Until the 1820s, there were only two universities in England: Oxford and Cambridge. In 1826, however, a group of followers of Utilitarian philosophy of Jeremy Bentham, including James Mill and Henry Brougham, established what they called 'London University'. Unlike Oxford and Cambridge, it was an entirely secular institution, and accepted students regardless of religious affiliation. Its militant secularism, however, triggered a backlash. The Church of England intelligensia did not want what they called "the godless college in Gower Street" to be the sole representative of forward-thinking university education in England. After a public meeting chaired by the Duke of Wellington, King's College London was established, and was granted a royal charter in August 1829.
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Citation: Editors, Litencyc. "King's College, London, founded". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 30 August 2013 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/stopics.php?rec=true&UID=4664, accessed 25 April 2024.]
