairfax, advancing with his army to besiege the city, was for a time diverted from his purpose by Prince Rupert, who attacked his castle at Leicester, but Fairfax returning to the siege, and the garrison being reduced by famine, it surrendered to the parliament, and the king escaping to Newcastle, placed himself under the protection of the Scottish army. In 1665, the plague raging in London, the parliament adjourned to Oxford, and continued their deliberations in the schools of the university. In this parliament, supplies were granted for carrying on the war against the Dutch, and statutes were enacted against the non-conforming clergy, who were prohibited approaching within five miles of any corporate town. During the continuance of the plague, the courts of law, at Michaelmas term, were held in this city; in which also Charles II., having dissolved the parliament at Westminster in 1681, assembled a new parliament, which, after sitting only a few days, was dissolved by the king, for the apparent purpose of preventing the differences that threatened to arise between the lords and the commons, the former having rejected a vote of impeachment decreed by the latter.

Oxford, for the splendour of its public buildings, among which the colleges and halls of the university are conspicuous, for the grandeur of their elevation, and, in many instances, for the beauty of their architecture, is not surpassed by any city in the kingdom; and, from the antiquity and importance of its venerable institutions, possesses an intense degree of interest. It is pleasantly situated on a gentle acclivity, at the confluence of the rivers Cherwell and Isis, by which it is nearly surrounded: over these rivers are several bridges, handsomely built of stone, of which, Magdalene bridge over the river Cherwell, and a new bridge over the Isis, on the Abingdon road, lately erected at an expense of £11,000, are the principal. The approaches are spacious, and afford striking and finely varied prospects of the city, and of its sumptuous edifices and stately towers. The entrance from the London road, over Magdalene bridge, is exquisitely beautiful; on the right is the small but pleasing vale of the Cherwell, in which the newly-erected church of St. Clement's forms an interesting feature, together with the grounds, the water-walk, and the noble tower of Magdalene College; and on the left are seen Christchurch meadows, watered by the Isis and the Cherwell, with the spire of the Cathedral Church, and the tower of Merton College in the distance. The entrance from Woodstock is remarkably fine, leading into the town through the broad street of St. Giles', on each side of which is a row of stately trees, and on the east side the college of St. John, and part of Balliol College. The entrance from Abingdon, over Folly, or the New bridge, leads through St. Aldate's-street, on the east side of which is the magnificent front of Christchurch College, and the town hall. The city, which is more than a mile in length, from east to west, and, including the suburbs, more than three miles in circumference, is divided into four parts by two principal streets, which intersect each other nearly at right angles in the centre, where was formerly a handsome conduit, erected in the seventeenth century, by Otho Nicholson, one of the examiners in Chancery, but removed in 1787, and presented by the university to the late Earl of Harcourt, who placed it in Nuneham - Courtney park. The High-street is one of the noblest streets in Europe, presenting in pleasing succession, from its great length and casy and graceful curvature, many of the stately and venerable public edifices for which this city is so eminently distinguished: on the north side, after crossing Magdalene bridge, and passing the college of St. Mary Magdalene on the right, and the Physic Garden on the left, are Queen's and All Souls' colleges, beyond which are the churches of St. Mary and All Saints, and at its upper extremity, that of St. Martin, or Carfax; and on the south side are University College, and some handsome private houses. Near Magdalene bridge are the warm and cold baths, in St. Clement's parish, a handsome establishment recently constructed, comprising a saloon, reading-room, and other appendages, and a very superior arrangement of warm and cold baths, with dressing-rooms, and every requisite accommodation. Races are annually held on Port-meadow, near the city, and are well attended. The city is well paved, lighted with gas, and amply supplied with water. The gardens of the colleges afford delightful promenades, and in the environs, which contain many handsome residences, are varied rides and agreeable walks, of which latter, that to Headington Hill, commanding a fine view of the city and its vicinity, may be considered the principal. The rivers Cherwell and Isis, branching into several streams, and pursuing a winding course, contribute greatly to adorn the city, and their united streams afford the means of aquatic excursions. The trade is principally in corn and other agricultural produce of the surrounding district, which is extremely fertile. Coal is brought from Staffordshire by the Oxford canal, which communicates with those of Birmingham, Warwick, and Coventry; and a considerable traffic is carried on with the metropolis and the intermediate towns, by the Thames, which is navigable to London. Convenient wharfs and quays have been constructed at considerable expense, and every facility has been obtained for the promotion of the inland trade. Oxford has been long celebrated for the superior quality of its brawn, of which a considerable quantity is forwarded to London. The market days are Wednesday and Saturday, which are abundantly supplied, the latter being also for corn, which is sold by sample at the upper extremity of the High-street, near a spot called the Butter Bench, the farmers preferring to transact their business in the open air, though the corporation have offered them the use of a convenient area under the town hall. The market-place is a suitable area, arranged into various sections for the different kinds of produce, on the northern side of the High-street, from which there are entrances by means of iron gates, the houses in front being appropriated as shops. The fairs are on May 3rd, on Gloucester Green; another in St. Giles', on the Monday after the festival of St. Giles, which is a pleasure fair; and the Thursday before New Michaelmas-day, for cattle.

