HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Marischal College ( ) is a large granite building on Broad Street in the centre of
Aberdeen Aberdeen ( ; ; ) is a port city in North East Scotland, and is the List of towns and cities in Scotland by population, third most populous Cities of Scotland, Scottish city. Historically, Aberdeen was within the historic county of Aberdeensh ...
in north-east
Scotland Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...
, and since 2011 has been the headquarters of
Aberdeen City Council Aberdeen City Council is the Local government in Scotland, local authority for Aberdeen City, one of the 32 council areas of Scotland. In its modern form it was created in 1996. Aberdeen was formerly governed by a municipal corporation, corporat ...
. The building was constructed for and is on long-term lease from the
University of Aberdeen The University of Aberdeen (abbreviated ''Aberd.'' in List of post-nominal letters (United Kingdom), post-nominals; ) is a public university, public research university in Aberdeen, Scotland. It was founded in 1495 when William Elphinstone, Bis ...
, which still uses parts of the building to store its museum collections. Today, it provides corporate office space and public access to council services, adjacent to the Town House, the city's historic seat of local government. It is the second largest granite building in the world. The construction of the modern college building began in 1835, following the demolition of previous buildings on the site, and was completed in its present form in the early 1900s. Formerly the seat of the Marischal College and University of Aberdeen founded in 1593, the building was retained by the unified
University of Aberdeen The University of Aberdeen (abbreviated ''Aberd.'' in List of post-nominal letters (United Kingdom), post-nominals; ) is a public university, public research university in Aberdeen, Scotland. It was founded in 1495 when William Elphinstone, Bis ...
, which was created in 1860 by the merger of Marischal College and King's College. The buildings of Marischal College continued to be used for academic purposes until the mid-20th century and less and less until the early 2000s. During this period they were frequently rebuilt and expanded upon. In the mid-to-late 20th century, teaching and academic activities at the university began to move to King's College or Foresterhill (for students of medicine) and by the early 21st century a new purpose for Marischal College was required. After a number of unsuccessful proposals, the majority of the building was leased to Aberdeen City Council to be restored and refurbished as office accommodation. The extensive renovation was completed on schedule and significantly under budget and the building opened to the public in June 2011. The university has retained the Mitchell Hall and a number of other significant parts of the building for its own use, in addition to its museum stores (formerly the
Marischal Museum Marischal Museum was a museum in Aberdeen, Scotland, specialising in anthropology and artifacts from cultures around the world. The museum was a part of the University of Aberdeen, situated at Marischal College, a grand Gothic Revival architec ...
).


