No. 16: St Giles' House
St Giles' House at 16 St Giles was formerly known as the Judge's Lodgings but is now part of St John's College. It is a Grade II* listed building (ref. 1485/1530), and Pevsner describes it thus:
Built in 1702, the best house of its date in Oxford. Seven-bay ashlar façade with a pedimented three-bay projection and quoins. Later, rather dull doorway with doric pilasters and a straight entablature. Gatepiers with gorgeous urns. At the back an equally gorgeous decorated shell-hood. The front also originally had a shell-hood. Staircases with twisted balusters, and a plaster ceiling with a fine rich oval wreath of flowers.
Above: The back of St Giles' House in May 2006
Left: The summerhouse in the back garden. The dome is said to be a replica of the model made by James Gibbs in 1734 for the stone dome he intended for the Radcliffe Camera. (Gibbs's design was eventually cast aside for Hawksmoor's, and the Radcliffe Camera was built between 1737 and 1749.)
St Giles' House was built in 1702 for Thomas Rowney (MP for Oxford, and in 1691 High Sheriff of Oxfordshire). His son Thomas (1693–1759) succeeded him as MP and also lived in the house: he donated the land for the Radcliffe Infirmary, and also paid for the old Town Hall to be rebuilt.
At the time of the 1772 Survey of Oxford, the house was occupied by Mrs Rowney, and its frontage was measured as 28 yards and 2 feet (the widest in St Giles).
From 1852 to 1965 the house (although in the occupation of other people) was used by the Judge when staying in Oxford during the Assizes, and thus became known as the Judge's Lodgings. In 1965 It was taken over and restored by St John's College: they use it for receptions and seminars, and have flats on the top floor.
At the time of the 1851 census the house was occupied by Miss Sarah Speakman (aged 60 and described as a proprietor of houses) and her widowed sister, Mrs Elizabeth Webb, with her three children, plus one servant.
In 1861 No. 16 was occupied by the retired boatbuilder Isaac King, his wife Mary, and their widowed daughter Mrs Marianne Herbert and her child (plus a cook, housemaid, nursemaid, and manservant). Their gardener and his family are also listed under No. 16, but they probably lived in the house in its back garden.
On 3 November 1875 Oxford High School was founded in this building. It then had just three forms and three teachers. The 29 girls at the school had to be given a half-day holiday every time the Assize Judge came into residence.
In 1879 the school moved into 38 St Giles for two years before moving to 21 Banbury Road at the beginning of 1881.
Rear
of the Judge's Lodgings in 1890
(on English Heritage website)
| Occupants of 16 St Giles' Street listed in censuses and directories | |
| 1841–52 | Miss Sarah Speakman |
| 1861 | Thomas A. Lister |
| 1866–75 | Isaac King (1866) Mrs King and Mrs Herbert (1869) Mrs Herbert (1871–1875) |
| 1875–1879 | Oxford High School Miss Ada Benson, Headmistress (no one living on premises) |
| 1882–1884 | Rev. W. Cape |
| 1887–1891 | Edward Augustus Freeman,
M.A., Hon. D.C.L. Regius Professor of Modern History |
| 1893–1894 | Vacant |
| 1895–1905 | David Watson Rannie Barrister |
| 1906–1910 | Vacant |
| 1911–1925 | Miss Price |
| 1926–1929 | John Davidson Beazley,
M.A. Lincoln & Merton Professor of Classical Archaeology & Art |
| 1930–1932 | Sir
John Wormald,
KBE, MICE, JP (Tel. 3806) |
| 1935–1964 | Sir Arthur Cecil McWatters Additional Professorial Fellow, Trinity College |
| 1968–present | Part of St John's College |