The city received a regular charter of incorporation from Henry II., confirming all preceding grants, and extending to the inhabitants all the rights and privileges enjoyed by the citizens of London, besides conferring upon the mayor the distinction of assisting, with the lord mayor of London, in the king's buttery at the coronation festivals, upon which occasion he is attended by the recorder, four aldermen, the town clerk, bailiffs, and mace-bearer, and receives a silver cup and cover richly gilt, from the king. This charter was confirmed by Henry III., who vested the government of the city in a mayor, four aldermen, eight assistants, two bailiffs, and twenty-four common council-men. Many other charters were granted by succeeding sovereigns, but that by which the city is at present more especially governed was granted by James I., in 1605; by this an addition was made of the offices of high steward (usually a nobleman of high rank), recorder, town clerk, two chamberlains, mace bearer, and subordinate officers. The mayor is chosen annually, from among the aldermen or assistants, by the freemen generally, and, previously to entering upon his office, takes an oath to observe the lawful customs and privileges of the university, as does also the sheriff for the county. The bailiffs must have served the office of chamberlain. The mayor, recorder, aldermen, and assistants, are justices of the peace within the city and liberties, which office they hold, not by their charter of incorporation, but by commission under the great seal, renewed from time to time, under which authority also they hold a commission of gaol delivery. The freedom of the city is inherited by birth, and acquired by apprenticeship to a freeman for seven years, by gift of the corporation, or by purchase: among the privileges is the right of depasturing cattle on Port-meadow, a tract of about four hundred and forty acres near the city. The corporation hold quarterly courts of session, which take cognizance of all capital offences except high treason; and two courts of record, for the trial of pleas and the recovery of debts to any amount, one called the mayor's court (styled also a Hustings' court), and in which actions of ejectment are tried, and the other the court of the mayor and bailiffs: the practice, which is similar in both, is nearly the same as in the common law courts at Westminster; the town clerk sits as judge, or assessor.

The town hall is a spacious stone building, one hundred and thirty-five feet in length, and thirty-two feet broad, with a basement story of rustic work, forming an open corridor, and surmounted in the centre by a handsome pediment. George IV., when Prince Regent, the late Emperor of Russia, the King of Prussia, the late Duke of York, the Prince of Orange, the Prince of Mecklenburgh, Prince Metternich, General Blucher, and other illustrious persons repaired to the town hall, and received the honorary freedom of the city, in 1814, during their visit at the university: the council-chamber is decorated with portraits of Queen Anne, John the first Duke, and George the third Duke, of Marlborough, and several distinguished members of the corporation and benefactors to the city. The city gaol was erected in 1789, prior to which delinquents were confined in the prison of Bocardo, over one of the city gates, which was taken down in 1771: the door of the cell in which Cranmer was confined has been preserved, and fixed up in the present gaol, with an appropriate inscription: this prison contains four wards for the classification of prisoners, and thirty-two cells, and has a neat chapel. The city has regularly sent two members to parliament from the earliest returns extant of the reign of Edward I.: the right of election is vested in the mayor and corporation, and in the freemen generally, the number of whom is about one thousand eight hundred: the mayor is the returning officer. The assizes for the county and the election of knights of the shire are held here, as the county town. The county gaol and house of correction is an extensive building, erected on part of the site of the ancient castle, the remains of which consist of the original tower and a vaulted magazine for the use of the garrison, the principal entrance is through a large gateway, flanked by embattled towers: it comprises eleven wards, the same number of day-rooms and airing-yards, for the classification of prisoners, and two tread-mills, on which they are employed in grinding corn and raising water for the use of the prison: the prisoners receive a portion of their earnings on their discharge.

The origin of the university is by different historians attributed to various eras and to different founders: by some, Oxford is supposed to have been selected as a place of resort for students at a very early period of British history, and to have attained considerable eminence as a seat of learning during the Saxon Octarchy; and it is stated that Alfred, during his residence in the city, founded and endowed three halls, or additional colleges, which, involved in its fate, were destroyed by the Danes, whose frequent incursions and devastation of this part of the country materially retarded the progress of the university. Amidst a mass of conflicting testimony its origin may, perhaps, be attributed to the monastic institutions established in the city and neighbourhood, which, by the encouragement they afforded to the pursuit of literature, drew around them a number of students, who, not being able to find admission as residents in these establishments, may have taken up their residence in the city and suburbs with the view of obtaining that assistance in their studies which the learned members of those institutions were capable of affording them. At the time of the Conquest, Robert D'Oily, to whom the Conqueror gave the government of the city, founded, within the precincts of the castle, the collegiate church of St. George, for Secular canons, which, being subsequently annexed to the abbey of Osney, founded by his descendant, the buildings were occupied by students, and the society existed for some time under the style of the Warden and Scholars of St. George within the Castle. Soon after the foundation of Osney abbey, Robert Pullein, a learned member of that institution, first began to read lectures on the sacred scriptures at Oxford, which had been much neglected, and revived the divinity lectures, which had fallen into disuse, and, under the patronage of Henry I. and his successors, greatly promoted the interests of literature. In the reign of Stephen, Roger Vacarius introduced the study of the Roman or civil law, which, being regarded as an innovation, was vehemently opposed by other professors. At this time the students are said to have amounted to nearly thirty thousand, and to have lived at their own expense in inns, or hostels, of which not less than three hundred were rented by them for their accommodation; for their supply, the country for twenty miles round Oxford was appropriated by the king, whose purveyor was not permitted within that distance to purchase provisions for the king's household: exclusively of such as lived in these hostels, and who were under the control of a governor, or principal, who presided over the literary and moral discipline of the seminaries, were several who were resident in St. Frideswide's priory, and Osney abbey. In 1209, a scholar having accidentally killed a woman of the city, while amusing himself with athletic sports, made his escape, and the exasperated citizens seized upon three scholars of the same hall, whom, upon receiving a mandate from the king (then at Woodstock) to that effect, they hanged, which so exasperated the students, that three thousand of them left the university for some time; but the citizens having obtained pardon from the pope's legate, then in England, and having done penance in the churches at Oxford, the scholars returned. Repeated disturbances arose between the citizens and the students, some of which were attended with very serious consequences. In 1229, disputes having arisen in Paris, on account of the high price of wine, Henry III. invited the students of that city to Oxford, where more than one thousand of them soon afterwards settled. Cardinal Otho, legate from the pope in 1236, on his arrival in England, took up his residence at Osney abbey, and the scholars having sent him presents, in token of their respect, waited upon him in great numbers to pay him their congratulations, when a dispute arising between the scholars, who pressed for admission, and the legate's servants, in which the legate's brother, who, from fear of treachery by poison, officiated as principal cook, was killed, thirty of the scholars were put under confinement, and, to compromise the affair, the principals of the schools were compelled to implore pardon of the legate.

