Bibliography

There are many publications, far too many to list here, which may help you in your research.  College histories and registers are included on the pages of the individual institution, but there are more general books which are always worth consulting.

(1) General Histories of the University of Oxford

The History of the University of Oxford (OUP, 8 volumes, 1980- 2000). This may seem daunting, but the indexes are good, chapter headings usually self-explanatory, and the coverage immense.  If your interest is in aspects of the curriculum, the development of the collegiate system, student life, the impact of the university on national politics ..... begin here!  Most large libraries should either hold a copy or be able to obtain one for you. 

C.E. Mallet, A History of the University of Oxford (3 volumes 1924-7), is still excellent, despite its age.

There are also two important single volume histories:

L.W.B. Brockliss, The University of Oxford: a history (Oxford, 2016). Brockliss has also published The University of Oxford: a brief history (2018).

John Prest (ed.), The Illustrated history of Oxford University (1993).

Unfortunately no longer in print, but very useful, is Christopher Hibbert, The encyclopaedia of Oxford, (1988).  The book contains brief histories of the colleges and departments, short biographies of significant Oxford men and women, and facts and figures about shops, businesses, clubs, and all other aspects of life in and around the city. Second-hand copies can be found for sale online.

(2) The Topography and Architecture of Oxford

Topographical and architectural information on Oxford and the University can be found in volumes 3 and 4 of the Victoria History of the County of Oxford (the VCH), which is available online. Volume 3 deals with the university and volume 4 with the city.  Most of the counties of England have at least a few volumes in the VCH series so it is well worth seeking out for information on the colleges’ landed estates as well.

Two important recent books about Oxford architecture are:

Geoffrey Tyack, Oxford: an architectural guide (1998).

Simon Bradley, Nicolaus Pevsner and Jennifer Sherwood, Oxfordshire: Oxford and the South-East (The Buildings of England) (2023).

(3) Information on Oxford alumni

A. B. Emden, A Biographical Register of the University of Oxford to A. D. 1500 (3 vols Oxford 1957–9), and A Biographical Register of the University of Oxford A. D. 1501 to 1540 (Oxford 1974) remain the authoritative biographical registers for the earliest members of the University.

Joseph Foster, Alumni Oxonienses (8 volumes, 1887-92). This is a biographical register for members of the University from 1500-1886. His work is in two series, one for 1500-1714, and the other for 1715-1886. Foster worked mainly from the university’s matriculation registers. The volumes are not 100% reliable, partly because not all students formally matriculated, and partly because Foster occasionally made mistakes.  However, as a first port-of-call for information on alumni, it is a tremendous resource.  Foster published a follow-on volume, Oxford Men and their Colleges, which covers the period 1880 to 1892.  Alumni Oxonienses can now be found online through archive.org.

The Oxford University Calendar, first published in 1810, from 1813 until 1971 included the names of all members of the University, including students. Issues until recently also included all examination results. Older editions of the calendar can be found online.

The Oxford Historical Register (1900) recorded all holders of university offices, including professorships, and examination results up to 1900, and provided an index of Oxford alumni awarded Honours Degrees. Three supplementary volumes were published in 1934, 1951 and 1970, listing university officers and giving indexes of Honours Degrees, which covered the periods 1901-1930, 1931-1950 and 1951-1965. None of these volumes contain information on alumni who were awarded Pass Degrees.

Venn’s Alumni Cantabrigienses, again in 8 volumes, is the companion publication for Cambridge. Cambridge alumni can also be found online through ACAD: A Cambridge Alumni Database.

(4) Other Sources

Other University publications which are useful, but may be difficult to find outside academic libraries, are the Oxford University Handbook, the annual volumes of decrees and regulations, and The Catalogue of Oxford Graduates. 

Accounts and anecdotes of university life were written by Anthony Wood, the 17th century antiquarian, and Thomas Hearne, in the 18th century.  These were published by the Oxford Historical Society which continues to produce editions of material from the university and college archives.

The Oxford Dictionary of National Biography contains biographies of around 50,000 men and women who have impacted on British life.  The ODNB should be available on-line at most libraries.

Who’s Who and Who was Who are familiar volumes giving brief biographical details of significant people from 1849.

Crockfords and its predecessor, the Clergy Lists, published annually from the mid-19th century, include the names of all Church of England clergy in the UK and world-wide.  The volumes are organised by name and by parish, and include the name of a parish’s patron.