Keeper of the Archives - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

The position of Keeper of the Archives at the University of Oxford

University of Oxford

The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...

in England dates from 1634, when it was established by new statutes for the university brought in by William Laud

William Laud

William Laud was Archbishop of Canterbury from 1633 to 1645. One of the High Church Caroline divines, he opposed radical forms of Puritanism...

(Archbishop of Canterbury

Archbishop of Canterbury

The Archbishop of Canterbury is the senior bishop and principal leader of the Church of England, the symbolic head of the worldwide Anglican Communion, and the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Canterbury. In his role as head of the Anglican Communion, the archbishop leads the third largest group...

and Chancellor of the University). The first holder of the post was Brian Twyne

Brian Twyne

Brian Twyne was an antiquarian and an academic at the University of Oxford. After being educated at Corpus Christi College, Oxford, and becoming a Fellow of the college in 1606, he published his one main work, a history of the university, in 1608...

, who prepared an index of the archives in 1631 as part of the preparatory work for the statutes: he was appointed Keeper of the Archives as a reward for his work. The archives were moved from the University Church of St Mary the Virgin

University Church of St Mary the Virgin

The University Church of St Mary the Virgin is the largest of Oxford's parish churches and the centre from which the University of Oxford grew...

into the Tower of the Five Orders in the Bodleian Library

Bodleian Library

The Bodleian Library , the main research library of the University of Oxford, is one of the oldest libraries in Europe, and in Britain is second in size only to the British Library...

under Twyne and his successor, and some of the storage cupboards built at that time are still in use. The archives include charter

Charter

A charter is the grant of authority or rights, stating that the granter formally recognizes the prerogative of the recipient to exercise the rights specified...

s, title deeds, university registers and records, and other official documentation from the university (but not from the colleges of the university

Colleges of the University of Oxford

The University of Oxford comprises 38 Colleges and 6 Permanent Private Halls of religious foundation. Colleges and PPHs are autonomous self-governing corporations within the university, and all teaching staff and students studying for a degree of the university must belong to one of the colleges...

, which keep their own archives). Most of the material dates from the 19th and 20th centuries, with few photographs and no sound or video recordings.

In total, 21 people have held the position. Of Philip Bliss

Philip Bliss (academic)

Philip Bliss was a British book collector who served as Registrar of the University of Oxford from 1824 to 1853.-Life:...

, who was Keeper of the Archives for 31 years in the 19th century, it was said that "his penchant for accumulation seems to have impeded administrative efficiency". Reginald Lane Poole, who was in office from 1909 to 1927, took a much narrower view on what should be kept, and criticised his predecessors for their "fatal inability ... to destroy things when they are done with". The third to hold the position, John Wallis (who was also Savilian Professor of Geometry

Savilian Professor of Geometry

The position of Savilian Professor of Geometry was established at the University of Oxford in 1619. It was founded by Sir Henry Savile, a mathematician and classical scholar who was Warden of Merton College, Oxford and Provost of Eton College, reacting to what has been described as "the wretched...

), prepared an index of the collection that was still used into the 20th century. The present holder, Simon Bailey

Simon Bailey (archivist)

Simon Bailey is the Keeper of the Archives at the University of Oxford in England.Bailey received his degree from the University of Warwick.He is the first full-time Keeper of the Archives, having previously worked as the university's Archivist when David Vaisey was the part-time Keeper.Simon...

, is the first full-time Keeper of the Archives: he was previously the Archivist under his predecessor, David Vaisey

David Vaisey

David George Vaisey CBE is a British librarian who was Bodley's Librarian from 1986 until 1996.-Life:...

, but a decision was taken to combine the two posts in 2000. The archives became part of the Bodleian Library in August 2010, and the Keeper of the Archives now reports to the library's Keeper of Special Collections and Associate Director.

History and role

The position of Keeper of the Archives at the University of Oxford

University of Oxford

dates from 1634. The university's records pre-date this, and it claims to have one of the longest continuous record-keeping

List of Keepers of the Archives

In the table below, "college" indicates the college or hall of the university

Colleges of the University of Oxford

(if any) at which the individual held an official position, such as a fellowship, during his time as Keeper of the Archives.