In 1248, Henry III. granted the university a charter, to defend it more effectually against the attacks of the citizens, who had wantonly assassinated a young nobleman, a student in one of the schools. In 1274, Walter de Merton founded Merton College, which appears to have been the first regular establishment in the university, and the foundation of that system by which, under certain trifling modifications, it was afterwards organized, and is still governed. About this time the number of scholars in the various hostels was about fifteen thousand, but by what regulations they were controuled does not distinctly appear. The statutes of Merton College, which with little alteration are still observed, appear to be the result of experience, and to have been adapted, in an extraordinary degree, to the diffusion of learning and to the establishment of moral discipline. Henry III., who visited the shrine of St. Frideswide, and held a parliament in the city, to settle his disputes with the barons, conferred many privileges upon the university, renewing all previous charters; and in 1286, Edward I. invested the chancellor with authority to take cognizance of offences committed by the Jews resident at Oxford, and subsequently gave him power to summon any of the burgesses before him, to answer any plea originating in personal action with any of the scholars. Edward II. ratified all the rights and privileges of the university, and, by letters patent, took that institution under his immediate protection. Prior to this the pope had formally conferred upon Oxford, which was considered the next great school to Paris, the rank of university, a distinction then only enjoyed by Paris, Bologna, and Salamanca; and in the reign of Edward II., schools for the Hebrew, Arabic, and Chaldee languages were founded, by order of the council of Vienna, in 1311. In the reign of Edward III., a dispute having arisen between a scholar and an inn-keeper, the latter, by an appeal to the citizens, incited them to an insurrection against the scholars, and both parties having recourse to arms, a violent conflict ensued for two days, when, after repeated skirmishes, a party of two thousand rustics, whom the citizens had invited to their assistance, entered the city, which the scholars had barricadoed, and attacking the halls, to several of which they set fire, killed sixty-three of the scholars, and plundered their halls. After the suppression of this tumult, the sheriff of the county, and the mayor of the city, being called to a severe account, were compelled to pay a very heavy fine, and to take an oath, on entering upon their office, to protect the interests and privileges of the university: the fine was afterwards commuted for the payment of one penny each by the mayor and principal citizens, annually in St. Mary's church, at the festival of St. Scholastica; but in the year 1825 the university relinquished all claim to the payment. On the breaking out of the war with France, in 1369, all the French students were ordered to quit the kingdom. The privileges of the university appear to have been an object of particular regard with all succeeding sovereigns; Henry VI., in 1444, gave power to the chancellor to banish any refractory person to the distance of twelve miles from the city, which, with all other privileges, was confirmed by Edward IV., in the first year of his reign. The wars between the houses of York and Lancaster appear to have had an unfavourable influence upon its interests, and, during their continuance, to have considerably diminished the number of students. Richard III. visited Oxford, and was met, on his way from Windsor, by the whole body, by whom he was escorted to Magdalene College, where he passed the night, and the following day attended the public exercises and disputations; and in 1501, Prince Arthur, son of Henry VII., came hither, where he was sumptuously entertained, and lodged in Magdalene College. In the reign of Henry VIII., the public chest of the university was robbed, and the registers stolen; and in 1518, the king and the queen, attended by Cardinal Wolsey and a large retinue of the nobility, having arrived at Abingdon, a deputation from the university waited on them to offer their respects, and escorted the queen to St. Frideswide's shrine, after having visited which, her majesty returned to Merton College, where she was sumptuously entertained. Queen Elizabeth paid visits to the university in 1566, 1571, and in 1592.

The members of the University of Oxford are a body corporate, possessing important privileges, which have been confirmed and extended by a long succession of royal charters, from the earliest period to the reign of Charles I.; and, under various munificent and royal patrons, its ancient halls have been endowed, and new colleges founded, which, taken collectively, form one of the most comprehensive and magnificent seats of learning in Europe. The university was incorporated in the 13th year of the reign of Elizabeth, by the style and title of the Chancellor, Masters, and Scholars of the University of Oxford; it comprises nineteen colleges, the members of which are all distinct corporate bodies, and five halls, which are not incorporated, associated for the acquirement of learning requisite to qualify their members for the learned professions, and the high offices of the state: these several colleges and halls have their own statutes, though subject to the paramount authority of the university. Every member of the university must be matriculated, and on appearing before the chancellor, or vice-chancellor, must declare his rank in life, whether the son of a nobleman, baronet, gentleman, or plebeian, and pay a matriculation fee accordingly, subscribe to the thirty-nine articles of the church of England, and, if sixteen years of age, take the oaths of allegiance and supremacy, and swear to observe all the statutes, privileges, and customs of the university, and neither to sue before the mayor or bailiffs of the city, nor answer before them as justices, so long as he continues to enjoy its privileges. The laws by which the university is at present governed were compiled by its members in the reign of James I., and confirmed in the 14th of the reign of Charles I., since which they have been modified or ratified by subsequent parliaments.

