Michael Roberts (died 3 May 1679) was Principal of

Jesus College, Oxford Jesus College (in full: Jesus College in the University of Oxford of Queen Elizabeth's Foundation) is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. It is in the centre of the city, on a site between Turl Street, Ship ...

, from 1648 to 1657.

Life

Roberts came from the parish of Llanffinan in

Anglesey Anglesey (; cy, (Ynys) Môn ) is an island off the north-west coast of Wales. It forms a principal area known as the Isle of Anglesey, that includes Holy Island across the narrow Cymyran Strait and some islets and skerries. Anglesey island ...

Wales Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the Bristol Channel to the south. It had a population in ...

, but his date of birth is uncertain. He graduated with a BA from

Trinity College, Dublin , name_Latin = Collegium Sanctae et Individuae Trinitatis Reginae Elizabethae juxta Dublin , motto = ''Perpetuis futuris temporibus duraturam'' (Latin) , motto_lang = la , motto_English = It will last i ...

in 1620 (MA 1623) and was incorporated at Oxford and Cambridge in 1624. He became a

Fellow A fellow is a concept whose exact meaning depends on context. In learned or professional societies, it refers to a privileged member who is specially elected in recognition of their work and achievements. Within the context of higher education ...

of Jesus College in 1625, but lost his fellowship in 1637 for failing to take his DD. In 1648, during the

Parliamentary visitation of the University of Oxford The parliamentary visitation of the University of Oxford was a political and religious purge taking place from 1647, for a number of years. Many Masters and Fellows of Colleges lost their positions. Background A comparable but less prominent parl ...

Francis Mansell Francis Mansell (bap. 23 March 1579 – 1 May 1665) was Principal of Jesus College, Oxford, on three occasions: from 1620 to 1621; from 1630 to 1648, when he was ejected by the Parliamentary visitation of the University of Oxford; and from 166 ...

was ejected from his position as Principal. Roberts was appointed in his place. He was removed by the Fellows in 1655, but was reinstated by the Visitors in 1656, before resigning in 1657. His period as Principal was turbulent. One biographer wrote that "For nine years the college became a hornet's nest. The dormant Royalists among the Fellows looked upon him as a traitor to their cause; the Puritan faction deemed him a hypocrite."

References

1679 deaths Fellows of Jesus College, Oxford Principals of Jesus College, Oxford Year of birth unknown {{UK-academic-bio-stub