David Durell
D.D.
A Doctor of Divinity (D.D. or DDiv; la, Doctor Divinitatis) is the holder of an advanced academic degree in divinity.
In the United Kingdom, it is considered an advanced doctoral degree. At the University of Oxford, doctors of divinity are ra ...
(1728–1775) was
Principal of
Hertford College, Oxford
Hertford College ( ), previously known as Magdalen Hall, is a colleges of the University of Oxford, constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. It is located on Catte Street in the centre of Oxford, directly opposite the main ga ...
, from 1757 to 1775,
Vice-Chancellor of the University of Oxford
The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Oxford is the chief executive and leader of the University of Oxford. The following people have been vice-chancellors of the University of Oxford (formally known as The Right Worshipful the Vice-Chancel ...
from 1765 to 1768, and a noted
Old Testament
The Old Testament (often abbreviated OT) is the first division of the Christian biblical canon, which is based primarily upon the 24 books of the Hebrew Bible or Tanakh, a collection of ancient religious Hebrew writings by the Israelites. The ...
scholar of his day.
Birth and career
David Durell, son of Thomas Durell, was born of a prosperous family in
Jersey
Jersey ( , ; nrf, Jèrri, label=Jèrriais ), officially the Bailiwick of Jersey (french: Bailliage de Jersey, links=no; Jèrriais: ), is an island country and self-governing Crown Dependencies, Crown Dependency near the coast of north-west F ...
in 1728. He went to
Cowbridge School in the
Vale of Glamorgan
The Vale of Glamorgan ( cy, Bro Morgannwg ), often referred to as The Vale, is a county borough in the south-east of Wales. It borders Bridgend County Borough to the west, Cardiff to the east, Rhondda Cynon Taf to the north, and the Bristol C ...
,
Wales
Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the Wales–England border, east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the ...
, 1741–7.
In March 1747, Durell entered
Pembroke College, Oxford
Pembroke College, a constituent college of the University of Oxford, is located at Pembroke Square, Oxford. The college was founded in 1624 by King James I of England, using in part the endowment of merchant Thomas Tesdale, and was named after ...
and graduated
B.A.
Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four years ...
in 1750 and
M.A.
A Master of Arts ( la, Magister Artium or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA, M.A., AM, or A.M.) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. Tho ...
in 1753, becoming a Fellow of the new
Hertford College
Hertford College ( ), previously known as Magdalen Hall, is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. It is located on Catte Street in the centre of Oxford, directly opposite the main gate to the Bodleian Library. The colleg ...
that year.
On 12 November 1757 he was appointed Principal of Hertford College. He held concurrently with his principalship a vicarage in Sussex and (from 13 January 1767) a canonry in
Canterbury Cathedral
Canterbury Cathedral in Canterbury, Kent, is one of the oldest and most famous Christian structures in England. It forms part of a World Heritage Site. It is the cathedral of the Archbishop of Canterbury, currently Justin Welby, leader of the ...
.
On Tuesday 8 October 1765, Durell was invested as Vice-Chancellor of the University of Oxford. His tenure is notable for the expulsion of six students from
St Edmund Hall for holding unauthorized prayer meetings.
Scholarship
Durell gained his
Bachelor of Divinity
In Western universities, a Bachelor of Divinity or Baccalaureate in Divinity (BD or BDiv; la, Baccalaureus Divinitatis) is a postgraduate academic degree awarded for a course taken in the study of divinity or related disciplines, such as theology ...
in 1760 and his
Doctorate of Divinity
A Doctor of Divinity (D.D. or DDiv; la, Doctor Divinitatis) is the holder of an advanced academic degree in divinity.
In the United Kingdom, it is considered an advanced doctoral degree. At the University of Oxford, doctors of divinity are ra ...
in 1764. Durell was an industrious scholar of the Old Testament. In the 1760s and 1770s he variously and extensively commented on, translated, and edited parts of the Scriptures which treated of Abraham, Jacob, Moses, and the Books of Job, Proverbs, Psalms, and Ecclesiastes, and the Canticles. He was also an ardent advocate of a new translation of the Bible to improve on the Authorized Version.
Death and burial
Durell died on 16 October 1775 and was buried at the church of
St Peter-in-the-East in Oxford, now the library of
St Edmund Hall
St Edmund Hall (sometimes known as The Hall or informally as Teddy Hall) is a constituent college of the University of Oxford. The college claims to be "the oldest surviving academic society to house and educate undergraduates in any university ...
.
References
Bibliography
*Davies, Iolo, ''A Certaine Schoole'' (Cowbridge: D. Brown and Sons, 1967), Chapter II, esp. pp. 41–3 and 49–53 — for information about Durell's schooldays
*Goudie, Andrew, ''Seven Hundred Years of an Oxford College: Hertford College, 1284–1984'' (Hertford College, 1984), pp. 33–4 — on Fox at Hertford College
*Hamilton, S. G., ''Hertford College'' (F. E. Robinson & Co., 1903) pp 86–91
*Hibbert, Christopher (ed.), ''The Encyclopaedia of Oxford'' (London: Macmillan, 1988), entry on Hertford College
*Jenkins, Philip, ''The Making of a Ruling Class: The Glamorgan Gentry 1640–1790'' (Cambridge University Press, 1983), pp. 217–20
*Sutherland, L. S. & Mitchell, L. G.(ed), ''History of the University of Oxford, Vol. V, The Eighteenth Century'' (Oxford University Press, 1986), pp. 154, 165, 201, 410, 461
*''Jackson’s Oxford Journal'' for 19 November 1757 (appointed Principal of Hertford); 16 January 1767 (appointed Canon of Canterbury); 21 October 1775 (obituary)
*''
Victoria County History
The Victoria History of the Counties of England, commonly known as the Victoria County History or the VCH, is an English history project which began in 1899 with the aim of creating an encyclopaedic history of each of the historic counties of En ...
'' (1954) ''Oxfordshire'', pp. 309–19 — on non-appointment of tutors, and undergraduate numbers.
* Will of David Durell (proved 24 January 1776 at Prerogative Court at Canterbury). Index to will register a
National Archives PROB 11/1015accessed 2 August 2010.
External links
Short biography of David Durell by Clive Jenkins
{{DEFAULTSORT:Durell, David
1728 births
1775 deaths
Jersey academics
People educated at Cowbridge Grammar School
Alumni of Pembroke College, Oxford
Fellows of Hertford College, Oxford
Principals of Hertford College, Oxford
Vice-Chancellors of the University of Oxford