The College of Jesus
The College of Jesus was founded in 1482/3 by Thomas Rotherham, Archbishop of York. He never forgot his home town and in 1480 endowed a Chapel of Jesus within the parish church, with a priest to sing masses for the souls of his ancestors. The College of Jesus was founded in Rotherham as a memorial to his teacher. A licence was granted by Edward IV on 22 January 1483 (1482 Old Style)
"for the honour and glory of the name of Jesus Christ to found a perpetual College".
The statutes of the College were drawn up and dated 1 February 1483 (1482 Old Style) and the foundation stone laid on St Gregory's day (12 May 1483).
The college buildings occupied on a large site in the centre of town on what is now Effingham Street/College Street to the east of the parish church. The main college buildings were constructed in red brick and historians consider it was the first use of brick in Rotherham. There was a mansion house, school house, chapel, and chamber with gardens, orchards and barns all behind a substantial brick wall and entry was through a double turreted gatehouse. To the north west further land was leased from the Abbots of Rufford, including the Imp Yard (now the Red Lion Yard) and stretching down to the Don.
The College consisted of a Provost and three Fellows, all to be in Holy Orders, who must attend church on Sundays and Holy Days. The Fellows were to teach Grammar and train the six choristers of Jesus in song and music. They were also to teach promising boys who did not aspire to the priesthood reading, writing and reckoning free of charge. If the boys continued to show merit they could learn the rudiments of grammar and music.
The college was endowed with a considerable estate for its maintenance and support and more was added over the 64 years of its existance. Whilst the College of Jesus survived the Dissolution of the Monasteries it was was dissolved in 1547 in the reign of Edward VI under the Act for Suppression of Chantries and Guilds. The last Provost of the College was Robert Purseglove, Suffragen Bishop of Hull. The Grammar Master was Thomas Snell, the Singing Master was Robert Cade and the Writing Master was John Addy. All the College's property and goods valued at freehold endowments was about £130 less expenses of nearly £8 (£127 less expenses £20), and goods valued at £31 (£54) together with a considerable amount of plate (£247) - there are two different valuations. The assets all went to Edward VI's appropriately named Office of Augmentations.
At some time after this buildings called the College of Jesus together with its lands in Rotherham came into the hands of the Earls of Shrewsbury, either by purchase or gift from the monarch. By 1583 the school had moved out of the college buildings. The Earl of Shrewsbury intended to redevelop the College of Jesus for some other purpose. However by 1590 there was great concern about the buildings, as chimneys had fallen in and brick walls decayed. As it happened the Shrewsbury's made no major development of the site and I reckon whoever was renting the property must have forced the estate manager to make good the fabric.
After the failure of the male line of the Shrewsbury the college estate came into the hands of the Howard family. The college buildings and estate were substantially intact as late as 1774 but by the middle of the 19th century were in a ruinous state. In the 1850s the Earl of Effingham began a series of developments in Rotherham which included the building of Effingham Street, Howard Street and Frederick Street. The north wing of the college was demolished in 1868 whilst the south wing was incorporated into other developments. Parts are behind the old Woolworths store (now B&M Bargains) and nearby buildings. The only remaining fragment of the college is a doorway dated about 1550 which was rebuilt in the quarry face in Boston Park in 1876.
Visit here for more about Rotherham Grammar School.
More information about Thomas Rotherham can be found onsite under Rotherham - Famous People from Rotherham - Thomas Rotherham.