Founders' kin was a hereditary privilege at certain
colleges of the University of Oxford
The University of Oxford has thirty-nine colleges, and five permanent private halls (PPHs) of religious foundation. Colleges and PPHs are autonomous self-governing corporations within the university. These colleges are not only houses of reside ...
whereby preference was given to applicants who were kin of, that is, related to or descended from, the founder or founders of that college. (It also existed at
Winchester College
Winchester College is a public school (fee-charging independent day and boarding school) in Winchester, Hampshire, England. It was founded by William of Wykeham in 1382 and has existed in its present location ever since. It is the oldest of ...
, the feeder school for
New College.)
Most founders' kin privileges were removed subsequent to the 1850 Royal Commission into the governance of the university.
Further reading
* G.D. Squibb, ''Founders' kin: privilege and pedigree'' (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1972)
* 'Founders' Kin' in Christopher Hibbert (editor), ''
The Encyclopaedia of Oxford
''The Encyclopaedia of Oxford'' is an encyclopaedia covering the history of Oxford in England.
The book was published by Macmillan in 1988 (). It was edited by the Oxford-educated historian Christopher Hibbert with the help of the associate ed ...
'' (London: Macmillan, 1998), pages 144-145
* Chris Koenig,
History of the University of Oxford
Terminology of the University of Oxford
University and college admissions
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