13. College life: SCR and JCR

13.1 GENERAL

By comparison with some other Oxford colleges, the Magdalen archives are poorly supplied with records of the social life of senior and junior members, known collectively as the Senior Common Room (SCR) and Junior Common Room (JCR). There was no College magazine until 1980, although a brief 'Summary of Events' was printed from c. 1909-1979 for distribution to members. There are no records of the MCR (Middle Common Room, i.e. graduate students) earlier than 1945, and there were, of course, no women Fellows or students until well after 1945.

13.2 SENIOR COMMON ROOM

13.2.1 GENERAL

The President, Vice-President and Fellows constituted the Senior Common Room. The SCR, in the days when dons were unmarried and lived in College, provided an ordered environment for their leisure, rather like an officers' mess or gentlemen's club. Members could propose other names as honorary or temporary members of the Room; for instance, the equerry and tutor of H.R.H. Edward, Prince of Wales, were elected members of the Senior Common Room during their period of residence.

The earliest reference to a room is in 1663, when the Vice-President's register (MS 730) mentions a 'camera sociorum'. At some time after 1665 the Chapel vestry was converted into a Common-room for the Fellows: possibly in 1674 when the College accounts mention building work on the 'cameram communem' (Wilson, Magdalen College).

The Vice-President was, ex-officio, the Steward of the Room (an office which no longer exists). There was (and is) also an office of wine steward, held by one of the Fellows. The full members approve the regulations, which are amended periodically.

The papers of the SCR are mostly catalogued at O1.

13.2.2 MINUTES AND REPORTS OF SCR MEETINGS

MS 711 Minute books, 2 vols, indexed (1862-1923)

GPD/26/IV/2/2 Report of Committee appointed 20.3.1912 to consider what principles should regulate the election of honorary members of the Room (1912)

13.2.3 ADMINISTRATIVE AND CORRESPONDENCE PAPERS OF SCR STEWARD

CP/2/63, fol.1a SCR accounts (1835)

VP3/C1/1 Correspondence with SCR (1927-59)

13.2.4 GUESTS

It has always been the custom of the College to invite dinner guests, who are usually distinguished persons in public or academic life. The origin of the curious custom of weighing guests is unknown. It was also common to have private dinner parties or luncheon parties in a Fellow's rooms, for which the College chefs would do the catering and the College silver might be borrowed.

CP/2/42-44 Hall dinner books contain names of Fellows giving private lunches or dinners (1933-4; 1936-9; 1941-44)

13.2.5 HISTORICAL

F33/1/MS4/1 P. V. M. Benecke's 'Traditional account of…' from memories of conversations with H. A. Wilson and G. E. Baker (1940)

13.3 JUNIOR COMMON ROOM

Magdalen was the first college to allow 'Gentleman Commoners' to live in the College and to mix, socially with the Fellows and Demies. The Gentleman Commoners had a common room of their own from at least 1788 (College Order 5, 21 Feb), and possibly from the seventeenth century, when Kitchen Staircase was built for the use of the Commoners. President Warren recorded that 'Their separate Common Room on this staircase continued into the memory of persons yet living, and the set of rooms is marked by a fine coat of arms which belonged to it in this capacity' :see T. Herbert Warren, Magdalen College (London: J. M. Dent & Co., and New York: E. P. Dutton & Co., 1907), pp. 41-2. Gentleman Commonerships were abolished in 1857 and there was a single common room for undergraduates from 1873. From the late 19th century the JCR rooms have been in Cloisters. The JCR employs its own staff, notably in the past a steward who was regarded as a mentor and held in great respect: see Platt, The Most Obliging Gentleman… For a list of JCR Presidents from 1830 see Appendix 2.2.

Most of the records relating to the JCR are catalogued at O2.

