Bishop Cosin's Hall was a

college A college (Latin: ''collegium'') may be a tertiary educational institution (sometimes awarding degrees), part of a collegiate university, an institution offering vocational education, a further education institution, or a secondary sc ...

of the University of Durham, opened in 1851 as the university's third college and named after 17th century Bishop of Durham John Cosin. It closed in 1864 due to a fall in student recruitment at the university. It was housed in an 18th-century building on Palace Green which still carries its name.

History

The building

Archdeacon's Inn was built around 1700, as a city residence for the Archdeacon of Northumberland, who administered the Northern part of the Diocese of Durham (which in 1882 would become the Diocese of Newcastle). In 1833, the building was given to the University of Durham as the home of

University College In a number of countries, a university college is a college institution that provides tertiary education but does not have full or independent university status. A university college is often part of a larger university. The precise usage varies f ...

and the residence of the university's first students. The first students took residence in Michaelmas Term 1833, under the supervision of the Bursar. A hall was created on the ground floor of the house, with student rooms above and below. The building subsequently became known as "University House". In 1837, Durham Castle was granted to the university and became the primary home of University College, with University House being retained as additional accommodation for the college.

Foundation of Bishop Cosin's Hall

In 1846, David Melville opened Bishop Hatfield's Hall, initiating the pioneering practice of letting rooms furnished and serving food communally at a fixed price. This was intended to make university attendance far more accessible to students of limited means, compared to University College and the colleges of

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and

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, where students were expected to furnish their own rooms and to engage servants to prepare their food. The high level of applications for admission to Hatfield Hall led the university to decide to establish a second hall to operate on the same basis, and in October 1851 Bishop Cosin's Hall was opened. Its name was in honour of John Cosin, Bishop of Durham 1660–72, and it is recorded as having used his heraldry. University House was transferred from University College to the new college as its home. The founding principal was Revd John Pedder, a Durham graduate who had previously been bursar at University College. In 1854 Pedder moved to become principal at Bishop Hatfield's Hall, and his place was taken by 28-year-old Revd James John Hornby, a fellow of

Brasenose College, Oxford Brasenose College (BNC) is one of the Colleges of the University of Oxford, constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. It began as Brasenose Hall in the 13th century, before being founded as a college in 1509. The l ...

and a noted rower. From 1859, Hornby was also vice-master of University College.

Closure

A collapse in student numbers in the late 1850s and 1860s led to financial difficulties for the university. In 1860, Hornby wrote to Henry Montagu Villiers, the newly appointed Bishop of Durham, requesting his aid in obtaining a royal commission to address the university's difficulties. The bishop replied expressing sympathy, but saying that he could not make any definite pledge of assistance. The

commission In-Commission or commissioning may refer to: Business and contracting * Commission (remuneration), a form of payment to an agent for services rendered ** Commission (art), the purchase or the creation of a piece of art most often on behalf of anot ...

took place in 1861-2 and made extensive recommendations, but did not have enough immediate effect to save Bishop Cosin's Hall, which was merged into

at the start of Michaelmas Term 1864 due to falling student numbers.Whiting, C.E. (1932). ''The University of Durham.'' London: Sheldon Press. The students in residence were transferred partly to University College and partly to Bishop Hatfield's Hall, while Hornby returned to Brasenose, and would later become headmaster of

Eton College Eton College ( ) is a Public school (United Kingdom), public school providing boarding school, boarding education for boys aged 13–18, in the small town of Eton, Berkshire, Eton, in Berkshire, in the United Kingdom. It has educated Prime Mini ...

from 1868 to 1884. The building has retained the name "Cosin's Hall". It continued to be used by University College for accommodation and offices until 2006, after which it was taken over by the university's Institute of Advanced Study.The Institute of Advanced Study
Durham University, Accessed December 2006

People

Principals

; 1851-4 : John Pedder ''(former Bursar of

; later Principal of Hatfield Hall)'' ; 1854–64 : James John Hornby ''(fellow of

; later headmaster of

)''

Chaplains and Censors

; 1853-4 : James Francis Turner ''(later Bishop of Grafton and Armidale, Australia)'' ; 1855–63 : William Greenwell ''(formerly principal of Neville Hall, Newcastle; archaeologist and Canon of Durham, later Durham Cathedral librarian)''

References

{{Durham University Educational institutions established in 1851 Educational institutions disestablished in 1864 1851 establishments in England Grade II* listed buildings in County Durham Grade II* listed educational buildings Buildings and structures of Durham University Former colleges of Durham University