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College History - Page 1 of 2
Foundation (1589) To La Vulnerata (1600)
"The King of Spaine, for furthering of other intentions against
Englande, has dealt with Cardinal Allen and Father Persons to gather
together with great labour uppon his charges a multitude of
dissolute youthes to begin this seminary of Valladolid and others in
Spaine." This accusation in a proclamation of Elizabeth I in 1591
was the first intimation to most people of the existence of the
English College of St Alban in Valladolid.
The English College at Douai, the "mother" of all the other
seminaries was opened in 1568 by William Allen. Ten years later, it
was forced by political troubles to move to Rheims. The situation
became even more precarious in 1588 when the Huguenots threatened to
attack. On 8th May 1588, the Douai Diaries record that three
scholars left to start a College in Spain. By July of the following
year, a contemporary writer, thought to be Father Persons himself,
said that "four or five English priests and scholars had met by good
chance or rather by Gods particular providence in this town of
Valladolid...."
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In fact, in 1589 King Philip II had given to Father Persons, a still
extant document, of permission to appeal for funds,to the
authorities in Valladolid. This document allayed the fears of the
city fathers who, only one year after the Armada and being
suspicious of foreigners, had had the priests and students arrested.
They were released from custody on the security of Father Persons
and they took up lodgings in the attic of a house near the convent
of Santa Clara in the city. Conditions were primitive and money was
scarce. Father Persons talks about "gathering together such
Englishmen as were there and providing for them until the weather
and time and other opportunities did serve for them to continue
their intended journey to England".
In September 1589, he rented a house on the site now occupied by the
new library and theatre, though lamenting the fact that the King had
given "but100 crownes". The original family of five students was
enlarged the following year by two groups of ten students from Douai
which included two future martyrs, Robert Drury and Roger Filcock |
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In June 1596, seven years after the foundation of the College and
one year after the martyrdom of St Henry Walpole, the Earl of Essex
and Sir Waiter Raleigh led a punitive force the Spanish fleet
gathering in the harbour of Cadiz. The troops ran riot and singled
out for desecration a statue of the Madonna and Child which was the
object of great devotion in Cadiz. The students of the College heard
of the attack and asked if they as Englishman might take upon
themselves the obligation of making reparation. Their petition was
granted, and on the 8th September 1600 the statue was brought to
Valladolid and was given the title of Our Lady Vulnerata.
With the help of a generous nobleman and that of the Catholic exiles
in the Low Countries, the property was purchased with the
surrounding land, and a church was opened by 1591.The foundation was
approved on 25th April 1592 by Pope Clement VIII.
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