What is the difference between Bristol University and Oxford University? That is one is in Bristol and the other in Oxford! Well of course Oxford is much older and is administered by the collegiate system. Indeed Oxford was founded in 1231, the oldest college being Balliol College. Balliol is one of 38 colleges. If you were asked which is the more intrinsic and aesthetic city, then the answer again is Oxford, ‘The City of Dreaming Spires’. Oxford was granted city status in 1542, when Henry VIII was King. He is remembered by school children in England as being the fattest king and having six wives. The problem he faced of course was that he had six mother-in laws!
The Museum of Science was very informative. It is worth noting that science as a discipline was only accepted by both Oxford and Cambridge as a subject worth of academic study later in the 19th century. The origins of Oxford were religious and the first academic staff were monks whose task was to train future monks. Thus the curriculum was based on the ancient religions, Latin and Ancient Greek and Classical Studies generally. This became the major discipline at both Oxford and Cambridge Universities that continued well into the 20th century. Indeed in the 21st century classical studies generally is perhaps the discipline that continues to dominate the curriculum. The visit to Trinity College was an example of this. Trinity in Christianity reflects the Godhead of Father, Son and Holy Ghost. Indeed the full name of the College is ‘The College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity in the University of Oxford of the foundation of Sir Thomas Pope (knight)’. Even Trinity’s founder had a name that reflected religion!
Modern scientific and technological subjects only appeared of the reforms of both Oxford and Cambridge in the mid 19th Century. This is because the classical and tradition curriculum kept science out of Oxford and Cambridge until well into the 20th century. A visit to the Museum of the History of Science had a display of ‘The English Telescope from Newton to Herschel. ’ Your average ‘Brit’ has probably never heard of Herschel. He was a professional musician and lived in Bath. By night he was an amateur astronomer, and through his telescope (home built) he discovered what was then a new planet which is now known as Uranus. The planets from Mercury to Saturn were known to the classical scholars, so a planet discovery in the 18th century was a big hit. The king at the time George III (the 3rd), (who was also fat, but not as fat as Henry VIII (the 8th)) – George III only had one wife!) awarded Herschel a knighthood, but he still had to play the violin by day in order to finance his scanning of the sky at night.
Others visited the Oxford Museum of Natural History, known as the Pitt Rivers Museum. This Museum holds important collections of fossils although I did not see John there! The Museum was where Charles Darwin gave a lecture on evolutionary theory after the first publication of his ‘On the origins of Species’. This was a little bit dangerous as Oxford was a religious place. Indeed Darwin was challenged by the Bishop of Oxford who demanded to know on which side of the family was the monkey, his father’s side or his mother’s! Next door to the Pitt-Rivers Museum is the Oxford Forestry School that has an international origin. It was founded in 1906 and its first director was Sir William Schilch originally a German national who was a doctoral graduate from Giessen University. His tutor had been Baron von Augustus Liebig, the father of modern chemistry. Schilch began his professional career with the German Forestry Department and then was employed by the Indian Forestry Department. He became the Deputy Conservator of Forests in Burma. Schilch came to England to set up the Forestry School at Cooper’s Hill College near London that trained men for service with the Indian Public Works and Forestry Department. The College was closed in 1906 and Schilch transferred the Forestry School to Oxford. The undergraduates had to spend a year with the German or French Forestry Department because at that time there was no equivalent Forestry Department in Britain.
When walking around Oxford did you get the impression that the collegiate system environment reflected a dry and imposing atmosphere of classical religion particularly when visiting Trinity Hall. Well you are not alone. Jane Austin went to Oxford in the spring of 1783 to be taught by a private tutor called Mrs. Crawley. Women were not allowed to matriculate from Oxford University until 1948! Jane Austin described her Oxford experience as follows, ‘I never was but once at Oxford in my life and I am sure I never wish to go there again. They dragged me through so many dismal chapels, dusty libraries and greasy hall that it gave me the vapours for two days afterwards’. Perhaps the college authorities in the 18th century could not get the cleaning staff!!
All-in-all the trip to Oxford was a good day with good weather, and was very informative. Some feedback from students included this suggestion ‘Why cannot we have more interactive themes on the coach when taking us to and from our destination, for example singing songs?’ Well next time you are on a coach sing ‘Over the Hills and Far Away’ a traditional English Ballard from the days of the Napoleonic Wars, and I will bet you that you will wake up fellow students who will throw missiles at you, especially if it is a 7.30am start.
