No. 15: St John's College house
No. 15 St Giles dates from around 1800. It is a listed building (ref. 1485/529)
The building is owned by St John's College. It has had varied uses: it has been a family home, a private hall of the University, offices, a branch of Boots the Chemist, and a doctors' surgery.
It was adapted by St John's for student accommodation in 2000.
At the time of the 1772 Survey of Oxford there were two older houses on the site of the present No. 15, with Miss Eaton commanding a frontage of 6 yards 1 foot 8 inches to the south and the Duke of Marlborough 3 yards 2 feet 1 inch to the north.
The 1841 census shows Frederick Joseph Morrell (who was a solicitor in practice at 1 St Giles with his father Baker Morrell) living here at No. 15 with his wife and three young sons (Frederick, James, and Baker) and five servants. Ten years later in 1851 these three boys were absent (probably away at school), and there were four more young Morrell children at home. The family then had seven live-in servants (a governess, footman, cook, housemaid, under-housemaid, and two nurses). In the early 1850s this growing Morrell family moved to Black Hall at 21 St Giles.
By May 1854 the house was occupied by George and Josephine Butler (probably at first on a sub-lease), and their second of their three sons, Arthur Stanley, was born here. On 30 July 1855 Butler took out a 14-year lease on this house and opened the first private hall there under the new university statute of 18 May 1855, calling it “Butler Hall”. Unfortunately Josephine's respiratory problems were exacerbated by the Oxford climate, so George took up the post of Vice-Principal of Cheltenham College in 1857. (They later moved on to Liverpool, where Josephine was to become famous as a social reformer and women's activist.)
By the time of the 1861 census, the house was occupied by the Registrar of the University, Edward Rowden, and his wife and six young children, plus a manservant, cook, housemaid, and nurse. Mrs Rowden continues to be listed at this house in directories until 1901, but she appears to have let it out, as at the time of the 1881 census it is occupied by William James Herschel, a baronet and widower with two children, living with his sister-in-law, plus their seven servants (a governess, lady's maid, cook, parlour maid, housemaid, nursery maid, and kitchen girl).
In the twentieth century, the building was used as offices, and then a shop. The St Giles School of English (later known as the Eckersley School of English) was founded here in 1961, and also occupied premises at No. 45 opposite from 1983.
In 1992 No. 15 was converted by T.S.H. Architects into a doctor's surgery, and it is now student accommodation for St John's College.
| Occupants of 15 St Giles' Street listed in censuses and directories | |
| By 1841–1854 | Frederick Joseph Morrell, Esq |
| 1854–1857 | George & Josephine Butler “Butler Hall” |
| 1861–1901 |
Rev. Dr Edward Rowden Mrs Rowden (1871–1901) |
| 1904–36 | Inland Revenue Office |
| 1937–56 | Commercial Union Assurance Company |
| 1960–76+ | Boots the Chemists Eckersley School of English (1955–1974) |
| 1980s | ? |
| 1992–2000 | Doctors' Surgery (Drs Pyper, Nichols, & Walton) |
| 2000–present | Student accommodation for St John's College |