History

"Marischal College and University of Aberdeen" was the formal name of the former university which occupied the present Marischal College site then in New Aberdeen. The College was founded in 1593 by
George Keith, 5th Earl Marischal George Keith, 5th Earl Marischal (c. 1553–1623) was a Scottish nobleman and Earl Marischal. He succeeded as earl on 7 October 1581, upon the death of his grandfather, William Keith, 4th Earl Marischal. Early life George Keith was the s ...
of
Scotland Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...
. The original charter of the university was lost by the early 18th century, but two near-contemporary copies exist – one of which was accepted by the courts in 1756 as being authentic. In this charter, Marischal College is described variously as a '' gymnasium'', ''collegium'' (college), ''academia'' (academy) and ''universitas'' (university). Marischal was the second of Scotland's post-medieval "civic universities", following the
University of Edinburgh The University of Edinburgh (, ; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in Post-nominal letters, post-nominals) is a Public university, public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Founded by the City of Edinburgh Council, town council under th ...
, created without
Papal bull A papal bull is a type of public decree, letters patent, or charter issued by the pope of the Catholic Church. It is named after the leaden Seal (emblem), seal (''bulla (seal), bulla'') traditionally appended to authenticate it. History Papal ...
and with a more modern structure and a greater resemblance to the Protestant arts colleges of continental Europe. As such, both Edinburgh and Marischal came to be known as the "Town Colleges" of their respective cities. The university was founded with the expressed aim of training clergy for the post-
Reformation The Reformation, also known as the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation, was a time of major Theology, theological movement in Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the p ...
Kirk Kirk is a Scottish and former Northern English word meaning 'church'. The term ''the Kirk'' is often used informally to refer specifically to the Church of Scotland, the Scottish national church that developed from the 16th-century Reformation ...
. Its
Greek Greek may refer to: Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor of all kno ...
motto translates as "virtue is self-sufficient". The College was constructed on the site of a medieval
Franciscan The Franciscans are a group of related organizations in the Catholic Church, founded or inspired by the Italian saint Francis of Assisi. They include three independent Religious institute, religious orders for men (the Order of Friars Minor bei ...
friary, disused after the Reformation. This building was later replaced by a William Adam-designed building in the mid-18th century; however, this, together with the friary remains, were demolished entirely for the construction of the present building between 1835 and 1906, as was the Longacre home of Bishop
John Skinner John Skinner may refer to: Politicians * John Skinner (MP for Maldon), 1391–1393, MP for Maldon 1391 and 1393 * John Skinner (fl.1395-99), MP for Reigate 1395, 1397 and 1399 * John Skinner (fl.1414-20), MP for Reigate 1414, 1415 and 1420 *John Sk ...
, site of the 1784 consecration of
Samuel Seabury Samuel Seabury (November 30, 1729February 25, 1796) was the first American Episcopal bishop, the second Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America, and the first Bishop of Connecticut. He was a leading Loyalis ...
, now marked by a plaque on the east wall of the College's quadrangle.
James Clerk Maxwell James Clerk Maxwell (13 June 1831 – 5 November 1879) was a Scottish physicist and mathematician who was responsible for the classical theory of electromagnetic radiation, which was the first theory to describe electricity, magnetism an ...
FRS, FRSE (1831–1879), described as "the most famous and influential professor Aberdeen has ever had" was appointed as Professor of Natural Philosophy in 1856 and continued in that post until the merger of Marischal College with King's College. The Mitchell Hall, where University of Aberdeen graduations previously took place, was built in the early 20th century. It is named after Dr Charles Mitchell, an ''alumnus'' of the university and a
Tyneside Tyneside is a List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, built-up area across the banks of the River Tyne, England, River Tyne in Northern England. The population of Tyneside as published in the United Kingdom Census 2011, 2011 census was 774,891 ...
shipbuilder. A large stained-glass window dominates the hall, executed by TR Spence of London and representing the university's history. The building was commended by poet
John Betjeman Sir John Betjeman, (; 28 August 190619 May 1984) was an English poet, writer, and broadcaster. He was Poet Laureate from 1972 until his death. He was a founding member of The Victorian Society and a passionate defender of Victorian architect ...
following a visit to Aberdeen in 1947: :''"No-one can dismiss Marischal College, Aberdeen, when looking at the work of the present century. Wedged behind a huge town hall in an expensive and attractive mid-
Victorian Victorian or Victorians may refer to: 19th century * Victorian era, British history during Queen Victoria's 19th-century reign ** Victorian architecture ** Victorian house ** Victorian decorative arts ** Victorian fashion ** Victorian literatur ...
baronial style, I saw a cluster of silver-white pinnacles. I turned down a lane towards them, the front broadened out. Oh! Bigger than any cathedral, tower on tower, forests of pinnacles, a group of palatial buildings rivalled only by the
Houses of Parliament The Palace of Westminster is the meeting place of the Parliament of the United Kingdom and is located in London, England. It is commonly called the Houses of Parliament after the House of Commons and the House of Lords, the two legislative ch ...
at Westminster.'' :''"This was the famous Marischal College. Imagine the Victorian tower with a spire on top, and all that well-grouped architecture below of lesser towers, and lines of pinnacles executed in the hardest white Kemnay granite and looking out over the grey-green North Sea and you have some idea of the first impression this gigantic building creates.'' :''"It rises on top of a simple Gothic one designed by
Simpson Simpson may refer to: * Simpson (name), a British surname Organizations Schools *Simpson College, in Indianola, Iowa *Simpson University, in Redding, California Businesses *Simpson (appliance manufacturer), former manufacturer and brand of w ...
in 1840. But all these spires and towers and pinnacles are the work of this century and were designed by Sir
Alexander Marshall Mackenzie Alexander Marshall MacKenzie (1 January 1848 – 4 May 1933) was a Scottish architect responsible for prestigious projects including the headquarters of the Isle of Man Banking Company in Douglas, and Australia House and the Waldorf Hotel in ...
. You have to see them to believe them."'' There is an
urban legend Urban legend (sometimes modern legend, urban myth, or simply legend) is a genre of folklore concerning stories about an unusual (usually scary) or humorous event that many people believe to be true but largely are not. These legends can be e ...
of unknown origin that Marischal College was
Adolf Hitler Adolf Hitler (20 April 1889 – 30 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was the dictator of Nazi Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his suicide in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the lea ...
's favourite building in the United Kingdom and that he would have liked to use it as a residence if the outcome of the Second World War had been different.


