day of July, 1589, eighteen years after the first patent. Their object
appears to have been to appoint Francis Bevans to the Principalship,
to authorize the College to receive further benefactions to the
amount of £200 a year, and to nominate a still more important body
of Commissioners to draw up the College statutes. These second
Commissioners included several ecclesiastical and legal dignitaries,
the Chancellor and Vice-Chancellor of the University, the Principal,
and apparently three Fellows of the College, and Richard Harrys,
Principal of Brasenose College. The presence of the last-mentioned
Commissioner probably accounts for the fact that the new statutes were
framed upon the model of the Brasenose statutes. There seems to have
been some delay in drawing up these statutes, but they were finally
completed and ordered to be written “fayre in a Booke.” This “Booke”
seems to have been sent from one Commissioner to another for approval
and correction, and at least once was reported to be lost; but was
eventually recovered and deposited in the College.
The third Letters Patent concerning the College are those of King
James I., dated June 1st, 1621, in the fiftieth year of the College.
After reciting both the Letters Patent of Queen Elizabeth, the King
confirms the establishment of the College; arranges for the addition
and co-optation of eight additional Fellows and eight additional
scholars; and incorporates the College anew to consist of sixteen
Fellows and sixteen scholars. Further, Sir Eubule Thelwall, one of the
Masters of the Court of Chancery, is nominated to the Principalship;
and vacancies in the Fellowships and scholarships are filled up. It is
worthy of notice that two of the original Fellows, Robert Johnson and
John Higgenson, and two of the original scholars, Lancelot Andrews and
Thomas Dove, are still retaining their places.
It is remarkable that in the three documents above-mentioned there
is no word or expression which implies any local limitation of the
College. There is no direct or indirect allusion to place of birth
or education in the Letters Patent or in the statutes. And yet the
founder was a Welshman, and probably intended his new foundation to
be a Welsh College. The Tudors were always ready to acknowledge their
Welsh origin; hence the readiness of Queen Elizabeth to accede to the
request of Dr. Hugo Price, and even to contribute something of her
royal bounty. Yet no formal means were adopted to secure and continue
the connection of the College with Wales. If we review the lists of
the Fellows nominated in the two Letters Patent of Elizabeth, we know
by the names only (even apart from our actual knowledge from other
sources) that they are not all Welshmen. But it is otherwise with the
Principals. Every one of these, from the foundation to the end of the
eighteenth century, shows by his name[288] his connection with Wales.
The times in which Dr. Hugo Price lived were times of somewhat despotic
government; the Principal appointed the Foundationers; and it may have
seemed a sufficient safeguard to the first founder if it should become
a tradition that the Principal must be a Welshman. At any rate, if
it was not his intention to secure the connection with Wales by such
means, it does not seem possible that he could have selected any which
would have been more successful. From the time of the Restoration it
is exceedingly rare to find the admission of any one to a Scholarship
or Fellowship who was not qualified for the preferment by birth in
Wales. It is only important to notice that this exclusiveness grew up
by custom and tradition, but was not ordained by statute or authority.
In the time of Sir Leoline Jenkins a fixed system was adopted,[289]
and certain Fellowships and Scholarships were assigned respectively to
North and South Wales; but it was not so at the first.
Of the first six Principals, five were Fellows of All Souls, and only
two in Holy Orders. The diversity in the authority by which they were
appointed is to be remarked. The first and third were nominated by the
Crown in the Letters Patent; of the appointment of the second there is
no record; the fourth was “elected Principal, 17th May, 1602, by three
Fellows that were then in the College”; the fifth was nominated by the
Chancellor of the University, and admitted, under his mandate, by the
Vice-Chancellor, 8th September, 1613, no Fellows appearing or claiming
the right of election; the sixth Principal was nominated by the
Chancellor, and admitted by the Vice-Chancellor, after a contest with
the Fellows, which brought about the final settlement of the dispute in
favour of the College by the third Letters Patent.
