Thomas Walker (died 5 December 1665) was an

Oxford Oxford () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and non-metropolitan district in Oxfordshire, England, of which it is the county town. The city is home to the University of Oxford, the List of oldest universities in continuou ...

academic and administrator. He was twice Master of

University College, Oxford University College, formally The Master and Fellows of the College of the Great Hall of the University commonly called University College in the University of Oxford and colloquially referred to as "Univ", is a Colleges of the University of Oxf ...

. Walker was a Fellow at

St John's College, Oxford St John's College is a Colleges of the University of Oxford, constituent college of the University of Oxford. Founded as a men's college in 1555, it has been coeducational since 1979.Communication from Michael Riordan, college archivist Its foun ...

. On 31 August 1632, he was elected as the Master of University College, with the support of the Vice-Chancellor of Oxford University. Work on the dining hall on the south side of the main quad at University College started in 1640, but this was disrupted by the

English Civil War The English Civil War or Great Rebellion was a series of civil wars and political machinations between Cavaliers, Royalists and Roundhead, Parliamentarians in the Kingdom of England from 1642 to 1651. Part of the wider 1639 to 1653 Wars of th ...

that commenced in 1642. On 8 July 1648, Obadiah Walker, Henry Watkins, and Thomas Silvester were expelled from Oxford University for their

Royalist A royalist supports a particular monarch as head of state for a particular kingdom, or of a particular dynastic claim. In the abstract, this position is royalism. It is distinct from monarchism, which advocates a monarchical system of gove ...

sympathies. On 10 July, the Master, Thomas Walker, was removed as well. Joshua Hoyle was installed in his place during the

Commonwealth A commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. The noun "commonwealth", meaning "public welfare, general good or advantage", dates from the 15th century. Originally a phrase (the common-wealth ...

. However, with the Restoration, he returned as Master in 1660 until his death in 1665. He noted in the College Register, ''Mense Julii die x, 1648, amotus est Dorctor Walker hujus Collegii magister legitimus per visitatores illegitimos.'' Walker was married to Jane Robinson, who was niece of the

Archbishop of Canterbury The archbishop of Canterbury is the senior bishop and a principal leader of the Church of England, the Primus inter pares, ceremonial head of the worldwide Anglican Communion and the bishop of the diocese of Canterbury. The first archbishop ...

. He was buried in the north aisle of St Peter's-in-the-East,

References

Year of birth missing 1665 deaths 17th-century English people Fellows of St John's College, Oxford Masters of University College, Oxford {{UOxford-stub