Oxford University Stories from the Archives

This volume presents fifty-two stories from the institutional archive of Oxford University, which holds records spanning just over eight hundred years.

Established in 1634 and based in the Bodleian Library, the Archives of Oxford University document the University’s activities and decisions throughout that time.

This volume showcases fifty-two documents and objects from the University Archives, telling a wide range of intriguing stories about the University. Arranged chronologically, these items deal with the University’s relations with governments and monarchs; the effects of war; teaching and student behavior; the University’s buildings and institutions; widening access to university education; and the impact the University has had on the city of Oxford and its people. Also documented here are fascinating insights into the University’s erstwhile police force, a hidden time capsule, brewing licenses, brawls, and illicit steeplechasing.

The items also often unlock human stories to which we can relate today, opening a window on the individuals (from University, city, or even further afield) whose lives the University has touched, including people who would perhaps not be expected to feature in a history of Oxford University, but whose stories are preserved forever in its magnificent archives.