The cause of this uncertainty is not difficult to discover. Had the
College been definitely constituted, the statutes would have provided
for the filling up of vacancies in the ordinary way of election by
the Fellows. But the Royal Commissioners had neglected to settle the
College by statutes, and the Chancellor of the University claimed to
appoint the Principal of the College as he had enjoyed the right of
appointing the Principal of White Hall.
The question between the claims of the Fellows and of the Chancellor
was brought to an issue in 1620. On 29th June in that year the
Chancellor (Lord Pembroke) nominated Francis Mansell (his kinsman and
chaplain) Principal on the death of Griffith Powell; and on 3rd July
the Vice-Chancellor (Dr. John Prideaux, Rector of Exeter) admitted him
in spite of the protests of the Fellows who claimed the election. On
13th July, Mansell expelled from their Fellowships three of his chief
opponents; and on 17th July the Vice-Chancellor interposed in Mansell’s
favour the authority of his office against a fourth.[290]
The subsequent stages in the dispute are not upon record; but that
Mansell felt his position insecure is obvious from his resignation of
the Principalship and his return to his All Souls Fellowship before
his year of grace at that College had expired. His successor, Eubule
Thelwall, by what authority appointed is not known, obtained within
a year the third Letters Patent under which the constitution of the
College was finally determined, and the right of election secured to
the Fellows.
Griffith Powell, the fifth Principal, had been a considerable
benefactor, and was the first to extend the buildings of the College
since the foundation. He began to enlarge it by the addition of the
buttery, kitchen, and hall; but dying before they could be completed,
he left them, together with the south side of the outer quadrangle, to
be completed by Sir Eubule Thelwall, “that most bountiful person, who
left nothing undone that might conduce to the good of the College.”
Francis Mansell, his successor, was a Fellow of All Souls, but had been
a commoner of the College. He was third son of Sir Francis Mansell,
of Muddlescomb, in the county of Carmarthen. Of him we have very
full information from the _Life_,[291] by Sir Leoline Jenkins, which
presents a most interesting and vivid picture of the troublous times in
which he lived. Dr. Francis Mansell performed the unprecedented feat of
holding the Principalship three times, being twice appointed, and once
restored, to the office. He watched the growth of the buildings under
the two great benefactors--Sir Eubule Thelwall and Sir Leoline Jenkins;
and he himself aided the work by his advice, gifts, and diligence in
collecting contributions.
On Mansell’s resignation of the Principalship in 1621 his place was
filled by Sir Eubule Thelwall. He was the fifth son of John Thelwall
of Bathavarn Park in the county of Denbigh, bred in Trinity College
in Cambridge till he was Bachelor of Arts, then coming to Oxford, was
incorporated here in the same degree in 1579. Afterwards Master of Arts
of this University, Counsellor at Law, Master of the Alienation Office,
and one of the Masters in Chancery, he was admitted Principal in the
month of May 1621. He procured from King James a new charter (mentioned
above), and greatly increased the buildings of the College, not only
completing the kitchen, buttery, and hall, but adding a house for the
Principal, and the chapel--which, however, was afterwards enlarged
by the addition (in 1636) of a sacrarium. He also built a library,
“with a walk under,” probably a colonnade, to the north of the Hall
and west of his new house; but it is doubtful whether he meant this
to be a permanent building. He enlarged the foundation, augmented the
endowments of the College, and enriched the library with books. He died
October 8th, 1630, and was buried in the chapel.
On the death of Sir Eubule Thelwall, Dr. Francis Mansell was again
appointed to the Headship. Encouraged, perhaps, by the example of his
predecessor, he, in his second tenure of the office, greatly enlarged
the buildings of the College, “for though our Principall had no fonds
but that of his owne Zeale, such was the Interest, which his Relation
in Blood to the many noble Families and (which was more prevailing) his
public and pious Spirit, had procured him, that he had Contributions
sufficient in view to finish and perfect his new Quadrangle; S^{r} George
Vaughan of Ffoulkston in Wiltshire having declared that himselfe would
be at the whole charge of the west end, which was designed to be the
Library; but all these pious designes and contributions were lost by
the dispersions and Ruines that by the Warr befell those who intended
to be our Benefactors.”[292] Notwithstanding, Dr. Mansell was able
to effect much, for he pulled down Thelwall’s library, which does
not seem to have been a satisfactory building, and erected the north
and south sides of the inner quadrangle. He also enriched the College
with revenues and benefices, some of which appear to have been since
alienated.
