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In October 1914, thirty six new students arrived to begin their university careers at Somerville. Amongst these ‘freshers’ were Vera Brittain, the future author and playwright Muriel St Clare Byrne and another English exhibitioner, Una Ellis-Fermor, who would become a distinguished academic.  In her diary, Vera Brittain recorded the excitements of student life, her impressions of the University of Oxford… Read More »October 1914: Vera Brittain Arrives for the New Academic Year at Oxford

Between 1914 and 1915, over two hundred thousand Belgians were to flee to Britain and Oxford became one of many centres to offer accommodation and assistance to some of those refugees. As well as the widely held public sympathy for Belgium’s plight, academics had been outraged by the German attack on Louvain in August 1914, during which the University library… Read More »November 1914: ‘At Home’ to the Belgians

As Michaelmas Term ended in December 1914, Somerville ‘sustained an irreparable loss’ with the departure of Miss Lucy Kempson, the College librarian and Principal’s secretary. Leaving to join the war effort, she initially nursed with the Red Cross and later went on to work in the Intelligence Department of the War Office. Miss Kempson (pictured right) was one of many women who answered… Read More »December 1914: ”Go Home and Keep Quiet”; Early War Work for Women

1915 was to be a year of momentous change for Somerville College. Unlike the men’s colleges, life in Somerville had been largely unaffected during the first five months of the war, but by Hilary Term of 1915, the War Office was starting to cast covetous eyes on Somerville’s buildings which conveniently abutted the Radcliffe Infirmary.  For the time being, however,… Read More »January 1915: Dr. Maude and the RAMC

Debating, and particularly the discussion of political issues, had long been popular in Somerville. A women’s debating society was founded in 1882 and became the United Halls Debating Society (later the Oxford Students’ Debating Society, see February 1914 post) with the inclusion of members from Lady Margaret Hall and St. Hugh’s.  In the pre-war years, Somervillians were active in the suffrage movement… Read More »February 1915: Parliament and the Tub Thumpers; political debates in college

‘.. if the War Office would welcome the use of Somerville for wounded, and if we can find some suitable place in which we could accommodate the college for a time, we ought to be patriotic.’   Miss Penrose to Mr Gillett, 20th February 1915 On 27th March 1915, Somerville was approached by a sanitary inspector, Mr. Best, who asked leave, under confidential instructions,… Read More »March 1915: The 3rd Southern General Hospital, Somerville Section

“It is impossible to allude even casually to the migration, without mentioning the almost miraculous speed and efficiency with which the move was effected, thanks to the untiring labours of Miss Penrose and Miss Walton and the splendid co-operation of the College maids.”  Oxford Letter, SSA Annual Report 1915 In April 1915, Somerville College vacated its Woodstock Road site and relocated… Read More »April 1915: from Somerville to Skimmery

The 3rd Southern General Hospital opened at the beginning of the war in the University Examination Schools. It was one of twenty three Territorial Force general hospitals, housed in converted civilian buildings in key locations, selected for this purpose before hostilities commenced. The general hospitals acted as district ‘hubs’, treating the wounded who could then be moved to auxiliary hospitals nearby… Read More »May 1915: From College to Hospital

“Somerville and Somervillians (though the number of resident students shows no diminution) have been greatly affected by the War, and may, it seems likely, be even more affected in the future.” Somerville Report 1915 In June 1915, the first academic year of the war ended.  It had been one of great change for Somerville, particularly in terms of location and cohesion,… Read More »June 1915: Winds of change

Amongst the six students to leave Somerville for war work in June 1915 was Helen Norah Hughes. She had entered the College in October 1914 to read English and was a friend of Vera Brittain’s, but rather than nurse, she became a Checker of Forage for the War Office, one of several Somervillians to work in agriculture. The first harvest… Read More »July 1915: Forage, Farming & Food: Women in Agriculture