13.3.1 GENERAL SOURCES

CMM/1-4 College Orders (indexed) have relevant entries (1702-1945)

CP/9/69 Summaries of Events published annually give news of JCR events (1909, 1929-45)

13.3.2 MINUTES OF JCR MEETINGS

See also:

CP/2/63 Committee report on management of the JCR (1873)

13.3.3 RULES

GPD/8 Rules of JCR (1912)

GPD/37 Rules of JCR (1919)

13.3.4 CORRESPONDENCE

CP/9/56 Letters on JCR matters (1880-1)

F29/3/C1/4 Letter to H. W. Greene (Fellow) on the cost of living for an undergraduate at Magdalen (1897)

13.3.5 PHOTOGRAPHS

O2 contains many group photos of junior members, including of sports teams, College groups, and freshmen. There are also many photographs in the B/, CF/, and PH/ series. All post-1996 photographs catalogued are searchable on the Adlib database.

See also photograph albums of members, Section 14.3

13.4 SPORT

13.4.1 GENERAL

Rowing has always been the most favoured sport at Magdalen, as in many other Colleges, probably because of the Boat Race rowed annually by crews from Oxford and Cambridge. Junior members entered with enthusiasm into many sports, however: Oscar Wilde was a member of the Athletics Club and also rowed and rode; Edward, Prince of Wales, was enthusiastic about beagling and the outdoor life. Junior members also participated in golf, tennis, fives, football (Association and Rugby) and in horse racing. The College owned a cricket pavilion and a boat house by the later nineteenth century.

Wilson's history, Magdalen College, has an Appendix on the College's sporting triumphs of the later nineteenth century, listing the names of those who gained a 'Blue' by representing Oxford against Cambridge in their chosen sport. See also:

P285 (passim) List of Members who represented Oxford versus Cambridge (1836-1925)

In general, a search of Adlib under the name of a sport or a society should yield up most results. What follows here are records which have not yet been put up on there.

13.4.2 SPORTS RECORDS (EXCLUDING PHOTOGRAPHS)

(a) Athletics

MS 708 Minute books (2) of MC Athletic Sports Club (1860-1900)

(b) Boat Club: see O4.

See also Roger Hutchins,"Well Rowed Magdalen!" A History of Magdalen College Boat Club 1859-1993 (Oxford, 1993), and Mark Blandford-Baker, Upon the Elysian Stream: 150 Years of Magdalen College Boat Club, Oxford (Oxford, 2008).

(c) Cricket: see O10.

(d) Hockey: Look up references under Adlib.

(e) Rugby Football: Look up references under Adlib.

(f) Magdalen and New College Beagles: Look up references under Adlib.

13.4.3 PHOTOGRAPHS: SPORTING GROUPS

Many images can be found by searching on Adlib. In the old catalogues, the following sections should be noted:

DF/, DR/, PH/ Association Football (1892-1924 and n.d.)

B/, CF/, DR/, E/4, PH/

Cricket (1893-1922)

DF/. E/4, PH/ Hockey (1907- 25 and n.d.)

DF/ Lawn Tennis (1921)

DF/,DR/, E/4, PH/ Rowing (1880-1945)

DF/, DR/ Rugby Football (1885-1913)

13.5 MUSIC AND DRAMA

Singing, as might be expected from a College with a great choral tradition, was popular at Magdalen, especially during the later 19th century when glee clubs and madrigal groups flourished. Drama was of two kinds, the melodramas performed in the JCR for general amusement and to raise money for charity, and the more serious performances of Shakespeare and other classical authors, which often took place in the Grove. OUDS, the University's dramatic society, also played in the Grove from time to time; the College Orders giving permission for such events constitute a useful record.

13.5.1 MUSIC

Many references to music can be found by searching on Adlib.

MS 987 Printed leaflet, programmes, newscuttings concerning the Magdalen Vagabonds (c. 1890s)

MS 1068 Words and music of college song, 'Magdalena Floreat' (1894-9)

GPD/60 Commemoration concert (1886)

GPD/61 Programme, Burlesque (1891)

MS 935/iv Programme of glee singers' concert (1926)

MS 935 /viii Balance sheet of MC Burlesque (n.d.)

13.5.2 DRAMA

Many references to drama can be found by searching on Adlib.

