STO'NYHURST COLLEGE. A leading Catholic college, situated at Stonyhurst Lane, England. It had its inception in the English college at Saint Omer. in the Province of Artois, France, founded by Robert Person, S.J., in 1592, under the protection and patronage of Philip II. of Spain, to which country that province then belonged. The school, in spite of many diffi culties, prospered, and when .Artois was ceded to France in 1659 a special article in the capitula tion insured the safety of the institution. In 1760 it obtained from Louis XV. the much-de sired title of 'College Royal.' At the expulsion of the Jesuits from France the college with all its movable belongings was removed to the city of Bruges in the Austrian Netherlands. When the Society of Jesus was suppressed by Pope Clem ent XIV. in 1773 an attempt was made by the Austrian Government to conduct the school with the aid of English Dominicans, but such was the attachment of the pupils to their old teachers that the college had to be closed owin!g• to their rebellious attitude. Sonic of the masters and
pupils then took refuge in Liege, where the au thorities were more kindly disposed toward the Jesuits. In 1794, when the Revolutionary armies were marching upon Liege, the college was offered a final resting place by Thomas Weld, who gave it his estate at Stonyhurst, England. In 1808 the attendance outgrew the accommoda tion, and the construction of the first of a series of five buildings was begun. In 1832-36 a church was erected and in 1837 the college library was presented with the famous Arundel' collection. The well-known observatory was erected in 1838.
1 n 1840 it heeame affiliated with the University of London. Henceforth the sciences were intro duced and the curriculum which was based on the Ratio Studiorium (q.v.) was generally en larged. The regular course of study covers a period of seven years.