Position held	EducationAt the University of Oxford, unless otherwise indicated	College	Notes
1634–1644	Corpus Christi College Corpus Christi College, Oxford Corpus Christi College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom...	—	Twyne played a leading role in revising the university's statutes under William Laud William Laud William Laud was Archbishop of Canterbury from 1633 to 1645. One of the High Church Caroline divines, he opposed radical forms of Puritanism... (Chancellor of the University and Archbishop of Canterbury Archbishop of Canterbury The Archbishop of Canterbury is the senior bishop and principal leader of the Church of England, the symbolic head of the worldwide Anglican Communion, and the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Canterbury. In his role as head of the Anglican Communion, the archbishop leads the third largest group... ) and was appointed as the first Keeper of the Archives as a reward. He also worked extensively on the archives of Corpus Christi. A later Keeper of the Archives, Strickland Gibson Strickland Gibson Strickland Gibson was an English librarian and bibliographer, who also served as Keeper of the Archives at the University of Oxford from 1927 to 1945.-Life:Gibson was born on 27 January 1877... , described him as "one of the greatest of Oxford antiquaries", and said that his extensive collection of manuscripts were "one of his greatest achievements, and in themselves a monument."
1644–1658	The Queen's College The Queen's College, Oxford The Queen's College, founded 1341, is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. Queen's is centrally situated on the High Street, and is renowned for its 18th-century architecture...	The Queen's College The Queen's College, Oxford The Queen's College, founded 1341, is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. Queen's is centrally situated on the High Street, and is renowned for its 18th-century architecture...	Langbaine, a Fellow (1633–1646) then the Provost Provost (education) A provost is the senior academic administrator at many institutions of higher education in the United States, Canada and Australia, the equivalent of a pro-vice-chancellor at some institutions in the United Kingdom and Ireland.... of Queen's (1646–1658), had a wide-ranging interest in Oxford libraries and manuscripts. He helped with the negotiations for Oxford's surrender to the Parliamentary forces during the English Civil War English Civil War The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists... in 1646, and thereafter wrote various documents attempting to protect the university's position from parliament and the city. He made a catalogue of Greek-language manuscripts held by the university and college libraries, and also worked on behalf of the university press. He died in 1658 of "an extreme cold" acquired, it was reported, by sitting in the unheated Bodleian Library Bodleian Library The Bodleian Library , the main research library of the University of Oxford, is one of the oldest libraries in Europe, and in Britain is second in size only to the British Library... during winter and working in his study without food or fire.
1658–1703	University of Cambridge University of Cambridge The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally... (Emmanuel College Emmanuel College, Cambridge Emmanuel College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge.The college was founded in 1584 by Sir Walter Mildmay on the site of a Dominican friary... )	—	Wallis was one of the founding members of the Royal Society Royal Society The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, known simply as the Royal Society, is a learned society for science, and is possibly the oldest such society in existence. Founded in November 1660, it was granted a Royal Charter by King Charles II as the "Royal Society of London"... , writing over sixty papers and book reviews for it. He was appointed Savilian Professor of Geometry Savilian Professor of Geometry The position of Savilian Professor of Geometry was established at the University of Oxford in 1619. It was founded by Sir Henry Savile, a mathematician and classical scholar who was Warden of Merton College, Oxford and Provost of Eton College, reacting to what has been described as "the wretched... at Oxford in 1649, and was "one of the leading mathematicians of his time": he introduced as the sign for infinity Infinity Infinity is a concept in many fields, most predominantly mathematics and physics, that refers to a quantity without bound or end. People have developed various ideas throughout history about the nature of infinity... , influenced Isaac Newton Isaac Newton Sir Isaac Newton PRS was an English physicist, mathematician, astronomer, natural philosopher, alchemist, and theologian, who has been "considered by many to be the greatest and most influential scientist who ever lived."... with his writings, and took part in various mathematical debates with scholars such as Blaise Pascal Blaise Pascal Blaise Pascal , was a French mathematician, physicist, inventor, writer and Catholic philosopher. He was a child prodigy who was educated by his father, a tax collector in Rouen... and Thomas Hobbes Thomas Hobbes Thomas Hobbes of Malmesbury , in some older texts Thomas Hobbs of Malmsbury, was an English philosopher, best known today for his work on political philosophy... . He became Keeper of the Archives by "a somewhat doubtful procedure", leading to a written protest from the scholar Henry Stubbe. However, he is said to have won over his opponents by his work, ensuring that the archives were kept in excellent order; his index of the collection was still used into the 20th century.
