History of Brasenose Blog: Ancient and Modern

Continuity and Discontinuity 

It is very difficult to distil the long history of the College into a short article and this piece does not try to do so. For this, please see Mordaunt Crook’s monumental account of Derek Winterbotham’s shorter book, from which I have drawn heavily with gratitude. This piece merely seeks to tell a few stories and look at some continuity and discontinuity in the College’s traditions. I just want to try to answer some of the questions which I am often asked about the College and to offer some vignettes of the College. I also look at a few of our most notable characters and some of my predecessors as Principal. 

BNC has been, over the years, full of eccentricity and moments of sheer extraordinariness; esoteric and bizarre; religious and profane. This is combined with the mundane slog of getting students ready for exams and the joy of seeing them gain Oxford degrees which is our core mission. Churchill said that the first 500 years of any institution are the most testing. John Buchan, one of our most celebrated literary alumni, wrote at the age of 23 of Brasenose, “Its history has been the history of a reaction ending in compromise, the conservative without the fanatical. In the best sense of the word, it has held a middle place, without at any time descending into mediocrity”. 

Mordaunt Crook describes a college as “a permanent set of buildings and an impermanent set of people”. We are of course an unusual institution in that every 3 or 4 years we recreate and reproduce, on a rolling basis with new students. This ranks with the head of the University of California who pictured universities as a diverse group of faculties held together merely by common grievances over parking. Students come and go as do our staff but somehow the institution survives and has indeed thrived since 1509.  

We find some common themes running throughout the College’s history and some radical departures over time. Old BNC was a jovial, well lubricated and none too intellectual champion of causes often long lost elsewhere, even in Oxford. One 19th Century undergraduate said, “As Balliol enlisted clever heads so BNC enlisted stout legs”.  

I have been keen during my time as Principal to preserve the good traditions (some of which do not date back so far) whilst going forward to new horizons. I am also proud that we have for some years been rated as the happiest college in Oxford.  

General outline of our history 

The general outline of the history is well known. In 1279, 4 clerical scholars lodged in a Hall near the present college gateway. The students left Oxford for Stamford in Lincolnshire (my home county) to avoid rioting between northern and southern students, probably in 1333. Stamford was then host to a group of Carmelite schools. There is still a Brasenose Street in the town, and we plan to visit there next year. 

In 1381, a lease for Brasenose Hall on our current site was obtained from our neighbours University College. William Smyth, the Bishop of Lincoln and Richard Sutton, the lawyer son of a landed knight in Cheshire decided to change the Hall to a full college in 1509, with the Royal Charter being granted in 1512. They are credited as being our Founders. Sutton was in fact the first lay founder of any college in Oxford or Cambridge 

The stone for the College was quarried in Headington and it took 7 years to build. Sutton persuaded Elizabeth Morley to make gifts of land in Faringdon in 1515 which set the College on a path to prosperity. We have an annual Betty Morley dinner in memory of her. Another major benefactor was Joyce Frankland, the daughter of a London goldsmith, who in 1586 gave a large piece of land to the college including 39-55 Kensington High Street (which we sold before its value became obvious). She was childless and did not seem to mind that no one of her sex could then be admitted as an undergraduate. 

It was the nose from the Stamford house which gave us our distinctive name. We bought the physical version (a leopard’s head of brass and iron) from the Stamford residence when it came up for sale in 1890. It sits behind High Table in our Hall.  

CONTINUITY AND EVOLUTION

1) ACADEMIC SUCCESS  

This has always been our key mission. In my days as a student, however, we were known as academically not great but instead as sporting heroes. Prof. Herbert Hart, one of my predecessors, described BNC as containing “old Turks and young fogies”. Recently our academic success has looked up. We came second in the Norrington Table in 2012 and have comfortably occupied a top ten position in most years thereafter. Our completion rate is 97% which is very high and amongst the best in the world.

2) ACCESS 

The original statutes in 1522 speak of “a perpetual college of poor and indigent scholars who shall study and make progress in philosophy and sacred theology”. The Hulme scholarships available from 1679 paid for 4 deserving boys each year. In the 18th century, most Brasenose men reputedly came from the north of England.  