The principal officers are a chancellor, vice-chancellor, high steward, two proctors, a public orator, a keeper of the archives, a registrar of the university, a registrar of the university courts, two curators of the theatre, a librarian, keeper of the Ashmolean museum, two clerks of the market, three esquire bedels, three yeoman bedels, and other officers. The Chancellor, who is the highest officer in the university, and is generally a distinguished nobleman, is elected by the members of the house of convocation; his office was anciently for one, two, or three years, but was made perpetual in 1484, when Dr. John Russel, Bishop of London, was first elected for life: he does not attend the meetings of the university, except at his installation, and upon the occasion of royal visits. The Vice-chancellor, who is the highest resident officer, is always the head of a college, and is nominated by the chancellor, but must be approved by the house of convocation: he appoints four pro-vice-chancellors, also heads of houses, to assist him in his office, which is annual, though generally continued for four years, by renewed nominations: to him is assigned the superintendence of the university; he enforces the observance of every regulation, convenes the houses of congregation and convocation, and the courts; he is a magistrate for the university, the county and city of Oxford, and the county of Berks, and is preceded in all academic processions by the esquire and yeoman bedels; he grants wine licenses to taverns and vintners, and expels offenders from the city; at all meetings of convocation, and at the annual commemoration in the theatre, he remains covered during the whole ceremony. The High Steward, who is always a nobleman, is appointed by the chancellor, subject to approval by the house of convocation, and holds his office for life: his province is to assist the chancellor, vice-chancellor, and proctors, in the execution of their respective duties, and to defend the rights and privileges of the university; to hear and determine on capital causes in which either scholars or privileged persons are parties, and either personally, or by deputy, to hold the university court leet. The Proctors, who must be masters of arts of four years' standing at least, and of not more than ten, are appointed annually, and are taken from the various colleges in rotation: they each nominate two pro-proctors, also masters of arts, of any college or hall, as their deputies: the office of proctor is to inspect the conduct of all members of the university, and to take cognizance of, and punish for, all offences committed by them without the walls of their respective colleges, to see that the members of the several colleges appear in public in their proper dresses, that just weights and measures are used, and to preserve the public peace. The Public Orator, who must be at least master of arts, or bachelor of civil law, is chosen by the members of the house of convocation: his office is to write letters and addresses upon public occasions, and to pronounce harangues to princes and other illustrious persons visiting the university, to present the honorary degrees conferred by the university, and, alternately with the professor of poetry, to deliver the annual Creweian oration. The Keeper of the Archives (an officer established in 1634), who must be at least master of arts, is appointed by convocation: his duty is to take charge of, and to arrange, all charters, records, and documents, relating to the rights, privileges, and possessions of the university. The Registrar of the University, who must be at least master of arts, or a bachelor in civil law, and a notary public, is chosen by the house of convocation: his office is to attend all meetings, to register graces, dispensations, elections, and degrees; to copy all letters, leases, indentures, and grants, that pass the seal of the university, or the chancellor, and to receive the rents. The Registrar of the University Court is appointed by patent from the chancellor: his office is to make probates of wills, and grant letters of administration to the effects of persons dying intestate within the university, as well as to record all the transactions of the court. The Clerks of the Market, who must be principals of halls, masters of arts, or bachelors of divinity, law, or medicine, are appointed annually, one by the chancellor, and the other by the vice-chancellor: their office is to take cognizance of the quality of bread, and of all provisions, and to inspect the weights and measures.

The public business is transacted by two principal assemblies, called respectively the houses of congregation and convocation, in both which the chancellor, the vice-chancellor, or, in his absence, one of his deputies, and the proctors, or their deputies, preside. The house of congregation consists exclusively of Regents, who are either necessary regents, or regents ad placitum; the former are doctors of every faculty, and masters of arts during the first year of their regency; the latter are doctors of every faculty, resident in the university, heads of colleges and halls (and, in their absence, their deputies), professors, and public lecturers, the masters of the schools, the public examiners, the deans and censors of colleges, and all other masters of arts during the second year of their regency. The house of convocation, or, as it is sometimes called, the great congregation, consists both of regents and non-regents: the right of voting in this house is, by the statutes, restricted to the chancellor, vice-chancellor, the two proctors and their deputies, doctors in divinity, medicine, or civil law, who are necessary regents, masters of arts during the first year of their necessary regency, heads of colleges and halls, or their deputies; members on the foundation or any college, who have at any time been regents; doctors of divinity, medicine, or law, living with their families within the precincts of the university: professors, and public lecturers, who have at any time been regents, and have performed the exercises required by the statutes, and paid all fees due to the university; and convictores, or persons not on the foundation of any college or hall, who have at any time been regents, and whose names have been constantly on the books, from the time of their admission to the degree of master of arts, or to that of doctor in either of the three faculties. The business of the house of congregation is principally confined to the passing of graces and dispensations, and to the granting of degrees. All suffrages in cases of graces and dispensations are to be whispered in the ear of the proctors, by a majority of which, given in the words 'placet,' or 'nonplacet,' the fate of the measure is decided. The business of the house of convocation embraces all subjects affecting the credit, interest, or welfare of the university. Nine regents, exclusively of the vice-chancellor and the proctors, are necessary to form a congregation; the number requisite for a convocation is not defined. In both houses, the chancellor, or vice-chancellor singly, and the two proctors jointly, have an absolute negative upon all proceedings, except in elections. All elections, except for members of parliament, are made in writing by private scrutiny, at which the vice-chancellor presides, and the proctors act as scrutators, and, previously to their proceeding to elect, the act of the 31st of Elizabeth, and the statute de Electionibus are read, and the vice-chancellor administers an oath to the proctors that they will make a faithful scrutiny, and to each of the clectors that he will vote only once, and for a person whom he firmly believes to be duly qualified: the election is decided by a majority; should two candidates have an equal number of votes, the senior is elected, if they are graduates, if not, the chancellor, or vice-chancellor, decides by a casting vote. For the better government of the university, a meeting takes place every Monday, and at other times when convened by the vice-chancellor; in these the vice-chancellor, heads of houses, and the proctors, deliberate upon all matters relating to the privileges and liberties of the university, previously to their being proposed in congregation, or decreed in convocation. The chancellor holds a court of record every week during term, at which his assessor presides, for the recovery of debts to any amount, the jurisdiction of which is confined to members of the university. The university received the elective franchise by charter of James I., in 1603, since which time it has regularly returned two members to parliament: the right of election is vested in the doctors and regent masters of arts in convocation: the vice-chancellor is the returning officer.

