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