St Cuthbert's Society
Encyclopedia
St Cuthbert's Society, colloquially known as Cuth's, is one of sixteen collegiate bodies within the University of Durham. It was founded in 1888 for students who were not attached to the existing colleges. St Cuthbert's Society is a bailey college
, based on Durham
's peninsula next to the River Wear
, although it also has other accommodation elsewhere within the city.
Cuth's retains its title of 'society', although its workings have changed since its formation Its foundation as such differed from that of Durham's other colleges in that it was established as a common room for, and by, its students. Other Societies followed: St Aidan's Society - now St Aidan's College
, and the Graduate Society - now Ustinov College
. It is still home to the highest proportion of local students of those at Durham-based colleges (although not if the two Stockton-based colleges are included), and also traditionally houses a high proportion of mature students.
It is the only collegiate body to offer undergraduates catered, self-catered, and part catered accommodation .
and Percy John Heawood
were both scholars of considerable note.
The Society grew in size until the Second World War when numbers of students in the University dropped sharply and the Society was effectively in abeyance until 'refounded' in 1945 by veterans returning from combat who wished to complete their degrees. When the Society moved to the South Bailey in 1951, it began to offer accommodation to a small number of students and created the position of Principal to replace that of Censor. The first Principal, Clifford Leech
, a distinguished academic and widely-acknowledged expert on Jacobean
literature, served for several years in this role before going on to become Professor of English at the University of Toronto
. His portrait, by Thomas William Pattison (1894-1983), hangs in the college hall. The Principal is now responsible for managing all aspects of the Society. The Society includes a dedicated team of University staff, a junior common room, a senior room, an alumni association and a group of fellows.
Over the years the Society has expanded a great deal and now has a large body of accommodation on the Bailey as well as elsewhere in Durham. In 2006, when 'Brooks House' was built this allowed, for the first time, all first year students to live-in, as well as a number of returners and postgraduate students.
Another annual event is Cuth's Day, a day of entertainment conducted on, off and in the River Wear
, which curls around the foot of the bailey where the Society is based.
The surviving ‘Refounders’ of the Society hold a reunion weekend every September in college. The same weekend also hosts the Annual General Meeting of St Cuthbert's Association, the alumni organisation of the Society. In addition to this, the Founders of the Society are remembered at the annual Founders' Formal and past Presidents attend the President's Formal.
Although the bailey college
s are generally considered to be more traditional, St Cuthbert's Society generally employs quite an informal approach to its proceedings and its members, unlike the bailey colleges, and its students no longer wear gowns except for congregation.
The Society has a rugby team, and a society boat club. It also has a photography society, a theatre company, a big band and a choir. .
of St. Cuthbert was discovered when his grave was opened in 1827, and is now preserved in the cathedral treasury. The motto, gratia gratiam parit, appears in the Adagia
of Erasmus, a collection of Greek and Latin adages, and can be loosely translated as ‘friendship begets friendship’ or ‘kindness begets kindness’. The full coat of arms
includes an eider duck as the crest. This is because, while resident in the Farne Islands
, St Cuthbert instituted special laws to protect these and other seabirds nesting there, creating what may have been the first bird protection laws anywhere in the world. Consequently, eider ducks have long been known as 'cuddy ducks' (Cuthbert's ducks) in the Pitmatic
dialect as spoken in Northumberland
.
, the Society has accommodation elsewhere in Durham, at Parsons Field. This accommodation consists of four buildings, with one (Brooks House) including en-suite facilities, and the others (Refounders House, Parsons Field Court and Fonteyn Court) consisting of standard single rooms. Returning students typically live in Brooks House, with other buildings at Parsons Field being primarily for first year undergraduates.
By having catered, part catered and self-catered accommodation, St Cuthbert's Society offers a choice of meal packages to students.
Other facilities include a library, two common rooms, two bars, two gyms, two computer rooms, a conference room, and a music room.
Bailey college
The Bailey colleges are a group of colleges of Durham University that are located on The Bailey, or The Peninsula, an historic area around North and South Bailey street in the centre of Durham, England...
