Church, State, and Corpus: The Founder’s Years

Abstract

This chapter examines Richard Fox’s establishment of a secular college in Oxford. Fox’s initial intention had been to establish a monastic college in Oxford which, without question, looks to have been a distinctly conservative choice. His wish was to benefit, in the main, the Benedictine monks of St. Swithun’s priory who served the cathedral church of Winchester and, as such, formed the community at the heart of the see that he served for the last twenty years of his life. However, he changed his mind and opted instead for a secular establishment. The chapter then considers the ramifications of his decision to establish a secular college and sets his plans for Corpus Christi College within the broader environment of collegiate foundation in the English Church in the decades that preceded the Reformation.