Oxford History: The High

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This is the second in the terrace of eleven houses and shops belonging to Magdalen College that is attached to the back of Magdalen Gate house. This terrace was rebuilt subsequent to the widening of Magdalen Bridge that took place in 1772–8.

It is Grade II listed (list entry 1047288). It was in St Peter-in-the East parish until that parish was united with St Cross parish in 1957.

The Survey of Oxford was taken in 1772 before this house was rebuilt, and according to H. E. Salter the house that was approximately on this site was then occupied by a Mr Grubb and had a frontage of 6 yds 0 ft 6 in.

At the time of the 1841 census this house appears to have been occupied by the solicitor John Marriott Davenport and his wife Sophia and their baby, plus six servants.

On 1 September 1849 Norman Spencer, surgeon dentist, announced in Jackson's Oxford Journal that he had moved here from 11 Cornmarket Street, and the 1851 census shows Norman Spencer and his brother Edwin, who was also a dentist, living here with two lodgers (an MA of Pembroke College and his wife) and a servant.

Spencer died in 1852, and his dentistry business was taken over by Henry James Virgin, who took on the lease of 63 High Street at a rent of £63 a year. The 1861 census shows him at the age of 39 living here with his wife Sarah and their six children and his mother-in-law Ann Durley, plus their three servants. The family was still here at the time of the 1871 census. This freehold house was put up for sale by auction during his tenancy, and the following advertisement appeared in Jackson's Oxford Journal on 10 June 1865:

The next occupant was Richard Horsley, a musician and teacher of singing, who was a yearly tenant paying £90 a year. He is listed here in the 1881 census at the age of 56 with his wife Elizabeth and their three young children and his sister-in-law, plus a domestic servant. While he rented the house, the freehold was put up for sale by auction by order of the mortgagees, and the following advertisement appeared in Jackson's Oxford Journal on 6 August 1881:

The valuable FREEHOLD RESIDENCE, known as 63, High-street, opposite Magdalen College, Oxford....
The above very desirable Freehold Property, which is well adapted for a University Lodging House, or may be easily converted into important Business Premises, is situated in one of the best parts of Oxford, has a frontage to High-street of 17 feet, and a depth of 170 feet, widens at the back to 20 feet. It contains entrance hall and three reception rooms on the ground floor, large drawing room and two bed rooms on first floor, two bed rooms, dressing room, and w.c. on second floor, and three bedrooms on third floor: large kitchen, scullery, larder, wine and coal cellars in the basement, and wash-house at the back. In the Garden is a small greenhouse, summer-house, and fowl-run: as now in the occupation of Mr. Horsley, as yearly tenant, at the moderate rental of £90 per annum.

Horsley was still here at the time of the 1891 census with his wife and his son Hubert (15), who was an architect's pupil, and Reginald (12), plus a servant, and again in 1901 with his wife, two boarders, and a servant. Horsley died at this house at the age of 79 in 1904.

It then became a University Lodging House. The 1911 census shows the widow Mrs Anne Oborne (82) living here with her unmarried daughter Frances Oborne (43), who let most of the twelve rooms out to students with the help of one servant. Frances was still the lodging-house keeper here at No. 63 in 1921, and there were four boarders, each considered to be in a separate household.