, based on Durham
Durham
Durham is a city in north east England. It is within the County Durham local government district, and is the county town of the larger ceremonial county...
's peninsula next to the River Wear
River Wear
The River Wear is located in North East England, rising in the Pennines and flowing eastwards, mostly through County Durham, to the North Sea at Sunderland.-Geology and history:...
, although it also has other accommodation elsewhere within the city.
Cuth's retains its title of 'society', although its workings have changed since its formation Its foundation as such differed from that of Durham's other colleges in that it was established as a common room for, and by, its students. Other Societies followed: St Aidan's Society - now St Aidan's College
St Aidan's College
St Aidan's College is a college of the University of Durham in England. Founded in 1947 as St Aidan's Society, but able to trace its roots back to the end of the 19th century, the college is named for St Aidan of Lindisfarne.-History:...
, and the Graduate Society - now Ustinov College
Ustinov College
Ustinov College is the largest college of Durham University. Founded as the Graduate Society in 1965, it became a college in 2003 and was named after the university's then chancellor, the late Sir Peter Ustinov. It is located at the Howlands Farm site at the top of Elvet Hill.-History:In 1965,...
. It is still home to the highest proportion of local students of those at Durham-based colleges (although not if the two Stockton-based colleges are included), and also traditionally houses a high proportion of mature students.
It is the only collegiate body to offer undergraduates catered, self-catered, and part catered accommodation .
History
At its formation, the Society consisted largely of mature students, was non-residential and run by the students themselves. It elected a President and an Executive Committee to organise social events, sports teams and other clubs, manage the common room and other facilities largely (but not exclusively) provided by the University, and represent members concerns to the academic authorities.The University appointed a Junior Proctor and later a Censor who was employed by the University to oversee the Society's members. Among the early Censors, Frank Byron JevonsFrank Byron Jevons
Frank Byron Jevons was a polymath, academic and administrator of Durham University.-Early life:He was educated at Nottingham High School and Wadham College, Oxford and appointed a lecturer in Classics at Durham in 1882.-Career:...
and Percy John Heawood
Percy John Heawood
Percy John Heawood was a British mathematician educated at Queen Elizabeth's School, Ipswich, and Exeter College, Oxford....
were both scholars of considerable note.
The Society grew in size until the Second World War when numbers of students in the University dropped sharply and the Society was effectively in abeyance until 'refounded' in 1945 by veterans returning from combat who wished to complete their degrees. When the Society moved to the South Bailey in 1951, it began to offer accommodation to a small number of students and created the position of Principal to replace that of Censor. The first Principal, Clifford Leech
Clifford Leech
Clifford Leech was a prolifically published British-born professor of English at University College at the University of Toronto 1963-74...
, a distinguished academic and widely-acknowledged expert on Jacobean
Jacobean
Jacobean indicates the period of English history that coincides with the reign of James I of England :*Jacobean era*Jacobean architecture*Jacobean literature*Jacobean English...
literature, served for several years in this role before going on to become Professor of English at the University of Toronto
University of Toronto
The University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...
. His portrait, by Thomas William Pattison (1894-1983), hangs in the college hall. The Principal is now responsible for managing all aspects of the Society. The Society includes a dedicated team of University staff, a junior common room, a senior room, an alumni association and a group of fellows.
Over the years the Society has expanded a great deal and now has a large body of accommodation on the Bailey as well as elsewhere in Durham. In 2006, when 'Brooks House' was built this allowed, for the first time, all first year students to live-in, as well as a number of returners and postgraduate students.
Traditions and Culture
The patron of the Society, St. Cuthbert, continues to be remembered annually, if somewhat incongruously for an ascetic, in The Feast, a traditional banquet held on or near St. Cuthbert's feast day of 20 March each year.Another annual event is Cuth's Day, a day of entertainment conducted on, off and in the River Wear
River Wear
The River Wear is located in North East England, rising in the Pennines and flowing eastwards, mostly through County Durham, to the North Sea at Sunderland.-Geology and history:...
