Ushaw College

Ushaw College
St. Cuthbert's College, Ushaw

St. Cuthbert's College, Ushaw, Durham
Ushaw College
Location of St. Cuthbert's College, Ushaw
Coordinates: 54°47′17″N 1°39′40″W / 54.78818°N 1.66116°W / 54.78818; -1.66116
Location Ushaw Moor, Durham
Country UK
Denomination Roman Catholic
Website http://www.ushaw.org
History
Former name(s) English College, Douai
Founded September 29, 1568 (1568-09-29)
Founder(s) Bishop William Gibson
Dedication St. Cuthbert
Consecrated September 1808
Architecture
Status Theological College
Functional status Closed
Heritage designation Grade II*[1]
Designated 17 January 1967
Architect(s)

James Taylor

Dunn and Hansom
Style Gothic Revival
Groundbreaking 23 April 1804
Completed 2 August 1808
Closed 2011
Administration
Parish St. Joseph's, Ushaw Moor
Deanery St. Cuthbert
Episcopal area Sunderland and East Durham
Diocese Hexham and Newcastle
Province Liverpool
College Arms

Ushaw College was a former Catholic seminary near the village of Ushaw Moor, County Durham, England. It was founded in 1808 by scholars from the English College, Douai, who had fled France after the French Revolution. Ushaw College was affiliated with the University of Durham from 1968 and was the principal Roman Catholic seminary for the training of Catholic priests in the north of England, finally closing in 2011 due to the shortage of vocations. The buildings and grounds are now maintained by a charitable trust.

History

Founding

The English College, Douai was founded in 1568 but was forced to leave France in 1795 following the French Revolution. Part of the college settled temporarily at Crook Hall northwest of Durham. In 1804 Bishop William Gibson began to build at Ushaw Moor, four miles west of Durham. These buildings, designed by James Taylor, were opened as St Cuthbert's College in 1808. There was a steady expansion during the nineteenth century with new buildings put up to cater for the expanding number of clerical and secular students. In 1847, the newly built chapel, designed by Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin was opened.[2] This was followed by the Big Library and Exhibition Hall designed by Joseph Hansom, 1849–1851.[3] The Junior House, designed by the distinguished architect, Peter Paul Pugin, was added in 1859. St Cuthbert’s Chapel, designed by Dunn and Hansom, was opened in 1884, replacing an earlier one by Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin, which the seminary had then outgrown. The Refectory was designed and built by E. W. Pugin. The final development came in the early 1960s with the opening of a new East wing, providing additional classrooms and single bedrooms for 75 students. The main college buildings are grade II listed, however the College Chapel is grade II* and the Chapel of St Michael is grade I.

University of Durham

The College became a Licensed Hall of Residence of the University of Durham in 1968. It was independent of the University but offered courses validated by the University, and both Church and lay students studied at the college. The Junior House closed in 1972, its younger students being transferred to St Joseph's College, Upholland in Lancashire.

21st Century

In 2002 the College rejected a report from the Roman Catholic hierarchy that it should merge with St Mary's College, Oscott, near Birmingham.[4] However, in October 2010 it was announced that the college would close in 2011 due to the shortage of vocations in the Roman Catholic Church, and that the site might be sold.[5] Following a detailed feasibility study by the college's Trustees and Durham University (and with the full support of Durham County Council and of English Heritage)[6] during 2011;[7] it was announced in January 2012 that Durham Business School would temporarily relocate to the College during rebuilding of the School’s buildings in Durham. This is seen as the first step in a long-term education-based vision for the site.[8] The University have also agreed to catalogue and archive the Ushaw library and inventory the other collections to ensure their preservation and specialist conservation,[9] with a view to creating a proposed Ushaw Centre for Catholic Scholarship and Heritage.[6]

Heraldry

The College armorial bearings are "Per pale dexter Argent a Cross Gules on a Canton Azure a Cross of St Cuthbert proper sinister impaling Allen Argent three Rabbits couchant in pale Sable."

Various emblems on shield represent the college's history and foundation, for example:-

Alumni

Clergy

Early drawing of Ushaw designed (1804–1808) by James Taylor
The Death of St. Bede; the monastic clergy are wearing surplices over their cowls (original painting at St. Cuthbert's College, Ushaw).

Lay

Former presidents

  • 1794–1810 Thomas Eyre
  • 1811–1828 John Gillow
  • 1828–1833 Thomas Youens
  • 1833–1836 John Briggs
  • 1836–1837 Thomas Youens
  • 1837–1863 Charles Newsham
  • 1863–1876 Robert Tate
  • 1876–1877 Francis Wilkinson
  • 1877–1878 James Chadwick
  • 1878–1885 William Wrennall
  • 1885–1886 William Dunderdale
  • 1886–1890 James Lennon
  • 1890–1909 Thomas Wilkinson
  • 1909–1910 Joseph Corbishley
  • 1910–1934 William Brown
  • 1934–1950 Charles Corbishley
  • 1950–1967 Paul Grant
  • 1967–1977 Philip Loftus
  • 1977–1984 Peter Cookson
  • 1984–1991 Peter Walton
  • 1991–1997 Richard Atherton
  • 1997–2003 James O’Keefe
  • 2003–2008 Terence Drainey
  • 2008–2011 John Marsland

References

  1. ↑ British Listed Buildings
  2. ↑ Gillow, Henry Chapels at Ushaw, with Historical Introduction (George Neasham, 1885) p. 55
  3. ↑ Harris, Penelope, "The Architectural Achievement of Joseph Aloysius Hansom (1803–1882)", The Edwin Mellen Press, 2010, p.157, ISBN 0-7734-3851-3
  4. ↑ http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2002/jul/02/religion.highereducation
  5. ↑ http://www.journallive.co.uk/north-east-news/todays-news/2010/10/09/historic-ushaw-college-will-close-its-doors-61634-27436541/
  6. 1 2 http://www.dur.ac.uk/news/newsitem/?itemno=12272
  7. ↑ http://www.dur.ac.uk/research/news/?itemno=12272
  8. ↑ http://www.catholic-ew.org.uk/Home/News-Releases/Agreement-for-temporary-move-to-Ushaw-College/%28language%29/eng-GB
  9. ↑ http://www.ushaw.ac.uk/news/News.html
  10. ↑ VOX, ed. (2007-07-14). "Charles Bruzon: From Priesthood To Parliament". Retrieved 2012-10-11.
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