University of Aberdeen

The
University of Aberdeen The University of Aberdeen (abbreviated ''Aberd.'' in List of post-nominal letters (United Kingdom), post-nominals; ) is a public university, public research university in Aberdeen, Scotland. It was founded in 1495 when William Elphinstone, Bis ...
was created after the merger of Marischal College and
King's College, Aberdeen King's College in Old Aberdeen, Scotland, the full title of which is The University and King's College of Aberdeen (''Collegium Regium Aberdonense''), is a formerly independent university founded in 1495 and now an integral part of the Univer ...
in 1860 under the terms of the
Universities (Scotland) Act 1858 The ancient university governance structure in Scotland is the organisational system imposed by a series of Acts of Parliament called the Universities (Scotland) Acts 1858 to 1966. The Acts applied to what were termed the 'older universities': the ...
. The following extract refers to this merger:
Universities of Kings College and Marischal College, Aberdeen. First Report of the Commissioners, 1838. 1837–38. Vol. XXXIII, 75p. 23Chairman: Lord John Cunninghame.

The commissioners were in favour of a merger of the two colleges despite opposition from Kings College. They considered the unification as essential for the educational system of Northern Scotland although they disagreed with the proposed method of merger laid down by the last commission. The buildings of Marischal College were in very bad repair but new ones were under construction. Additions had been made in 1827 to Kings College buildings which were in a tolerable state of repair.

Throughout the 20th century, Marischall college housed all sciences and medicine. Since about 1960, the college housed the Department of Molecular and Cell Biology and Medical school. The building standing today, which replaced a number of older structures, was constructed between 1837 and 1844 by Aberdeen architect
Archibald Simpson Archibald Simpson (4 May 1790 – 23 March 1847) was a Scottish architect, who along with his rival John Smith, is regarded as having fashioned the character of Aberdeen as "The Granite City".Simpson, William Douglas, (1947) ''The Archibald ...
. This 1837 building formed a U-shaped quadrangle, with a small entrance via an archway amidst unrelated housing on the west side. The building was substantially extended between 1893 and 1905 by
Alexander Marshall Mackenzie Alexander Marshall MacKenzie (1 January 1848 – 4 May 1933) was a Scottish architect responsible for prestigious projects including the headquarters of the Isle of Man Banking Company in Douglas, and Australia House and the Waldorf Hotel in ...
, and with its new "granite cage" front, enclosing the quadrangle, it became the second-largest granite building in the world (exceeded only by the Escorial Palace near
Madrid Madrid ( ; ) is the capital and List of largest cities in Spain, most populous municipality of Spain. It has almost 3.5 million inhabitants and a Madrid metropolitan area, metropolitan area population of approximately 7 million. It i ...
).


Renovation as Aberdeen City Council Headquarters

For many years, much of the building was derelict as university departments had moved to King's College or Foresterhill years or decades before. Up to 2009, the only parts of the college building chiefly used by the university were the Mitchell Hall (for graduations, concerts and other events), the Marischal Museum, and the Anatomy department, which was used for 1st year medical students until March 2009. It was also home to the University's debating chamber. In 2006 plans were announced for the renovation of the college as new administrative headquarters for the Council to replace the ageing St. Nicholas House across the street. The University leased the Marischal College site to
Aberdeen City Council Aberdeen City Council is the Local government in Scotland, local authority for Aberdeen City, one of the 32 council areas of Scotland. In its modern form it was created in 1996. Aberdeen was formerly governed by a municipal corporation, corporat ...
for 175 years in exchange for £4.7 million. Work began in 2009 and the newly refurbished Marischal College was opened in summer 2011. The internal spaces were completely demolished and replaced with a new internal structure which matched the existing walls and windows. The renovations restored the granite exterior, ornamentation and detailing, and provided new public space for citizens accessing council services and offices for council workers. The Council Chamber and democratic processes continue to be located at the Town House next door. The university retained the north wing comprising the Mitchell Hall, debating chamber and associated rooms, although as of May 2012 these are not yet open for use. In Spring 2011, the city erected outside Marischal College a statue of King Robert the Bruce on horseback, holding up a charter. Outside the College there is a large modern fountain, known as the "dancing fountain" for its alternating patterns. The fountain was briefly shut in 2019 due to high levels of bromine, but has since been turned back on.


