Victoria University was an English federal
university established by Royal Charter on 20 April 1880 at
Manchester: a university for the North of England open to affiliation by colleges such as
Owens College, which immediately did so.
University College Liverpool joined the university in 1884, followed by
Yorkshire College, Leeds, in 1887. The university and the colleges were distinct corporate bodies until Owens College merged with the university in 1904. A supplemental charter of 1883 enabled the granting of degrees in medicine and surgery.