4. DURHAM COLLEGE, OXFORD
Hugh de Derlington, prior of Durham,
(1287-90), first sent monks of Durham to study
at Oxford; but it was his successor Richard de
Hoton, who in 1291, by the purchase of land
on the site of the later Trinity College and
St. John's, and by the erection of buildings,
became the founder of Durham College. (fn. 1) Until
1381 it had no endowments, the monks, six to
ten in number, (fn. 2) being supported by the priory of
Durham, with occasional gifts from Jarrow,
Wearmouth, and other cells of Durham. Their
head was a prior, and at the elections of the
bishop of Durham in 1316 and 1333 voted
with the title of 'Prior Oxoniae,' among the priors
of the other cells of the monastery of Durham.
On 11 April, 1323, 'the monks of Durham
College, next Balliol Hall,' obtained licence for
an oratory, (fn. 3) and in 1326 the prior of the
monastery of Durham obtained leave from
Oseney Abbey, which held the parish church of
St. Mary Magdalen, to erect a chapel. He
agreed that the parish church should take all the
offerings except on the two feasts of St. Cuthbert,
in lieu of which he would pay 6d. a year. He
also agreed to pay 1s. 6d. a year for tithes from
that part of the grounds which was within the
parish of St. Mary Magdalen. (fn. 4) The chapel,
however, though contemplated, was not built
until 1409. (fn. 5) The bull granting to Durham
College the right of sepulture is of 1411, and the
college accounts (fn. 6) of 1392, which show that only
1s. 6d., not 2s., was the sum due to Oseney in
that year, prove that there was no chapel at
that date.
About 1379 Thomas Hatfield, bishop of
Durham, determined to endow the college, and
after his death in 1381 his executors completed
his purpose. At a cost of £3,000 they purchased
rectories which brought in £200 a year. New
statutes were now made. There were to be
eight student monks from the monastery of
Durham, each receiving £10 a year with the
title of 'fellows' (socii), of whom the prior of
Durham was to select one to be warden; they
were to study philosophy and theology. There
were also to be eight secular students called
'pueri' or 'scholares,' four from the diocese of
Durham, and four from north Yorkshire, to
be selected by the senior student monks; these
seculars were each to receive £3 6s. 8d., and
were to perform certain unspecified services
towards the monks; their study was to be
grammar and philosophy. (fn. 7) In time, when the
income of the college fell to £150 or less, the
allowances were decreased, but the members were
still sixteen in number at the time of the Valor
ecclesiasticus.
The first compotus of Hatfield's foundation is
of 1389, but Robert Blaklaw, who had been
appointed prior of the college shortly before,
retained his office and old title, so that the head
was still called prior in 1401; (fn. 8) after his time the
head was called warden, and held office only for
seven or eight years, that being the length of the
course of study for both fellows and scholars.
Between 1400 and 1420 the buildings of the
college were much enlarged, and we find that
there were often spare rooms, which were rented
by monks of York and Whitby and by other
individuals. (fn. 9) At the time of the Valor
ecclesiasticus the income was £122; it was
£115 in December, 1540, when it was surrendered to the king by the prior of Durham. The
site of the college with most of the endowments
was made over to the dean and chapter of
Durham, and the college existed in 1541 and
1542 with a rector, six fellows, and four 'inferior
fellows,' (fn. 10) but in 1544 it was once more
surrendered to the king, and in 1554 the site and
buildings were bought by Sir Thomas Pope,
founder of Trinity College. There is an interesting survey of the buildings of Durham College,
undated, but evidently made at the end of the
reign of Henry VIII. (fn. 11)
Priors of Durham College (fn. 12)
Gilbert Elwyk, S.T.P., occurs 1316
John de Beverlaco, S.T.P., occurs 1333
R—de C—, (fn. 13) between 1340-60
? Uthred de Boldon, S.T.P., c. 1360
? John Aclyff, or de Acley, c. 1380
Robert Blaklaw, c. 1389-1404
William Appylby, 1404-9
Thomas Rome, S.T.P., 1409-19
William Ebchester, S.T.P., 1419-28
Richard Barton, S.T.B., 1428-31
John Mody, S.T.P., 1431-c. 1440
John Burnby, S.T.P., 1442-50
Richard Bell, S.T.B., 1450-53
John Burnby, again, 1453-56
Thomas Caly, S.T.B., 1457-c. 1463
Robert Ebchester, S.T.P., -c. 1464 c. 1475
William Law, S.T.B., c. 1478-c. 1481
John Aukland, S.T.P., c. 1481-9
Thomas Rowland, S.T.B., 1484-7
Thomas Castell, S.T.P., 1487-94
William Cawthorne, S.T.P., 1494-c. 1501
Thomas Swalwell, S.T.P., c. 1501
? Thomas Castell, occurs 1511
Hugh Whitehead, S.T.P., 1512-c. 1519
Edward Hyndmer alias Henmarsh, S.T.P.,
c. 1527-41
George Clyff, S.T.B., 1541-2
An example of the seal of this priory reproduced
in the Collectanea
(fn. 14) 'seems to represent the Virgin
and Child between St. Cuthbert and St. Benedict,
who presents a student monk. (fn. 15) The figures are
shown under pinnacled niches, and in the base
is a shield of arms—a chevron between three
lions, the coat of Thomas Hatfield, bishop of
Durham. Legend:—
SIGILLVM COM . . . . COLLEG' MONACHOR,
DUNELM' OXON'