Early modern estate maps from the archives of Brasenose College, Oxford.

Brasenose College was founded in 1509 by William Smyth, Bishop of Lincoln, and Sir Richard Sutton, a lawyer and the first lay founder of a college in Oxford or Cambridge. Before the foundation of the College part of the site was occupied by one of the medieval Oxford halls, Brasenose Hall. The name is thought to originate from a 'brazen nose' - a bronze door knocker in the shape of a nose. Famous alumni include Robert Burton, John Buchan, William Golding, Michael Palin, David Cameron and Kate Allen.

The Brasenose Archives are the official administrative records of the College. They are a rich historical resource of College life and its members since its foundation. Thanks to the generosity of the William Delafield Charitable Trust, Brasenose College has been able to digitise some of its collection of 18th century maps showing College estates across England. A selection is now available to view here; these will be added to as the digitisation project continues. We also hope to include more of our extraordinary manuscript and archive collections.

For more information about the Brasenose Archives, please see the Brasenose College website.