Lisbon College Foundation Papers

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Introduction

About the creator

Contents

Arrangement

Bibliography

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Catalogue

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About the creator

The English College of SS Peter and Paul at Lisbon (or, as it is more commonly known, Lisbon College) was founded by Pedro Coutinho in 1624 as a college for English students training for the priesthood and mission work in England. As a pontifical college it was awarded the same privileges and rights as other colleges centrally controlled by Rome, such as the English College in Rome, whose aim was the maintenance of the Catholic faith in England, Scotland and Ireland. The driving force behind the college in its early years was William Newman. Although he was never to become president, Newman founded the college from property entrusted by the estate of the late Nicholas Ashton, a Catholic chaplain in Lisbon. Initial progress was slow until the arrival of a group of English students and teachers from the English College at Douai in 1628. The first president, albeit briefly, was Archdeacon Joseph Haynes, who died the following year. The reputation of the college as a centre of academic excellence and its relevance as an English institution in Lisbon attracted patronage from varied sources during the seventeenth century, including Pedro da Costa and Maria de Oliveira Leitoa who transferred important funds to the College in exchange for daily masses for their special intention. In 1679, Pope Innocent XI granted the college the privilege of being considered as a High Altar of Christ on the Cross. In spite of its wealthy benefactors and papal patronage, the college faced a number of challenges in the following centuries. In 1755, Lisbon was shaken by a terrible earthquake in which 20,000 people died and 60,000 houses and 60 palaces and convents were destroyed. The college suffered badly both in terms of the physical devastation of its buildings and the mental well-being of many of its students and superiors who, like most of the population of Lisbon, chose to live under tents in the gardens of the college rather than risk being inside in fear of another quake. The college suffered another setback when it was occupied by French forces during Napoleon's invasion of Portugal in 1807 and, just days before the second French invasion, the president decided to close the college down, with all students being sent to an Anglo-Portuguese school in England until the war ended in 1814. The college was finally closed in 1973. Since the passing of the Roman Catholic Relief Act in Britain in 1829, the college's raison d'etre had ceased to exist although its high reputation as a teaching and training establishment enabled it to survive for another 144 years.

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Contents

The foundation papers of Lisbon College, including correspondence and legal papers, covering the negotiations to obtain the requisite approval of Pope Urban VIII and King Philip IV of Spain.

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Accession details

Lisbon College closed in 1973 and this collection, along with the rest of the Lisbon Archive and Library, was transferred to Ushaw College by Mgr James Sullivan in the following year.

Conditions of access

Open for consultation.

Copyright and copying

Permission to make any published use of material from the collection must be sought in advance from the Lisbonian Society and, where appropriate, from the copyright owner. The Library will assist where possible with identifying copyright owners, but responsibility for ensuring copyright clearance rests with the user of the material

Arrangement

The papers follow the original arrangement of the collection which is broadly chronological.

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Finding aids

Calendared card catalogue

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Bibliography

An English translation of the narrative has been published by A.H. Norris in “From Douai to Lisbon”, The British Historical Society of Portugal, 6, (1979), p. 22

