English Civil War thumb|De Gomme's plan of Oxford's Civil War-era defences, 1644, shows Dover's Speare and other defences built around college grounds. Oxford and Magdalen College were supporters of the Royalist cause during the English Civil War. In 1642, Magdalen College donated over 296 lbs of plate (ie. silver or gold utensils or dishes) to fund the war effort – the largest donation by weight of any Oxford college.
English Civil War thumb|De Gomme's plan of Oxford's Civil War-era defences 1644, shows Dover's Speare and other defences built around college grounds. Oxford and Magdalen College were supporters of the Royalist cause during the English Civil War. In 1642, Magdalen College donated over 296 lbs of plate (ie. silver or gold utensils or dishes) to fund the war effort – the largest donation by weight of any Oxford college.