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 chapel AND library. — From Ingram.

ST. EDMUND HALL.

[T. EDMUND HALL, or— as it was often styled — Edmund Hall, is one of the very oldest foundations in the University. Antony Wood says that up to his time the name was generally explained by the assigning of the foundaticn of the flail to Edmund Rich (of Abingdon), who afterwards became Archbishop of Canterbury and in 1246 was canonized by Pope Innocent IV. In this case the date of the Hall would be some time in the reign of Henry the Third. It is quite certain that Edmund Rich, to whom the University owes a great deal, did give public lectures somewhere in this part of Oxford, and one would like to believe that he really did lecture where this Hall called by the name of St. Edmund stands. But — in discussing the question — Wood goes on to give reasons for his own opinion that the real founder was a private individual — one Edmund, a native of Oxford of some local repute, early in the beginning of the reign of Henry III. The property, he says, belonged to this Edmund, and from him it went to his son Ralph, and from him to Sir Brian de Bermingham. He in his turn sold it — in about the 48th year of Henry the Third's reign — to Thomas de Malmsbury, and this Thomas established a regular foundation for the purpose of study and learning. In 1269 it went into other hands — those namely of the Canons of the Abbey of Osney — and they (we are told) had to pay to Thomas de Malms- bury so long as he lived one mark per annum as rent — - besides 8.r. yearly to a Nun of Littlemore — Elizabeth, the daughter of Adam de Oclee. As in their other establishments so here the Osney Canons did much to foster the cause of learning — but little or nothing is to be ascertained definitely about the fortunes of the Hall for some years. But in the time of Henry the Eighth, by the terms of the Statute of Monasteries, the Hall passed out of the hands of the Abbey of Osney into those of the King. And on the 22nd of November, 1546, Letters Patent were passed which brought it into the possession of John Bellow and Robert Bygott. They in their turn conveyed it (temp. Edward the

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Sixth) to William Burnell, and he again sold it to a Provost of Queen's College — William Denyse. Thus it was that, through this Provost Denyse, on the 28th of July, 1557, Queen's came into possession of the Hall, and in 1559 an Act of Convocation was pro- cured by that Society, according to the terms of which they obtained the perpetual right of nominating its Principals.

The Buildings of the Hall have gone through various changes at different times in history. The oldest part of the existing buildings probably dates from some 250 to 300 years ago — possibly from even a longer period. It would be beyond the purpose of this notice to attempt to discuss the changes of the buildings minutely.

The present Chapel standing at the East end of the Quadrangle was built under the direction of Principal Stephen Penton, who was himself a muni- ficent contributor to its cost. Over the entrance is the Inscription

"DEO. OPT. MAX.

Capellam hanc Sumtu

Suo et Amicorum posuit

Stephanus Penton, s.t.b.

Istius Aulae Principalis. Anno Domini mdclxxxii. "

The first stone was laid on Monday, April 19th, 1680, and after completion in two years' time the Chapel was consecrated by Bishop Fell on Friday the 7th of April, 1682. It was by him dedicated to St. Edmund, Archbishop of Canterbury, and down to the present time the Day of St. Edmund of Canterbury (Nov- ember 16) is specially commemorated in the Hall. From these facts it is certain that, whether the original Edmund of all was the Archbishop or the Oxford Burgher, yet for more than 200 years the Hall has, by virtue of its dedication, had a proveable ecclesiastical connexion with that same St. Edmund of Canterbury.

The present Library, which stands immediately over the Ante-Chapel, was also begun, as it seems, in 1680, and took the place of a yet earlier one still,

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