Ushaw College Archive & Heritage Collections

The purpose of the Ushaw College Archive is to collect, preserve and make available archives relating to the history of Ushaw College seminary, the wider post-Reformation Catholic world, the English College in Lisbon, and “at risk” Catholic institutions.

Collections held

The collection contains papers relating to the management of Ushaw College, including its financial, architectural, social and cultural history. It also includes the personal papers of nineteenth-century Catholic notables, such as St John Henry Newman, Cardinal Nicholas Wiseman, and Cardinal Henry Manning, as well as the records of twentieth century lay societies and other “at risk” Catholic institutions. The archives exist in a wide variety of formats: paper records; photographs; microfilm; film; tape recordings and born digital records.

The Archive is part of the Network of Archives & Libraries of the Catholic Church and as material is catalogued it will be made available online through the Catholic Heritage website.

The Ushaw Library contains around 50,000 books, including Ushaw’s own collections and collections from various parishes, as well as the Library of the English College, Lisbon (1622-1972). The Library and Archive can be searched via the Durham University Website:
https://www.durham.ac.uk/departments/library/about-us/partners-and-projects/partner-libraries/

Archival Catalogue search (for archival material and medieval manuscripts): Durham University Library Archives & Special Collections: Search Form 

The Ushaw artefact collections reflect Ushaw as a collector of Catholic heritage in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. This includes a large collection of relics of early Christian and English martyrs, paintings; including an important collection by Nazarene artist Franz von Rohden, sculpture by Karl Hoffman, historic church plate and liturgical items made during the penal period. Ushaw also holds an important collection of church textiles from the medieval period to the modern day, including textile fragments from the tomb of St Cuthbert. Ushaw is also home to artefact collections from the Earls of Derwentwater and the English College, Lisbon.

There is currently no online catalogue for Ushaw’s artefact collections but enquires can be made via email.

Some information about the artefacts can be found on these resources:

Ushaw Vestments: https://sites.google.com/ushaw.org/fabricofresistance/fabric-of-resistance-online-exhibition

Ushaw Sculpture: https://artuk.org/discover/artworks/search/venue:ushaw-historic-house-chapels-and-gardens-7707

Collections

Collecting policy

Since 2011 Durham University has been working with the Trustees of Ushaw College to catalogue library and archive collections held there and to make them accessible to researchers. The national profile of this work within the Catholic community in the UK has led to the transfer of archives of related organisations to Ushaw College, deposited or donated with Durham University. The existence of important archive and special collections material in this area at risk of loss – and the lack of obvious sustainable alternative provision – has been reflected in this collecting policy. Particular efforts are made to co-ordinate acquisitions with the archives of Catholic archdioceses and dioceses; other collecting Catholic educational establishments, including Downside Abbey, Douai Abbey and Stonyhurst; as well as other libraries and record repositories in the United Kingdom where this is appropriate.

Access

The Ushaw College Archive is part of the library of Ushaw Historic House, Chapels and Gardens. Academic enquiries are currently being managed by Durham University and this is by appointment only.

For all non-academic enquiries about Ushaw’s Heritage Collections, please contact Ushaw directly.

Contact Details

Further reading

‘The Ushaw Collection of Manuscripts’ by M Sharratt in Catholic Archives No 4 pp 4-8

J. Kelly (ed.) Treasures of Ushaw College: Durham’s Hidden Gem, (Scala, 2015)