A Celebrated Public Orator.

William Crowe (1745-1829), stands in profile to the right, wearing academic dress, hand outthrust as if making a speech. He has a prominent nose and chin and a mop of grey hair. From a humble background, in 1758 he was placed on the roll for admission as a scholar of Winchester College, and was duly elected a ‘poor scholar.’ He was fifth on the roll for New College, Oxford at the election in 1764, and succeeded to a vacancy on 11th Aug. 1765. After two years of probation he was admitted as Fellow in 1767, and became a tutor of his college, in which position his services are said to have been highly valued. On 10 Oct. 1773 he took the degree of B.C.L. His fellowship he continued to hold until November 1783, although, according to Tom Moore, he had several years previously married ‘a fruitwoman’s daughter at Oxford’ and had become the father of several children (Fellows were supposed to be celibate). On 2nd April 1784 he was elected the Public Orator of his University. This position and the rectory of Alton Barnes Crowe retained until his death in 1829, and the duties attaching to the Public Oratorship were discharged by him until he was far advanced in years. BM 11062.