| St John's College | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Durham University | ||||||||||||||||
 Haughton House, St John's College | ||||||||||||||||
 Arms of St John's College Arms: Quarterly argent and azure, in the first and fourth a cross formy quadrate gules, in the second·an eagle wings elevated and inverted Or, in the third a lion rampant crowned with an ancient crown of the last; all within a bordure quarterly of the second and gold. | ||||||||||||||||
| Coordinates | 54°46′19″N1°34′33″W / 54.7718825°N 1.5757305°W /54.7718825; -1.5757305 | |||||||||||||||
| Latin name | Collegium Sancti Ioannis | |||||||||||||||
| Motto | Latin:Fides nostra victoria | |||||||||||||||
| Motto in English | Our faith is our victory | |||||||||||||||
| Established | 1909; 117 years ago (1909) | |||||||||||||||
| Namesake | St John the Evangelist | |||||||||||||||
| Principal | Jolyon Mitchell | |||||||||||||||
| Warden | Nicholas Moore | |||||||||||||||
| Undergraduates | 392 | |||||||||||||||
| Postgraduates | 160 | |||||||||||||||
| Senior tutor | Rebecca Bouveng | |||||||||||||||
| Mascot | Olav III (an alligator) | |||||||||||||||
| Website | ||||||||||||||||
| Map | ||||||||||||||||
  Location in Durham, England | ||||||||||||||||
| Part of | Durham Castle and Cathedral | |||||||||||||||
| Criteria | Cultural: ii, iv, vi | |||||||||||||||
| Reference | 370 | |||||||||||||||
| Inscription | 1986 (10thSession) | |||||||||||||||
St John's College is one of therecognised colleges ofDurham University. The college was established in 1909 as aChurch of England theological college and became a full constituent college of the university in 1919. The college consists of John's Hall for students studying on any university course andCranmer Hall (with its own master or warden), anAnglicantheological college in theopen evangelical tradition. All part time and distance learning postgraduate students reading for theology are automatically assigned to St John's.[1] Started as amen's college, it was the first Church of England theological college to train men and women together, where it subsequently becamemixed.
St John's is Durham's second smallest college only toSt Chad's. Being an independent college, St John's is financially and constitutionally independent of the university and has a greater degree of administrative independence than the other, "maintained", colleges. However, to maintain its status as a recognised college, the university council must approve the appointment of its principal and be notified of changes to its constitution.[2]
The college has a reputation for being religious due to it being the only college in Durham authorised to train people to priesthood. The college is also strictly traditional and Johnians hold their ownmatriculation ceremony in their 12th-century chapel, in addition to the university wide matriculation at theCathedral; members of St John's are also required to weargowns for weeklyformal dinners, and still saygrace inLatin. St John's is the only college in Durham to not charge its students to attend formals. Students also get £75 credit for laundry, the only college to offer this.[3] The college chapel (Church of St Mary the Less) is also the final resting place of Dame Elizabeth Bowes. She had ten children andQueen Elizabeth The Queen Mother was descended from her third son,George Bowes.[4]
Founded as aChurch of England theological college in 1909, the members of the initial College Council were:
The college became a full constituent college of the university in 1919. In 1958 it was divided into Cranmer Hall theological college and the non-theological John's Hall. The halls have always held to a broadly evangelical tradition.
In 1973 St John's became the first Durham undergraduate male college to admit female students, though Cranmer Hall had been admitting women for theological education since 1966.[5] St John's was the first Church of England theological college to have both a lay person and a woman as principal (Ruth Etchells).[6]
The college has anadvowson (a right to appoint clergy to a parish) over fourbenefices: Chester-le-Street andStranton in theDiocese of Durham and jointly with other avowees the benefices of Doddington with Benwick and Wimblington, and St Mark with St Paul, Darlington. Previously, the patron had complete power to appoint the new priest, however that power is now exercised jointly with the local bishop and parish.
