Durham College, Oxford

Durham College, also known as Durham Hall until 1381, was a college of the University of Oxford, founded by the monks of Durham Priory in the late 13th century and endowed by Bishop Thomas Hatfield in 1381.

The college was closed in 1545 following the dissolution of the monasteries. After a period of disuse, its buildings were sold in 1555 to Thomas Pope, who used them to found Trinity College, Oxford, where the college library and some other architectural fragments survive as part of Trinity's Durham Quadrangle.

Its estates were returned to the Dean and Chapter of Durham Cathedral, which enabled the University of Durham, founded by the Dean and Chapter in 1832, to assert itself as the successor to Durham College.

History

Establishment

The college was built to provide a place of learning for Benedictine monks from Durham Priory. While monks from Durham were sent to study in Oxford from at least 1278, there was no Benedictine establishment at the university. In 1291 the southern abbeys decided to combine their efforts at Gloucester College, but Durham had already begun to make its own arrangements.

A site to the north of the city walls, opening onto Horsemonger Street (now Broad Street) was acquired in sections from several landowners including Godstow Abbey and St Frideswide's Priory, with the first land acquired around 1286 by prior Hugh of Darlington. Further land was acquired and building commenced under Hugh's successor Richard de Hoton.

The college, which would house six to ten monks, developed over the coming decades, making it one of the first colleges in Oxford (alongside Merton) to construct specialised college buildings. A prior oversaw the development of the college, which included the construction of an oratory in 1323 and groundwork for a chapel shortly thereafter, though no such chapel was actually built.

The college was a cell of Durham Priory, and the monks who lived there were monks of Durham, residing in Oxford at the discretion of the Prior of Durham, while the priors were appointed centrally, as with other cells such as Finchale Priory.

Richard de Bury's foundation

In 1338, Richard de Bury (or Aungerville), Bishop of Durham and noted bibliophile, attempted to secure the future of the college by persuading King Edward III to assign the proceeds of the profitable rectory of Simonburn to the nascent college, which he also intended to establish with new statutes dedicating it to God and St Margaret, and equip with his famed library of over 1,500 volumes. In his 1345 book '' The Philobiblon'', he described in detail his plans for the college library and its lending system.

However, de Bury died later in 1345 with heavy debts, and the surviving college rolls suggest that no part of this plan took place. Simonburn was given instead to the Canons of St George's, Windsor, while de Bury's books were sold to meet his debts. The college did not gain a library until 70 years after his death, after Bishop Hatfield's endowment.

Hatfield's endowment

In 1380, Thomas Hatfield, Richard de Bury's successor as Bishop of Durham, drew up a covenant to leave a £3000 legacy () to provide £200 annually () for the maintenance of eight student monks (''socii'' or fellows) and eight seculars (''scholares'' or scholars). Execution of the scheme was delayed after Hatfield's death in 1381, but the funds were eventually delivered. The prior, Robert de Berington of Walworth, placed a monk of Durham, John de Berington (probably his brother) in charge of the funds, and he used them – perhaps somewhat wastefully – to purchase a number of rectories – Frampton, Fishlake, Bossall and Ruddington – and estates, to provide income for the college.

The statutes drawn up stated that the fellows were to take instruction in philosophy and theology; they were also to oversee the selection of the scholars, four of whom were to be drawn from North Yorkshire and four from the Diocese of Durham. Once selected, the eight scholars would learn philosophy and grammar, whilst being paid to assist the monks in unspecified day-to-day tasks. All students were expected to remain for seven or eight years to complete their instruction. The running of the college would be overseen by one of the fellows, who was to take the title of Warden.

The funds proved sufficient for the laying out of college buildings over the following years. A new gate onto Horsemonger Street was constructed in 1397, opening onto a walled road leading to a quadrangle of new buildings, including living quarters, a refectory, a chapel (1408–9) and a library (1417–8). The chapel was licenced for interments by a bull of Pisan Pope John XIII in 1412.

There were occasional disputes over authority in the college, with the ''prior studentium'' of Gloucester College claiming (with some legal justification) authority over all Benedictine monks resident at the university, including those in Durham College and Canterbury College. Prior of Durham John Wessington, who had earlier been the college's bursar, wrote a treatise in 1422 arguing that the college's students should be exempt from this authority because the college predated the appointment of the prior.

The college also seems to have acted as a home for students from other Northern Benedictine abbeys, including York and Whitby. Rooms also seem to have been rented to others who were not part of the foundation, including university chancellor Gilbert Kymer, whose acts during his second period as chancellor (1446–1453) were dated from Durham College.

"University monks" were influential in the governance of Durham Priory in its later years: six wardens of the college became priors of Durham, and many others held other important posts such as priors of Coldingham Priory and Finchale Priory.

