19. ST. MARY'S COLLEGE, OXFORD
Although the canons of Oseney attended
lectures at the university, and other Augustinian
canons were occasionally allowed to reside at
Oseney for that purpose, yet this was by favour,
not by right, and such lodgers were under no
regular discipline. Therefore, in 1421, at a
meeting of the Augustinian order at Leicester, a
petition was made to the king that he would
found a college for the order in Oxford, and a
site was found at the east end of the modern
front of Balliol College: (fn. 1) the king was to give
the land and the canons would erect the buildings.
This scheme came to nothing, owing to the
death of the king. But in 1435 Thomas Holden
and Elizabeth his wife founded St. Mary's College, giving land in the parishes of St. Michael's
North, and St. Peter le Bailey, and building a
chapel. (fn. 2) The rules, which were drawn up in
1448 by the abbot of Oseney and are still extant (fn. 3)
show that secular clerks might be admitted as
well as regulars, but would have to pay for their
rooms. It is mentioned that some canons might
be compelled to live in halls because of their
poverty, life in college being apparently more
expensive. At the head of the college was the
prior studentium; according to the rules of Pope
Benedict XII (fn. 4) he was to hold office for only
one year. In 1452 building was still in progress, for in that year the prior of Bicester
contributed 6s. 8d. to the work. (fn. 5)
Priors of St. Mary's College,
Oxford (fn. 6)
William Westakarre, S.T.P., occurs 1448 (fn. 7)
Richard Leycester, occurs 1466
— Ceme, or Came, occurs 1467
John Hackborn, S.T.B., occurs 1501
Thomas Beel, S.T.B., occurs 1509
Hugh Whitwick, occurs 1518 (fn. 8)
John Rasey, occurs c. 1528
Thomas Massey, occurs 1532
Jarvis Markham, last prior, 1541