Well, it’s nearly the end of the year, and this is the final higher education postcard of 2025. And as is traditional, this is a bit of a Christmassy edition.
But when exactly is Christmas? We can imagine that record keeping 2,000 years ago was not as punctilious as the demands of today’s HESA return, and so the question of the precise date of Christmas is a good one. It was fixed as being 25 December by Pope Julius I, who was particularly pontifical between the years 337 and 352.
As well as fixing the date of Christmas, Julius weighed in on the Arian controversy. Arianism, named for Arius, a Christian clergyman from what is now Libya, held that Jesus was created by God and is thus distinct from God. Which is somewhat at odds with the notion of the trinity (the oneness of God, son and holy spirit) which was part of the Nicene creed. And which in turn was the start of a more managed approach to religious doctrine by the Christian church and the Roman empire. (Don’t worry, there’s not a test).
Julius was thus a defender of the Trinity, and so it is to a Trinity that we turn. Specifically, Trinity College, Oxford.
This was founded by another Pope. Sir Thomas Pope, one of Queen Mary’s privy counsellors. In 1555.
The idea was to provide for the training of Catholic clergy. It used buildings which had previously been occupied by Durham College, Oxford – which you may not have heard of, because it was founded in 1291 and closed in 1545. It was owned by Durham Priory, and abbey associated with Durham Cathedral, and served as a college for monks studying at the university. Durham Priory was dissolved in 1540 and the college followed suit five years later.
Durham College was dedicated to the Virgin Mary, St Cuthbert, and the Holy Trinity, and it is suggested that the new college was called Trinity College to reflect the last of these.
Anyway, the new college was established, and used some of the Durham College buildings, which still stand today. Although, sad to say, I think that they are hidden in the picture postcard, extending perpendicularly from the other side of the ivy clad building on the left. I think.
The college thrived in a way which its predecessor didn’t. In 1882 the college admitted men of all faiths and none, removing its CofE test. In 1979 it did the same but for women.
A few snippets will help to give a flavour of Trinity.
In 1618 the president of the college, Ralph Kettell, was concerned about students drinking in town. His plan: to brew beer in college instead. This sounds good in principle, but the plan backfired when the cellar he was having dug for the purpose caused the college’s hall to collapse.
Saint John Henry Newman, at the time plain John Henry Newman, was a student at the college, and made his first Anglican communion there. He was also, many years later, the first honorary fellow of the college, and this gesture – which aimed for reconciliation between the university and the future saint – was much appreciated by Newman.
Oxford colleges’ academic performance is ranked in the Norrington table. Norrington was Sir Arthur Norrington, President of Trinity from 1954–69. And the University has a nifty little Tableau presentation, which might appeal to certain wonks frequenting these parts.
Alumni include three former Prime Ministers – Pitt the Elder, Lord North, and Spencer Compton (who I had never heard of), and two splendid fictional characters: Jay Gatsby and Tiger Tanaka, the Japanese spymaster in You Only Live Twice.
Here’s a jigsaw of this week’s card. And, as a bonus here’s another of Trinity, this time with the college arms.
The card above was unposted, but the card with the college arms was sent in 1905 to a Miss Jones in Weybridge. As best as I can make out, it reads:
Still alive, but not much thinking going on. When do you contemplate sailing and how do you think we are going to be consoled for the loss? Have not sent you many of these Pcards, they will come along slowly. I have been up again this week, feel tired of everything, today may have better time later. Kind regards etc
May I wish you all the best for the Christmas break, whether you’re with family, working all the way through, or just trying to escape from it all. Thank you for reading my posts, and I’ll be back in the new year.