14 Facts About Dorothy Wadham

Dorothy Wadham was an English landowner and the founder of Wadham College, Oxford, one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford.

Dorothy Wadham's husband was Nicholas Wadham of Merryfield in the parish of Ilton, Somerset and of Edge in the parish of Branscombe, Devon.

Dorothy Wadham's mother was Gertrude Tyrrell, daughter of Sir John Tyrrell.

Part of the Petre inheritance received by Dorothy Wadham came from grants made by Queen Mary to her father Sir William Petre, of lands formerly held by Lady Jane Grey and forfeited to the crown, which had come in part from the great heiress Cecily Bonville, of Shute, Devon.

Between 1612 and 1613 Dorothy Wadham had her armoury confiscated because she was suspected of recusancy.

Dorothy Wadham was the sole executor of Nicholas's will, which provided a bequest "for such uses and purposes" as he had "requested her and she hath assented to".

Dorothy Wadham's wishes included the founding of a college in Oxford University, and this Dorothy accomplished, noting that "it would greatly offend my conscience to violate any jot of my husband's will".

Dorothy Wadham added substantial funds from her own great inheritance to the funds left by her late husband in order to finance the building and establishment of the college.

Nicholas was persuaded by Davis to sign a legal instrument naming him as jointly responsible with Dorothy Wadham for effecting Nicholas' plans for a college.

Dorothy Wadham wrote to the Lord High Treasurer, Robert Cecil, a month after Nicholas's death, denying Davis's accusation that she did not intend to proceed with Nicholas's plans.

The appointment of the Warden, Fellows, and Scholars, and even on occasion the college cook, rested with Dorothy Wadham, as shown by a series of letters written by her business agent John Arnold, and signed by her.

Dorothy Wadham never visited the college and relied on Arnold to communicate her wishes to the Warden and Fellows.

The monument to Nicholas and Dorothy Wadham is the principal monument in the church.

In 2025, a blue plaque in honour of Dorothy Wadham was installed at Ingatestone railway station, close to Ingatestone Hall where she grew up.