MS 993/14; MS 1105 Menus, Dramatic Society Dinners (1930s)

PH/P/539-41 Photographs, Dramatic Society cast (1938-9)

See also Dinner menus, Section 13.7

13.6 DEBATING AND LITERARY SOCIETIES

See also references on Adlib.

GPD/34 Notes on meetings of the OU Old Mortality Club (1861)

MS 935/iii Rules of the '1897' debating society (1911)

See also Section 13.7 for reference to the Atkin (Law) Society.

13.7 DINNERS, BALLS AND BREAKFASTS

(a) Menu cards

The College has a substantial collections of miscellaneous dinner menus. The menus are indicative of the interests of the members: sport predominates, especially rowing, but private parties and the old school tie were also important. Note that many of the dinner menus are autographed by those attending. Many dinner menus can be found by searching on Adlib.

13.8 THE JCR STEWARD

The JCR Steward was a leading figure in college life. Compton Mackenzie has given a good description of the importance of the JCR Steward's room at Magdalen in the early years of the 20th century in his novel, Sinister Street 2 vols (London: Martin Secker, 1918-19). See also R. W. Sheppard, 'Gunner of Magdalen', a profile of the Gunstone family of college servants. Gunstone was succeeded by J. W. Gynes, and later came Bond, perhaps the last of the larger-than- life stewards. Gynes' collection of dinner menus, many of them autographed and presented to him by those attending, has been listed as P430.

Acc. 14/175 Personal scrapbook of Richard Gunstone (kept 1880s-1910s)

MS 770 Signatures of those who subscribed to a presentation to Richard Gunstone ('Gunner') (1914)

PR/2/20 Obituaries for Gunstone (1924)

P430/X5/1 Vol presented to J. W. Gynes on his retirement as steward (1931)

13.9 FORMER MEMBERS

13.9.1 GAUDIES

College gaudies were originally simply celebrations for resident members. But by c. 1900 at the latest they had acquired their modern meaning of a dinner for alumni.

For Gaudy dinners held in College for former members see VP8/A9/1 (from 1939). See too the Adlib database

MS 993/2 Gaudy buffet menu (1889)

GPD/7 Gaudy menus and seating plans (incomplete series) [from 1912]

13.9.2 MAGDALEN ASSOCIATION

The Magdalen Association was founded in c. 1873, mirroring the loyalty to the 'old school tie' felt by the new generation of public schoolboys bred in the Arnold tradition. For the early years of the Magdalen Association see Peter Fullerton, 'The Magdalen Association, a historical note' in Magdalen College Record (1991), 53-6.

MS 935/i Postcard re the Annual Dinner held at the Monico restaurant, Shaftsbury Avenue (1889)

MS 965 Annual Dinner Book [of the Magdalen Association], held at the Cafe Royal (1896-1926)

F29/3/X2/9 List of members, Magd Coll Association (1898)

Ms 935/ii List of members ditto (1901-2)

MS 849 Song, 'Magdalen is Mine', first sung at Magd. Assoc. dinner (1932)

[Note: it is possible that the song 'Magdalena Floreat' (1889, see MS 1068) was also composed for the Association]

MS 954 Ts historical note on the origin (c. 1873) of the Magdalen Association (n.d. [c. 1930s])

Note of various meetings (1930s)

Regional distribution of former members of Magd. Coll. (mid-1930s)

See also VP1/A3/1 (1934)

13.9.3 UNDERGRADUATE MEMOIRS AND DIARIES

Other memoirs and diaries can be found by searching on Adlib.

GPD/34 Payne, J. F., Demy 1858: diary (1861)

MS 1025/1/1 J. H. E. Griffiths, Demy 1927 (later President) diaries (1926-33)

GPD/32 Collected memoirs, Magdalen in World War II (1939-45)

GPD/58 Memoirs of Magdalen, A. T. Clark (1941-2, 1946-8)

[GPD/32 and 58 were given in response to an appeal, and restrictions on readership were not imposed unless noted in the file. Copyright belongs to the authors, whose permission must be sought before publication]