1703–1726	Magdalen College Magdalen College, Oxford Magdalen College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. As of 2006 the college had an estimated financial endowment of £153 million. Magdalen is currently top of the Norrington Table after over half of its 2010 finalists received first-class degrees, a record...	All Souls College All Souls College, Oxford The Warden and the College of the Souls of all Faithful People deceased in the University of Oxford or All Souls College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England....	Gardiner, a Fellow of All Souls from 1689 and Warden Warden (college) A warden is the head of some colleges and other educational institutions. This applies especially at some colleges and institutions at the University of Oxford:* All Souls College* Greyfriars* Keble College* Merton College* New College* Nuffield College... of the college from 1702, also served as Vice-Chancellor of the university from 1712 to 1715. He took steps to ensure that fellows of the Oxford colleges Colleges of the University of Oxford The University of Oxford comprises 38 Colleges and 6 Permanent Private Halls of religious foundation. Colleges and PPHs are autonomous self-governing corporations within the university, and all teaching staff and students studying for a degree of the university must belong to one of the colleges... complied with their obligations to reside in Oxford and, for fellows at some colleges, to become priests – a campaign in which he had some, but not complete, success since some of the errant fellows had powerful supporters.
1726–1767	Trinity College Trinity College, Oxford The College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity in the University of Oxford, of the foundation of Sir Thomas Pope , or Trinity College for short, is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. It stands on Broad Street, next door to Balliol College and Blackwells bookshop,...	Trinity College Trinity College, Oxford The College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity in the University of Oxford, of the foundation of Sir Thomas Pope , or Trinity College for short, is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. It stands on Broad Street, next door to Balliol College and Blackwells bookshop,...	Wise, under-keeper of the Bodleian Library Bodleian Library The Bodleian Library , the main research library of the University of Oxford, is one of the oldest libraries in Europe, and in Britain is second in size only to the British Library... from 1719, tried but failed to become Bodley's Librarian Bodley's Librarian The head of the Bodleian Library, the main library at the University of Oxford, is known as Bodley's Librarian: Sir Thomas Bodley, as founder, gave his name to both the institution and the position. Although there had been a university library at Oxford since about 1320, it had declined by the end... in 1729 and President of Trinity College in 1731. He did, however, win the election for the position of Keeper of the Archives in 1726, in which he was the only Whig candidate. He carried out no new work with the archives, unlike his predecessors, but worked in areas including as numismatics Numismatics Numismatics is the study or collection of currency, including coins, tokens, paper money, and related objects. While numismatists are often characterized as students or collectors of coins, the discipline also includes the broader study of money and other payment media used to resolve debts and the... and Anglo-Saxon studies, attempting the first scholarly edition of Asser Asser Asser was a Welsh monk from St David's, Dyfed, who became Bishop of Sherborne in the 890s. About 885 he was asked by Alfred the Great to leave St David's and join the circle of learned men whom Alfred was recruiting for his court... 's Life of Alfred the Great Alfred the Great Alfred the Great was King of Wessex from 871 to 899.Alfred is noted for his defence of the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of southern England against the Vikings, becoming the only English monarch still to be accorded the epithet "the Great". Alfred was the first King of the West Saxons to style himself... and endeavouring to sift the genuine medieval text from the later additions.
1767–1777	Wadham College Wadham College, Oxford Wadham College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom, located at the southern end of Parks Road in central Oxford. It was founded by Nicholas and Dorothy Wadham, wealthy Somerset landowners, during the reign of King James I...	—	Swinton travelled to Italy as a chaplain soon after his appointment as a Fellow of Wadham in 1729, returning in 1734. He was involved in a homosexual scandal that caused Robert Thistlethwayte Robert Thistlethwayte Robert Thistlethwayte was a warden of Wadham College, Oxford and clergyman in the Church of England.... , Warden of Wadham, to resign in 1739; Swinton left his fellowship in 1743 on appointment as a prebendary Prebendary A prebendary is a post connected to an Anglican or Catholic cathedral or collegiate church and is a type of canon. Prebendaries have a role in the administration of the cathedral... of St Asaph, north Wales. He had a reputation as a learned scholar of oriental and Arabic topics, writing articles for the Royal Society Royal Society The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, known simply as the Royal Society, is a learned society for science, and is possibly the oldest such society in existence. Founded in November 1660, it was granted a Royal Charter by King Charles II as the "Royal Society of London"... , of which he was a fellow.