There are seven Regius Professorships, namely, Divinity, Civil Law, Medicine, Hebrew, Greek, Modern Languages and History, and Botany: the first five were founded by Henry VIII., who endowed each of them with a yearly stipend of £40, payable, those of Divinity, Hebrew, and Greek, by the Dean and Canons of Christ Church; the others out of the Royal Exchequer. The Regius Professorship of Modern Languages and History was founded by George I., in 1724, and confirmed by George II., in 1728; and the Regius Professorship of Botany by George III., in 1793. The original endowment of these professorships has been subsequently augmented; to that of Divinity have been annexed a canonry in Christ Church and the rectory of Ewelme, in this county; to that of Civil Law, a lay prebend in the Cathedral Church of Salisbury; to that of Medicine, the mastership of the hospital of Ewelme, with Tomlins' prelectorship of Anatomy, founded in 1623, by Richard Tomlins, Esq., of Westminster, and to that of Hebrew, a canonry in Christ Church. The Margaret Professorship of Divinity was founded by Margaret, Countess of Richmond, mother of Henry VII., who endowed it with an annual stipend of twenty marks, to which Charles I., in 1627, added a prebend in the Cathedral Church of Worcester: the election is vested in the graduates of divinity; the appointment is for two years from the 8th of September following the election, but the professor is usually continued, by re-election, for life. The Professorship of Natural Philosophy was founded, in 1618, by Sir William Sedley, of Aylesford in Kent, who bequeathed to the university £2000 for its endowment, which sum was invested in the purchase of an estate producing £120 per annum: the appointment is vested in the vice-chancellor, the president of Magdalene College, and the warden of All Souls. The Savilian Professorships of Geometry and Astronomy were founded and endowed, in 1619, by Sir Henry Savile, Knt; they are open to eminent mathematicians of all countries, who, if Englishmen, must have taken the degree of master of arts: the professors are admitted in congregation on the nomination of the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Lord Chancellor, the Chancellor of the university, the Bishop of London, the principal secretary of state, the chief justices, the chief baron of the Exchequer, and the dean of the Arches. The Camden Professorship of Ancient History was founded, in 1622, by William Camden, Clarencieux King at Arms, the celebrated antiquary, who endowed it with the manor of Bexley in Kent. The Professorship of Music, the appointment to which is annual, and vested in the proctors, was founded in 1626, by William Heather, doctor in music, who also established a fund for the payment of a Choragus, or Pr'fectus Music' Exercitationis, who is nominated by the vice-chancellor, the dean of Christ Church, the warden of New College, the president of Magdalene, and the president of St. John's. The Laudian Professorship of Arabic was founded, in 1636, by William Laud, Archbishop of Canterbury, who endowed it with lands in the parish of Bray, in the county of Berks: the appointment is vested in the presidents of St. John's and Magdalene Colleges, and in the wardens of New College, All Souls', and Merton. The Professorship of Botany was founded, in 1728, by William Sherrard, D.C.L., &c., some time fellow of St. John's, and afterwards consul at Smyrna, who bequeathed to the university £3000 for its endowment, and his valuable library and herbarium: the appointment is in the gift of the Royal College of Physicians. The Professorship of Poetry was founded and endowed by Henry Birkhead, Esq., barrister of the Inner Temple, and D.C.L., some time of Trinity, and afterwards fellow of All Souls': the appointment is in the members of convocation, being tenable for five years, and may be retained for five years more by re-election.

The Anglo-Saxon Professorship was founded, in 1750, by Richard Rawlinson, Esq., D.C.L., of St. John's College, who endowed it with rent-charges on lands in Lancashire: the appointment, which is tenable for five years, is in the members of convocation, and is open to candidates from all the colleges in rotation, reserving every fifth turn to St. John's: the candidate must be unmarried, and remain so while he holds the professorship; he must not be a member of the Royal or Antiquarian Societies, nor a native of Scotland, Ireland, the Colonies, or the son of any native of those places.

