KING'S COLLEGE, Windsor, is the old est university in what is now the Dominion of Canada, and, with the exception of the French foundation of Laval (q.v.) at Quebec, is the oldest college. It has the distinction of being the oldest university in the British dominions overseas. Its establishment was the work of British Loyalists, chiefly from the State of New York, after the close of the War of the Revolution. Of these about 18000 settled in the Nova Scotia Peninsula. As early as 8 March 1783 a meeting of Loyalists was held in New York, and °A Plan of Religious and Literary Instruction for the Province of Nova Scotia)) was drawn up and forwarded to the colonial secretary; and when Dr. Charles Inglis, who had formerly been rector of Trinity Church, New York, was consecrated first bishop of Nova Scotia in 1787, one of his first cares was to carry the scheme into effect. First, a grant was obtained from the provincial legislature for an academy at Windsor. This academy (now known as the Collegiate School) was opened 1 Nov. 1788, and the following year an act was passed for ((the permanent estab lishment and effectual support of a college at Windsor," and the sum of 1400 sterling per annum granted toward its maintenance. Under this act King's College was opened in 1790 in temporary quarters, and the erection of a build ing of wood was begun the following year.
The first president of the college was Rev. William Cochran, a graduate of Trinity Col lege, Dublin, who had been professor of Greek and Latin in King's (now Columbia) College, New York, but who, on account of his Loyalist sympathies, resigned and came to Nova Scotia in 1788.
A royal charter, giving to King's College full university powers, was granted by George III in 1802, and was accompanied by an impe rial grant of 11,000 a year, which was continued until 1834. The board of governors under this charter was a political body, consisting of the lieutenant-governor, the bishop and six mem bers of the government. The task of framing statutes for the college was entrusted to a com mittee of three, two of whom were uncompro mising Tories, and by their rigid adherence to the model in the matter of religious tests inflicted a lasting injury upon the college and almost effected its ruin. The requirement was made that alt students, on matriculation, must subscribe to the Thirty-nine Articles. To this the bishop strenuously objected, and sent his protest to the archbishop of Canterbury, who was, under the charter, patron of the col lege. The archbishop compromised by with drawing the test at matriculation, but requiring it of all those who were admitted to degrees. Instead of at once publishing this amendment, the governors kept the matter quiet, and Lord Dalhousie, who became governor of the prov ince in 1816, seems not to have heard of it until after he had arranged for the establishment of another institution (Dalhousie College) (q.v.)
in Halifax.
Although the religious tests were finally re moved in 1829, in spite of repeated attempts to secularize it and amalgamate it with Dal housie College, Halifax, King's College still re tamed its connection with the Church of Eng land, and indeed the requirement that the presi dent should be a clergyman was only abolished in 1902. Of the three King's Colleges estab lished at Windsor, N. S., Fredericton, N. B., and Toronto, it is the only one which has main tained its original status, the others having re linquished their charters and become secu larized.
In 1846 a meeting of alumni of the college was held, and it was determined to form an association for furthering the interests of the college. Accordingly a provincial act incor porating "The Alumni of King's College, Wind sor," was obtained in 1847, and six years later another act abolished the old political board of governors and constituted a new board, the members of which were, for the most part, to be elected by the alumni. The provincial grant of L400 was discontinued in 1849, and for some years the smaller grant of $1,000 a year was continued, but this ceased in 1881, and since that time the college has been thrown upon its own resources. The progress of the college was rapid under the new regime. The number of students increased. A beautiful stone con vocation hall and library was erected in 1861 and a chapel in 1877.
The library of the college, which owes its inception to John Inglis, who went to England in 1802 to collect books, contains some of the most valuable bibliographical treasures in Can ada. There are no less than 18 volumes from the famous Aldine Press, including the Aristotle of 1495-98. Then there are 20 volumes from the Elzevir Press and 16 from that of Stephens of Paris. One of the treasures is a copy of the Coberger Bible of 1475, of which there is per haps not another copy in America. Among the valuable books of a later date may be men tioned the Boyden edition of Shakespeare and Milton, and a presentation copy of the Marquis of Buckingham's 'Homer.' The present teaching staff of the college consists of a president and professors of divin ity (2), classics, philosophy and ethics, science, English mathematics, physics and engineering. Degrees are given in arts, divin ity, engineering and science, and a school of law, established at Saint John, N. B., in con nection with the University of King's College, in 1892, is doing good work. The Engineering School, which is the oldest in Nova Scotia, was removed in 1904 to the Sydneys to take advan tage of the splendid plant in operation in the Cape Breton metropolis. In 1915-16 there were 57 students in attendance, and at the Law School 27 students. The university is affiliated with Oxford, Cambridge and Dublin univer sities.