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 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 col ...

Life

The third son of Edward Michell of

Bruton Bruton ( ) is a market town, electoral ward, and civil parish in Somerset, England, on the River Brue and the A359 between Frome and Yeovil. It is 7 miles (11 km) south-east of Shepton Mallet, just south of Snakelake Hill and Coombe Hill, 10 ...

and Ann Clements of Wyke Champflower, in

Somerset ( en, All The People of Somerset) , locator_map = , coordinates = , region = South West England , established_date = Ancient , established_by = , preceded_by = , origin = , lord_lieutenant_office =Lord Lieutenant of Somerset , lord_ ...

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

Wadham College, Oxford Wadham College () is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. It is located in the centre of Oxford, at the intersection of Broad Street and Parks Road. Wadham College was founded in 1610 by Dorothy W ...

, 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 typically 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, and south of Abingdon. It is only separated by the Great Western Railway cutting from its twin village of North Moreton, a ...

, Berkshire, but did not reside there. On the formation of the new

hebdomadal council The Hebdomadal Council was the chief executive body for the University of Oxford from its establishment by the Oxford University Act 1854 until its replacement, in the Michaelmas term of 2000, by the new University Council. Chaired by the Vice- ...

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 William Jacobson (18 July 1803 – 13 July 1884) was Regius Professor of Divinity at Oxford University (1848–1865) and Bishop of Chester (1865–1884). Life The son of William Jacobson, a merchant's clerk, of Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, ...

. 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 Encaenia (; ) is an academic or sometimes ecclesiastical ceremony, usually performed at colleges or universities. It generally occurs some time near the annual ceremony for the general conferral of degrees to students. The word is from Latin, mean ...

'', alternately with the

professor of poetry The Professor of Poetry is an academic appointment at the University of Oxford. The chair was created in 1708 by an endowment from the estate of Henry Birkhead. The professorship carries an obligation to lecture, but is in effect a part-time po ...

, 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, 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

;Attribution {{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