discussing and submitting to Convocation all the legislation of
the university. The Ancient House of Congregation consists of
“regents,” i.e. doctors and masters of arts for two years after the term
in which they take their degrees, professors, heads of colleges and
other resident officers, &c. The house thus includes all those who
are concerned with education and discipline in the university, but
it now has practically no functions beyond the granting of degrees.
It lost its wider powers under the act of 1854, when the Congregation
of the university was created. This body, which includes besides
certain officials all members of Convocation who have resided for a
fixed period within one mile and a half of Carfax, approves or amends
legislation submitted by the Hebdomadal Council previously to its
submission to Convocation; it also has considerable powers in the
election of the various administrative boards. The House of Convocation
consists of all masters of arts and doctors of the higher
faculties who have their names on the university books, and has
the final control over all acts and business of the university. There
are boards of curators for the Bodleian Library, the university
chest and other institutions, delegates of the common university
fund, the museum and the press, for extension teaching, local
examinations and other similar purposes, visitors for the Ashmolean
Museum and university galleries, and many other administrative
bodies. There are boards for the following faculties: theology,
law, medicine, natural science and arts (including literae humaniores,
oriental languages and modern history). Among the numerous
professorships and readerships in the various subjects of study, the
oldest foundation is the Margaret professorship of divinity, founded
in 1502 by Margaret, countess of Richmond and mother of Henry VII.
This was followed by the five Regius professorships of divinity,
civil law, medicine, Hebrew and Greek, founded by Henry VIII.
in 1546.
The colleges, as already seen, consist of a head, whose title varies in different colleges, fellows (who form the governing body) and scholars. To these are to be added the commoners, who are not “on the foundation,” i.e. those who either receive no emoluments, or hold exhibitions which do not (generally) entitle them to rank with the scholars. The college officer who is immediately concerned with the disciplinary surveillance of members of the college in statu pupillari is the dean (except at Christ Church). Each undergraduate (this term covering all who have not yet proceeded to a degree) is, as regards his studies, under the immediate supervision of one of the fellows as tutor. The university terms are four—Michaelmas (which begins the academic year, and is therefore the term in which the majority of undergraduates begin residence), Hilary or Lent, Easter and Trinity. The last two run consecutively without interval, and for certain purposes count as one; they are kept by three weeks’ residence in each, while the two first are kept by six weeks residence in each, though the terms properly speaking are longer. The examinations required to be passed in order to obtain the first or bachelor’s degree may be summarized thus:—(𝑎) Responsions, usually taken very early in the course of study. Exemption is in many cases granted when a candidate has passed a certificate examination held by university examiners at the school where he has been educated, (𝑏) First public examination or School of Moderations, usually taken after four or six terms, (𝑐) Second public examination or final school (this in the case of literae humaniores is commonly called “Greats”) usually takes place at the end of the fourth year of residence. “Pass” schools and “honour” schools are distinguished; in the latter candidates are grouped in classes according to merit. No further examination or other exercise is required for the degree of master of arts. Among the numerous scholarships and prizes offered by the university (as distinct from the colleges) a few of the most noted may be mentioned—the Craven and the Ireland classical scholarships on the foundation respectively of John, Lord Craven (d. 1648), who also founded the travelling fellowships which bear his name for the study of antiquities, and of John Ireland, dean of Westminster (1825); the scholarship commemorating Edward, earl of Derby (chancellor 1852–1869); the law scholarship commemorating John, first earl of Eldon; the chancellor’s prizes in Latin verse and English prose (initiated by the earl of Lichfield, chancellor 1762–1772) and in Latin prose (by Lord Grenville, 1809); the Newdigate prize for English verse, founded by Sir Roger Newdigate (1806); the Gaisford prizes in Greek verse and prose (1856), commemorating Thomas Gaisford, dean of Christ Church; the Arnold historical essay (1850), commemorating Thomas Arnold, headmaster of Rugby school; and the theological foundations of Edward Bouverie Pusey and Edward Ellerton, fellow of Magdalen. University scholarships, such as those mentioned, are awarded to persons who are already members of the university (who must in some cases already have taken a degree); they thus differ from college scholarships, which are generally open to persons who have not yet matriculated. The Rhodes scholarships (see Rhodes, Cecil) stand alone. They are an adaptation of the college scholarship to a special purpose, but are not in the award of any one college. Arrangements exist whereby members of the universities of Cambridge or Dublin may be “incorporated” as members of Oxford University; and whereby the period of necessary academical residence at Oxford University is reduced in the case of students from “affiliated” colleges within the United Kingdom. Special provisions are also made in the case of students from any foreign university and from certain colonial and Indian universities. The number of persons who matriculate at Oxford University is about 850 annually.