Dr. Mansell was obliged to leave Oxford in 1643, owing to “the sad
newes of his Brother S^{r} Anthony’s decease, who fell with all the
circumstances of signall Piety and Vallor in the first Newbury fight;
where he commanded as field-Officer under Lord Herbert of Ragland.” He
had to remain in Wales to settle his brother’s affairs, and look after
his orphan children for some time; but “the Garrison of Oxon being
surrendered in 1646, and the Visitation upon the University coming on,
in July 1647, he hastened away from Wales to his station there; and
though the Earle of Pembroke (who was chiefe in the Action) owned our
Principall as his near Kinsman and had a Favour to the College as the
naturall Visitor thereof by Charter, and though the Earles Two younger
Sons who had lived severall years Commoners in the College under our
Principall’s charge, offered him their Service with all Affection
possible, yet neither the Propensions of the Earle, nor the Kind
offices of his Sons could bring our Principall to fframe himself to
any the least evasion, much less to the direct owneing of that Power.
Being ejected out of the Headship, which was not actually done by order
of the Visitors till the one and twentieth day of May 1648, he Applyed
himself to state all Accompts between him and the College; And having
delivered the muniments and Goods that belong to it to the hands of
the Intruders, he withdrew into Wales and took up his Residence att
Llantrythyd, a House of his Kinsman’s, Sir John Auberey’s K^{nt} and
Baronett, which house Sequestration having made desolate, while Sir
John was in prison for his Adherence to the King, afforded him the
Conveniency of a more private retirement and of having severall young
Gentlemen of Quality, his Kindred under his eye, while they were taught
and Bread up by a young man[293] of his College that he had chosen for
that employment.”
Here he suffered many persecutions and indignities, “for the Doctor’s
very Grave and Pious aspect, which should have been a protection to
him among Salvages, was no other than a Temptation to those (who
reputed themselves Saints) to Act their Insolencies upon him.” At last,
driven from his retirement, he returned to Oxford, where, “when our
Principall came first to Towne, he took up at Mr. Newmans,[294] a Baker
in Holy-well; but the good Offices he dayly rendered to the College
disposed the then Society so farr to comply with his Inclinations
(which had been allway to live and dye in the College) as to invite
him to accept of one Chamber for accommodating himself, where he built
severall faire ones for the Benefitt of the College. This motion was
accepted, and he Lived in the College, near the stoney staires near the
Gate, for eight years where he had Leisure to observe many Changes and
Revolutions within those Walls, as without them till that happy one of
his majestie’s Restauration by God’s infinite Mercy to the College as
well as to the Nation happily came on.”
He was restored to his Headship on the 1st of August 1660, but owing
to “the decayes of Age, especially dimness of Sight,” he resolved
to resign once more. His first wish was that Dr. William Bassett,
Fellow of All Souls, should succeed him, “who would have added to the
Reputation of the College by his Government, and to the Revenew of it
in all Probability, by his generous minde and ample Fortune; But Dr.
Bassett’s want of health not allowing him to accept of the Burthen, it
was (by the Unanimous Consent of all the Fellowes at a ffree-election
the first of March, 1660,[295] and with the good Liking of Our Common
Father) devolved upon Dr. Jenkins.[296] This being done he had no other
thought but for Heaven, nor Leasure but for Prayer; he came by degrees
to be confined to his chamber and at last to his Bed and upon the
first day of May 1665 he changed this Life for a better of Blisse and
Immortality.”
The following items from the _Book of Receipts and Disbursements_, in
Dr. Mansell’s own handwriting, are of interest as showing some of the
charges to which a College was put during the Civil War--
“Other various and Extraordinary Expenses, most of them peculiar to the
time.
