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The meeting on this occasion was treated to two not one talk. The two subjects were John Powel, a leading member of Oxford's 19th Century radical politics and the house that he built.
Our first speaker was Robert Sephton who described how Powel came to Oxford in the early part of the century as a young man of 22 from Nottinghamshire. Employed at the University he also set up as a mercer in the city. This trading was illegal without permission of either the freemen of the city or the chancellor of the university. Undismayed he set about rectifying that situation.
He married the daughter of the Hinksey mill and became a partner. At one time he was investigated over short weights and used a number of tricks to evade conviction. He went into politics standing as councillor for Hinksey and being elected. It was discovered, however, that he was in eligible and was declared no longer selected. This just annoyed him and he refused to accept the ruling and continued to turn up for council meetings. Eventually he took legal action to recover his seat, a case that dragged on. The final outcome was a partial win for both sides but by this time the term of office was over and when he stood again in 1839 he failed to win a seat.
As the partner in a mill he changed the style of wheel in use to one that required a pool. In creating the pool he cut of water to a farmer down stream and further litigation occurred.
During his life he was active in improving matters for the poor and trying to change the power of the university over matters within the city.
The one thing he did which gave rise to the subject of the second part of our evening was the construction of a house on the site near the mill.
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