Convocation House
Encyclopedia
The lower floor of the 1634–37 westward addition to the University of Oxford
's Bodleian Library
and Divinity School
in Oxford
, England
, is known as Convocation House.
The entire westward section was originally known as Selden End, in recognition of the gift of books from the lawyer John Selden
which occupy the portion of the Bodleian Library housed above. In 1665 and 1681, during the reign of Charles II
, the chamber served as home for the English Parliament when it was unable to meet in London
. Its present stone vaulted ceiling dates from 1758–59.
The building is presently used for meetings of Oxford University's Convocation and adjoins the Divinity School, which predates it by just over two hundred years. The Sheldonian Theatre
is immediately to the north.
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
's Bodleian Library
Bodleian Library
The Bodleian Library , the main research library of the University of Oxford, is one of the oldest libraries in Europe, and in Britain is second in size only to the British Library...
and Divinity School
Divinity School, Oxford
The Divinity School is a medieval building and room in the Perpendicular style in Oxford, England, part of the University of Oxford. Built 1427–83, it is the oldest surviving purpose-built building for university use, specifically for lectures and discussions on theology...
in Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, is known as Convocation House.
The entire westward section was originally known as Selden End, in recognition of the gift of books from the lawyer John Selden
John Selden
John Selden was an English jurist and a scholar of England's ancient laws and constitution and scholar of Jewish law...
which occupy the portion of the Bodleian Library housed above. In 1665 and 1681, during the reign of Charles II
Charles II of England
Charles II was monarch of the three kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland.Charles II's father, King Charles I, was executed at Whitehall on 30 January 1649, at the climax of the English Civil War...
, the chamber served as home for the English Parliament when it was unable to meet in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. Its present stone vaulted ceiling dates from 1758–59.
The building is presently used for meetings of Oxford University's Convocation and adjoins the Divinity School, which predates it by just over two hundred years. The Sheldonian Theatre
Sheldonian Theatre
The Sheldonian Theatre, located in Oxford, England, was built from 1664 to 1668 after a design by Christopher Wren for the University of Oxford. The building is named after Gilbert Sheldon, chancellor of the university at the time and the project's main financial backer...
is immediately to the north.