Greyfriars Church

Amongst the buildings demolished to make way for the new frontage of Marischal College at the turn of the 20th century, was the Greyfriars
collegiate church In Christianity, a collegiate church is a church where the daily office of worship is maintained by a college of canons, a non-monastic or "secular" community of clergy, organised as a self-governing corporate body, headed by a dignitary bearing ...
, built in 1532 and incorporated as part of the College in 1593. Following a dispute regarding the conservation of this church, a new church building was constructed within the Marischal College complex. It is incorporated into the College frontage, which includes the southern tower, notable for being surmounted with a spire. Following a merger, this church was later to become known as Greyfriars John Knox Church. The building is currently unused and is being offered for sale by the
Church of Scotland The Church of Scotland (CoS; ; ) is a Presbyterian denomination of Christianity that holds the status of the national church in Scotland. It is one of the country's largest, having 245,000 members in 2024 and 259,200 members in 2023. While mem ...
for commercial or residential use.


Alumni

Notable alumni of Marischal College include:
(See
University of Aberdeen The University of Aberdeen (abbreviated ''Aberd.'' in List of post-nominal letters (United Kingdom), post-nominals; ) is a public university, public research university in Aberdeen, Scotland. It was founded in 1495 when William Elphinstone, Bis ...
for eminent scientists, Fellows of the Royal Society, who have worked at Marishal College.) see https://www.abdn.ac.uk/alumni/blog/fellows-of-the-royal-society-from-the-university/ * Alexander Bain (1818–1903), philosopher, educationalist, Professor of Logic and Lord Rector of
University of Aberdeen The University of Aberdeen (abbreviated ''Aberd.'' in List of post-nominal letters (United Kingdom), post-nominals; ) is a public university, public research university in Aberdeen, Scotland. It was founded in 1495 when William Elphinstone, Bis ...
* James Blair, (1656–1743), clergyman, founder of
College of William and Mary The College of William & Mary (abbreviated as W&M) is a public research university in Williamsburg, Virginia, United States. Founded in 1693 under a royal charter issued by King William III and Queen Mary II, it is the second-oldest instit ...
*
Robert Brown Robert Brown may refer to: Robert Brown (born 1965), British Director, Animator and author Entertainers and artists * Washboard Sam or Robert Brown (1910–1966), American musician and singer * Robert W. Brown (1917–2009), American printmaker ...
(1773–1858), botanist; discoverer of
Brownian Motion Brownian motion is the random motion of particles suspended in a medium (a liquid or a gas). The traditional mathematical formulation of Brownian motion is that of the Wiener process, which is often called Brownian motion, even in mathematical ...
*
James Burnett, Lord Monboddo James Burnett, Lord Monboddo (baptised 25 October 1714 – 26 May 1799) was a Scottish judge, scholar of linguistic evolution, philosopher and deist. He is most famous today as a founder of modern comparative historical linguistics. In 1767, h ...
(1714–99), jurist, philosopher, linguist; thinker on evolution * Patrick Copland (1749–1822), mathematician and astronomer * Robert Davidson (1804–1894), inventor of first electric locomotive (1837) * Charles D. F. Phillips (1830–1904), British medical doctor and author.Br Med J 1904; 2 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.2.2294.1671 (Published 17 December 1904) * Sir William Duff Gibbon (1837–1919), Ceylonese tea planter and politician * Sir David Gill, (1843–1914), astrophotographer * James Gregory (1638–1675), Scottish mathematician and astronomer *
Cosmo Gordon Cosmo Gordon of Cluny Castle, Cluny FRSE (1736–1800) was a Scottish politician, agricultural improver and co-founder of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. He sat in the House of Commons from 1774 to 1777 and was a Baron of the Exchequer (Scotlan ...
(1736–1800) MP, co-founder of the
Royal Society of Edinburgh The Royal Society of Edinburgh (RSE) is Scotland's national academy of science and letters. It is a registered charity that operates on a wholly independent and non-partisan basis and provides public benefit throughout Scotland. It was establis ...
, twice Rector of the College * Robert Hunter (1823–1897), missionary, geologist and editor of
Encyclopædic Dictionary An encyclopedia is a reference work or compendium providing summaries of knowledge, either general or special, in a particular field or discipline. Encyclopedias are divided into articles or entries that are arranged alphabetically by artic ...
* Alexander Keith (1792–1880), Church of Scotland theologian *
Nathaniel Lardner Nathaniel Lardner (6 June 1684 – 24 July 1768) was an English Presbyterian minister and theologian. Life Lardner was born in Hawkhurst, Kent in 1684. He was the elder son of Richard Lardner (1653–1740), an independent minister, and of ...
(1684–1768), English theologian * George Milne (Doctor & Surgeon) (1794-1817), served at Battle of Waterloo * Sir John Mowlem Burt, contractor *
Sir James Outram, 1st Baronet Lieutenant-General Sir James Outram, 1st Baronet (29 January 1803 – 11 March 1863) was a British general who fought in the Indian Rebellion of 1857. Early life James Outram was the son of Benjamin Outram of Butterley Hall, Butterley, Derbys ...
, General, hero of the Indian Revolt of 1857, buried in
Westminster Abbey Westminster Abbey, formally titled the Collegiate Church of Saint Peter at Westminster, is an Anglican church in the City of Westminster, London, England. Since 1066, it has been the location of the coronations of 40 English and British m ...
* William Pargeter (1760–1810), medical doctor who wrote about mental illness * Sir Alexander Ogston, Scottish surgeon; discoverer of ''
Staphylococcus aureus ''Staphylococcus aureus'' is a Gram-positive spherically shaped bacterium, a member of the Bacillota, and is a usual member of the microbiota of the body, frequently found in the upper respiratory tract and on the skin. It is often posi ...
'' * Rev
John Skinner John Skinner may refer to: Politicians * John Skinner (MP for Maldon), 1391–1393, MP for Maldon 1391 and 1393 * John Skinner (fl.1395-99), MP for Reigate 1395, 1397 and 1399 * John Skinner (fl.1414-20), MP for Reigate 1414, 1415 and 1420 *John Sk ...
(1721–1807), poet, historian and ecclesiastic. *
William Trail William Trail or Traill FRSE Royal Irish Academy, MRIA (23 June 1746 – 3 February 1831) was a Scots-born mathematician, remembered for his mathematical text books. For the majority of his life, he served church duties in Northern Ireland. L ...
(1746–1831), mathematician.


