VIII— LINCOLN COLLEGE.
Foundation, 1427-1430.
S RICHARD FLEMING (consecrated bishop of Lincoln in 1420), was dis-
mayed at the attacks made by the Wiclyffites on the doctrines, institutions,
and property of the Church, to counteract their influence, he resolved to
found within the University of Oxford, at that time comprised in his
diocese of Lincoln, a College wherein students of Theology might
be educated for the defence of the Church. To this end, he procured
from Henry VI., 13th Oct., 1427, a charter empowering him (i) to
unite into one Collegiate Church of All Saints the three contiguous
parish churches of All Saints, S. Mildred's, and S. Michael's at
Northgate, and (ii) to found in this Collegiate Church a College which
should be called ' Collegium Beatae Mariae et Omnium Sanctorum
Lincoln in Universitate Oxon.' His intention was to take down the
ruinous church of S. Mildred's to provide the site for his buildings, and
to employ the revenues of All Saints and S. Michael's for the sustenance
of the Rector and Fellows of his College. Proceeding with this
intention, Fleming issued a foundation-charter, dated 19th Dec, 1429,
uniting the churches and nominating William Chamberleyn, ' in sacra
Theologia scholaris,' to be first Rector of his proposed College. In
April and June 1430, Fleming bought two tenements adjoining the site
of S. Mildred's, and began the erection of the College by building on
their site towards the Turl the western side of the old quadrangle, containing the entrance Tower, with rooms
for the Rector over the gateway, and at the top of the Tower a muniment-room for the safe custody of the
College title-deeds and money. The Founder died suddenly, in the midst of his work, in Jan., 1430-1,
having made no provision for the completion of the buildings or the provision of revenues. The chief relic of
the foundation which remains in the College is the College great seal. This represents the Virgin standing, with
the Holy Child on her left arm, under a canopy, two figures kneeling at her feet ; in a space over is Christ on
his cross, under a canopy; beneath is the Founder's coat of arms : on each side are six saints arranged two and two
in three tiers under canopies. The College small seal, with the figure of S. Hugh, is perhaps of the same date.
FIRST PERIOD, 1431-1474. — The work, which the Founder left imperfect, was carried on by several
benefactors. By their influence the necessary confirmations of Fleming's foundation-charter were obtained from
the Dean and Chapter of Lincoln (4th Sept., 1434), the Archdeacon of Oxford (23rd Sept., 1438), and the
Archbishop of Canterbury (nth May, 1439). And when the legal status of the College was questioned by
the Crown lawyers after the Yorkist Edward IV. had deposed Henry VI., the college was able to obtain from the
new king a fresh charter confirming and extending their rights, 23rd Jan., 1461-2.
Between 1435 an d I 437> John Forest, Dean of Wells, built the northern and eastern sides of the old quad- rangle, containing rooms, library, chapel, buttery, kitchen, and hall. In 1465 Bishop Beckington's executors built a house for the Rector at the east end of the hall. The College was thus furnished with a complete set of buildings, arranged on three sides of a quadrangle with the south side open to admit air and sun.
The library was soon furnished with a goodly number of MSS., some bequeathed by the Founder, but chiefly by the gift of the Founder's nephew, Robert Fleming, who on his Italian tour had bought many finely- written MSS. of the Latin classics, and presented thirty-eight volumes of them to the library in 1465.
Lands and tenements, and moneys to purchase others, were conferred on the College by various donors, 1 paupertatem et insufficientiam dotationis Collegii oculo pietatis considerantes.' By 1460 the College owned nearly 500 acres of land in Oxon, Berks, and Bucks, one of its properties being Iffley Mill.
During this first period of its history the College was a very small body. Fleming had designed it for
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