1777–1781	Oriel College	All Souls College All Souls College, Oxford The Warden and the College of the Souls of all Faithful People deceased in the University of Oxford or All Souls College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England....	Buckler was a friend of the lawyer William Blackstone William Blackstone Sir William Blackstone KC SL was an English jurist, judge and Tory politician of the eighteenth century. He is most noted for writing the Commentaries on the Laws of England. Born into a middle class family in London, Blackstone was educated at Charterhouse School before matriculating at Pembroke... (later the first Vinerian Professor of English Law Vinerian Professor of English Law The Vinerian Professorship of English Law, formerly Vinerian Professorship of Common Law, was established by Charles Viner who by his will, dated 29 December 1755, left about £12,000 to the Chancellor, Masters and Scholars of the University of Oxford, to establish a Professorship of the Common Law... ); both were Fellows of All Souls and supporters of the Tory party, and helped to ensure the election of Tories in positions of power within the university. He also supported in print the tradition of All Souls that a mallard had been discovered in its foundations in 1438 (commemorated in the Mallard Song Mallard Song The Mallard Song is an ancient tradition of All Souls College, Oxford. It is sung once a century in a ceremony in which the Fellows parade around the College with flaming torches, led by a "Lord Mallard" who is carried in a chair, in search of a giant mallard that supposedly flew out of the... ) against claims that it was only a goose.
1781–1796	University College University College, Oxford .University College , is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. As of 2009 the college had an estimated financial endowment of £110m...	All Souls College All Souls College, Oxford The Warden and the College of the Souls of all Faithful People deceased in the University of Oxford or All Souls College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England....	Wenman became a Fellow of All Souls in 1765 and a barrister Barrister A barrister is a member of one of the two classes of lawyer found in many common law jurisdictions with split legal professions. Barristers specialise in courtroom advocacy, drafting legal pleadings and giving expert legal opinions... (as a member of the Inner Temple Inner Temple The Honourable Society of the Inner Temple, commonly known as Inner Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court in London. To be called to the Bar and practise as a barrister in England and Wales, an individual must belong to one of these Inns... ) in 1770. He was the Member of Parliament for Westbury Westbury (UK Parliament constituency) Westbury was a parliamentary constituency in Wiltshire from 1449 to 2010. It was represented in the House of Commons of England until 1707, and then in the House of Commons of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800, and finally in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801... for six years but only made one speech. He also held the position of Regius Professor of Civil Law Regius Professor of Civil Law (Oxford) The Regius Chair of Civil Law, founded in the 1540s, is one of the oldest of the professorships at the University of Oxford.-Foundation:The Regius Chair of Civil Law at Oxford was founded by King Henry VIII, who established five such Regius Professorships in the University, the others being the... from 1789 onwards, but stopped lecturing as few students attended. He died in 1796, drowning in the River Cherwell River Cherwell The River Cherwell is a river which flows through the Midlands of England. It is a major tributary of the River Thames.The general course of the River Cherwell is north to south and the 'straight-line' distance from its source to the Thames is about... when collecting botanical specimens, one of his hobbies.
1796–1815	Worcester College Worcester College, Oxford Worcester College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. The college was founded in the eighteenth century, but its predecessor on the same site had been an institution of learning since the late thirteenth century...	Worcester College Worcester College, Oxford Worcester College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. The college was founded in the eighteenth century, but its predecessor on the same site had been an institution of learning since the late thirteenth century...	Landon was elected a Fellow of Worcester in 1782, and became Provost in 1795 (holding this position until his death in 1838). He also served as Vice-Chancellor of the University of Oxford from 1802 to 1806, and was Dean of Exeter Dean of Exeter The Dean of Exeter is the head of the Chapter of Cathedral Church of Saint Peter in Exeter, England. The chapter was established by Bishop William Briwere who set up the offices of Dean and chancellor of Exeter Cathedral, allowing the chapter to elect those officers.The current Dean lives at the... from 1813 until his death.