, which curls around the foot of the bailey where the Society is based.
The surviving ‘Refounders’ of the Society hold a reunion weekend every September in college. The same weekend also hosts the Annual General Meeting of St Cuthbert's Association, the alumni organisation of the Society. In addition to this, the Founders of the Society are remembered at the annual Founders' Formal and past Presidents attend the President's Formal.
Although the bailey college
Bailey college
The Bailey colleges are a group of colleges of Durham University that are located on The Bailey, or The Peninsula, an historic area around North and South Bailey street in the centre of Durham, England...
s are generally considered to be more traditional, St Cuthbert's Society generally employs quite an informal approach to its proceedings and its members, unlike the bailey colleges, and its students no longer wear gowns except for congregation.
The Society has a rugby team, and a society boat club. It also has a photography society, a theatre company, a big band and a choir. .
Coat of arms
The original seventh century pectoral crossPectoral cross
A pectoral cross or pectorale is a cross, usually relatively large, suspended from the neck by a cord or chain that reaches well down the chest. It is worn by the clergy as an indication of their position, and is different from the small crosses worn on necklaces by many Christians, which have no...
of St. Cuthbert was discovered when his grave was opened in 1827, and is now preserved in the cathedral treasury. The motto, gratia gratiam parit, appears in the Adagia
Adagia
Adagia is an annotated collection of Greek and Latin proverbs, compiled during the Renaissance by Dutch humanist Desiderius Erasmus Roterodamus. Erasmus' collection of proverbs is "one of the most monumental ... ever assembled" Adagia (adagium is the singular form and adagia is the plural) is an...
of Erasmus, a collection of Greek and Latin adages, and can be loosely translated as ‘friendship begets friendship’ or ‘kindness begets kindness’. The full coat of arms
Coat of arms
A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...
includes an eider duck as the crest. This is because, while resident in the Farne Islands
Farne Islands
The Farne Islands are a group of islands off the coast of Northumberland, England. There are between 15 and 20 or more islands depending on the state of the tide. They are scattered about 2.5–7.5 km distant from the mainland, divided into two groups, the Inner Group and the Outer Group...
, St Cuthbert instituted special laws to protect these and other seabirds nesting there, creating what may have been the first bird protection laws anywhere in the world. Consequently, eider ducks have long been known as 'cuddy ducks' (Cuthbert's ducks) in the Pitmatic
Pitmatic
Pitmatic , also colloquially known as "yakka", is a dialect of English used in the counties of Northumberland and Durham in England. It developed as a separate dialect from Northumbrian and Geordie partly due to the specialised terms used by mineworkers in the local coal pits...
dialect as spoken in Northumberland
Northumberland
Northumberland is the northernmost ceremonial county and a unitary district in North East England. For Eurostat purposes Northumberland is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "Northumberland and Tyne and Wear" NUTS 2 region...
.
Accommodation
Although St Cuthbert's Society is situated on the bailey and therefore a bailey collegeBailey college
The Bailey colleges are a group of colleges of Durham University that are located on The Bailey, or The Peninsula, an historic area around North and South Bailey street in the centre of Durham, England...
, the Society has accommodation elsewhere in Durham, at Parsons Field. This accommodation consists of four buildings, with one (Brooks House) including en-suite facilities, and the others (Refounders House, Parsons Field Court and Fonteyn Court) consisting of standard single rooms. Returning students typically live in Brooks House, with other buildings at Parsons Field being primarily for first year undergraduates.
By having catered, part catered and self-catered accommodation, St Cuthbert's Society offers a choice of meal packages to students.
Other facilities include a library, two common rooms, two bars, two gyms, two computer rooms, a conference room, and a music room.
Boat Club
Launched in the summer of 1893, five years after the foundation of the Society itself, the Boat Club offers training and facilities for rowers of all levels and commitment.Academia
- Professor John Joseph Wilkes FSASociety of Antiquaries of LondonThe Society of Antiquaries of London is a learned society "charged by its Royal Charter of 1751 with 'the encouragement, advancement and furtherance of the study and knowledge of the antiquities and history of this and other countries'." It is based at Burlington House, Piccadilly, London , and is...