We admit students who have the greatest potential to benefit from the education offered by the College and the University regardless of family income or previous educational history, and there are no geographical restrictions. Outreach activity seeks to encourage gifted students from under-represented backgrounds capable of excelling on course to consider applying. The College is an extremely active participant in outreach (especially in the College’s designated link regions of North Yorkshire and East Berkshire). We are continuing to develop a new recruitment initiative in Northern Ireland. We have no schools quotas or targets and admit UK undergraduates roughly in proportion to their shares of state and independent 6th form pupils. Our excellent Head of Access, Joe Organ, and Schools Outreach Coordinator, Holly Plater, are in contact with over 450 state schools with about 250 visits to schools or hosting a visit to College annually. They work with around 4000 young people each year.  

The social background of the students has of course changed greatly over the centuries. The share of undergraduates drawn from the least advantaged households and from areas of low progression to higher education are above the University average. In recent years, several students from care experienced backgrounds have joined Brasenose  

We are more international too than in yesteryear. Of the most recent undergraduate cohort, 94 Freshers are drawn from regions across the UK while 14 are overseas students with 12 nationalities represented.

3) ARTS 

We have had a thriving Arts Week for about 30 years and have also recently introduced the Frankland Visitor scheme, filled in turn by leading literary and arts figures: Kenneth Lonergan, Hannah Cusworth, Jo Baring, Jo Kavenna and Brandon Jacobs Jenkins have held this role. The King’s Hall Fund for the Arts was an immediate spin-off set up to finance BNC drama, writing and arts activity. We have many paintings on loan from the Ingram Collection.

4) DINING 

Graham Richards wrote in the Brazen Nose that “dining in BNC in the mid 1960s was a delight, even if it was a challenge to the liver. Almost half the fellows were single and lived in College”. This is no longer true, but we do eat well. During term, there is formal dining on Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays with students at 7 15. Lorraine Watkins has been our excellent chef since the early 1990s. 

5) GREAT LAWYERS 

We have always been a strong Law College. We produced Baron Ellesmere, the greatest lawyer of his generation (son of a Cheshire landowner) in 1559, and our Law Society is named after him. We now boast two members of the Supreme Court, Lord Andy Burrows and Lady Vivien Rose. I wrote to The Times to mention this fact only to be trumped by someone from Magdalen who wrote that in the 1950s they had no less than 5 alumni on the panel of the House of Lords Judicial Committee!  

During my time, we have had events to celebrate some of our finest academic legal brains: Herbert Hart (Principal from 1972), Barry Nicholas and Otto Kahn Freund.

6) RELATIONS WITH LINCOLN COLLEGE 

The rivalry with our near neighbour Lincoln College continues but on the sports field, rather than in fist fights as in days of yore. There have, surprisingly, been vague attempts to merge the Colleges (which are physically intimate) and we came very close to such a union on two occasions. In October 1877, Mark Pattison, Rector of Lincoln, pleaded to Brasenose, “Can you take us in?”; the result was to have been called Brasenose Lincoln. The sticking point came however when Hugh Platt of Lincoln published his A Plea for the Preservation of Lincoln College and claimed that BNC was “eminent as a college for Pass men” whereas Lincoln was “a resort for men of simple tastes and habits who came to Oxford for the purpose of study”. It did not happen. Negotiations were reopened just after the war, again unsuccessfully. 

Once a year, on Ash Wednesday, we go through the gate into Lincoln to savour rather insipid ivy beer, a tradition going back centuries. So friendly are we now that we invited a Lincoln man to be the Principal! Indeed, Lincoln reciprocated by making me an Honorary Fellow of Lincoln. The Vice Principal, Professor of Comparative Law and our IT Director are also Lincoln refugees.

7) LONG SERVING STAFF 

We glory in our long serving staff. We have only employed 3 groundsmen since the 1890s. Often in the old days more than one member of the same family would be employed in the college. In 1760-1780s, three members of the Brucker family were employed, James, John & William. James was, however, committed to Oxford Castle gaol in 1788 for “feloniously stealing 48 dozen and 4 bottles of red port wine” from the college. He was sentenced to death, but this was commuted to transportation to Australia for life. Recently, I presided at a tea for 7 staff who have been with us for longer than 20 years each. We have an extremely loyal and well appreciated staff now numbering 90.

8) GOVERNANCE 

We remain self-governing with a Governing Body of 42 members including all Tutorial Fellows and the College Officers such as Bursar, Senior Tutor and Development Director as well as some Statutory Professors. The Visitor is the Bishop of Lincoln for the time being. Our next Governance review is in 2 years' time. 