1815–1818	Trinity College Trinity College, Oxford The College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity in the University of Oxford, of the foundation of Sir Thomas Pope , or Trinity College for short, is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. It stands on Broad Street, next door to Balliol College and Blackwells bookshop,...	Trinity College Trinity College, Oxford The College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity in the University of Oxford, of the foundation of Sir Thomas Pope , or Trinity College for short, is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. It stands on Broad Street, next door to Balliol College and Blackwells bookshop,...	Ingram, a Fellow of Trinity from 1803 onwards, was also Rawlinsonian Professor of Anglo-Saxon (1803 to 1808) and President of Trinity (from 1824 until his death in 1850). His academic interests in Anglo-Saxon and archaeology meant that he had little time to attend to the business of the college or university.
1818–1826	Balliol College Balliol College, Oxford Balliol College , founded in 1263, is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England but founded by a family with strong Scottish connections.... and Corpus Christi College Corpus Christi College, Oxford Corpus Christi College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom...	—	Cooke was initially a student at Balliol before transferring to Corpus Christi with a scholarship. He was appointed Sedleian Professor of Natural Philosophy Sedleian professor of natural philosophy The Sedleian professor of natural philosophy is the name of a chair at the Mathematical Institute of the University of Oxford.The Sedleian Chair was founded by Sir William Sedley who, by his will dated October 20, 1618, left the sum of ₤2,000 to the University of Oxford for purchase of lands for... in 1810, retaining this post until his death in 1853. He was regarded as a sociable individual, who was one of the main figures of the Literary Dining Club for Oxford academics.
1826–1857	St John's College St John's College, Oxford __FORCETOC__St John's College is a constituent college of the University of Oxford, one of the larger Oxford colleges with approximately 390 undergraduates, 200 postgraduates and over 100 academic staff. It was founded by Sir Thomas White, a merchant, in 1555, whose heart is buried in the chapel of...	St John's College St John's College, Oxford __FORCETOC__St John's College is a constituent college of the University of Oxford, one of the larger Oxford colleges with approximately 390 undergraduates, 200 postgraduates and over 100 academic staff. It was founded by Sir Thomas White, a merchant, in 1555, whose heart is buried in the chapel of... and St Mary Hall St Mary Hall, Oxford St Mary Hall was an academic hall of the University of Oxford associated with Oriel College since 1326, but which functioned independently from 1545 to 1902.- History :...	Bliss, an antiquarian and book collector, was appointed a Fellow of St John's in 1809 and was also junior sub-librarian at the Bodleian Library Bodleian Library The Bodleian Library , the main research library of the University of Oxford, is one of the oldest libraries in Europe, and in Britain is second in size only to the British Library... from 1822 to 1828. He served as Registrar of the University of Oxford Registrar of the University of Oxford The Registrar of the University of Oxford is one of the senior officials of the university. According to its statutes, the Registrar acts as the "head of the central administrative services", with responsibility for "the management and professional development of their staff and for the development... from 1824 to 1853. One writer has stated that "his penchant for accumulation seems to have impeded administrative efficiency", although adding that "his prominence and diligence in university business and his polished manners made him the embodiment of the traditions of ancien régime Oxford." He was principal of St Mary Hall St Mary Hall, Oxford St Mary Hall was an academic hall of the University of Oxford associated with Oriel College since 1326, but which functioned independently from 1545 to 1902.- History :... from 1848 until his death in the principal's lodgings in 1857.
1857–1885	Wadham College Wadham College, Oxford Wadham College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom, located at the southern end of Parks Road in central Oxford. It was founded by Nicholas and Dorothy Wadham, wealthy Somerset landowners, during the reign of King James I...	Wadham College Wadham College, Oxford Wadham College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom, located at the southern end of Parks Road in central Oxford. It was founded by Nicholas and Dorothy Wadham, wealthy Somerset landowners, during the reign of King James I...	Griffiths lectured in classics and divinity at Wadham, and protested against the Anglo-Catholic John Henry Newman's Tract 90 Tract 90 Remarks on Certain Passages in the Thirty-Nine Articles, better known as Tract 90, was a theological pamphlet written by the English theologian and churchman John Henry Newman and published in 1841... . As well as editions of classical texts, he produced works linked to the university's history, including An Index to Wills Proved in the Court of the Chancellor of the University of Oxford (1862), and an edition of the Laudian William Laud William Laud was Archbishop of Canterbury from 1633 to 1645. One of the High Church Caroline divines, he opposed radical forms of Puritanism... university statutes (1888). He was appointed to assist Bliss, his predecessor, a few days before Bliss died.
