Nos. 60–61: St Cross College
St Cross College occupies the former Pusey House at 60 and 61 St Giles’ Street. The present building dates from 1918, and is jointly Grade II listed with Pusey House Chapel (List Entry No. 1047109). It lies in St Mary Magdalen parish.
The original pair of eighteenth-century semi-detached houses that stood on this site had large gardens and a wide street frontage.
The old houses were painted by J. A. Shuffrey (OXCMS: 2002.74,21, pictured on p. 77 of Lauren Gilmour and Margaret Shuffrey, J. A. Shuffrey 1859–1939: An Oxford Artist’s Life Remembered).
In 1884 the “Pusey Memorial House” was founded at the house numbered 61 in memory of Edward Bouverie Pusey (1800–1882), one of the leaders of the Oxford Movement. The main purpose of this memorial house was to make Dr Pusey’s large theological library the centre of a “house of sacred learning”.
At that time No. 60 next door to the north was a boarding school for young ladies, which had been founded in about 1850. That school closed In 1891 and Pusey House then expanded to include No. 60. It then obtained three smaller houses to the north (Nos. 57–59) and demolished them to make way for their chapel and the first part of the library.
In 1918 Pusey House largely demolished its original old premises at Nos. 60 and 61 to make way for the second phase of their library, including the frontage to St Giles shown above. (Two eighteenth-century rooms survive internally: the Pamphlet Room and the Van Heyningen Room.) The buildings were designed in the late Gothic Style by Temple Moore, to the modified designs of his father-in-law Temple Moore.
The postcard below shows Pusey House in about 1925.
In 1981 St Cross College (founded in 1965 and then based in temporary accommodation to the south of St Cross Church in Manor Road) took up a 999-year lease for the southern part of the Pusey House site, and it became a full college of the university in c.1990. Pusey House Chapel and Library to the north continues in its original tradition.
- St Cross College: “The Move to St Giles”
The two houses that stood on this site until 1918
No. 60
In 1841 this was occupied by the 65-year-old banker George Davenport and his four children aged about 15 to 25.
The surgeon James Torry Hester gave this as his address in January 1849.
On 12 January 1850 the Misses Howe & Beaufoy announced in Jackson's Oxford Journal that they were removing their establishment for the education of young ladies, under the superientendence of the Diocesan Board, from their former residence in Beamont Street to 60 St Giles' Street. The 1851 census duly shows Miss Eliza Harvey Howe (35) and Miss Emma Jane Beaufoy (32) running their boarding school here, and also in residence on census night were two assistant teachers, two servants, and eleven girl pupils aged from 9 to 13. The situation was identical in 1861.
In 1871 the Misses Howe and Beaufoy still lived here with two other teachers and two servants, but the school was bigger with 27 girls boarding at the school. By 1881 the school had 29 pupils, aged from 10 to 17.
On 22 June 1889 Jackson's Oxford Journal stated that it understood the sale of No. 60 to Pusey House next door. The property was listed as unoccupied at the time of the 1891 census, and the two schoolmistress had retired to 65 St Giles' Street five doors down'
No. 61
In 1841 this was occupied by the widowed fundholder Mrs Mary Foucart, and she was still here at the time of the 1851 census, aged 86, cared for by a butler and a house servant. She died in 1858, and on 17 July that year the auction of her household furniture and effects was announced.
This freehold house was owned and occupied by the physician Dr Gilbert William Child from 1859, when he was appointed Consulting Physician to the Warneford Lunatic Asylum. The 1861 census shows him at the age of 29 living here with his wife Louisa and their baby son, his brother Frederick who was a barrister, and four servants. He remained here until 1868.
On 7 November 1868 when No. 61 was advertised for sale by auction it had “a handsome hall and principal staircase, dining room, study, drawing room, ample sleeping chambers, servants’ offices and cellarage” and an extensive garden and a two-box stable with a coach house.
The tailor John Standen lived here by 1869. The 1871 census shows his wife Mary here at home with her two young children and four servants (a cook, housemaid, nurse, and under-nurse.
In 1881 when the house was occupied by the Misses Hyde only their cook and housemaid were at home.
In 1884 the Pusey Memorial House was founded here, and on 26 July that year it was announced that the Revd Charles Gore, the Revd C. V. Stuckey S. Coles, and Mr F. E. Brightman would move in as Librarian Residentiaries.
In 1891 No. 61 was occupied by Charles Gore (38), described as the Principal of Pusey House, James O'Nash, who was a clerk in holy orders, and four servants.
After 1893: Nos. 60 & 61 combined as Pusey House
The 1901 census lists the Revd Frank E. Brightnum (44) as living at Nos. 60 & 61 with his housekeeper and four servants. Also listed just under No. 60 was the gardener William Jenner (44) and his wife and two daughters.
The 1911 census lists the Revd Darwell Stone (51), the Principal of Pusey House, living in the 31 rooms here with three servants.
In 1918 these two houses were largely rebuilt by Pusey House, The 1921 census shows the Principal, the Revd Darwell Stone, occupying 16 rooms of the new building with the Bursar and Librarian and their housekeeper.
Pusey House Chapel and Library survives, but since 1981 this part of Pusey House to the north now belong to St Cross College.
Occupants of 60 & 61 St Giles' Street listed in censuses and
directories |
||
| Year | 60 St Giles' Street |
61 St Giles' Street |
1761–1776 |
George Poulton |
John Phillips |
1776–1781 |
James Pears His son Property let out by the Pears family after they This may be the house let out to the |
|
1781–1795 |
Thomas Walker, Town Clerk |
|
| 1796– | Thomas Hornsby |
|
Early |
The Revd William Tournay |
|
1841–1846 |
George Davenport |
Mrs
Mary Foucart |
1850–1852 |
Ladies Boarding School/ |
|
1859–1867 |
Dr Gilbert William Child |
|
1869–1876 |
Joseph Standen |
|
1880–1884 |
Misses Hyde |
|
1884–1890 |
Pusey Memorial House |
|
1893–1918 |
Pusey (Memorial) House and Library |
|
1918–1981 |
Pusey House |
|
1981–present |
South part: Pusey House Chapel and Library North part: St Cross College |
|