Tuesday 25 July 2017

Richard III`s visit to Oxford 1483

On the evening of the 24th July 1483, Richard III arrived in Oxford during his royal progress to visit the university. He stayed for two days. The university recorded the visit, naturally in Latin. Francis is mentioned once, as one of the courtiers who accompanied Richard.

The following translation of what was recorded by the university is mine.

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On the twenty-second day of July, Lord William Waynflete; Bishop of Winchester, revered in Christ the holy father and lord, founder of the college, came to Oxford, and supervised the state of his college and the buildings of the same, and also to respectfully receive the illustrious lord King Richard the Third in its often-named college, making [his way] towards Woodstock.

On the twenty-fourth day of the month, the illustrious lord King Richard the Third was respectfully received at first out[side] the university by the chancellor of the university and by counsilors and non-counsilors. After the respectful reception and the procession into the college of the blessed Mary Magdalen by the said lord founder and by the president and scholars, they spent the night there and the day after, which was the day of St Jacob [James] the Apostel, and the day of St. Anne, mother of Mary, until after breakfast, with many spiritual and temporal lords and other nobles, as befitted them.

At the same time as the king, there came to the college the lord bishop of Durham, the lord bishop of Worcester, the lord bishop of St. Asaph and master Thomas Langton, bishop-elect of St. David`s, his lordship the earl of Lincoln, the lord steward the earl of Surrey, the lord chamberlain, lord of Lovell, lord Stanley, lord Audeley, lord Becham, lord Richard Radclyff knight, and several other nobles, who stayed the night in the college, and our lord founder received them with honour.

On the twenty-fifth of the month, commanded and desired by the lord king, there were made in the great hall of the college two disputations; the first being in moral philosophy by master Thomas Kerver, opposing one of the students of the same college. Then, there was another solemn disputation, theological, in the presence of the king, by master John Taylour, professor of sacred theology, and the master William Grocyn answering. All of whom were honourably and greatly rewarded by the lord king, namely, the doctor of theology, with a buck and a hundred shillings, his responder [opponent] with a buck and five marks, the master who disputed in philosophy with one buck and five marks, and the student responding with one buck and forty shillings. Moreover, the noble king gave the president and scholars two bucks with five marks for wine, etc.

May the king live eternally.

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