Master of Arts?

[Sam Flynn]

Hi Ally

Seriously? What the hell am I doing busting my arse and paying through the nose for higher education when I can just get one bestowed on me from OXFORD.

Catch is, you apparently need to have taken a BA at Oxford first. Bloody small-print again!

[The Grave Maurice]

Obviously, there were many more who graduated with Druitt that would have been eligible than just the few on this list above.

Maybe you only got your name listed in the paper if you actually took part in the ceremony. I imagine that only a few would show up.

[Johnr]

Methinks The Grave Maurice is correct,
After being stuck in a town full of people all talking about the same thing; going to the same places and riding the same bicycles, most graduates could not wait to get back to London.
Especially when most of them were living in penury on Pater's stingy stipend bestowed with too much gravimum(?) or is it gravitas (?) - gravy even- and barely enough to treat that marvellous young filly from Pembroke to a cup of tea and a bun at Trilby's.
Yes, I think the actual turning up and paying of the cash were the two stumbling blocks for most graduates. Most had to earn a living even if they did not have to start paying Pater back.
From memory Andy, I think Farson dealt with Montague and the taking of an M.A. I think Farson failed to find any record of his having done so.
JOHN RUFFELS.

[Chris Scott]

Hi Andy
MJD's award of his MA was also reported in the Times on the same day (see below)
This is in the press reports section at

http://www.casebook.org/press_reports/times/18840531.html

Regards
Chris

[aspallek]

Thanks, Chris. I'm surprised I missed it.

[Mayerling]

The funny thing is the purchase of degrees was far more widespread in the 19th Century than just Oxford's Master Degrees. If you read VICTORIAN STUDIES IN SCARLET by Richard Altick, it seems that such doctors of questionable abilities like Pritchard and Smethurst purchased various medical degrees from Heidelburg and other universities. It was not a rare type of business transaction for that period - and it was not frowned on either.

Jeff

[aspallek]

For what it is worth, I have this from the archivist at New College, Oxford in response to my query:

As regards Mr Druitt's MA we cannot be sure how he achieved it but since it took him four years after acquiring his BA in 1880 it looks as if he probably did undertake further study. Unfortunately our term lists do not date back before 1888 and the few battels accounts and room inventories we have do not date from later than 1875, so it is not possible to know for what proportion of those four years between 1880 and 1884 he was actually resident here.

I have an appointment to visit the archives a week from today. Although I am not optimistic, it will be interesting to see if there is anything to find.

[Magpie]

Has the possibility been suggested that Druitt stayed on to play cricket rather than study? They certainly seemed to value his contributions on the field. It's possible that he registered for "token" classes to remain eligible to play.

[Roma]

So you would suggest that, if Druitt stayed on to play cricket, he was not interested in his studies... I don't think so : I remember a letter he wrote to his uncle (I think it was a post from Andy, but i'm not sure) in which he related a latin lesson he gave to his cousin. Of course, it doesn't prove anything but, even if he was a very good cricketer, he could also have been a very good student... Didn't he become a good barrister ?

[DVV]

Poor guy.
Far too busy to learn how to swim with stones in his pockets.