Disestablishment

During the English Reformation the site was surrendered twice to the crown. The first time, in 1540, it was reported to have an annual income of £115 (). Around this time, the buildings on the site were inspected by a surveyor from the Court of Augmentations, providing valuable details about the buildings and the grounds, which were said to consist of three well-proportioned gardens.

The buildings of the college were regranted to the Dean of Durham, who kept it on in much the same form, with a rector, six fellows, and four 'inferior fellows'. George Clyff, the senior fellow of the college, was appointed as rector, but does not seem to have taken his responsibilities seriously, and the college did not survive.

In 1541, Henry VIII proposed founding a university in Durham using the funds of the college, but the plans were scaled down to a grammar school, with a headmaster and assistant master paid from Cathedral funds.

The college buildings were again surrendered to the crown in March 1544/5 and not regranted, while its estates reverted to the Dean and Chapter of Durham. The buildings were briefly occupied as a private hall by Walter Wright, Archdeacon of Oxford and later Vice-Chancellor of the university, but they then fell into disrepair, and are described colourfully by Anthony Wood as "canilia lustra" (dog kennels).

Trinity College

In 1546, half of the college's grove, having been leased to St Bernard's College, Oxford, for some time, was granted along with St Bernard's to Christ Church. The garden would eventually become part of the original site of St John's College, Oxford, upon its foundation in 1555.

On 20 February 1554/5 the remainder of the site, having been redistributed in 1553 to private owners (Dr George Owen of Godstow and William Martyn of Oxford) was sold to self-made politician Thomas Pope, who used them to found Trinity College 16 days later. Durham College was originally dedicated to the Virgin Mary, St Cuthbert, and the Trinity, and it is thought that Trinity College took its name from the last element of this dedication.

Legacy

Buildings

The college's name, and some of its buildings, are preserved in the Durham Quadrangle of Trinity College.

The east range of the Durham College quadrangle largely survives, including the monastic library on the first floor. It features heraldic stained glass of Thomas Hatfield and of prior John Wessington which is believed to be original to the building, and some 15th-century stained glass figures of saints which may have been brought from the Durham College chapel on its demolition. "Cock-loft" attics with dormer windows were added in 1602 by Ralph Kettell.

The Durham College dining hall in the west range was retained until 1618, when it collapsed due to over-ambitious excavations under President Kettell and was rebuilt. However, elements of 14th century fabric still survive at either end of Kettell's hall, including the outer buttery, with some 15th and 16th century stained glass.

The college chapel survived until 1692, when it is described as having become "very homely" and "infirm and ruinous", and was entirely demolished and replaced. Likewise the north range of the Durham College quadrangle was entirely replaced by William Townesend in 1728. The Durham College gate, with a large archway and a postern with an ornamented niche above, survived until 1733.

University of Durham

In the 19th century, the Dean and Chapter's possession of the estates of the former college, along with Henry VIII's and Oliver Cromwell's previous attempts to apply those estates to a university establishment in Durham, were used by the founders of the nascent University of Durham to argue that the Dean and Chapter should be entitled to use those estates to fund the university. Charles Thorp, first Warden of the university, wrote:

Early Durham University calendars contained a note setting out the link between the college and the university, and the university's coat of arms includes on a canton that of Bishop Hatfield, who endowed Durham College.

Heads of college

Priors

* Gilbert Elwyk, , occurs 1316
* John de Beverlaco, S.T.P., occurs 1333
* R— de C—, after 1340
* ? Uthred de Boldon, S.T.P., 1360
* ? John Aclyff, or de Acley, 1380
* Robert Blaklaw, 1389–1404

Wardens

* William Appylby, 1404–1409
* Thomas Rome, S.T.P., 1409–1419
* William Ebchester, S.T.P., 1419–1428
* Richard Barton, , 1428–1431
* John Mody, S.T.P., 1431–1440
* John Burnby, S.T.P., 1442–1450
* Richard Bell, S.T.B., 1450–1453
* John Burnby, again, 1453–1456
* Thomas Caly, S.T.B., 1457–1463
* Robert Ebchester, S.T.P., c. 1464–1475
* William Law, S.T.B., c. 1478–1481
* John Aukland, S.T.P., c. 1481–1484
* Thomas Rowland, S.T.B., 1484–1487
* Thomas Castell, S.T.P., 1487–1494
* William Cawthorne, S.T.P., 1494–1501
* Thomas Swalwell, S.T.P., 1501
* ? Thomas Castell, occurs 1511
* Hugh Whitehead, S.T.P., 1512–1519
* Edward Hyndmer alias Henmarsh, S.T.P., 1527–1541

Rector

* George Clyff, S.T.B., 1541–1542

Notes

References

Bibliography

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{{University of Oxford

History of Durham, England
History of Durham University

1291 establishments in England
1545 disestablishments in England
1540s disestablishments in England