Glasgow's School of the Prophets: The Free Church College. II

In 1856 Glasgow was a large and growing city. It held its place as Scotland's second city and rejoiced in its motto of 'Let Glasgow flourish by the preaching of the Word'. It was the year in which Glasgow's art collection was begun. Glasgow was flourishing, and the leading Free Churchmen of the city looked in dismay at their own lack of a College. Something had to be done.
It was done, in 1855, but not by the Free Church. A group of Glasgow businessmen and professional men presented a Memorial to the 1855 Free Church General Assembly offering to build and endow, entirely at their own expense, a college for the training of Free Church ministers in Glasgow. The Assembly were no longer able to drag their feet, and they accepted the offer.
Unfettered by committees the Glasgow Memorialists went to work quickly. Before the next General Assembly they had acquired a site for the College and plans had been drawn up by the architect selected, a Glasgow Architect called Charles Wilson. Wilson's design was in the Italianate style, dominated by a soaring Campanile or tower. The building was to provide four class-rooms with private rooms for the professors, a public hall and a library. Dr. William Clark, leader of the Memorialists, also gave a church, adjoining the college and designed by the same architect, on condition that fifty seats be reserved for the use of students.
The buildings would not be ready until late in 1857, but the Memorialists petitioned the Assembly with the suggestion that Professors should be appointed and classes begin, in rented accomodation, in 1856. The Assembly agreed, and so 1856, 150 years ago, is the official date of the founding of Free Church College, Glasgow.
Next time, God willing, we shall take a look at the early faculty, and at the progress of the College.