Richard Michell (1805–1877) was an English churchman and academic, the first principal of the second foundation 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 ...

Life

The third son of Edward Michell of

Bruton Bruton ( ) is a small market town, and civil parish in Somerset, England, on the River Brue and the A359 between Frome and Yeovil. It is south-east of Shepton Mallet, just south of Snakelake Hill and Coombe Hill, north-west of Gillingham ...

and Ann Clements of Wyke Champflower, in

Somerset Somerset ( , ), Archaism, archaically Somersetshire ( , , ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by the Bristol Channel, Gloucestershire, and Bristol to the north, Wiltshire to the east ...

, he was born at Bruton. Educated at Bruton grammar school, he went in 1820 to

Wadham College, Oxford Wadham College ( ) is a Colleges of the University of Oxford, constituent college of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. It is located in the centre of Oxford, at the intersection of Broad Street, Oxford, Broad Street and Parks Road ...

, where his uncle, Dr. Richard Michell (1766-1826), was a Fellow. Obtaining a first-class in '' literae humaniores'' (B.A. 1824, M.A. 1827, B.D. 1836, and D.D. 1868), Michell became a successful private tutor. At the age of 24 Michell was appointed examiner in the school of ''literae humaniores'', and was elected in 1830 Fellow of Lincoln College, where he acted as bursar in 1832, and as tutor from 1834 to 1848. In 1839 he was elected in convocation the first prælector of logic, a post he held for ten years. In 1849 he delivered the

Bampton lectures The Bampton Lectures at the University of Oxford, England, were founded by a bequest of John Bampton. They have taken place since 1780. They were a series of annual lectures; since the turn of the 20th century they have sometimes been biennial ...

, on ''The Nature and Comparative Value of the Christian Evidences''. In 1849 also, Michell was appointed public orator of the university, and he retained that office till his death. In 1856 Michell became rector of

South Moreton South Moreton is a village and civil parish in South Oxfordshire, England, about east of Didcot, west of Wallingford, Oxfordshire, Wallingford, and south of Abingdon, Oxfordshire, Abingdon. It is only separated by the Great Western Railway cu ...

, Berkshire, but did not reside there. On the formation of the new hebdomadal council under the act for reforming the university in 1854, Michell was elected to a seat, and retained it by till 1872. In 1848 he became vice-principal of Magdalen Hall, now Hertford College, of which John David Macbride was then Principal; he succeeded William Jacobson. In 1868 Michell succeeded Macbride in the principalship, and he then began to agitate for the conversion of the small hall into a college. The plan took shape in 1873, and was approved by convocation. T. C. Baring endowed the college with a large number of fellowships and scholarships, mostly limited to members of the church of England. The new foundation took the name Hertford College, used by the former foundation on the site. Michell became the first principal of the new foundation of the college in 1874, and died 29 March 1877.

Works

Michell's Oxford orations delivered at the annual act or '' encaenia'', alternately with the professor of poetry, were published in 1878 by his eldest son, Edward Blair Michell, with notes. They form a sort of running commentary on the history of the university for nearly 30 years.

Family

In 1841 Michell married Amelia, daughter of Thomas Blair of Walton Grove,

Surrey Surrey () is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Greater London to the northeast, Kent to the east, East Sussex, East and West Sussex to the south, and Hampshire and Berkshire to the wes ...

, by whom he had several children. Children of Rev. Richard Michell & Amelia Blair # Edward Blair Michell M.A. (1843-1926) # Eliza Maria Michell (Hoskins) (1844-1918) # Richard Brooke Michel B.A. (1845-1915) # Rowland Lyons Norsworthy Michell C.M.G. B.A. (1847-1931) # Mary Caroline Michell (Blair/Sutherland-Leveson-Gower/Rollit) (1848-1912) # Herbert William Creswell Michell (1851-1909) # Arthur Tompson Michell M.A. (1852-1923) # Walter Gordon Mitchell M.A. (1854-1925)

Notes

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Michell, Richard 1805 births 1877 deaths 19th-century English Anglican priests Fellows of Lincoln College, Oxford Principals of Hertford College, Oxford People from Bruton