1885–1909	Christ Church Christ Church, Oxford Christ Church or house of Christ, and thus sometimes known as The House), is one of the largest constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England...	Christ Church Christ Church, Oxford Christ Church or house of Christ, and thus sometimes known as The House), is one of the largest constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England...	Bayne was a friend from childhood of Charles Dodgson (better known as Lewis Carroll, the author of the Alice in Wonderland stories), and they went on to study and work at the same Oxford college. He was an ordained Anglican Church of England The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St... priest, and served as university Proctor in 1867. He died in 1908, and was remembered during the oration at the Encaenia 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 conference of degrees to students... of that year.
1909–1927	Balliol College Balliol College, Oxford Balliol College , founded in 1263, is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England but founded by a family with strong Scottish connections....	Jesus College Jesus College, Oxford Jesus College is one of the colleges of the University of Oxford in England. It is in the centre of the city, on a site between Turl Street, Ship Street, Cornmarket Street and Market Street... and Magdalen College Magdalen College, Oxford Magdalen College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. As of 2006 the college had an estimated financial endowment of £153 million. Magdalen is currently top of the Norrington Table after over half of its 2010 finalists received first-class degrees, a record...	Poole studied classics, theology and history (obtaining degrees in the latter two subjects) before working for a time in the manuscripts department of the British Museum (now the British Library British Library The British Library is the national library of the United Kingdom, and is the world's largest library in terms of total number of items. The library is a major research library, holding over 150 million items from every country in the world, in virtually all known languages and in many formats,... ). Returning to Oxford in 1883 after travel abroad and marriage, he was university lecturer in Diplomatic Diplomatics Diplomatics , or Diplomatic , is the study that revolves around documentation. It is a study that focuses on the analysis of document creation, its inner constitutions and form, the means of transmitting information, and the relationship documented facts have with their creator... from 1896 onwards. He was elected Keeper of the Archives, defeating William Henry Stevenson by 250 votes to 95, on 3 June 1909. He was the first to hold the position under revised statutes altering its role, and he described the change as a "glaring falsification of history". He took a very narrow view on what should be kept in the archives, criticising his predecessors for their "fatal inability... to destroy things when they are done with". He resigned his university posts in 1927 when he was 70, his health failing.
1927–1945	St Catherine's Society	—	Gibson held various posts at the Bodleian Library Bodleian Library The Bodleian Library , the main research library of the University of Oxford, is one of the oldest libraries in Europe, and in Britain is second in size only to the British Library... , rising to Sub-Librarian (1931–1945), and was also a university lecturer in bibliography. His main area of study was book binding, becoming "a master in that field" in the words of The Times The Times The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International... . His other publications included studies of Oxford libraries, the ancient statutes of the university, and Oxford's ceremonies. He was awarded the Gold Medal of the Bibliographical Society Bibliographical Society Founded in 1892, the Bibliographical Society is the senior learned society dealing with the study of the book and its history, based in London, England.... in 1947 in recognition of his work as a bibliographer.
1946–1969	Christ Church Christ Church, Oxford Christ Church or house of Christ, and thus sometimes known as The House), is one of the largest constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England...	Oriel College	Pantin lectured at the University of Manchester University of Manchester The University of Manchester is a public research university located in Manchester, United Kingdom. It is a "red brick" university and a member of the Russell Group of research-intensive British universities and the N8 Group... before returning to Oxford in 1933 to teach history at Oriel; he was a university lecturer in mediaeval archaeology and history from 1937 onwards. His publications included The English Church in the Fourteenth Century (1955) and Oxford Life in Oxford Archives (1972).
