This New College range (known as “Pandy”, short for “Pandemonium”) was built of Clipsham ashlar in 1885. The architect was Basil Champneys, and because of the negative impact of the college's first block by George Gilbert Scott (built to the east in 1872–1877), he was asked to restrict the block shown above to three storeys. The range is shown here in Champneys' architectural drawing that was published in the Building News of 16 June 1899.
It is jointly Grade II listed with Champney's later Robinson Tower and Scott's earlier range to the west. The relevant part of the description of List Entry Number 1300697 reads simply: “West block built 1875 to designs of Sir Gilbert Scott in Taynton and Milton stone (see The Builder XXX, 829)”.
The former houses on this site (87, 88, and 89 Holywell Street)
No. 87 was a sizeable house and garden, with a frontage equivalent to three of the average Holywell cottages and had been occupied by New College students for five years: Jackson’s Oxford Journal of 23 October 1880 reports as follows:
At New Collyge [sic], Messrs. Knowles and Son, of Holywell, have converted the house, No. 87 Holywell-street, lately in the occupation of Mrs. Chapman, into four sets of rooms for Undergraduates.
No. 88 was a shop selling stockings, socks, shirts, drawers, and ladies's vests. On 18 May 1867 William Key announced in Jackson's Oxford Journal that he would be continuing the business here that had been run by his mother for thirty years. He himself died at the age of 46 on 19 November 1870, and his widow Letitia continued the business, followed by her son. In Jackson’s Oxford Journal of 12 June 1880 there is an advertisement for two auctions relating to No. 88, following the death of Mr Key, a stocking-maker. One is for all the household furniture and stock-in-trade of a hosier (including shop fittings and “about 60 Dozen of the celebrated Tewksbury stockings”), and the other is for the house itself:
All that desirable DWELLING HOUSE, No. 88 Holywell Street, Oxford, containing three bed rooms, drawing, dining and back sitting room; two washhouses, w.c., large garden at back, side entrance, and passage from street. This property is held under Lease from Merton College, for a term of 40 years from September, 1853.
An auction advertised in Jackson’s Oxford Journal for 26 June 1869 described Nos. 88 and 89 thus; but Mrs Etheridge actually lived in No. 89:
Lot 1. – The LEASEHOLD DWELLING HOUSE, No. 88, Holywell-street, in the occupation of Mr. Etheridge, containing a cellar in the basement, entrance sitting room, and kitchen on the ground floor, and four rooms above; good Garden, with detached wash-house &c.,&c. Land Tax, 15s.
Lot 2 – The LEASEHOLD DWELLING HOUSE, No. 89, Holywell-street, in the occupation of Mrs. Brown, containing cellars and kitchen in the basement, two sitting rooms on the ground floor, and four rooms above; good Garden, with wash-house, &c. &c. Land Tax, 1l. 1s.
N.B. The above lots are held by lease under Merton College, Oxford, for a term of 40 years from the 11th of October, 1855.
No. 89 the last house to go
Following the building of the tutor’s house at the easternmost extremity of the New College site, in 1894 No. 89 was demolished to make room for an extra staircase to link the tutor’s house to the Pandy building. Austin Etheridge, who lived at No. 89 until 1894, was the sub-librarian of All Souls College. After seeing his neighbours to the west demolished for the Pandy Building in 1885, and those to the east for the tutor’s house in 1887, he must have lived for several years wedged in on both sides by New College until his lease also ran out.
87–89 Holywell Street in the censuses
1841
The 1841 census for Holywell does not give house numbers, but it is possible to deduce where people listed that year lived by examining directory entries between 1839 and 1842 and later censuses
No. 87
James Chapman (30), a baker, lived here with Hannah (30) and Eliza (5), Harriet (3), and John (five months), and Alfred Richards (25), who was probably a lodger. No division line is made betwen this and the previous house of Elizabeth Hounslow (85).No. 88
…No. 89
William Thorp (40), a tailor, lived here with two schoolmistresses: Ann Thorp (35), who was likely to be his sister, and Eliza Hewitt (25). Also in the household was an assistant schoolmistress called Harriet Hounslow. They had one female servant.
1851
No. 87
John Chapman (45), a tripe dresser, lived here with his wife Hannah (40) and his children Eliza (14), Harriet (13), James (11), John (10), Hannah (8), Martha (5), and Thomas (1).No. 88
John Patey (58), a college servant, lived here with his wife Elizabeth (55) and his sons Charles (21), also a college servant) and Samuel (15). They had one servant.No. 89
Richard Burrows (37), a college servant at The Queen's College, lived here with his wife Jane (35) and their children Frederick (8), Jane (2), and Henry (6 months). They had one servant.
1861
No. 87
Harriet Brain (59), an independent widow, and James Chapman (56) a baker are named as joint heads. Also living in the house were Chapman’s wife Harriet (52) and his children Harriet (13), Hannah (18), and Thomas (12).No. 88
John Smith (43), an upholsterer, lived here with his wife Sarah (44) and his children William (18), who was a college servant, Elizabeth (15), Emma (11), John (9), Alice (7), and Jane (5). They also have a widow of 73, Sarah Broadwater, as a lodger.No. 89
Elizabeth Francis (56), a widowed laundress, was living here with her unmarried sister Margaret (49), who was her assistant. They had one house servant.
1871
No. 87
Sarah Mills (28), a dressmaker, lived here alone.No. 88
Letitia Key (49), a widowed stocking maker, lived here with her sister Maria Cavell (57), her sister's husband Job Cavell (60), and her nieces Clara Key (16) and Mary Ann Davis (8).No. 89
Listed as unoccupied.
1881
Nos. 87 & 88: Not listed: probably awaiting demolition.
No. 89
Austin F. G. Etheridge, a college librarian born on the Isle of Wight, lived here with his wife Eliza and children William (13) and Gertrude (6). The family had one general servant. Their house at No. 82 had been demolished in 1871.
1891
Nos. 87 & 88: Replaced by part of New College
No. 89
Austin F. G. Etheridge (51), a librarian, was still hanging on in this sole remaining house with his wife Eliza (50) and their son William (23), who now had an Oxford B.A., and their daughter Gertrude (16). They had one general servant.
The last house in this group of three was demolished in 1894.
Occupants of 87–89 Holywell Street listed in directories etc. |
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No. 89 (left) |
No. 88 (middle) |
No. 87 (right) |
N E W
C O L L E G E
H O L Y E L L
G A T E |
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1772 |
Mr Rawlins junior |
Mr Kensel |
Mr Bignel: |
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Frontage: |
Frontage: |
Frontage: |
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1839 |
William Thorp[e] |
Thomas Halsey |
James Chapman |
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1846 |
Thomas Mundy |
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1851 |
Richard Burrows |
James Patey |
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1861 |
Mrs Elizabeth Francis |
John Smith (census) Mrs Smith (directory) |
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1866 |
Mrs Charwood |
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1871 |
No listing |
Mrs Key W. Key |
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1872–1876 |
Mrs Etheridge Austin F. G. Etheridge
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1881–1884 |
Not listed: being rebuilt as |
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1885–1894 |
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Nos. 87–89 today |
Part of New College |
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