The Vinerian Professorship of Common Law was founded, in 1755, by Charles Viner, Esq., who bequeathed £12000 to the university for its endowment, and also for the endowment of as many fellowships of £50 per annum, and scholarships of £30 per annum, of the common law, as those funds would permit; the appointment is in the members of convocation. Sir William Blackstone was the first professor on this foundation, and the substance of his lectures forms the subject of his celebrated Commentaries. The Clinical Professorship for reading Clinical lectures to the students in the Radcliffe Infirmary was founded, in 1772, by the Earl of Lichfield, Chancellor of the university: the appointment, which is vested in the members of convocation, is tenable only by a person who has taken a doctor's degree in medicine five years before the time of election. The Aldrichian Professorships of Anatomy, of the practice of Medicine, and of Chemistry, were founded and endowed, in 1803, by George Aldrich, of the county of Nottingham, M.D.: the endowment of the professorship of Chemistry, which, with that of Medicine, is in the nomination of the members of convocation, has been augmented by a grant from the crown: the professorship of Anatomy is annexed to the prelectorship founded by Richard Tomlins, Esq., and both held with the regius professorship of medicine: one course of lectures in chemistry is annually delivered at the museum. The Professorship of Political Economy was founded, in 1825, by Henry Drummond, Esq., of Albury park, in the county of Surrey, who endowed it with a rent-charge of £100 on his estates in that county: the appointment is in the members of convocation, and is tenable for five years by a master of arts, or bachelor of civil law, who has regularly graduated at Oxford. The Lord Almoner's Reader in Arabic is appointed by the Lord Almoner, and has an annual stipend out of the Almonry bounty. The Readership in Experimental Philosophy was founded by grant from the crown, in 1810: two courses of lectures are read in the museum, comprising the principal experiments in mechanics, hydrostatics, optics, electricity, and magnetism. The Readership in Mineralogy, established in 1813, and the Readership in Geology, in 1818, were also founded by grants from the crown. The Anatomical Lectureship was founded, in 1750, by the late Matthew Lee, M.D., of Christ Church: two courses of lectures are delivered in the Anatomical school at Christ Church, one in Lent, and the other at Michaelmas term. The Bampton Lectures were founded, about the year 1780, by John Bampton, M.A., canon of Salisbury, who bequeathed funds for the annual preaching of eight divinity lecture sermons on the leading articles of the Christian faith; of which thirty copies are to be printed for distribution among the heads of houses: the preachers, who are appointed by the heads of colleges only, must have taken the degree of master of arts in either of the universities, and no person can be appointed to preach the divinity lecture sermons twice. The Whitehall Preacherships were founded by George I., in 1724: the preachers were appointed by the Bishop of London, as Dean of His Majesty's chapel, and were resident fellows of colleges during the time they held the office; there were twenty-four preachers, of whom twelve were chosen from each of the universities, but in 1829 the establishment was broken up by the Bishop of London. The University Sermons are, with certain exceptions, preached in St. Mary's church every Sunday morning during term, by the heads of colleges, the dean and canons of Christ Church, the two professors of divinity, and the professor of Hebrew: the dean and canons of Christ Church, when it comes to their turn, preach these sermons in their own cathedral church. Ten select preachers, who must be doctors, or bachelors in divinity, or in civil law, or masters of arts, are nominated by the vice-chancellor and proctors, and the Regius and Margaret professors of divinity; of these, five go out of office annually, but may be re-appointed after one year.

Dr. Radcliffe founded two fellowships in the university, which he endowed with £600 per annum, for the maintenance of two fellows for ten years, one-half at least to be spent in travelling in foreign parts for their improvement, and to whom, while in the university, he assigned chambers in New College; the Travelling Fellows are appointed by the electors of the Radcliffe librarian. The Vinerian fellowships of £50 each, and scholarships of £30 each, per annum, tenable for ten years only after the date of election, vary in number, according to the state of the revenue of the endowment: the election is made by the members of convocation: the fellows must have taken the degree of master of arts, or bachelor in civil law, at the time of their appointment; and if the candidate be not a barrister at the time, he must become one within a year after his election; the fellowships are given in preference to such as have been scholars on this foundation: the scholars must have completed twenty-four months from the time of their matriculation, and take the degree of bachelor in civil law as soon as possible after the appointment, and within one year after the taking that degree become barristers. The Craven Scholarships were founded, in 1647, by John, Lord Craven, who bequeathed lands for the endowment of two scholarships, tenable for fourteen years, in this university, and two in the university of Cambridge: the nomination is vested in the vice-chancellor, the regius professors, and the public orator: three additional scholarships, tenable for seven years only, supported by the same funds, were established by a decree of the Court of Chancery, in 1819; in the appointment to these scholarships, preference is given to candidates of the name or family of the founder, and no one is eligible who is a graduate in the university, or a fellow or scholar of any college, or whose parents are able to maintain him otherwise. The Ireland Scholarships were founded, in 1825, by John Ireland, D.D., Dean of Westminster, who transferred to the university £4000 in the three per cent. consols., for the endowment of four scholarships of £30 per annum each, for undergraduates, who shall not have exceeded their sixteenth term from the date of matriculation: the candidate must produce in writing the consent of the head of his college, and the certificate of his standing: the election is made by three examiners appointed by the trustees. A circular has recently been sent round to the respective colleges by the managers of the 'Eldonian Testimonial Fund,' stating that the Law scholarship, to be founded from that source, will be filled up in May or June, 1831; candidates to be persons who have gained distinguished honours at this university.

