Editing Hertford College, Oxford (section)

== Hart Hall and the first Hertford College ==

=== Hart Hall ===
[[File:UK-2014-Oxford-Hertford College 01.jpg|thumb|left|The drinking hart with motto as above the modern main gate of Hertford College]]
The first Hertford College began life as '''Hart Hall''' (''Aula Cervina'') in the 1280s, a small [[tenement]] built roughly where the college's Old Hall is today, a few paces along [[New College Lane]] on the southern side.<ref name="auto">{{Cite news|url=https://www.hertford.ox.ac.uk/and-more/college-history|title=Hertford history - Hertford College {{!}} University of Oxford|work=Hertford College {{!}} University of Oxford|access-date=2018-07-26|language=en-GB}}</ref> In medieval Oxford, [[academic halls of the University of Oxford|academic halls]] were primarily lodging houses for students and resident tutors.{{citation needed|date=March 2021}}

The original tenement, mentioned in the deed of 1283, which was bought by Elias de Hertford from Walter de Grendon, mercer, lay between a tenement of the university (Blackhall) on the west, and a tenement of the Prioress of Studley on the east. In the deed by which Elias de Hertford sells it to John de Dokelynton in 1301, this last tenement is called Micheldhall.  The deed was made over to his son, also Elias, in 1301. The name of the hall was likely a humorous reduction of the name of its founder's [[Hertford|home town]], and allowed for the use of the symbol of a [[hart (deer)|hart]] to be used for identification.{{citation needed|date=March 2021}}

At that time, New College Lane was known as Hammer Hall Lane (named after a hall to the east, as [[New College, Oxford|New College]] had not then been founded), and its northern side was the old town wall. The corner of Hammer Hall Lane and [[Catte Street]] (which had a [[postern]] in the wall called Smithgate) was taken by Black Hall, which was the place of [[John Wycliffe]]'s imprisonment by the Vice-Chancellor around 1378. On the other side of Hart Hall along the lane was Shield Hall. On Catte Street itself was the entrance to Arthur Hall, which lay down a narrow passage behind Hart Hall, and Cat Hall (''Aula Murilegorum''), which stood further south, roughly where the Principal's Lodgings now stand.<ref name=Hamilton>{{cite book |title=Hertford College |url=https://archive.org/details/hertfordcollege00hamirich |last=Hamilton |first=Sidney Graves |year=1903 |publisher=F.E. Robinson |location=London|ol=23303320M}}</ref>{{rp|pp. 1–3}}

The younger Elias sold on Hart Hall (named in this deed as 'le Herthalle') after a month to a wealthy local fishmonger John of Ducklington, who, seven years later, bought Arthur Hall and annexed it to Hart Hall. In 1312, John sold the two halls to [[Walter de Stapledon]], [[Bishop of Exeter]], who desired to found a college. After just over a year, Stapledon moved his scholars to a larger site that he had purchased on [[Turl Street]], which became Stapledon Hall, later [[Exeter College, Oxford|Exeter College]]. However, Exeter College retained certain rights over Hart Hall, with which it plagued the hall's development for centuries.<ref name=Hamilton />{{rp|pp. 3–5}}

In 1379, Hart Hall and Black Hall were rented by [[William of Wykeham]] as a temporary home for his scholars as his [[New College, Oxford|New College]], to the east along what became New College Lane, was being built. The first two Wardens of New College also appear as Principals of Hart Hall. Until the 17th century, there is evidence of scholars (including [[Thomas Ken]]) [[matriculation|matriculating]] at Hart Hall while waiting for a vacancy at New College. By this time, it appears that Shield Hall had been partly taken over by Hart Hall and partly demolished to make way for New College's [[cloister]]. Although Black Hall continued a separate existence, its principal was often the same as Hart Hall's. In 1490, Hart Hall is described as having a library, which was unusual for a hall. In 1530, Hart Hall annexed Black Hall also. For some time, Cat Hall was leased by [[All Souls College, Oxford|All Souls College]], and then by Exeter College, until it also was subsumed into the growing Hart Hall early in the 16th century, giving the hall most of the land around what is today its Old Quadrangle.<ref name=Hamilton />{{rp|pp. 6–10}}