Put uppon Domus by M^{r} _Evans_ for Bread and
Beere to the Kinges Souldiers at their
first Cominge to _Oxon_ from _Edgehill_ 01 : 02 : 6
Payd by him the Taxe layd uppon the Coll:
towards the works from the beginninge of
it to the 28^{th} of _Jan:_ ’43 03 : 16 : 6
More by him for Musquets, Pikes and the like 03 : 14 : 3
Given by him to the Prince his Trumpetters 00 : 10 : 00
Payd by Pole after 12^{d} a head every weeke
for all of the Coll. towards the fortifications
in _Xst Church_ Meade from the 17^{th}
of _June_ to the end of _July_ 02 : 11 : 00
More towards the same in _Aug._ & _Sept._ 02 : 7 : 00
For a little Peece of Plate of another man’s,
which was in my Study, and by mistake
taken out with the Coll. Plate,[297] and lent
to his Ma^{tie}, which weighed some what
more than 8 ounces 02 : 00 : 00
Pay’d uppon his Maj^{ties} Motion towards the
Maintenance of his Foote Souldiers for
one Monthe after fower Pounds by the
Weeke 16 : 00 : 00
The Totall of Receipts 95 : 2 : 5
The Totall of Disbursments 341 : 6 : 3
And so the Disbursments doe exceede the
Receipts by the Summe of 246 : 3 : 10
Which I the Principall have lay’d out of the
Coll. Money remayninge in my hands,
mine owne, or what I borrowed of others.
And I disbursed the money lent by Common
Consent to his Ma^{tie} 100 : 00 : 00”
In the interval between Dr. Mansell’s ejection in 1648 by the
Parliamentary Visitors and his restoration in 1660 by Charles II.’s
Commissioners, two Principals ruled the College. Of the first of
these, Michael Roberts, Sir Leoline Jenkins uses the words “infamous
and corrupt.” Perhaps the words are not to be taken literally; but
nothing of the kind is said of his successor, Francis Howell, though
he also was a Puritan. It is also on record that in 1656 the Fellows
deposed Roberts on charges of embezzling the College funds and corrupt
dealing in elections; and that although for the time the Parliamentary
Visitors refused to endorse the action of the Fellows, he did vacate
his Principalship that year or the next, presumably to avoid expulsion.
Afterwards he “lived obscurely” in Oxford, dying on 3rd May, 1670,
“with a girdle[298] lined with broad gold pieces about him (100£
they say),” and was buried in St. Peter’s in the East churchyard.
The appointment in his place of Francis Howell, Fellow of Exeter, on
24th October, 1657, marks the ascendancy of the Independents over the
Presbyterians in Puritan Oxford. The Fellows of the College had elected
Seth Ward (afterwards Bishop of Salisbury), but the Independents
persuaded Oliverus Protector to appoint Howell, after the fashion
already set in Oxford by Elizabetha Regina, and afterwards followed by
Jacobus Rex.
In the _Familiar Letters_ of James Howell are some interesting notices
of Oxford and of Jesus College during the times of Mansell, Thelwall,
and Jenkins. The writer, James Howell, son of Thomas Howell, minister
of Abernant in Carmarthenshire, was born about 1594; and entered Jesus
College, where he took his B.A. degree, in 1613. During his absence
abroad in the diplomatic service he was chosen on the Foundation
of his College by Sir Eubule Thelwall; but whether he was actually
admitted is not recorded. Space forbids extracting from his letters
the entertaining passages about Oxford; but this is the less to be
regretted since the letters are found in many editions, the last being
issued in 1890.
Some years after Howell had left College, viz. in 1638, Henry Vaughan,
“The Silurist,” entered. In early life he does not seem to have written
much; it was owing to illness and trouble that he was led to imitate
and often to excel the devotional poetry of George Herbert. This is not
the place to dwell upon his merits. His works have been little read,
but have gradually asserted their claim to an enduring place in English
literature.
