University College, Bristol

[2] During its time the college mainly served the middle classes of Bristol, and catered for young men who had entered a family business and needed a greater understanding of scientific topics.

On 11 June 1874 the Victoria Rooms hosted a meeting to promote what was described as a College of Science and Literature for the West of England and South Wales.

Lewis Fry was a Quaker, lawyer and later a Liberal and Unionist Member of Parliament from 1885 to 1892 and 1895 to 1890 for the constituency Bristol North.

Tories made some initial grants to the project but soon focused their interest on a rival institution through the Society of Merchant Venturers which was considered mostly Conservative in politics.

Ironically, the Society of Merchant Venturers, which was to become a rival institution during much of the college's history, made a gift of £1000 at this point.

[13] The charges for such a course were three guineas for two lectures each week during the Christmas and Easter terms; a student also had to pay 7s as an entrance fee to enroll.

Much of the college's initial money was spent on acquiring land such as that beside Rifle Drill Hall, next to where Bristol Grammar School now stands.

[17] Several lecturers at the college achieved reputations in their own subject fields, including Henry Selby Hele-Shaw (Engineering),[18] Silvanus Thompson (Physics),[19] and William Johnson Sollas (Geography).

Students' reasons for entering the college were varied, with some, such as G. H. Leonard (who later became a professor at the University of Bristol), using their time there as preparation for the Cambridge scholarship examination.

[22] Marshall came to Bristol as a result of his marriage to one of his students Mary Paley at St. John's, which required his immediate resignation of his fellowship there in Moral Science.

[23] Marshall stated his intention to leave in 1879 and was talked out of resigning, but he eventually did so in 1881 during a period of acute financial struggle for the college.

Marshall's reasons for resignation were varied; he found the nature of the job left little time for the reflection needed to pursue his academic work, and he preferred academia to administration.

The financial situation of the college played a part, and he found the need to "beg" to maintain the institution's finances distasteful.

[17] There was an obvious successor to the position of principal, with chemistry professor William Ramsay replacing Marshall in the post.

Although no longer principal, after his resignation he used his influence to lobby the college council to appoint his assistant Morris Travers to the chair of chemistry when the position became vacant.

Today he is considered to be one of the first experimental psychologists, but he came to Bristol to replace the geology teacher William Johnson Sollas.

Many on the College Council were aware of the need to progress and achieve greater financial support including Lewis Fry.

It was non-political and was aimed at shaking off the image that the college was a Liberal institution as it was recognised broad political support needed to be generated in order for the plan to become a university to succeed.

However, the committee only ever had one meeting after the first resulted in the announcement that a report into the viability of a university for Bristol would require a Registrar at a cost of £1000 per annum.

Lewis Fry was able to get the Conservative chairman of the City Education Committee to agree to the idea of setting up a university.

The Blind Asylum on Queen's Road at the top of Park Street, where the Wills Memorial Building now stands, came up for sale.

[2] Travers picked up a telephone line which was shared with the Asylum and was able to eavesdrop and hear the conversation which stated that the trustees were preparing to sell.

Frederick Wills had sat on University College councils and between 1900 and 1906 was the sitting MP for Bristol North, the seat that was previously occupied by Lewis Fry.

The Merchant Venturers had negotiations to join with the college but were unable to a complete amalgamation wanted to retain some autonomy.

On 14 January 1908 at the annual College Colston society dinner George Alfred Wills rose to his feet and dramatically announced the news that his father, Henry Overton, was to donate £100,000 to the cause promoting the creation of the university providing that a royal charter was obtained within two years.

[2] Flags were flown from public buildings in Bristol and the city's church bells hang out on receiving the news.

Jealousy of her achievements, her support for the suffrage movement and a dispute with the vice-chancellor, Isambard Owen, are possible factors.