Promotion prospects
Just before morning chapel the Warden took me aside on the terrace and after laying before me the perplexities of S. Columba’s, asked whether, suppose he could spare me here, I would undertake the office of Warden in place of Williams. I said such a thought could only have occurred to persons who knew but little of me and could not possibly understand, as I do myself, my own thorough incompetence for such a post.

William Wood’s Diary 1855-1861, ed. by Mark Spurrell, is available from Oxfordshire Record Society. These excerpts are presented to give a flavour of life at Radley in the 1850s

‘I resolved to commence a diary’

It was from this point of view just ten years ago as nearly as I can remember, I first saw this, the first old ruined Abbey I had ever seen. I had walked with Ackland from Ruabon. How well I remember everything. There lay the Abbey just as before, the ivy clinging to the old walls, the sunlight on the top buttress faces of the angles towards the West, the dashing brooklet at my feet just seen at intervals through the thick beeches, the quiet solemn grandeur of the bare mountains enclosing the little valley – all just as before. Nothing changed but myself. And myself, how much! Ten years! What a change they make in all one’s thoughts and aspirations when they are the ten between 16 and 26. Is it a change for the better? Not much, I fear. How little good done, how great the evil!

Among other things I resolved to commence a Diary, a thing I had often intended, but always lacked energy to make a beginning. Here then I may write incipit [it begins].

William Wood’s Diary 1855-1861, ed. by Mark Spurrell, is available from Oxfordshire Record Society. These excerpts are presented to give a flavour of life at Radley in the 1850s

Oxbridge result
Drove in to Oxford to see Charlie and enquire about Spyers in the Trinity [examination]. Found him quite out of the running. His last prose bad, essay childish. It is very provoking to find so little return for one’s pains.

William Wood’s Diary 1855-1861, ed. by Mark Spurrell, is available from Oxfordshire Record Society. These excerpts are presented to give a flavour of life at Radley in the 1850s

Fireworks in Oxford

I set off at ½ past 7 and walked in to Oxford by the towpath, a most beautiful day, not a creature by the river side. The swallows dipping into the water and breeze rippling the surface almost the only signs of life. Oxford in all the stir of anxious preparation. Met Wilson and gave him my ticket. Had some breakfast in Bowyer’s bedroom, he expecting a visitation of ladies. Went with him to the [Sheldonian] theatre, got in easily, but soon a tremendous crush, never felt anything like it. Prince Albert, the Princes of Prussia and Baden were there, with Lord Derby. The two latter Princes had degrees given them, also Colin Campbell, Williams (absent) Sir E. Lyons, Lord Clarendon etc. Not much wit from the gallery and the men behaved very badly to poor Claughton, who spoke the oration.

Gibbings and West dined with me in Hall at 1½, a capital cold collation. The President gave the toast of “the ladies” received rapturously, afterwards sat in the garden and watched the lions [guests]. Walked to the Museum. Archit.-Soc. (Gibbings taken in by my practical joke). Tea in Richards rooms. Akers joined us. At 9 sallied forth to see the illuminations. Walked all round the town. A magnificent sight, like some scene in the Arabian Nights. The end of Magdalen very pretty. Passed through a shower of squibs up High Street at 10½. Christ Church being regularly bombarded. Walked out to reach Radley at 12.
William Wood’s Diary 1855-1861, ed. by Mark Spurrell, is available from Oxfordshire Record Society. These excerpts are presented to give a flavour of life at Radley in the 1850s

A collegiate school

Letter to the Warden. I write the following lines on behalf of the Fellows to avoid any further misunderstanding from verbal inaccuracies, not from any desire to interpose unnecessary formality or stiffness in our relations with each other.

A question has arisen as to the position we occupy with regard to yourself. What is meant by our being Fellows of a College?

