Anecdote about
William Archibald Spooner
(1844-1930)

From Ronald Knox, Literary Distractions (1958), p. 59.

Spooner, who was Warden of New College at the beginning of the century—a man known to fame, but unjustly, for I believe he never in his life perpetrated a Spoonerism—was once asked whether there was much Christian Socialism in Oxford. His reply was, `No, I shouldn't say there was much; in fact, I think there are only two Christian Socialists in Oxford, Dr. Rashdall and myself.' (Dr. Rashdall, afterwards Dean of Carlisle, was a clerical Fellow of New College.) `Only Dr. Rashdall and myself; and I'm not very much of a Socialist, and Dr. Rashdall isn't very much of a Christian.'

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