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Catalogue

LC/A8/1   1 September 1621
Language:  Spanish
Petitions from W. Newman to King Philip IV of Spain giving reasons why the king should grant permission to found an English seminary in Lisbon suggesting that it should be modelled on Douai and not be run by the Jesuits
Copy annotated by Newman
With transcript
3f 
LC/A8/2   [?1 September 1621]
Language:  Spanish
Petition from W. Newman to King Philip IV of Spain for the college to be governed by seculars
Written to accompany LC/A8/1
With transcript
1f 
LC/A8/3   20 November 1631
Language:  Portuguese
Paper, partly in Countinho's hand, stating that the Jesuits are to have no part in his proposed seminary and that the Inquisitor's visitors must be secular or Dominican
With transcript
2f 
LC/A8/4   1819
Language:  Latin
Alvara authorising the founder to establish and endow a new college
Taken from the printed College constitution of 1819
With transcript
2p 
LC/A8/5-6   1778
Language:  Portuguese
Two authentic manuscript copies of the original alvara of foundation
10f 
Old Catalogue Number 1(b), 87
LC/A8/7-9   [18th century]
Language:  Latin
Three further copies of the original alvara of foundation
7f 
LC/A8/10   1 June 1610 - 1621
Language:  Spanish
Letter from J. Cresswell to W. Newman (copy/translation): asking Newman to look after the English Residency until another can be found
Note by Newman in 1621 commenting that he was not under the jurisdiction of the Jesuits and so could not be moved by them from the Residency
Possibly prepared as part of a petition
3f 
LC/A8/11   [?1622]
Language:  Spanish
Petition to the Nuncio against ruling in favour of Francis Forcer S.J. which Forcer was using to evict Newman
With transcript
1f 
LC/A8/12   23 April [1622]
Language:  Portuguese
Appointment with the president of the Mesa da Consciencia
2f 
LC/A8/13   9 May 1622
Language:  Portuguese
Manuscript copies of papers presented to Nuño de Mendoza, president of the Mesa (with transcript):
10f 
LC/A8/14   [9 May 1622]
Language:  Portuguese
Letter from W. Newman to Disembargo do Paco: further copy of Newman's case for founding a seminary in Lisbon
2f 
Old Catalogue Number 4
LC/A8/15   May 1622
Letter from Sebastião da Cunha (secretary of the Mesa da Consciencia) to W. Newman: asking for a copy of the provisão (royal alvara) about the new college
2f 
LC/A8/16   9 May 1622
Language:  Portuguese
Draft copy of LC/A8/12, followed by a draft (with annotations in Newman's hand) of Newman's additional argument presented to the Mesad da Consciencia
With transcript
6f 
LC/A8/17   20 June - 8 July 1622
Language:  Latin
Manuscript copy of various documents [in Edward Daniel's hand]:
2f 
LC/A8/18   24 August 1622
Language:  Portuguese
Translation, by John Colleton and assistants, of the procuration for Newman and Thomas More (copy)
This was forwarded from Douai by Kellison
2f 
LC/A8/19   22 June 1622
Language:  Latin and Portuguese
Official copy of the foundation brief of the college
Includes a separate translation into Portuguese
4f 
The original is framed and hangs on the west wall of the Lisbon Room at Ushaw College
LC/A8/20   1622
Language:  Portuguese
Form of power of attorney by the archpriest of the English clergy making Newman procurator for the English clergy
2f 
LC/A8/21   [?1622]
Language:  Spanish
Letter from W. Newman to Pedro Castillo, inquisitor general: reasons for founding an English seminary in Lisbon, to be under the protection of the Inquisitor
With transcript
10f 
LC/A8/22   2 January 1623
Language:  Spanish
Report by W. Newman for the nuncio (Albergati) of the foundation of the college of Coutinho's resolution for it to be governed by seculars
Account confirmed by Coutinho
With transcript
8f 
LC/A8/23   17 January 1623
Language:  Portuguese
Authentication of Nicholas Ashton's gift of houses (6 April 1610) to the English Residency
With transcript
10f 
LC/A8/24   [?1623]
Language:  Latin
Letter from English secular clergy to Pope Urban VIII: complaint on the unsatisfactory running of the seminaries by the Jesuits
With transcript of the first 2 folios
Third folio missing
8f 
Old Catalogue Number 162
LC/A8/25   [?1623]
Language:  Latin
Petition from English clergy to [?]: not to interfere with arrangements for founding the college by giving the nuncio in Lisbon special power over it, including an attack on the Jesuits and a defence of Douai College as the model for the new seminary
2f 
LC/A8/26   April 1624
Language:  Spanish
Criticism by W. Newman of Jesuit administration of English seminaries questioning how many priests are produced (draft)
With transcript
1f 
LC/A8/27   [?March] 1626
Language:  Portuguese
Petition from P. Coutinho to Philip IV (king of Spain): subjects to be taught in the college