10) THE TUTORIAL 

This is still at the heart of College teaching, although the one-to-one tutorial has died out. We are keen to maintain it although it is of course expensive. 

11) ROWING

In 1815, we staked our claim to supremacy on the river. We defeated Jesus for head of the river in what is generally seen as the first ever boat race. We were head again in 1822, 1826 and 1827. In the 1850 and 1860s we were head of the river in four successive years. In 1881 the bump supper got out of control; L R Farrell said, “some two hundred young men bounding and leaping high…the most fantastic music ever devised by savages standing on the verge of culture”. There was a quite remarkable sequence of Torpid head of river every year 1886 to 1895.  

In effect we started the Henley Regatta. In 1840 we had five students in the varsity boat. Before World War I, one Rhodes Scholar recalled that “the idea that BNC might end in the Second Division seemed comparable to the Fall of Constantinople in 1453”. I would recommend Bill O’Chee’s monumental and masterful account of Brasenose rowing. 

DISCONTINUITIES

1) ADMISSION OF WOMEN 

Women were admitted to undergraduate degrees in 1974; they now number more than male students and the proportion is expected to be higher in future years. This year is the fiftieth anniversary of the admission of women, and we are holding several events. We were only the second college to raise the possibility of women undergraduates. It came up as a possibility when we were considering new accommodation. It took a long time to achieve this feat not least because of hostility from the women’s Colleges. It was first discussed in 1967 and in June 1971 the GB vote was 24-8 in favour. The admission of women civilised the College. As Nancy Hulek, who was one of the first 27 women admitted in 1974, wrote “No more stale dinner rolls being thrown around at dinner, with the aim of lodging them behind the portraits hung high on the walls, women’s sports clubs, students called by their first names, and generally a civilised atmosphere.”

2) SIZE AND SHAPE 

This has obviously changed a lot and will continue to do so. There were just 29 students in 1648; 59 in 1649 and 91 ten years later. Today we have 375 undergraduates, and 250 graduates spread over 4 sites. We admit about 110 undergraduates a year as our steady state quota.

3) DIVERSITY 

This is now a major theme for the College. We do not tolerate prejudice or discrimination. About one third of GB are now female. We have more students from Asian heritage than in the general population. The first black Honorary Fellow Martin Forde KC was admitted in 2020. The first female fellow was Mary Stokes KC (both lawyers). 

4) FINANCIAL  

The Bursar guards our finances, aided by his great staff and our wonderful Investment Advisory Committee which is formed of alumni who are expert in the field. Our fortunes have waxed and waned over the centuries. In the first half of the 17th century, there were serious financial problems. By the 1640s, the college owed £1400 to tradesmen and stared down bankruptcy.  

The financial fortunes revived greatly in the 1990s when the College sold the sports ground formerly used by Oxford City FC for housing. The Brazen Nose said it was “the biggest financial coup in the history of the college”. Our endowment is at present valued at about £180m but it obviously fluctuates daily, and we have various development projects going at any one time; this is a major increase since 2013 when it stood at about £101m. We bought the Lloyds Bank site in Carfax in 2018; it was designed in an elaborate renaissance style by Stephen Salter and eventually we may turn it into student accommodation.

5) DISCIPLINE 

The Dean still administers discipline as the Dean always has done but we are less strict in our blue book (which contains all the College rules) than we were in 1582, when there was “a statutory prohibition to play at dice ball or cards” although the latter were permitted “but not for money at Xmas.”

6) CHANGING SUBJECTS MIX 

Over the years, we have changed the subject mix regularly. In 2026, we will reintroduce Computer Science as an undergraduate subject. We may have to replace the 3 Rs with 4 Cs; creativity, collaboration, communication, coding. 

GREAT BRASENOSE CHARACTERS: 

The holy trinity referred to by the tour guides as they pass my Lodgings window speaking about the College’s “greats” are usually David Cameron, Michael Palin and William Golding (author of Lord of the Flies). Today, John Buchan, the author of 39 Steps of whom we have a fine statue, is less well known. I here pick out a few of our other College characters, good and bad (in alphabetical order). 

Lord Addington (later Viscount Sidmouth) was our first of two Prime Ministers; he negotiated an unsatisfactory truce with Napoleon’s France so that the Opposition said that “Pitt was to Addington as London is to Paddington”. 

