The ornate gates of The College of All Souls of the Faithful Departed (as its properly known) are probably the most-stared-through in Oxford. The college is an exclusive one: it has no undergraduates. It was founded by Henry VI and Henry Chichele, the Archbishop of Canterbury, on 20 May 1438. The Statutes said the fellows had to be of legitimate birth, and priority was given to men who could claim kinship with Chichele. Today it's primarily a research institution. Lawrence of Arabia was a fellow of All Souls. |