The Music School, Cathedral Green - Wells - geograph

Wells Theological College began operation in 1840 within the Cathedral Close of

Wells Cathedral Wells Cathedral is an Anglican cathedral in Wells, Somerset, England, dedicated to St Andrew the Apostle. It is the seat of the Bishop of Bath and Wells, whose cathedra it holds as mother church of the Diocese of Bath and Wells. Built as a ...

. It was one of several new colleges created in the nineteenth century to cater not just for non-graduates, but for graduates from the old universities who wished to receive specialist clerical training in preparation for ordination into the

Church of England The Church of England (C of E) is the established Christian church in England and the mother church of the international Anglican Communion. It traces its history to the Christian church recorded as existing in the Roman province of Britain ...

. It was founded by Bishop Law. In 1971 it merged with Salisbury Theological College, the students moved to Salisbury, and the new institution became known as the Salisbury & Wells Theological College, now

Sarum College Sarum College is a centre of theological learning in Salisbury, England. The college was established in 1995 and sits within the cathedral close on the north side of Salisbury Cathedral. The Sarum College education programme ranges from sho ...

Education

The first principal of the college was John Hothersal Pinder who had held a similar position at

Codrington College Codrington College is an Anglican theological college in St. John, Barbados now affiliated with the University of the West Indies at Cave Hill. It is one of the oldest Anglican theological colleges in the Americas. It was affiliated to the Un ...

, Barbados. He remained at Wells until about 1865 when he resigned on account of infirmity. Under his leadership the college became known as a 'desirable place for training ordinands'. At the same time the college was criticised for its

tractarian The Oxford Movement was a movement of high church members of the Church of England which began in the 1830s and eventually developed into Anglo-Catholicism. The movement, whose original devotees were mostly associated with the University of O ...

tendencies. In 1884 the tuition fees were £30 per annum, or £10 per term. There were lodgings for 30 students, and since its founding 898 students had been admitted. All except 30 had taken university degrees. At that time graduates studied for one year, non-graduates for two. Their studies included

Holy Scriptures Religious texts, including scripture, are texts which various religions consider to be of central importance to their religious tradition. They differ from literature by being a compilation or discussion of beliefs, mythologies, ritual pra ...

Book of Common Prayer The ''Book of Common Prayer'' (BCP) is the name given to a number of related prayer books used in the Anglican Communion and by other Christian churches historically related to Anglicanism. The original book, published in 1549 in the reign ...

, the Articles, ecclesiastical history, Hebrew and

pastoral theology Pastoral theology is the branch of practical theology concerned with the application of the study of religion in the context of regular church ministry. This approach to theology seeks to give practical expression to theology. Normally viewed as a ...

. They attended many chapel services and had the opportunity of performing parochial work.

Buildings

The Cedars, The Liberty - Wells - geograph

A guide book of 1862 notes that the students were using the Vicars' Hall as a library, but in 1896 they purchased a nearby building for this purpose on Cathedral Green. Rebuilt in the 15th century for

Archdeacon An archdeacon is a senior clergy position in the Church of the East, Chaldean Catholic Church, Syriac Orthodox Church, Anglican Communion, St Thomas Christians, Eastern Orthodox churches and some other Christian denominations, above that o ...

Holes, it was still used as a house in 1555 when Bishop

Polydore Vergil Polydore Vergil or Virgil (Italian: ''Polidoro Virgili''; commonly Latinised as ''Polydorus Vergilius''; – 18 April 1555), widely known as Polydore Vergil of Urbino, was an Italian humanist scholar, historian, priest and diplomat, who spent ...

surrendered it to the Crown. In the late 18th century it became a brewery, but was extensively restored 1886. It is now a Grade II*

Listed Building In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Irel ...

and is the Music School and Concert Hall of the

Wells Cathedral School Wells Cathedral School is a co-educational independent school located in Wells, Somerset, England. The school is one of the five specialist musical schools for school-age children in the United Kingdom, along with Chetham's School of Music, th ...

