▁influence ▁of ▁the ▁art ▁critic ▁and ▁social ▁campaign er ▁John ▁Rus kin . ▁Ra wn s ley ▁was ▁one ▁of ▁a ▁group ▁of ▁under grad uate ▁volunte ers ▁– ▁others ▁were ▁Oscar ▁Wil de ▁and ▁Arnold ▁To yn be e ▁– ▁who ▁under to ok ▁manual ▁labour ▁under ▁Rus kin ' s ▁direction ▁to ▁improve ▁the ▁road ▁and ▁d rain age ▁between ▁Oxford ▁and ▁the ▁village ▁of ▁H ink sey . ▁The ▁project ▁found ered ▁after ▁two ▁months ▁when ▁Rus kin ▁left ▁for ▁Ven ice , ▁but ▁for ▁Ra wn s ley ▁it ▁was , ▁in ▁Griff ith s ' s ▁words , ▁" life - ch anging , ▁his ▁social ▁conscience ▁aw ak ened ". ▁He ▁began ▁to ▁think ▁that ▁the ▁Church ▁rather ▁than ▁medicine ▁was ▁his ▁voc ation . ▁In ▁ 1 8 7 4 ▁he ▁graduated ▁with ▁a ▁third ▁class ▁degree ▁in ▁natural ▁sciences ▁and ▁the ▁following ▁year ▁was ▁awarded ▁his ▁Master ▁of ▁Arts ▁degree . ▁ ▁London ▁and ▁Br istol ▁ ▁After ▁leaving ▁Oxford , ▁Ra wn s ley ▁went ▁to ▁work ▁among ▁the ▁urban ▁poor ▁in ▁London . ▁He ▁was ▁appointed ▁lay - ch ap lain ▁to ▁the ▁New port ▁Market ▁Ref uge , ▁a ▁host el ▁for ▁the ▁dest itute , ▁in ▁the ▁parish ▁of ▁St ▁Mary ' s , ▁So ho , ▁an ▁ins al ub ri ous ▁part ▁of ▁London ▁known ▁for ▁prost itution ▁and ▁pover ty . ▁Rus kin ▁introduced ▁him ▁to ▁Oct avia ▁Hill , ▁the ▁pione er ▁of ▁social ▁housing , ▁and