All Souls College, Oxford which is better known by the name The College of All Souls of the Faithful Departed was established by Henry Chichele, who was at that time the Archbishop of Canterbury. Henry VI was the co-founder of the institute. Though Henry Chichele was for a long time planning for the All Souls College, Oxford, the foundation stone of the institute was laid on St Scholastica's Day in 1437/1438. Starting from that time till 1443, all the buildings of the college was complete and it received its final statutes. The building of this college had cost Henry Chichele quite a fortune. At that time it took him £9500 to build the All Souls College in Oxford which if estimated today would come to about £3 million.
The statutes of the All Souls College, Oxford was basically modeled on that of the New College and Chisele and his successors held the important positions in the college. The All Souls College, Oxford had a warden and forty fellows. There were some specific regulations regarding the selection of these people. They have to study for three years in the University and have to attain the age of eighteen on the time of election. Chisele's idea behind such election process was firstly to produce a learned 'militia' who can serve both the state and the church and secondly to have a chantry where prayers would be held for the souls of the departed.
You will find the All Souls College, Oxford occupying a prominent position at the heart of Oxford. You would find one of its facades on the High Street and the other on the Radcliffe Square. You would find the Warden's Lodgings in the front of the High Street façade of the building. These structures were built between 1704 and 1706. Above the gate of the High Street front of the building you would find representation of the Archbishop Chichele and King Henry VI.
The studies of forty fellows were divided into subdivisions such as twenty-four to study arts, philosophy and theology and sixteen to study civil or canon law. The Codrington Library a main architectural feature of All Souls College, Oxford was built at the request of Christopher Codrington who was the governor of the Leeward Islands. Now the college is an institution for academic research.
There are some customs of the All Souls College, Oxford. These are after every 100 years you would find a commemorative feast and a procession with torches singing Mallard Song in the college. All these are held in the search of the legendary mallard flew out of the foundation of the college when it was being built.
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