1969–1985	St John's College St John's College, Oxford __FORCETOC__St John's College is a constituent college of the University of Oxford, one of the larger Oxford colleges with approximately 390 undergraduates, 200 postgraduates and over 100 academic staff. It was founded by Sir Thomas White, a merchant, in 1555, whose heart is buried in the chapel of...	Corpus Christi College Corpus Christi College, Oxford Corpus Christi College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom...	Aston, appointed as a Fellow and Tutor in history at Corpus Christi in 1952, became the first director of research and general editor of the History of the University of Oxford, published in eight volumes (although only one volume appeared before his death). He also edited the historical journal Past & Present Past & Present Past & Present is a British historical academic journal, which was a leading force in the development of social history. It was founded in 1952 by a combination of Marxist and non-Marxist historians. The Marxist historians included members of the Communist Party Historians Group, including E. P... from 1960 until his death in 1985.
1987–1995	Wadham College Wadham College, Oxford Wadham College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom, located at the southern end of Parks Road in central Oxford. It was founded by Nicholas and Dorothy Wadham, wealthy Somerset landowners, during the reign of King James I...	Wadham College Wadham College, Oxford Wadham College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom, located at the southern end of Parks Road in central Oxford. It was founded by Nicholas and Dorothy Wadham, wealthy Somerset landowners, during the reign of King James I...	Hackney, a legal academic specialising in property law, law of trusts Trust law In common law legal systems, a trust is a relationship whereby property is held by one party for the benefit of another... and legal history Legal history Legal history or the history of law is the study of how law has evolved and why it changed. Legal history is closely connected to the development of civilizations and is set in the wider context of social history... , was a Fellow of Wadham from 1976 until his retirement in 2009. Before that, he had studied at Wadham, winning the Vinerian Scholarship Vinerian Scholarship The Vinerian Scholarship is a scholarship given to the University of Oxford student that "gives the best performance in the examination for the Degree of Bachelor of Civil Law." Currently, £2,400 is given to the winner of the scholarship, with an additional £950 awarded to a proxime accessit... for his performance in the Bachelor of Civil Law Bachelor of Civil Law Bachelor of Civil Law is the name of various degrees in law conferred by English-language universities. Historically, it originated as a postgraduate degree in the universities of Oxford and Cambridge, but many universities now offer the BCL as an undergraduate degree... examinations; he went on to be a Fellow of St Edmund Hall St Edmund Hall, Oxford St Edmund Hall is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. Better known within the University by its nickname, "Teddy Hall", the college has a claim to being "the oldest academical society for the education of undergraduates in any university"... before returning to Wadham. He has also taught at various universities in north America as a visiting professor.
1995–2000	Exeter College Exeter College, Oxford Exeter College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England and the fourth oldest college of the University. The main entrance is on the east side of Turl Street...	Exeter College Exeter College, Oxford Exeter College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England and the fourth oldest college of the University. The main entrance is on the east side of Turl Street...	Vaisey worked at the Bodleian Library Bodleian Library The Bodleian Library , the main research library of the University of Oxford, is one of the oldest libraries in Europe, and in Britain is second in size only to the British Library... from 1963 onwards, becoming Keeper of Western Manuscripts in 1975, and serving as Bodley's Librarian Bodley's Librarian The head of the Bodleian Library, the main library at the University of Oxford, is known as Bodley's Librarian: Sir Thomas Bodley, as founder, gave his name to both the institution and the position. Although there had been a university library at Oxford since about 1320, it had declined by the end... from 1986 to 1996. On his retirement, he was given the title "Bodley's Librarian Emeritus", and became Keeper of the Archives.
2000 onwards	University of Warwick University of Warwick The University of Warwick is a public research university located in Coventry, United Kingdom...	Linacre College Linacre College, Oxford Linacre College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the UK, currently offering graduate entry only. It is located on St Cross Road at the corner of St Cross Road and South Parks Road, next to the University Parks and opposite the Tinbergen Building, which is shared by...	Bailey is the first full-time Keeper of the Archives, having previously worked as the university's Archivist when Vaisey was the part-time Keeper. He is also a Fellow of Linacre College.

External links

Oxford University Archives

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