Principals

* Robert Howie from 1593 to 1598 * Gilbert Gray 1598 to 1614 *Andrew Adie 1616 to 1619 *Rev Dr William Forbes 1620/21 * Patrick Dun 1621 to 1649 * William Moir 1649 to 1661 * James Leslie 1661 to 1678 * Robert Paterson 1678 to 1717 * Thomas Blackwell 1717 to 1728 *
John Osborne John James Osborne (12 December 1929 – 24 December 1994) was an English playwright, screenwriter, actor, and entrepreneur, who is regarded as one of the most influential figures in post-war theatre. Born in London, he briefly worked as a jo ...
1728 to 1748 * Thomas Blackwell (son) 1748 to 1757 * Robert Pollock 1757 to 1759 * George Campbell 1758 to 1796 *
William Laurence Brown William Laurence Brown (7 January 175511 May 1830) was a Scottish minister. Life Brown was born in Utrecht (city), Utrecht in the Netherlands. His father, William Brown, was minister of the English church there, but was then appointed profes ...
1796 to 1830 * Daniel Dewar 1832 to 1860 In 1860 the college merged with
King's College, Aberdeen King's College in Old Aberdeen, Scotland, the full title of which is The University and King's College of Aberdeen (''Collegium Regium Aberdonense''), is a formerly independent university founded in 1495 and now an integral part of the Univer ...
to create the
University of Aberdeen The University of Aberdeen (abbreviated ''Aberd.'' in List of post-nominal letters (United Kingdom), post-nominals; ) is a public university, public research university in Aberdeen, Scotland. It was founded in 1495 when William Elphinstone, Bis ...
.


Other notable academics

* Robert Barron, Professor of Divinity


See also

*
List of early modern universities in Europe The list of early modern universities in Europe comprises all University, universities that existed in the early modern age (1501–1800) in Europe. It also includes short-lived foundations and educational institutions whose university status is ...


References


External links

*
e-Architect coverage of Marischal College Redevelopment

The Marischal Museum

The University of Aberdeen
{{authority control 1593 establishments in Scotland 1860 disestablishments in Scotland School buildings completed in 1844 Category A listed buildings in Aberdeen Educational institutions established in the 1590s University of Aberdeen