Once I Was A Clever Boy: Our Lady of the Oak Islington

Once I was a clever boy learning the arts of Oxford... is a quotation from the verses written by Bishop Richard Fleming (c.1385-1431) for his tomb in Lincoln Cathedral. Fleming, the founder of Lincoln College in Oxford, is the subject of my research for a D. Phil., and, like me, a son of the West Riding. I have remarked in the past that I have a deeply meaningful on-going relationship with a dead fifteenth century bishop... it was Fleming who, in effect, enabled me to come to Oxford and to learn its arts, and for that I am immensely grateful.

Friday 24 April 2020

Our Lady of the Oak Islington

Earlier this year when I was researching restored medieval Marian shrines in England in connection with the rededication of the country as the Dowry of Mary a friend mentioned to me and subsequently provided the link to this posting from last autumn about moves to restablish the shrine of Our Lady of the Oak in Islington. This seems an eminently worthwhile objective and more information can be found in the post from Independent Catholic News at

London: Campaign to restore Islington's lost Marian Shrine

Our Lady of the Oak

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