Note 308 — XVII. WADHAM COLLEGE.

A statute of 1268 directed that every B.A. should dispute against the Austin Friars once a year in the interval between his taking that degree and proceeding M.A. Although these disputations were removed to St. Mary’s Church, and afterwards to the Natural Philosophy School, they retained the name “Austin Disputations.” See Wood’s City of Oxford (edit. Clark), ii. p. 465. From Oxoniana we learn that the name and some shadow of the disputations remained as late as 1812 among the exercises for M.A.