We thought that the least which could be meant by it was, that you did not intend to make any essential changes in the principles on which it has hitherto worked, without, at all events, consulting the Fellows on the subject. Our convictions as to this were strengthened by your having repeatedly expressed your wish to preserve the status quo. We therefore asked you to be so good as to express to us, as a body, the next time that you called us together for any Collegiate act, your intention to lay before the Fellows any proposal which to the greater part of them seemed to involve a change of principle, not for their decision, but for their discussion.

William Wood’s Diary 1855-1861, ed. by Mark Spurrell, is available from Oxfordshire Record Society. These excerpts are presented to give a flavour of life at Radley in the 1850s

Exams, lost luggage and new jobs

Wet morning. Left at 10.50. Reached Oxford at 3½. Went in to Trinity and saw Pinder and Haddon in Hall, the Scholarship examinations going on.

Walked out alone, having left my bag for the bus, which however in a fit of sulks, did not bring it. A wet walk, reached Radley in time for Chapel.

Owen arrived after tea, as we were walking on the Terrace. He had a letter from Jowett offering him an appointment as Professor at Bombay. Strange that it should have synchronized with affairs here. The Warden has just been in to my room to say how sorry he should be personally if Owen were to accept it, and he would like Owen to know.

William Wood’s Diary 1855-1861, ed. by Mark Spurrell, is available from Oxfordshire Record Society. These excerpts are presented to give a flavour of life at Radley in the 1850s

Parents
At 10 o’clock while my form was with me in came Abbey to say he believed Wetenhall [b. 1847] and Lindsay mi. [b. 1847] had run away! Told him to tell West first. It seemed it was true. They went to Oxford but were encountered there by Risley who brought them back. I am very sorry for it. There is no reason but that of childish folly, but these things do harm in many ways and I doubt the wisdom of the way in which the Warden proposes to treat the case. It is, to send for the parents and require that they should acquiesce in the boys being flogged or treated in any way the Warden may think fit. But parents are weak, and it is hard to make them judge their own children. They are not all Brutuses.

William Wood’s Diary 1855-1861, ed. by Mark Spurrell, is available from Oxfordshire Record Society. These excerpts are presented to give a flavour of life at Radley in the 1850s

Arguments between Common Room

After 12, I walked for 3 hours with O. in the shrubbery and read the letter.

It did not pacify him. “The Warden had not in the least retracted the conclusion to which he had been led originally by N’s false statement”. However after afternoon Roll we walked to Radley Copse and there while gathering orchises and anemones I induced him to consent to make a statement to the effect that he would waive the question of the injustice done to him, and sacrifice as far as might be his private feelings to the good of the place. Accordingly, after tea we concocted a letter for him to myself which the Warden received kindly. At 9½ the Warden accordingly came to his room and a reconciliation was effected, O. being quite satisfied with the kindness and sincerity of the Warden’s manner. And so to bed with a quiet mind, after feeling as if I had been in hot water for 3 days. God be praised who alone enabled me in this matter to become a Peacemaker. Amen.

William Wood’s Diary 1855-1861, ed. by Mark Spurrell, is available from Oxfordshire Record Society. These excerpts are presented to give a flavour of life at Radley in the 1850s

Springtime

A lovely morning. Walked for ¼ of an hour before breakfast on the terrace, my heart swelling like the buds which glistened in the Sun. These bright spring mornings are like one ceaseless prayer or rather thanksgiving.

William Wood’s Diary 1855-1861, ed. by Mark Spurrell, is available from Oxfordshire Record Society. These excerpts are presented to give a flavour of life at Radley in the 1850s

‘Warden’s Assembly’
Very stormy last night. It seemed as if the windows would be blown in. The Warden addressed the boys after Morning Chapel on Sins of the Flesh, sending out in turns (a) the boys under 12 (b) those under 16 (c) those above. He shewed  great skill and tact in his remarks.

William Wood’s Diary 1855-1861, ed. by Mark Spurrell, is available from Oxfordshire Record Society. These excerpts are presented to give a flavour of life at Radley in the 1850s