In the latter half of the 16th century, Hart Hall became known as a refuge for Catholic [[Recusancy|recusants]], particularly under Philip Randell as principal (1548–1599). Because of its connection with Exeter College and that college's increasing [[puritanism]], a number of Exeter's tutors and scholars migrated to Hart Hall. The hall attracted an increasing number of Catholics from further afield, including the [[Society of Jesus|Jesuit]] tutor [[Richard Holtby]] in 1574, who was instrumental in the conversion of his student, and later Jesuit martyr and saint, [[Alexander Briant]] to Catholicism. Coming from a Catholic family, the English poet [[John Donne]] came up to Hart Hall in 1584.<ref name=Hamilton />{{rp|pp. 18–21}}

[[File:Hertford_College,_Oxford._Etching_by_J._Whessall_after_himse_Wellcome_V0014114.jpg|thumb|The Catte Street gate, before 1820]]

Hart Hall expanded and new buildings were put up. In the early 17th century, the current [[Common Room (university)|Senior Common Room]] was built as lodgings for the principal. From this period also, the main entrance of the hall moved from being a narrow passage off New College Lane to a gate on Catte Street. By the late 17th century, Cat Hall is described as being used as 'the ball-court of Hart Hall'. In the latter part of the 17th century, the principal, [[William Thornton (academic)|William Thornton]], provided a proper gate for the Catte Street entrance of the hall, and decorated with a device of a drinking hart with the [[motto]] {{smallcaps|Sicut cervus anhelat ad fontes aquarum}} ('As the hart panteth after the water brooks', taken from [[Psalm 42]], verse 1, but in a peculiar translation). Although the current gatehouse is not Thornton's original, it retains the design and motto, and houses the original decorated gates. It has been suggested that this frieze with its Latin motto is the real counterpart of the one translated for the waiting crowd by the title character of [[Thomas Hardy]]'s ''[[Jude the Obscure]]''.<ref>{{cite book|first=Denys|last=Kay-Robinson|title=The Landscape of Thomas Hardy|publisher=Webb and Bower|year=1984|page=173}}</ref>

In 1692, the political satirist [[Jonathan Swift]] was incorporated from [[Trinity College, Dublin]], on the books of Hart Hall to receive his MA.<ref name=Hamilton />{{rp|pp. 26–38}}

=== Richard Newton's Hertford College ===
On 28 July 1710, the Rev [[Richard Newton (academic)|Richard Newton]] was admitted principal of Hart Hall. Newton was a well-connected, energetic, educational reformer. He was appointed principal from 'a very peaceful retirement' as Rector of [[Sudborough]], where he was personal tutor to two brothers, who were both destined to be prime minister — [[Thomas Pelham-Holles, 1st Duke of Newcastle|Thomas Pelham-Holles]] and [[Henry Pelham]] — bringing the younger with him to Hart Hall. He dedicated himself to raising the hall from debt and securing a firmer financial endowment. Newton planned to redesign the hall around a proper [[quadrangle (architecture)|quadrangle]], with a tutor, or ''angler'', and students living in each angle, and common buildings along the sides. However, only two buildings in his design were ever built: one angle in the south-east corner of the Old Quadrangle (nowadays known as the Cottage), and his simple stone Chapel on the south side (consecrated 25 November 1716), which now serves as the college's Library. These buildings were financed entirely from Newton's pocket, to the sum of around £2000 (around £{{Formatnum:{{Inflation|UK|2000|1716|r=-3}}}} adjusted for inflation).<ref name=Hamilton />{{rp|pp. 40–41}}

