The Odd Case of Oxford U vs. Henry Symeonis

Beginning in 1264, anyone receiving a Master of Arts degree from Oxford University had to swear they would never forgive Henry Symeonis. This requirement was lifted in 1827, but by then, it had been a few hundred years since anyone knew who Henry Symeonis and why students were taking an oath against him.

How it Started

The year was 1242. Nobody knows what precipitated the act of violence, but a man named Henry Symeonis, along with a group of other people, murdered an Oxford University student. Rather than jail them, King Henry III fined Henry and his accomplices £80 and ordered them to leave the town of Oxford.

Henry’s father happened to be a very wealthy man. 22 years later, in 1264, he somehow convinced the king to pardon his son. Many historians speculate that he may have bribed the king.

Not only did the king pardon Henry, he also ordered Oxford to allow him to return. This infuriated the University. They were helpless to openly defy the king’s order, but they found a rather unique way to flout it.

They embedded the name of Henry Symeonis in their own statutes in the manner of an oath. The statutes were, and still are, the written set of rules and regulations which govern all University proceedings.

In those days, official oaths were taken in Latin, and thus the oath read as: “Magister, tu jurabis quod nunquam consenties in reconciliationem Henrici Simeonis, nec statum Baccalaurei iterum tibi assumes“, which translates to “Magister, you will swear that you will never consent to reconciliation with Henry Symeonis, nor will you again assume the status of baccalaureate”.

For the next few centuries, every student seeking a Master of Art’s degree at Oxford University was required to take that oath.

How it Continued

As the decades and centuries passed, the reason for the oath faded from the collective memory. For more than 500 years, graduates had to take the oath against Henry Symeonis without knowing why, or who he was. Even the University forgot the reason for the oath, but it had become so entrenched in the graduation ritual, that it was mindlessly reiterated, year after year.

Around the mid 1600s, Oxford University undertook a review of their statutes. The Henry Symeonis oath came into question, and it was proposed that it be removed. But since nobody knew who that was, or why there was an oath against the man, the committee decided it might be important, and it was best to leave it in place.

How it Ended

In 1827 the University commenced another major review of its statutes. Once again, they were confronted with the rather peculiar swearing in oath required by students pursuing a Master of Arts degree.

The details of the committee’s reasoning has been lost to history, but this time they decided to remove the oath. It’s not known whether they determined who Henry Symeonis was or why there was an oath against him, but they concluded it was time to abolish it.

The story is not over quite yet:

In 1912, a man named Reginald Lane Poole was serving as the Keeper of the University Archives, when he came across a copy of the Henry Symeonis oath. Overcome by curiosity, this was a mystery he resolved to unravel.

Poole was a skilled historian and researcher, and sought out old University archives, as well as forgotten town records and property deeds. Slowly, but surely, he pieced together the entire story.

It’s thanks to Mr. Poole that we now know who Henry Symeonis was, and why there was an oath against him.

Detail of the Henry Symeonis oath from the Corpus Statutorum, the oaths required of those seeking a Master of Arts.
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