The title of the College is “the King’s Hall and College of Brasenose in Oxford” (Aula Regia et Collegium de Brasenose in Oxonia), the spelling of the chief word being in chronological sequence, omitting minor variations, Brasinnose, Brazen Nose (eighteenth century), Brasenose; but the latest spelling is also found early in the seventeenth century, probably showing that it was at all times pronounced as a disyllable. The phrases King’s College and Collegium Regale are also found at an early date, the latter occurring on the College seal, which consists of three Gothic niches or compartments, with St. Hugh and St. Chad on either side and the Trinity in the centre: underneath is a small shield with Smyth’s arms, and round is the legend, “Sigillum commune colegii regalis de brasinnose in oxonia.”
The Arms of the College are: The escutcheon divided into three parts paleways, the centre or, thereon an escutcheon charged with the arms of the See of Lincoln (gules, two lions passant gardant in pale or, on a chief azure Our Lady crowned, sitting on a tombstone issuant from the chief, in her dexter arm the Infant Jesus, in her sinister a sceptre, all or), ensigned with a mitre, all proper: the dexter side argent, a chevron sable between three roses gules seeded or barbed vert, being the arms of the founder William Smyth: on the sinister side the arms of Sir Richard Sutton of Prestbury, knight, viz. quarterly first and fourth, argent a chevron between three bugle-horns stringed sable, for Sutton, second and third, argent a chevron between three crosses crosslet sable, for Southworth.
A coat of arms tripartite paleways is a very rare phenomenon, but is found among Oxford Colleges at Lincoln and Corpus. The cause at Brasenose was no doubt an attempt to combine symmetrically on one shield the arms of the founders, the see of Lincoln being given a disproportionate amount and a central position, from the honour brought by connection with it as both the Founder’s and the Visitor’s see. For the sake of appearance also the arms of Lincoln are placed within the field, the mitre with which they are ensigned being included in the pale. The only variations are that (1) in some old examples the arms of Lincoln cover the whole central pale, the entire College arms being ensigned with a mitre or stringed, and sometimes with a crosier and key in saltire; (2) the crosses crosslet are found as crosses crosslet fitchy or crosses patoncé. The nearest approach to an early official declaration of the arms is to be found in Richard Lee’s report from the best evidence he could obtain, made at the same time as his Visitation in 1574, and to be found in MS. H 6 of the College of Arms.
The College seems never to have had a motto, but Bishop William Smyth’s (“Dominus exaltatio mea”) has been occasionally and unofficially used, as in the new Principal’s house.
VII. STATISTICS.
1. Principals of Brasenose Hall.
| MENTIONED IN | |
| 1435 | William Long, B.A. |
| 1436 | R. Marcham or Markham, M.A. |
| 1438 | Roger Grey. |
| 1444 | R. Marcham, again. |
| 1451 | William Curth or Church, M.A., d. 1461. |
| 1461 | William Braggys, M.A. |
| 1461 | William Wryxham, M.A. |
| 1462 | William Braggys, again. |
| 1462 | John Molineux, again. |
| In 1468 the Hall was repaired by | |
| 1469 | William Sutton, M.A., who occurs also as late as 1483. |
| 1501 | Edmund Croston, M.A., who died 27th Jan., 1507/8; his brass in St. Mary’s church is engraved in Churton’s Lives of the Founders. |
| 1503 | |
| 1502 | John Formby, M.A., resigned 24th Aug., 1510. |
| 1505 | |
| 1508-10 | |
| 1510-12 | Matthew Smyth, B.D. |