Sir – Top marks to the brilliant Wadham College for flying the rainbow flag throughout their Queerweek this year.
It was great that townsfolk, like me, could share the college’s commitment to lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) equality.
I could not help but wonder what Robert Thistlethwayte, Doctor of Divinity and infamous Warden of Wadham would have made of it. On February 3, 1739, Thistlethwayte attempted to seduce William French, a commoner of the college.
The ensuing scandal shook the university to its foundations. Thistlethwayte’s career at Oxford was ruined (he fled to France) but he was immortalised in several delightful limericks. For example: When they said to a Fellow of Wadham Who had asked for a ticket to Sodom, ‘Oh, sir, we don’t care To send people there’, He said, ‘Don’t call me Sir, call me Modom’.
Historian Rictor Norton has described this great Oxford scandal in his excellent book Mother Clap’s Molly House which I highly recommend.
Local LGBT history and culture is tremendously important for everyone in Oxford, gay or straight, town or gown, so it was heartwarming to see Wadham celebrating diversity in the community so proudly and publicly.
Ross Brooks, Headington
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