. The college acquired the lease of the chapel in Vicars' Close in 1875. The Cedars, a house built in 1758 for MP Charles Tudway, was leased by the Trustees of the Theological College in 1919 for use as a hostel for some of the students.

Notable alumni

* Peter Ball, convicted sex offender and former bishop *

Henry Montgomery Campbell Henry Colville Montgomery Campbell (11 October 1887 – 26 December 1970) was a Church of England bishop. He was ordained in 1910 and served as vicar or rector in a number of London parishes before being consecrated as a bishop in 1940, ...

, bishop *

Douglas Russell Feaver Douglas Russell Feaver (1914–1997) was the Bishop of Peterborough in the Church of England from 1972 to 1984. Fever was educated at Bristol Grammar School and Keble College, Oxford; and ordained in 1938. He was a curate at St Alban's Abbey t ...

Noel Debroy Jones Noel or Noël may refer to: Christmas * , French for Christmas * Noel is another name for a Christmas carol Places *Noel, Missouri, United States, a city *Noel, Nova Scotia, Canada, a community * 1563 Noël, an asteroid * Mount Noel, Britis ...

Walter Kenrick Knight-Adkin Walter Kenrick Knight-Adkin (17 August 1880 – 24 May 1957) was an Anglican priest in the first half of the 20th century. Ecclesiastical career Born in Cheltenham, Knight-Adkin was educated at Cheltenham College and St Edmund Hall, Oxford ...

Alfred Merle Norman Alfred Merle Norman (29 August 1831 – 26 October 1918) was an English clergyman and naturalist. Biography Early life Norman was born in Exeter, England in 1831. His father was a landowner, surgeon and Deputy-Lieutenant of Somerset. He studied ...

Ronald Ragsdale Sargison Ronald Ragsdale Sargison AKC (10 November 1910 – 16 October 1987) was the Dean of St George's Cathedral, Georgetown, Guyana from 1957 to 1961. Born in November 1910, he was ordained in 1932 after a period of study at Wells Theological College ...

J. Spencer Trimingham John Spencer Trimingham (17 November 1904 – 6 March 1987) was a noted 20th-century scholar on Islam in Africa. Trimingham was born in Thorne to John William Trimingham and Alice Ventress. In Jerusalem (1932) Trimingham married Wardeh, who died ...

John Stevens Waller John Stevens Waller (18 April 19243 September 2015) was an Anglican bishop who served as the seventh Bishop of Stafford, a suffragan bishop of the Diocese of Lichfield. Waller was educated at St Edward's School, Oxford and served during World Wa ...

Notable staff

Edgar Charles Sumner Gibson Edgar Charles Sumner Gibson (23 January 1848, Fawley, Hampshire, England - 8 March 1924, Fareham) was the 31st Bishop of Gloucester. He was born into a clerical family. His father was a clergyman and his son Theodore Sumner Gibson Theod ...

, chaplain, then vice-principal. * Christopher Hollis, vice-principal. * George Arthur Hollis, principal. *

Gordon Mursell Alfred Gordon Mursell (born 4 May 1949) is a retired British Anglican bishop and author. From 2005 to 2010, he was the Bishop of Stafford in the Church of England. Mursell was educated at Ardingly College and Brasenose College, Oxford.‘MURSELL, ...

, tutor. * Richard Godfrey Parsons, principal (1911–16). *

John Alexander Ramsbotham John Alexander Ramsbotham (25 February 1906 – 16 December 1989) was an eminent Anglican clergyman during the middle third of the 20th century. Early life and education Son of late Rev. Alexander Ramsbotham and of late (Margaret) Emily, née Coo ...

, vice-principal. * John Robinson, chaplain (1948–51). * Charles Williams, chaplain.

Education

Buildings

Notable alumni

Notable staff

See also

References

Further reading