In 1720, Newton published his ''Scheme of Disciplines'' laying out his scheme of education with a view to obtaining a charter of incorporation,<ref>The full title is, ''Scheme of Discipline with Statutes intended to be established by a Royal Charter for the education of the youth in Hart Hall, in the University of Oxford''</ref> and, on 18 May 1723, he presented his petition for a charter. The proposal met immediate opposition, especially from Exeter College, exercising its old rights, and All Souls, desiring to expand northward onto the hall's land. In addition, the appointments of principals for the various halls had established itself in a game of promotion, and a few would-be principals opposed the plan. [[John Conybeare]], then a Fellow of Exeter, and later Bishop of [[Bristol]], was Newton's most ardent opponent, penning the book ''Calumny Refuted'' against Newton's reforms. After years of struggle, Richard Newton's statutes were accepted on 3 November 1739, and the charter incorporating 'the Principal and Fellows of Hertford College' (''Principalis et Socii Collegii Hertfordiensis'') was received on 8 September 1740.<ref name=Hamilton />{{rp|pp. 42–63}}

Newton's Hertford was a relatively spartan college, having received no real endowment. Meals were simple and cheap, and the principal insisted on eating the same as everyone else. Students were expected to work hard, and, where Newton found the university's education lacking, he supplemented it with disputations within the college. Newton allowed gentlemen-commoners to matriculate at the college, but they paid double fees for the same accommodation and food as the others. They were originally allowed to wear their coloured gowns and tufted caps, but Newton eventually made them wear the ordinary black gown. Thus, many a well-to-do family sent their sons to Hertford College to instil in them some disciplined education, unlike the privileged wining and dining had by gentlemen-commoners in other colleges.<ref name=Hamilton />{{rp|pp. 64–81}}

=== Decline and dissolution{{anchor|Transfer of Stock of Hertford College Act 1816}} ===
{{Infobox UK legislation
| short_title           = Transfer of Stock of Hertford College Act 1816
| type                  = Act
| parliament            = Parliament of the United Kingdom
| long_title            = An Act to authorize such Person as His Majesty shall appoint to transfer a certain Sum in Three Pounds per Cent. Reduced Annuities, now standing in the Name of the dissolved College of Hertford, in the University of Oxford; and also to receive Dividends due upon such Annuities.
| year                  = 1816
| citation              = [[56 Geo. 3]]. c. 95
| introduced_commons    = 
| introduced_lords      = 
| territorial_extent    = 
| royal_assent          = 26 June 1816
| commencement          = 26 June 1816
| expiry_date           = 
| repeal_date           = 5 August 1873
| amends                = 
| replaces              = 
| amendments            = 
| repealing_legislation = [[Statute Law Revision Act 1873]]
| related_legislation   = 
| status                = Repeale4d
| legislation_history   = 
| theyworkforyou        = 
| millbankhansard       = 
| original_text         = 
| revised_text          = 
| use_new_UK-LEG        = 
| UK-LEG_title          = 
| collapsed             = yes
}}

After Richard Newton's death in 1753, the principalship of the college fell to a succession of men mostly lacking the desire or energy to continue their predecessor's plan. One exception to this succession was [[David Durell]], who built up the reputation and academic success of the college. Under Durell, the future statesman [[Charles James Fox]] matriculated in 1764 (Hertford, unusually for Oxford, was a [[Whig (British political party)|Whig]] college). However, the scheme of four tutors in their respective angles was reduced to two, and cheaper junior fellows took over some of the burden of tutoring. It was at Hertford that the tutor [[Benjamin Blayney]] prepared his 1769 ''Standard Edition'' of the [[Authorized King James Version]] of the Bible. Apart from Durell's principalship, the college went into decline due to the mismanagement of uninterested principals and the lack of decent endowments. In May 1805, Bernard Hodgson, last principal of Hertford College died, and no suitable successor could be found and agreed upon. By 1810, matriculation had ceased, and the last students were awarded their degrees. The last tutor and vice-principal, Richard Hewitt, continued to live in his rooms without students until May 1816, when a commission declared Hertford College dissolved.<ref name=Hamilton />{{rp|pp. 84–96}}