Royal Scots College

The Royal Scots College (Real Colegio de Escoceses) is a Roman Catholic seminary in Salamanca, Spain, for the church in Scotland. It was located originally at Madrid, then Valladolid, and then Salamanca (from 1988).

For other institutions with a similar name, see Scots College (disambiguation).

History

The Royal Scots College was founded at Madrid in 1627 by Colonel William Semple of Lochwinnoch and his wife, Doña María de Ledesma. Semple had spent his life in the military and diplomatic service of the Spanish crown.

The deed of foundation stipulated that the college was for students "Scottish by birth, preferably those of superior character and virtue and those who promise more fruit in the welfare of souls, and they have to spend whatever time may be necessary in studying Grammar and Philosophy, Theology, Controversies and Sacred Scripture, so that when they are well versed in all of these, they may proceed to the said Kingdom of Scotland to preach the Gospel and convert heretics... when they leave the said seminary for this purpose, others are to be received in their place having the same end, and thus the matter will continue for as long as the aforesaid conversion may require."[1]

The Scottish Jesuit Hugh Semple was procurator of the Scots College when it was located in Madrid. In 1771, it was transferred to Valladolid. The college was closed from 1808 to 1816 due to the Peninsular War.

The College was transferred to Salamanca in 1988 in order for students to attend the Pontifical University of Salamanca.

In September 2020, a 1634 edition of The Two Noble Kinsmen, the last play by English playwright William Shakespeare, was reported to have been discovered[2] at the Royal Scots College's library in Salamanca, Spain, which it is believed to be the oldest copy of any of his works in the country.[3]

Rectors
  • Rev. Fr John Cowie (?–1879)
  • Rev. David McDonald (1879–1903)
  • Rev. Fr John Woods (1903–1909)
  • Rev. Fr James Humble (1909–1940)

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  • Rev. Tom Kilbride (2014–present)[4]

See also

References
  1. Carlin, Denis. "A Brief History of the College", Electric Scotland
  2. Stone, John. "The Two Noble Kinsmen and Eighteen Other Newly Discovered Early Modern English Quartos in an Hispano-Scottish Collection". Notes and Queries. doi:10.1093/notesj/gjaa089.
  3. "Edition of Shakespeare's last play found in Scots college in Spain". BBC. 19 September 2020.
  4. "Glasgow priest named rector of re-opened Scots College in Salamanca, Spain", Glasgow Churches Together, June 24, 2014

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