Lord Jeffrey Archer had been a MP but went to prison for perjury. He brought the Beatles to the Principals Lodgings on 5 March 1964 of which we have an iconic image. The then Principal Sir Noel Hall apparently had no idea who they were! Jeffrey’s wife Mary taught Chemistry for a sabbatical. 

Sir Arthur Evans read History between 1870 and 1874 was Keeper of the Ashmolean Museum (which, through Elias Ashmole, also has a Brasenose connection) from 1884 to 1908 and was famous as an archaeologist who found and excavated Knossos, although that has become somewhat controversial. 

Bernard Fitzpatrick, the heir to the Barony of Castletown, was a headstrong tearaway who fought a duel with the future Duke of Wellington and kept a 15ft python in his room (which would not be allowed nowadays).  

The Heber brothers were brilliant academics; Richard by the tender age of 20 had edited works of 2 classical scholars in 4 volumes.  

Peter Twinn worked with Turing to crack the German code at Bletchley Park. 

NOTABLE FELLOWS 

It is invidious to select a few from the very many brilliant Fellows but here goes: 

Sir Vernon Bogdanor was a PPE Fellow at Brasenose from 1966 until 2003 and is the nation’s primary constitutional expert. 

Prof. Graham Richards was a pioneer of computational chemistry especially molecular graphics and screensaver lifesaver project which linked 3.5m personal computers in 200 countries. He was head of the Chemistry Department for many years and was also an active businessman too.  

Peter Sinclair was the loveliest man and an excellent Economics tutor who chaired our Remuneration Committee until his untimely death from Covid. 

William Stocker was a fellow for 72 years and was the last life fellow in the university. He apparently never left BNC overnight, save for the night of the bump supper. 

NOTABLE PRINCIPALS  

This was quite an eclectic bunch; I choose a few at random to describe: 

One changed his name to gain a benefit 

One was born Edward Hartop Grove, but he changed his name to Cradock to inherit an estate from his maternal uncle. 

Some lasted a very long time 

John Meare held office for nearly 30 years but suffered from mental illness. He made himself so unpopular as Vice Chancellor of the university (in those days the position rotated) that the Warden of All Souls prayed aloud that he might be transported to the colonies. He was not. 

One had to be removed from office 

Samuel Radcliffe ruled the College for 34 years from 1614 to 1648. He has been described as a “knave”, an autocrat and a stout defender of College liberties. He was eventually removed from office as Principal but refused to resign or move from lodgings. The Visitor responded by putting a guard of soldiers around the lodgings; he then became rector of Steeple Aston (that does not happen now to retired Principals!). 

At least one dressed abominably (before me)  

The June 1822 records say, “The eccentric style of Mr Harington’s dress is remarkably lachrimable and it is to be hoped that he will pay more attention to his habitments in future”.  To one event he came in striped worsted stockings.  

Some were generous 

Principal Yarbrough paid £50 (a huge sum in those days) for glazing of hall and attic windows and £120 for fine new stuccoed ceiling in hall, gateway and library staircase. 

Maurice Platnauer, who had been a long serving Classics Fellow, paid for a series of concerts which are still going today; a Rhodes scholar said, when leaving his room, “when you enter that room you will encounter civilisation”.  

One had to wait twelve years to take up his position 

With 12 of the 16 Fellows during the Civil War, he was expelled from the Fellowship and spent those years practising as a solicitor.  

Some were nepotists 

Fellows and undergraduates included 3 nephews and 2 great nephews of Daniel Greenwood, a nephew of Thomas Yates, 2 nephews and 2 sons of John Meare and a nephew of Robert Shippen.  

One died in a train crash 

W T S Stallybrass dominated College between the wars. He was hard drinking and sports obsessed. He died in 1948 coming back from a dinner at Middle Temple. People still debate whether this was suicide or an accident. Our law library is named after him.  

None so far has been female. 

CONCLUSION 

So that is my short affectionate account of some of the incidents from our glorious history. As T H Huxley said in 1894 “The primary business of universities has to do with pure knowledge and pure art”. 

I close with David Cameron who said “every time I come back to Brasenose I have only one request which is that I could start my three years here all over again, as they were the happiest and most interesting moments that I’ve spent. I think it was here that I really learnt who I was and what I wanted to do, and the brilliant teaching you get here, the fantastic tuition, the one-on-one attention is just a remarkable thing”.  

JOHN BOWERS KC 

21 10 24  


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