The college is formed from a number of Georgian houses onthe Bailey betweenDurham Cathedral and theRiver Wear. The main house is Haughton House, named afterHaughton Castle in Northumberland, the seat of the family of William Donaldson Cruddas who were early benefactors of the college and other Christian churches and charities in the north east of England.[7][8] The houses which make up Cranmer Hall were once owned by theBowes-Lyon family (the lateQueen Elizabeth The Queen Mother's family).The majority of the college buildings aregrade II listed, with parts of 3 and 4 South Bailey grade II* listed.[9] Before coming into the possession of St John's, Linton House, no 1 South Bailey, was the main property of St. Chad's College. It is said to have much earlier origins, with the frontage seen today added to an existing timber-framed building after theRestoration of the Monarchy in 1660.
No 2 South Bailey has distinctive circular "blind" windows which were revealed during a re-rendering in the 1980s. This enabled Martin Roberts, then Durham City's conservation officer, to date the building precisely to the late 17th century.
The illogically interconnected nature of many of the college buildings regularly results in visitors becoming lost. The similarly unusual nature of college stairways, one of which disappears into a solid wall, adds an element ofEscher to the architecture.
The college chapel, dedicated to St Mary and known as St Mary the Less, is ofNorman origin and was rebuilt in the 1840s and re-ordered at the turn of the 21st century. It became the college chapel in 1919,[10] before which it had been theparish church of the South Bailey. It is still achapel of ease in theParish ofSt Oswald.[11] The chapel is also used by the local Greek Orthodox congregation.
Owing to its small population, Johnians tend to know one another regardless of year, course or accommodation (the majority of first years and finalists live in college; the second years are required to find their own accommodation). Elected Freshers Reps are generally well known throughout college thereby giving new Johnians more opportunities for one-on-one interaction, providing a more solid foundation in their first few weeks than in the larger colleges.
The college grace is customarily said before dinner in the hall. Additionally, there is usually a ‘High Table’ at formal, which normally consists of ‘Guests of the Principal’, seated on the raised platform of Leech Hall. Unlike other Durham colleges, college formals are free, three course dinners that regularly runs throughout the year. Students who is leaving the hall in a formal dinner are expected to get up from their seat discreetly, bow to the high table, and then take their leave. Upon coming back to formal, they'll have to bow to the high table again and make way back to their seat.
| Grace | Latin | English |
|---|---|---|
| Ante Prandium (Before Dinner) | Benedic Domine nobis et donis tuis quae de tua largitate sumus sumpturi, et concede ut, illis salubiter nutriti, tibi debitum obsequium praestare valemus. Amen. | Bless us, O Lord, and your gifts, by which, of your bounty, we are about to be nourished, and grant that, healthily sustained by the same, we may offer you the service that we owe. Amen. |
St John's participates in a number of sports such as cross country running, mixed lacrosse, rowing, men's football, badminton, hockey and rugby among others.St John's College Boat Club was founded in 1910 and operates out of two boathouses on theRiver Wear. The college's theatre company, Bailey Theatre Company, is ratified byDurham Student Theatre and is open to any member of the university. Their 2019 performance ofAlan Ayckbourn's "Family Circles", produced in collaboration withSt. Chad's, featured a cast and production team formed entirely from first-year students.
Other performances includeSarah Kane's4.48 Psychosis in the Epiphany term of 2009 andArthur Miller'sThe Crucible in the Michaelmas term of 2008. The company also puts on an annual Shakespeare performance after university examinations in the summer. This traditionally involves an outdoor performance on Library Lawn, though the college's newly refurbished amphitheatre was used in 2019. In 2008, the society's performance ofChristopher Marlowe'sDoctor Faustus won the Durham Student Theatre Award for Best Play.[citation needed]
John's Music Society, founded in 2012, is the governing body for music within college. It regularly puts on large-scale concerts and helps students set up new musical ensembles as well as organising socials and concert trips for its members. The society is also responsible for organising popular open mic nights and the annual JMS barbecue.
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