DULWICH, a county and parliamentary division in the metropolitan borough of Camberwell, London, England, with stations at East, North and West Dulwich on the Southern rail way. Pop. (1931) 60,643. It comprises the southern end of the borough from Denmark Hill and Peckham to upper Sydenham and the Crystal Palace. West Dulwich, in which the College is situated, with its wooded lanes descending from the Sydenham hill, still retains much of its rural character. The manor, which had belonged to the Cluniac monks of Bermondsey, passed through various hands to Edward Alleyn (q.v.) in 1606. His foundation of the College of God's Gift, commonly called Dul wich College, was opened with great state on Sept. 13, 1619, in the presence of Lord Chancellor Bacon, Inigo Jones and other distinguished men. According to the letters patent the alms people and scholars were to be chosen from the parishes of St. Giles, St. Botolph without Bishopsgate, and St. Saviour's (Southwark). By a series of statutes signed in 1626, Alleyn ordained that his school should consist of three distinct classes : (I) twelve poor scholars; (2) children of inhabitants of Dul wich, who were to be taught freely ; and (3) "towne or foreign schollers." The almspeople consisted of six "poor brethren" and six "poor sisters," and the head of the teaching and governing staff was to consist of a master and a warden, who were always to be of the founder's surname.
The founder's intention to establish a great public school, with provision for university training, is shown by the statutes; but for more than two centuries the educational benefits were re stricted to the twelve poor scholars. In 1857 and 1882, however, the foundation was entirely reconstituted. It now comprises two schools, called respectively Dulwich College and Alleyn's school. The former is one of the important English public schools ; the buildings (1866-70) by Charles Barry contain a fine hall. The college possesses one of the leading private picture galleries in the country, the bequest mainly of Sir P. F. Bourgeois, R.A., in 181I, with later additions and a separate endowment. The Dutch and Flemish schools in particular are well represented, together with some fine examples of the Spanish, French and British. Dulwich park (72 ac.) was presented to the public in 1890.