The four terms in the year are. Michaelmas, which commences on the 10th of October, and ends on the 17th of December; Hilary term, which commences on the 14th of January, and ends on the Saturday before Palm-Sunday, or, if that day be a festival, on the Monday after; Easter term, which commences on the 10th day after Easter-Sunday, and ends on the day before Whit-Sunday; and Trinity term. which commences on the Wednesday after Whit-Sunday, and ends on the Saturday after the first Tuesday in July: the full term begins on the first day of the week after the first congregation is held. Michaelmas and Hilary terms are kept, by six weeks' residence, by such as have not taken any degree in arts, and Easter and Trinity terms, by a residence of three weeks each. Sixteen terms are requisite to qualify for the degree of bachelor of arts, except the sons of English, Scotch, or Irish peers, matriculated as such, and not on the foundation of any college, who are admitted candidates for that degree after three years' residence. Twelve terms, exclusively of the term of matriculation, are requisite for bachelors of arts keeping terms for a master's degree, and for students in civil law, who, having resided three weeks in each term, assume the civilian's gown. For the degree of bachelor in civil law, without proceeding through arts, twenty-eight terms are requisite; but of these, two are considered as being kept by matriculation in term, and by taking the degree, and, as in the case of a master's degree, three others are dispensed with by congregation, and six more by the chancellor's letter. For the degree of doctor in civil law, five years are requisite, to be computed from the time of taking the bachelor's degree; but, upon making oath in convocation of intention to practise in Doctors' Commons, one year is remitted. For the degree of bachelor in medicine, one year is requisite from the regency, and for that of doctor, four years' residence from the time of matriculation. For the degree of bachelor in divinity, seven years are required from the time of matriculation, and for that of doctor, four years more. Candidates for all degrees, who possess certain property, must go out, according to the local phrase, as grand compounders; the property requisite for this purpose may arise either from civil or ecclesiastical property if the former, it must amount to 300 per annum: if the latter, the preferment must be rated in the king's books at £40: candidates who do not possess property to that amount are termed petty compounders, and must at least have ecclesiastical property of the annual value of five shillings, or property of any other description to the amount of £5 per annum. The exercises for the degree of bachelor of arts are, responsions held in Michaelmas, Hilary, and Trinity terms, to which candidates who have entered on their sixth term and not completed their ninth are admitted, on giving their names for that purpose to the junior proctor, at least three days previously to the commencement of the exercises, which consist of examination in the classies, the rudiments of logic, and in Euclid's elements of Geometry; and public examinations, held twice a year, in Michaelmas and Easter terms, to which candidates who have entered on their fourth year of matriculation, and have previously responded before the masters of the schools, are admitted, by giving their names for that purpose three days before the examination commences: the public examination comprehends the rudiments of religion, under which is included a sufficient knowledge of the Gospels in the original Greek, of the thirty-nine articles of the church of England, and of the evidences of natural and revealed religion; the liter' humaniores, including a competent knowledge of the Latin and Greek languages, rhetoric and moral philosophy, as derived from the Greek and Roman writers, logic, and Latin composition; and the elements of the mathematical sciences and of physics. In the liter' humaniores, and in the elements of the mathematical sciences and physics, the examiners have a certain discretionary power, but they have none with respect to the rudiments of religion, any failure in which inevitably excludes the candidate from his degree, without regard to his other attainments. The examinations, both in the responsions and in the public examinations, may be conducted either in the Latin or English language. The public examiners, who are nine in number, are chosen from those who have taken the degree of master of arts, or doctor of civil law; they are nominated by the vice-chancellor and proctors, but must be approved by the houses of congregation and convocation; six of them examine in literis humanioribus, and four must be present at each examination; the other four examine in Disciplinis Mathematicis et Physicis, and three at least must be present at each examination: there cannot be two examiners of either class from the same college or hall, neither can any of them examine a candidate belonging to his own college or hall. Three masters, who have been admitted regents in arts, preside over the schools, of whom one is nominated by the vice-chancellor, and one by each of the proctors, annually on the first day of Trinity term: two masters must always be present at the responsions, and when the proctors are absent during the performance of the exercises, the masters are invested with procuratorial power.

The exercises requisite for a bachelor's degree in divinity, law, or medicine, are disputations on two distinct days, before the professors of those respective faculties; in divinity, the preaching of a Latin sermon at St. Mary's, before the vice-chancellor, is also required. For a doctor's degree in either of the faculties, three distinct lectures are to be read in the schools, on three several days, which, by a dispensation from the houses of congregation or convocation, are permitted to be read at three different hours on the same day. Three prizes of £20 each are given annually by the chancellor for the best compositions in Latin verse, Latin prose, and English prose; for the first, candidates only who have not exceeded four years from their matriculation can contend; for the other two, all such as have exceeded four years, but not completed seven, and have not taken the degree of M.A., or B.C.L., may be competitors. Sir Roger Newdigate, in 1806, bequeathed to the university funds for an annual prize for English verses on ancient sculpture, painting, or architecture. Dr. Ellerton, fellow of Magdalene College, gave a rent-charge of £21, on an estate at Horspath, in the county of Oxford, for an annual prize for the best English essay on some doctrine or duty of the Christian religion, or on some subject in theology. The subjects of all these compositions are given out by the vice-chancellor, and the compositions are sent, under a sealed cover, without the author's name, but distinguished by a motto, a duplicate of which, signed with the author's name, is also sent to the registrar of the university, on a day fixed by the vice-chancellor, who, with the two proctors, the public orator, and the professor of poetry, decide on their merits in the theatre, where the compositions are publicly recited at the commemoration. The university enjoys the right of presentation to the rectory of South Moreton, in the county of Berks, held in trust for Magdalene Hall; the vicarage of South Petherwin cum Trewen, in the county of Cornwall; the vicarage of Holme-Cultram, in the county of Cumberland; the rectory of Gatcomb, in trust for the Principal of St. Edmund Hall, in the county of Southampton; the vicarage of Syston, in the county of Leicester; the rectory of Stutchbury, in the county of Northampton; the lectureship of St. Giles, in the city of Oxford; and the perpetual curacy of Kirkdale, in the county of York.

