Samuel Fell

Samuel Fell was born in the parish of St Clement Danes, London, and was educated at Westminster School.

At first his religious views were Calvinistic, but he changed his opinions and became an active ally of Archbishop William Laud.

[2] Fell continued with improvements in the cathedral and college projected by his predecessor, Brian Duppa, and added the staircase leading to the hall.

Active in Oxford University affairs, on 15 August 1637, Samuel Fell wrote to Laud about the excessive number of alehouses in Oxford, but on more than one occasion he was rebuked from Laud for setting his authority as head of a college in opposition to the proctors and other public officials of the university.

In September, Fell was summoned before them; he declined to attend, was imprisoned, and on his release in November was deprived of all his offices in the university.