New College, Durham (17th century)

Such a project had been discussed at least since the 1640s. In 1641 a petition had asked for a university in Manchester or York.C. H. Firth, Oliver Cromwell and the Rule of the Puritans in England, p. 355. Later a scheme was promoted by Samuel Hartlib amongst others. Cromwell himself was particularly interested in a new university at Durham which he viewed as important in order to help with the propagation of the gospel in those 'dark places' of the North.{{Cite book |last=Hill |first=Christopher |title=God's Englishman: Over Cromwell and the English Revolution |publisher=Penguin |year=2019 |edition=5th |location=London |pages=163}} The statutes drawn up in 1656 were worked over by Ralph Cudworth, John Crew (later 1st Baron Crew), Sir William Ellis and others appointed from March 1655,{{cite DNB|wstitle=Cudworth, Ralph|volume=13}}{{cite DNB|wstitle=Crew, John|volume=13}}{{cite DNB|wstitle=Ellis, William (1609-1680)}} and Sir Charles Wolseley and George Griffith in 1656.{{ODNBweb|id=29849|title=Wolseley, Sir Charles|first=Timothy|last=Venning}}{{ODNBweb|id=39673|title=Griffith, George|first=Richard L.|last=Greaves}}

The idea met with opponents, including University of Oxford vice-chancellor John Conant.{{cite DNB|wstitle=Conant, John|volume=11}}

File:Durham college charter.jpg

It had an effective life of 1656 (when Cromwell and his Privy Council issued an order for the founding of the College) to 1659, being dissolved officially in 1660.{{Cite web|url=http://oll.libertyfund.org/?option=com_staticxt&staticfile=show.php%3Ftitle=719&chapter=77053&layout=html&Itemid=27|title = Online Library of Liberty}} The Chapter of Durham Cathedral had been dissolved in April 1649, leaving the cathedral, the cathedral close, and the former Bishop's palace of Durham Castle vacant and available for the new institution.{{cite journal|url=https://www.durham.ac.uk/media/durham-university/departments-/history/SymeonIssue8.pdf|journal=Symeon|title=The First Durham University|pages=6-9|issue=8|date=2018|first=Adrian|last=Green|publisher=Durham University}} Cromwell signed letters patent setting it up formally in May 1657;Richard Brickstock, Durham Castle (2007), p. 55. and around this time Paul Hobson acted as visitor.{{ODNBweb|id=37554|title=Hobson, Paul|first=Richard L.|last=Greaves}}

The personnel included Philip Hunton appointed in 1657 as Master or Provost,David Wootton, Divine Right and Democracy (2003), p. 167. and Israel Tonge as Fellow. The initial establishment was the Provost, two Senior Fellows, two Junior Fellows, and some other junior positions.Richard Goodings, Frank Coffield, Sacred Cows in Education (1983), p. viii. Richard Gilpin was appointed the Visitor.{{DNB Cite|wstitle=Gilpin, Richard}} Joseph Hill was an active supporter, and sought money to bring Hungarian students to Durham. Tonge looked to recruit both Hill and John Peachell.http://epa.oszk.hu/01400/01462/00001/pdf/1985_031-050.pdf, p. 42. Hill's pupil William Pell was appointed a tutor in 1656.{{ODNBweb|id=21804|title=Pell, William|first=Stephen|last=Wright}} Georg Ritschel, then teaching in Newcastle, who was a Comenian reformer in contact with the Hartlib Circle, may have acted as a tutor in 1657.{{ODNBweb|id=23682|title=Ritschel, Georg|first=John T.|last=Young}}

The letters patent had mentioned besides Hunton and Hill as a Senior Fellow or Preacher:

• William Spinedge (Spinage) of Exeter College, Oxford as Preacher;
• as Professors Thomas Vaughan, John Kiffler (Anglicised name of Johannes Sibertus Kuffler, who declined),{{ODNBweb|id=53673|title=Kuffeler, Johannes Sibertus|first=John H.|last=Appleby}} Robert Wood of Lincoln College, Oxford, and Peachell;
• as Tutors Tonge, Richard Russell, John Richell and John Doughty;
• as Schoolmasters Nathaniel Vincent of Corpus Christi College, Oxford, William Corker of Trinity College, Cambridge, William Sprigg of Lincoln College, Oxford, and Leonard Wastell, Rector of Hurworth-on-Tees.

The College never scaled up to these intentions.Joseph Thomas Fowler, Durham University; earlier foundations and present colleges (1904), p. 18; William Corker (d. 1702) was not Master of Trinity as the reference says.[http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=36890 Cromwell's speech as founder.]

A further petition was made to Cromwell in 1658 for degree-awarding powers, but nothing was done before he died in September 1658, and was succeeded by his son, Richard Cromwell.

In 1659 the universities of Oxford and Cambridge petitioned Richard Cromwell against the foundation of a third university, and especially against any grant of degree-awarding powers.{{cite book|url=https://www.british-history.ac.uk/burton-diaries/vol2/pp531-543|title=Diary of Thomas Burton Esq|pages=531-543|date=1828|publisher=H Colburn|volume=2}} The college was also opposed by George Fox and other Quakers as being an institute designed to prepare ministers. According to Fowler, "on April 22 [Richard Cromwell] directed that a grant which had been drawn up to make the College a University should not be sealed until further order".{{cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/durhamuniversity00fowluoft|title=Durham university; earlier foundations and present colleges|author=J. T. Fowler|publisher=F. E. Robinson & co., 1904|access-date=24 December 2014}}

The restoration of the monarchy in 1660 saw the cathedral chapter re-established and Durham College closed. However, the cause of education was not wholly forgotten, for Bishop John Cosin established his library on Palace Green a few years later, in 1669.{{cite web|url=http://www.dur.ac.uk/resources/university.calendar/volumei/2009.2010/historical_note.pdf|title=Historical Note|work=Durham University Calendar|year=2009}}{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7KsrAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA2211|title=The Penny Cyclopædia of the Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge|publisher=C. Knight, 1838|access-date=31 May 2009|year=1838}}{{cite web|url=https://www.durhamworldheritagesite.com/architecture/palace-green/library|title=Palace Green Library|publisher=Durham World Heritage Site|access-date=4 October 2015}}

In the 1950s it was suggested that a college at Durham University might be named after Cromwell, in honour of his role as (according to Christopher Hill) 'the man who created a University in Durham three hundred years earlier'. However this suggestion was met by 'astonishingly fierce opposition', affecting a compromise with the proposed college coming to be called Grey College.{{Cite book |last=Hill |first=Christopher |title=God's Englishman: Oliver Cromwell and the English Revolution |publisher=Penguin |year=2019 |edition=5th |location=London |pages=229}}

{{reflist}}

• G. H. Turnbull, "Oliver Cromwell's College at Durham". Research Review, 3 (1952), 1–7.
• Adrian Green, "The First Durham University", Symeon, 8 (2018), 6-9.

Category:Defunct universities and colleges in England

Category:1657 establishments in England

Category:1660 disestablishments

Category:Educational institutions established in the 17th century

Category:Education in County Durham

Category:History of Durham University