, FBA, Yates Professor of Greek and Roman Archaeology, University College, London
Arts and Literature
- Russell AshRussell AshRussell Ash was the British author of the Top 10 of Everything series of books, as well as Great Wonders of the World, Incredible Comparisons and many other reference, art and humour titles, most notably his recent series of books on strange-but-true names, Potty, Fartwell & Knob, Busty, Slag and...
, Author - Andrew BuchanAndrew Buchan-Early life:Buchan was born in Stockport, Greater Manchester, and brought up in the suburb of Lostock in Bolton. He attended the nearby Rivington and Blackrod High School in Horwich....
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, Musician, LindisfarneLindisfarneLindisfarne is a tidal island off the north-east coast of England. It is also known as Holy Island and constitutes a civil parish in Northumberland... - Justin HillJustin HillJustin Hill is an English novelist whose novels have been nominated for the Man Booker Prize three times. Born in Freeport, Grand Bahama Island in 1971, he grew up in Yorkshire. He was educated at the historic St Peter's School, York....
, Author - Anthony PayneAnthony PayneAnthony Payne is an English composer, most famous for the work published as Edward Elgar: The Sketches for Symphony No. 3 Elaborated by Anthony Payne...
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, Journalist, Author
Broadcasting
- Alastair FothergillAlastair FothergillAlastair Fothergill is a producer of nature documentaries for television and cinema. He is the executive producer of the multi-award winning series The Blue Planet and Planet Earth and the co-director of the associated feature films Deep Blue and Earth.Fothergill attended Harrow...
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, Broadcast Journalist
The Church
- David Williams BentleyDavid Williams BentleyDavid Williams Bentley was the 7th Bishop of Barbados . Educated at the University of Cambridge, the University of London and St Cuthbert's Society in the University of Durham, he was ordained Deacon in 1906 and Priest a year later....
, Bishop of BarbadosBishop of BarbadosThe Anglican diocese of Barbados was set up in 1824, as one of two covering the whole Caribbean. Before that, the area was nominally under the charge of the Bishop of London, a situation that had been assumed to hold from 1660 onwards... - William Nigel StockWilliam Nigel StockWilliam Nigel Stock is the current Bishop of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich; a post he has held since 2007....
, Bishop of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich
Industry
- Norman Askew, Chairman of Taylor WoodrowTaylor WoodrowTaylor Woodrow was one of the largest British housebuilding and general construction companies. It was listed on the London Stock Exchange and was once a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index but merged with rival George Wimpey to create Taylor Wimpey on 3 July 2007.-Early years:Frank Taylor was...
, Chief Executive, British Nuclear Fuels - Sir Nick ScheeleNick ScheeleSir Nicholas Scheele is a former Chancellor of the University of Warwick and formerly President and Chief Operating Officer of Ford Motor Company...
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Politics
- Oswald O'BrienOswald O'BrienOswald O'Brien was a British Labour Co-operative politician.He was born Oswald O'Brien into a family of teachers in 1928, in Darlington...
, Labour MPMember of ParliamentA Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for DarlingtonDarlingtonDarlington is a market town in the Borough of Darlington, part of the ceremonial county of County Durham, England. It lies on the small River Skerne, a tributary of the River Tees, not far from the main river. It is the main population centre in the borough, with a population of 97,838 as of 2001... - John PughJohn PughJohn David Pugh is a Liberal Democrat politician in the United Kingdom. He is Member of Parliament for Southport...
, Liberal DemocratLiberal DemocratsThe Liberal Democrats are a social liberal political party in the United Kingdom which supports constitutional and electoral reform, progressive taxation, wealth taxation, human rights laws, cultural liberalism, banking reform and civil liberties .The party was formed in 1988 by a merger of the...
MPMember of ParliamentA Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
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Further reading
- Tudor, Henry, St. Cuthbert's Society, 1888-1988 : the history of 'a modest but exciting institution in the University of Durham.
- University of Durham Statutes - Colleges and Societies.