St Bees Theological College

It was founded in 1816 by George Henry Law, Bishop of Chester, in what was during those years the northern extremity of his diocese.

They attended lectures and had their library within the rebuilt chancel of St Bees Priory, whilst living in lodgings throughout the parish.

[2] Bishop George Henry Law of Chester had a severe problem with the shortage of new good clergy in his large and growing diocese.

He had local connections with West Cumbria, and on a visit in 1816 saw an opportunity to found a college for training of ordinands at St Bees.

This was now coming to light, mainly through the efforts of the Rev W Wilson, headmaster of St Bees School, who whistle-blew, but was sacked for his pains in 1816.

[3] The Lowthers offered to restore the ruined chancel of the monastic church to house the college, and donated land for a vicarage.

They offered to Bishop Law the patronage of the living, which they held, so that the principal of the new college would also be the vicar of St Bees.

Students had a very good chance of employment in the Diocese of Chester, and the cost of living and fees were much lower than at the two universities.

Although Ainger also carried out all the duties of a parish priest, he had the time and energy to make the reputation of the college grow.

His successor was Richard Parkinson, who had been a lecturer at the college until 1833, when he was appointed a Fellow of Manchester Collegiate church (now the cathedral).

On another occasion, the anniversary dinner of the college in 1862, no fewer than 25 toasts were proposed, which attracted the criticism of the Whitehaven Temperance Society.

[2] The popularity of the college meant there had to be additional teaching facilities, and in 1863 a new building was completed to the design of William Butterfield, to provide two large lecture rooms.

There were now numerous theological colleges modelled on the St Bees example, but mainly in large cities and affiliated in some way to a university.

Standards were rising, and in 1893 the bishops of the Church of England agreed that a common entrance exam must be taken before non-graduates could enter a theological college.

However, the seeds of failure were sown because of its remote geographical position, and the refusal of Parkinson to allow it to come fully under Church management.