St Andrew's College, Drygrange, located near Melrose, Scotland, was a Roman Catholic seminary founded in 1953 and closed in 1986.
History
Foundation Founded by Gordon Gray shortly after he became Archbishop of St Andrews and Edinburgh, the college was operated by the archdiocese in a large country house called Drygrange House.Database (undated). "Drygrange House". Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland. Retrieved 6 March 2013. The house, standing north of the Leaderfoot Viaduct, included sizeable grounds bordered by the River Leader, a tributary of the River Tweed.
Closure The archdiocese took the decision to close the college with effect from the autumn of 1986.Staff (7 August 1987). "Seminary Moves On". Catholic Herald. Retrieved 6 March 2013. The closure was blamed by then-Archbishop Keith O'Brien, himself a former student of the seminary, on the halving of the number of new Scottish entrants to the priesthood.Staff (23 May 1986). "Fifty Per Cent Drop in Number of Priests Ordained in Scotland". Catholic Herald. Retrieved 6 March 2013.
The remaining students were transferred to Gillis College, Edinburgh, the new seminary for the archdiocese,Staff (undated). "The Gillis Centre's Past" . Gillis Centre. Retrieved 6 March 2013. and some 2,300 items from the college's library were deposited in the National Library of Scotland.Staff (undated). "Scottish Catholic Library Collections and Catalogues". Scottish Catholic Archives. Retrieved 6 March 2013.
On another analysis, the new Gillis College was the seminary of St Andrew's, transferred to a new site and renamed.Wright, David F.; Badcock, Gary David (1996). Disruption to Diversity: Edinburgh Divinity 1846–1996. Edinburgh: T&T Clark. p. 253. .
In 1987, the archdiocese sold the college's former buildings at Drygrange for £250,000 and they became a nursing home called St Andrews Nursing Home, after going into administration it was sold and in March 2001 the new owners changed it to Grange Hall Care Home which has become (Jan 2017) one of the most successful and highest graded care homes in the Scottish Borders.
In 1993, Gillis College also closed, and Chesters College, Bearsden, later renamed Scotus College, became the national seminary for Scotland.
Notable alumni Paul Kamuza Bakyenga, Archbishop of MbararaIsingoma, David (ed.); Nuwagaba, Wycliff (ed.) (1994). Who's Who in Uganda. Kampala: Fountain Publishers. p. 11. . Dennis Canavan, Scottish politicianCanavan, Dennis (2009). Let the People Decide: The Autobiography of Dennis Canavan. Edinburgh: Birlinn. p. 32. . Bishop Vincent Logan Cardinal Keith O'Brien(1986). "O'Brien, Cardinal". Who's Who in Scotland. (Ayrshire: Carrick Media). p. 373. . Bishop Stephen RobsonBishop Stephen Robson at dunkelddiocese.co.uk, retrieved 14 May 2020
Gallery
See also
List of listed buildings in Melrose, Scottish Borders List of Roman Catholic seminaries List of schools in Scotland
References