1f 
LC/A8/28   20 August 1626
Language:  Portuguese
Original alvara licensing the college to teach divinity, philosophy, languages etc, and ruling that the protector's power of visitation shall be delegated to none but a secular priest of the Mesa Grande
Includes two copies
Fair copy of a Latin translation
8f 
Old Catalogue Number 88
LC/A8/29   15 March 1627
Language:  Portuguese
Declaration by J. Haynes and W. Newman giving various undertakings to the founder in case the college is not established
2f 
LC/A8/30   15 April 1627
Language:  Portuguese
Paper by W. Newman prepared for Reverendo Cabido (Lisbon Chapter) on the exchange of foros
2f 
LC/A8/31   14 October 1627 & 18 August 1632
Language:  Portuguese and Latin
Authenticated copy of the bull of privileges granted to the Venerable English College in 1579, taken from Cherubino
Authentication is dated 18 August 1632, and is signed by Mark Harrington
8f 
Old Catalogue Number 25(a)
LC/A8/32   14 October 1627 & 2 April 1661
Language:  Portuguese and Latin
Further copy of the bull of privileges granted to the Venerable English College in 1579
Authentication is in Portuguese and is dated 2 April 1661
11f 
Old Catalogue Number 166
LC/A8/33   14 October 1627
Language:  Latin
Brief confirming the college's privileges (copy)
2f 
LC/A8/34   14 October 1627
Two further copies of the brief with facultates concedendae
8f 
Old Catalogue Number 240
LC/A8/35   [14 October 1627]
Language:  Latin
Various extracts from the papal briefs of Gregory XV and Urban VIII
5f 
Old Catalogue Number 23
LC/A8/36   [1627]
Language:  Latin
List of doctors from the English College at Douai, followed by a list of famous religious who were alumni
2f 
LC/A8/37   23 August 1628
Language:  Portuguese
Power of attorney from P. Coutinho to W. Newman
4f 
LC/A8/38   [1620 x 1629]
Language:  Spanish
Note by W. Newman presenting arguments in favour of the English seminaries (copy)
Probably part of Newman's case prepared for the court in Madrid
8f 
LC/A8/39   [1620 x 1629]
Language:  Portuguese
Letter from W. Newman to Manoel Perera (inquisitor general of Portugal): asking for protection
1f 
LC/A8/40   [1620 x 1629]
Language:  Portuguese
Petition from P. Coutinho to Philip IV (king of Spain): to enforce the compulsory purchase of houses on the site of the proposed college
2f 
LC/A8/41   26 August 1630
Language:  Portuguese
Auto da posse giving W. Newman possession of the houses left by Nicholas Ashton in the Rua de Valverde next to S Catherina
Signed: Newman, Edward and Humphrey Ellis
4f 
LC/A8/42   14 October 1630
Language:  Portuguese
Note by P. Coutinho concerning a deposit of 25 milreis
2f 
LC/A8/43   5 August 1631
Language:  Portuguese
Letter from W. Newman (Madrid) to the inquisitor general: recounting a Jesuit attack on the bishop of Chalcedon, giving a brief account of the foundation of the college, and asking the inquisitor to accept the office of protector of the college
With transcript
6f 
LC/A8/44   [?1632]
Language:  Portuguese
Petition from P. Coutinho to Philip IV (king of Spain): to order the inquisitor general to accept the protectorship of the college (copy)
2f 
LC/A8/45   23 February 1632
Language:  Portuguese
Original deed of the acceptance by Francisco de Castro (inquisitor general) of the protectorship of the college
2f 
Old Catalogue Number 82
LC/A8/46   27 March 1632
Language:  English
Extracts by John Preston from the will of Pedro Coutinho
2f 
Old Catalogue Number 407
LC/A8/47   1632 - 1633
Language:  Portuguese and English
Account (preceded by a sermon) describing how the first students of the college travelled from Douai to Lisbon
Includes a rough diary in English for June-September 1633
With transcript
32f 
LC/A8/48   December 1975 - December 1976
Offprints of Michael Sharratt's articles on LC/A8/46 in the Ushaw Magazine (December 1975), p.7-24; June 1976, p.30-41; and December 1976, p.22-35
42p 
LC/A8/49   27 March 1632
Language:  Portuguese
Extracts from the will of P. Coutinho
10f 
Old Catalogue Number 333
LC/A8/50   [?1778]
Language:  English
J. Barnard's re-writing of J. Preston's extracts from the terms of the foundation, with explanations of some of the Portuguese words
2f 
LC/A8/51   17 April 1638
Language:  Portuguese
Inventory by Edward Daniel, William Newman and Francisco de Castro (inquisitor general)
2f 
LC/A8/52   [?1630]
Language:  Latin
Poem by P. Coutinho dedicated to D. Francisco de Castro (inquisitor general)
2f 
LC/A8/53   19 February 1660
Language:  Portuguese
Paper by Padre Antonio Soares de Albergaria of the genealogy of P. Coutinho and his part in founding the college
With transcript
2f 
LC/A8/54   [?1800]
Language:  English
References to Old Catalogue numbers of documents with the foundation of the college
2f