Oxford University (Medieval)

Oxford University

Although Oxford was already a centre of learning by the end of the 12th century, its main growth dates from the first half of the 13th century. Members of many religious orders, including Dominicans, Franciscans, Carmelites, and Augustinians, settled in Oxford in the mid-13th century, where they gained influence, and maintained houses for students. At about the same time, private benefactors established colleges to serve as scholarly communities.

• Balliol college was founded by John I de Balliol in about 1263, under the guidance of the Bishop of Durham. After his death in 1268, his widow, Dervorguilla of Galloway, made arrangements to ensure the permanence of the college. She provided capital, and in 1282, formulated the college statutes, documents that survive to this day.
• Merton College was founded in the 1260's by Walter de Merton, chancellor to Henry III and later to Edward I, afterwards Bishop of Rochester. Walter drew up statutes for an independent academic community and established endowments to support it. By 1274 when Walter retired from royal service and made his final revisions to the college statutes, the community was consolidated at its present site in the south east corner of the city of Oxford, and a rapid programme of building commenced. The hall and the chapel and the rest of the front quad were complete before the end of the 13th century, but apart from the chapel they have all been much altered since.
• University College was founded by William of Durham in 1249, to support ten masters. Until the 16th century was only open to Fellows studying theology.
• Blackfriars was founded by Dominicans who arrived in Oxford on 15 August 1221, at the instruction of Saint Dominic himself, little more than a week after the friar's death. They establish themselves first in Jewish quarter, then move to area around Speedwell Street. The hall has some claim to be heir to the oldest tradition of teaching in Oxford. Like all the monastic houses in Oxford, Blackfriars came into rapid and repeated conflict with the University authorities, as the friars claimed all the rights and privileges of University membership but also claimed immunity from the University discipline or regulation.
• In 1225 Franciscan friars, the 'Greyfriars', found a house of studies in Oxford, in St Ebbes / Westgate.
• In 1281 Benedictine monks of Gloucester Cathedral founded a house of studies, Gloucester Hall (where Worcester College now stands). This is soon used by many Benedictine houses of the South and West.
• 1286 Durham College (where Trinity College now stands) founded, a house of studies for the Benedictines of Durham Cathedral and the North.

References

Bott, A. (1993). Merton College: A Short History of the Buildings. Oxford: Merton College. ISBN 0-9522314-0-9. Martin, G.H. & Highfield, J.R.L. (1997). A History of Merton College. Oxford: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-920183-8.