University College is supposed by some to have been founded so early as 872, by Alfred the Great, and to have constituted the largest of his three halls, but, with far greater probability, its foundation is ascribed to William, Archdeacon of Durham, who, in 1249, left three hundred and ten marks to the chancellor and university, in order to purchase certain annual rents for the support of ten, twelve, or more masters, at that time the highest academical title, the first purchase having been made in 1253. The funds left by him were appropriated to the support of a limited number of individuals, chosen by the various halls of the university, and who at first did not form an independent society, but were subordinate to the several schools in which they had been educated: in 1280, the institution of a society was determined upon, and the statutes eventually settled by the university bear the date 1292. The situation of the original house, or hall, is generally considered to be the site now occupied by Brasenose College, and historians assert that the society removed to the present college about 1343, under the style of 'the Master and Scholars of the Hall of the University of Oxford,' giving to their house the name of 'University Hall;' at what period it was first denominated a college is unknown. The style at present in use, namely, 'the Master and Fellows of the College of the Great Hall of the University, commonly called University College in Oxford,' was fixed by Queen Elizabeth, in 1572. A common seal was used so early as 1320, and the statutes now in force were enacted in 1726. The foundation consists of a master, twelve fellows, and twenty-four scholars and exhibitioners: two of the fellowships were founded by William of Durham, for that county; three by Henry IV., for the dioceses of York and Durham; three, in 1442, by the Earl of Northumberland, for the dioceses of Durham, Carlisle, and York; and four, in 1631, by Sir Simon Bennet, for any part of England, except these three dioceses. The King became visitor in the beginning of the reign of George II., in consequence of a decree in the court of King's Bench, assigning the foundation to Alfred; the House of Convocation had previously exercised that power, as trustees under the will of William of Durham. The livings in the patronage of the Master and Fellows are, the rectory of Tarrant-Gunville, in the county of Dorset; the rectory of North Cerney, in the county of Gloucester: the rectory of Headbourn-Worthy, in the county of Southampton; the perpetual curacy of Flamstead, in the county of Hertford; the rectory of Elton, in the county of Huntingdon; the rectory of Checkendon, in the county of Oxford; the rectory of Kingsdon, in the county of Somerset; the rectory of Beckley, in the county of Sussex; the vicarage of Arneliffe, and the rectory of Melsonby, in the county of York. The college, which is on the south side of the High-street, is in the ancient style of English architecture, with portions in the Italian style, and comprises two parallel quadrangles: one, built at various periods, with a chapel and hall on the south side, is one hundred feet square; the other, built principally by Dr. Radeliffe, has only three sides, each being about eighty feet in length; on the south is the master's garden: the two constitute a front of about two hundred and forty feet in extent, from the High-street, which it faces, presenting a magnificent appearance; each quadrangle is entered by a gateway surmounted by a tower; over one entrance, in front, is the statue of Queen Anne, and within, that of James II.; over the other, in front, that of Mary II., and within, that of Dr. Radcliffe. The chapel, built in 1665, displays a profusion of painted glass, and contains a fine cenotaph, by Flaxman, to the memory of Sir William Jones. In the library, which was completed in 1660, is a very valuable collection of books and manuscripts. Amongst the most eminent members formerly belonging to this society may be enumerated Ridley, Bishop of London, who was burnt at the stake in this city; Bingham, author of Origines Ecclesiastic' Sir William Jones; Dr. Radeliffe; Edward, Lord Herbert of Cherbury; Dr. John Hudson, a learned critic; Carte, the historian; Richard Jago, an ingenious poet; Sir Robert Chambers, Vinerian Professor, afterwards a Judge in India; two archbishops, and nine bishops. The members on the books are two hundred and eighteen, of whom one hundred and ten are members of convocation.

Balliol College appears to have been founded, about 1260, by John Balliol, of Bernard Castle, father of John Balliol, King of Scotland: he gave to each of his scholars 8d. per week for their commons, and settled yearly exhibitions upon them, with the intention of providing a house and appropriate accommodation, which was carried into effect after his decease, in 1269, by his wife Devorguilla, who, in 1281, purchased a tenement in Horsemonger-street, now called Broad-street, and prescribed statutes for their government: in 1284, she likewise purchased the adjoining hall of St. Mary, and having repaired it, established the society there by charter of incorporation, which, being confirmed by the king, her son, and Oliver, Bishop of Lincoln, the name of New Balliol College was given to it: the code of statutes at present in force was enacted in 1507. The number of scholars has varied at different times, according to the state of the finances: in 1610 the society included not less than one hundred and twenty-seven persons; at present it consists of a master, twelve fellows, and fourteen scholars, of whom nine fellows and ten scholars are on the old foundation. In 1620. Lady Eliz. Periam, widow of the Lord Chief Baron. Sir William Periam, Knt., added one fellowship, which as well as those on the old foundation, is open to candidates indiscriminately: in 1615, and 1676, the trustees of Mr. Peter Blundell founded two fellowships for persons to be elected from his grammar school at Tiverton, in the county of Devon: there are also thirty-three scholarships and exhibitions; and, in 1522, lands were given by Thomas Harrope to increase the number of scholarships: among the exhibitions are four founded by John Warner, Bishop of Rochester, in 1666 or 1667, for natives of Scotland, to support the canse of episcopacy in that country; they are endowed with £20 per annum each, and are now held by four of the exhibitioners of John Snell, Esq. This c

From Lewis's Topographical Dictionary of England 1831, courtesy of Databases 4 Sale