Soon afterwards his twin brother, Thomas Vaughan (Eugenius
Philalethes), an eminent writer, philosopher, and chemist, was educated
in the College. In 1644, James Usher, Archbishop of Armagh, was
resident in and a member of the College. At a still earlier period
(1602), Rees Prichard was a member of the College. He was afterwards
Vicar of Llandovery, and became an eminent poet. His book _Canwyll
y Cymru_, is the best known and most highly valued collection of
devotional and religious poetry in the Welsh language.
The above were all Anglican Churchmen and Royalists, but there
was at this period some Puritanism in the College. “The growth of
Puritan feeling in the city of Oxford is shown by the formation of
the first Baptist Society under Vavasour Powell of Jesus College, in
1618. He made many converts in Wales, and in 1657 we hear of John
Bunyan accompanying him to Oxford. Powell died at last in the Fleet
Prison.”[299]
Among other distinguished members of the College during the sixteenth
and seventeenth centuries may be briefly mentioned Dr. John Davies
(1573), a Welsh scholar and grammarian; John Ellis (1628), author of
_Clavis Fidei_; Edward Lhwyd (1682), a celebrated antiquary, and keeper
of the Ashmolean Museum; Henry Maurice (1664), a learned divine and
Margaret Professor of Divinity; David Powel (1571), a learned divine
and eminent antiquary; his son Gabriel Powel (1592), considered “a
prodigy of learning”; John White, M.P. (1607), a well-known character
during the Commonwealth; John Williams (1569), Margaret Professor
of Divinity, Dean of Bangor, and author; Sir William Williams, a
very eminent lawyer and statesman, Speaker of the House of Commons,
Solicitor-and Attorney-General (1688); Owen Wood (1584), Dean of
Armagh, a considerable benefactor to the College; with many Bishops, a
list of whom is here given:--
_Bishops educated in Jesus College._
1. Richard Meredith Leighlin and Ferns (1589)
2. John Rider Killaloe (1612)
3. Lewis Bayley Bangor (1616)
4. Edmund Griffith Bangor (1633)
5. Morgan Owen Llandaff (1639)
6. Thomas Howell Bristol (1644)
7. Hugh Lloyd Llandaff (1660)
8. Francis Davies Llandaff (1667)
9. Humphrey Lloyd Bangor (1673)
10. William Thomas St. Davids (1677), Worcester (1683)
11. William Lloyd St. Asaph (1680), Lichfield (1698),
Worcester (1699)
12. Humphrey Humphreys Bangor (1689)
13. John Parry Ossory (1689)
14. John Lloyd St. Davids (1686)
15. John Evans Bangor (1701), Meath (1715)
16. John Wynne[300] St. Asaph (1714), Bath and Wells (1729)
_Bishops not educated in Jesus College, but who have been members of
the Society._[301]
Lancelot Andrews Chichester, Ely, Winchester
Thomas Dove Peterborough.
Leoline Jenkins, who succeeded Dr. Mansell in 1661, has been well
termed the second founder of the College. He almost completed the
buildings, restored discipline, fostered study, augmented the revenues,
and at his death left his whole estate to the College. He therefore
deserves a somewhat fuller record of his life than any of his
predecessors or successors. His charges as a Judge and Commissary of
the Archbishop of Canterbury, and his correspondence as an Ambassador
were published by William Wynne, Esq., of the Middle Temple, in 1734,
in two large folio volumes; to this is prefixed a memoir from which we
gather the following facts--
“He was born in the year 1625, in the parish of Llanblithian, in the
county of Glamorgan, and was the son of Leoline Jenkins, or Jenkins
Llewelyn, of the same place, a man of about £40 a year, and who left
behind him in that neighbourhood the character of a very honest,
prudent, and industrious man. The first Essays and Foundation of his
son’s future Learning were laid at Cowbridge School, very near the
place of his birth and even then no inconsiderable School, which, as
a grateful Acknowledgement of benefits there received, he afterwards
liberally endowed.