William of Durham (died 1249) is said to have founded University College, Oxford, England.University College
''A History of the County of Oxford: Volume 3: The University of Oxford'', 1954, pp. 61–81.Darwall-Smith, Robin, ''A History of University College, Oxford''. Oxford University Press, 2008. . He most likely came from Sedgefield,

County Durham County Durham ( ), officially simply Durham,UK General Acts 1997 c. 23Lieutenancies Act 1997 Schedule 1(3). From legislation.gov.uk, retrieved 6 April 2022. is a ceremonial county in North East England.North East Assembly �About North East E ...

and was educated at Wearmouth monastery and in Paris, France. William of Durham was archdeacon of Caux and (in 1235, for a few months) archbishop-elect of

Rouen Rouen (, ; or ) is a city on the River Seine in northern France. It is the prefecture of the Regions of France, region of Normandy (administrative region), Normandy and the Departments of France, department of Seine-Maritime. Formerly one of ...

in Normandy, France. When, in 1229, riots broke out in Paris, he may have been the leader of a group of students who migrated from that city to Oxford, but this tradition is not attested to by contemporary sources. What is more certain is that he held several rich benefices in England and died in Rouen, in 1249. He left 310 marks, a large amount of money, in his will to be invested in rents that would support scholars in Oxford. This benefaction resulted in one of the first of the Oxford halls or colleges. Subsequently, this foundation took the name of University College.

Legacy

University College, Oxford now has a William of Durham Club for old members leaving a legacy to the College.

References

* Year of birth missing 1249 deaths People from Sedgefield 13th-century scholars Christian scholars People associated with University College, Oxford Archdeacons of Durham Founders of colleges of the University of Oxford {{England-bio-stub