St Mary's College, St Andrews

St Mary's College, in full the New College of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, is the home of the Faculty and School of Divinity within the University of St Andrews, in Fife, Scotland.

History

The College was founded in 1538 by Archbishop James Beaton, uncle of Cardinal David Beaton on the site of the Pedagogy or St John's College (founded 1418).

St Mary's College was intended to preserve the teachings of the Roman Catholic church against the heretical teachings of the reformers. It was dedicated to a revival of learning on the Continental trilingual model and from the outset laid emphasis on the knowledge of Latin, Greek and Hebrew. In 1579, nineteen years after the Reformation brought fundamental changes to the religious life of the Scottish nation, St Mary's College was reconstituted as the Faculty of Divinity of the University.

St Mary's College retains much of its original sixteenth century buildings, specifically the north and West ranges. The Quad contains a thorn tree said to have been planted by Mary, Queen of Scots, during her many visits to St.Andrews. The Quad also contains the historic King James Library founded by King James VI & I in 1612. In addition the College has The Roundel, a 16th-century building dedicated for doctoral students studying divinity at the University of St Andrews.