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New College Past, Present & Future

Celebrating 175 years of New College

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Community

1840

Student protestors

with 1840
Students and professors of theology, were heavily involved in the debates about the appointment of parish ministers which were to lead to the Disruption of 1843.
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1840s Community #utility
1843

First session of the New College

with 1840
The very first classes for the Free Church students were held at Dr Candlish' church in Lothian Road.
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1840s Community Curriculum History of the Building #utility
Walkout splits the Church and divides Divinity Faculty
1843 Disruption Painting by David Octavius Hill, ©Free Church of Scotland

Walkout splits the Church and divides Divinity Faculty

with 1840
On May 18th 1843 Reverend David Welsh led a walk out of c. 200 ministers from the opening session of the Church of Scotland' General Assembly.
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1840s Community Major Events timeline #utility
Chalmers’ vision for Free Church Education
1845 ©National Museum of Scotland, Elliot Collection, bequeathed 1950

Chalmers’ vision for Free Church Education

with 1840
In 1845 Thomas Chalmers turned his attention to the curriculum of the college.
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1840s Community Curriculum #utility
1847

Student social action

with 1840
The New College Missionary Society began as a breakaway from the Edinburgh University Missionary Association at the time of the Disruption.
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1840s Community #utility
1851

Student Life in the 1850s

with 1850
The scope of the curriculum can be seen in the announcement for the commencement of the college session from 3rd September 1851.
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1850s Community #utility
1865

South African Links

with 1860
Forty-four Afrikaner candidates for ministry trained at New College.
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1860s Belief Community Diversity #utility
1870

First college dinner

with 1870
In 1872 a stable was converted to provide kitchens and the tradition of the New College Dinner began.
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1870s Community #utility
1870

Students call for more space

with 1870
A Minute of the New College Senatus shows students requesting a reading room and room for societies in 1870 but to no avail!
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1870s Community History of the Building #utility
1876

Students hire Gaiety Theatre

with 1870
The Student Missionary Society began two new projects.
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1870s Community #utility
Helpers in the library
1893 Helpers in the New College Library (New College Library Archives AA.1.8.1)

Helpers in the library

with 1890
Student helpers were a resource first used when Prof David Welsh was responsible for gathering a library for New College.
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1890s Community History of the Building Library timeline #utility
Phoebe Anna Traquair “Address of the Young Women’ Class to Rev Whyte”
1898 ©The University of Edinburgh

Phoebe Anna Traquair “Address of the Young Women’ Class to Rev Whyte”

with 1890
Illuminated manuscript produced to mark Rev Whyte's election as Moderator of the General Assembly of the Free Church of Scotland in 1898.
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1890s Community Diversity Major Events timeline #utility
1904

New College in Exile

with 1890
Following the Union of the Free Church and the United Presbyterian Church in 1900 there was a court case about the ownership of the premises.
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1890s Community History of the Building #utility
1906

New College Union founded for alumni

with 1900
In 1906, there was a Union founded for Alumni of New College.
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1900s Community #utility
1907

Staff and students return to New College

with 1890
On 1st Jan 1907 the United Free Church was able to return following the outcome of a Royal Commission of Inquiry.
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1890s Community History of the Building #utility
1909

Discussions pave the way for church reunion

with 1890
The path to the reunion of the Church of Scotland and the Free Church in 1929 began a decade earlier with a meeting held in New College Library.
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1890s Community #utility
1910

World Missionary Conference

with 1910
The Edinburgh Missionary Conference was held in the Assembly Hall adjoining New College.
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1910s Community #utility
New College fun and games in the early 20th century
1911 Picnic at Roslin Glen 1911, ©The University of Edinburgh

New College fun and games in the early 20th century

with 1910
Nostalgic photographs held in New College's Special Collections show friendship and fellowship outside of the classroom.
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1910s Community Decade Extra curricular Social Societies Sports Leave a Comment on New College fun and games in the early 20th century
1914

New College and the Great War

with 1910
The impact of WW1 on a generation can be seen in different places.
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1910s Community Wartime #utility
1925

Keeping the clergy in good voice

with 1920
Scottish actor Alistair Sim served as Lecturer in Elocution 1925-30. Elocution was taught to candidates for the ministry from 1877.
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1920s Community #utility
1929

Union of the United Free Church and the Church of Scotland

with 1920
The settlement for the three Theological Colleges of the United Free Church and Four University Faculties of the Church of Scotland took a little longer.
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1920s Community #utility
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