The principal social functions in the university take place in “Eights’ Week.” when, during the summer term (Easter and Trinity), the college eight-oared bumping races are held, and also, more especially, in “Commemoration Week,” at the close of the same term, when the university ceremonies connected with the commemoration of benefactors, the conferring of degrees honoris causa, &c., are held, and balls are given in some of the colleges.
The city of Oxford (as distinct from the university) returns one member to parliament, having lost its second member under the Redistribution Act of 1885, before which date it had been entirely disfranchised for a year owing to bribery at the election of 1881. The municipal government is in the hands of a mayor, 15 aldermen (including 3 from the university) and 45 councillors (9 from the university). Area, 4676 acres.
Authorities.—See the Oxford University Calendar (annually) and the Oxford Historical Register, Oxford. The Oxford Historical Society has issued various works dealing with the history. In the “College History” series, London, the story of each college forms a volume by a member of the foundation. The principal earlier authority is Anthony à Wood (q.v.). See also James Ingram (president of Trinity, 1824–1850), Memorials of Oxford (Oxford, 1837); A. Lang, Oxford (London, 1885); H. C. Maxwell Lyte, History of the University of Oxford to 1530 (London, 1886); Hon. G. C. Brodrick, History of the University of Oxford in “Epochs of Church History” series (London, 1886); C. W. Boase, Oxford, in “Historic Towns” series (London, 1887); Oxford and Oxford Life, ed. J. Wells (London, 1892). (O. J. R. H.)
OXFORD, a village in Butler county, Ohio, U.S.A., about 40 m. N.W. of Cincinnati. Pop. (1890) 1922; (1900) 2009. Oxford is served by the Cincinnati, Hamilton & Dayton railway. It is the seat of Miami University (co-educational; chartered in 1809, opened as a grammar school in 1818, and organized as a college in 1824), which had 40 instructors and 1076 students in 1909. At Oxford also are the Oxford College for Women, chartered in 1906, an outgrowth, after various changes of name,
of the Oxford Female Academy (1839); and the Western
College for Women (chartered in 1904), an outgrowth of the Western Female Seminary (opened in 1855). The first settlement on the site was made about 1800.
OXFORD, PROVISIONS OF, the articles constituting a
preliminary scheme of reform enacted by a parliament which met at Oxford (England) on the 11th of June 1258. King Henry III. had promised on the 2nd of May that the state of his realm should be rectified and reformed by twenty-four counsellors who were to meet at Oxford for this purpose five weeks later. Twelve of these counsellors were chosen by the king, and twelve by the earls and barons. When the parliament met each twelve of these twenty-four chose two from the other twelve, and this committee of four was empowered, subject to the approval of the whole body, to elect a king’s council of fifteen members. The twenty-four then provided that the new council should meet three times a year in parliaments to which twelve commissioners were to be summoned to discuss the affairs of the realm on behalf of the whole community. Another body of twenty-four was appointed to treat of an aid, which was probably the aid which had been demanded earlier in the year. On the 22nd of June the king appointed new wardens of some of the castles which were then in the custody of his Poitevin half-brothers and their friends, and on the same day he gave directions that the twenty-four should proceed with the work of reform, and the committee of four with the election of the council of fifteen. Meanwhile it was provided that the sheriffs and the three great officers of state were to hold office for a year only, and to render accounts at the expiration of their terms of office. On the 24th of August in pursuance of a provision by the parliament the king directed four knights in each county to inquire into the trespasses and wrongs which had been committed by sheriffs, bailiffs and other officials. For many of the grievances of the barons the Oxford parliament provided no remedy, and they were only partly redressed by the Provisions of Westminster in the autumn of 1259. The king declared his adhesion to the Provisions of Oxford on the 18th of October by proclamations in English, French and Latin, but in 1261, having obtained a papal dispensation from his oath of observance, he entirely repudiated them. The barons, however, insisted on his obligation
