St Cuthbert's Society Article Index for
St 		Website Links For
Cuthberts 		 

Information About

St Cuthbert's Society
APPAREL
BABY
BEAUTY
BOOKS
CAR TOYS
CELL PHONES
DVD'S
ELECTRONICS
GOURMET FOOD
GROCERIES
HEALTH & PERSONAL
HOME & GARDEN
JEWELRY
MUSIC
MUSIC INSTRUMENTS
OFFICE PRODUCTS
SOFTWARE
SPORTING GOODS
TOOLS & HARDWARE
TOYS
VIDEO GAMES
SHOPPING HOME
MORE SHOPPING...



  Logo
  Motto '' Gratia gratiam parit '' </br> Friendship begets friendship


  Named After Cuthbert Of Lindisfarne
  Established 1888
  Head Name Principal
  Head Prof Roy Boyne
  Senior Tutor Mrs Sharon C Richardson
  JCR Name Sabbatical President of the Society
  JCR Iain Taker (2006/7) Tom Foulser (2007/8)
  Undergraduates 1144
  Postgraduates 67
  Website St Cuthbert's Society
  JCR Website1 JCR Website
  JCR Website2 cuthscom
  Boat Club Website St Cuths Boat Club
  Campus Durham City



St Cuthbert's Society, almost universally known as '''Cuth's''', is one of the University's 16 colleges. It was founded in 1888 to cater for non-resident students and is named after Cuthbert Of Lindisfarne , whose body rests behind the high altar in nearby Durham Cathedral . St Cuthbert's was the third of Durham's collegiate bodies to be founded, following University and Hatfield College . It is located on Durham 's peninsula - and as such qualifies as one of the university's 'Bailey' colleges - and offers accommodation to all first year students and a small group of second, finalists and postgraduates.


RELATIONSHIP WITH THE UNIVERSITY

St Cuthbert's foundation as a Society differed from that of the earlier colleges in that it was founded as much by its students as established by the University. The head of the Society at that time was the President of the Society; a student. However, in 1947, the Principal became head of the Society although the close relationship with the JCR Executive still continues today. Several other Societies followed, including St Aidan's Society (now St Aidan's College ) and the Graduate Society (now Ustinov College ), but St Cuthbert's is the only college which retains the title of Society.


LOCATION

The Society is split on two sites with most central facilities provided at its main site at the end of the South Bailey, in and around a large, late seventeenth century building. Notable among these facilities is the bar, which is the only Durham college bar to have regular day-time, as well as evening, opening. The Society also houses students at its Parson's Field site off Old Elvet. The Parson's Field site includes Refounders House, Brooks House, Fonteyn Court and Parsons Field Court. Brooks House, a new 192-bedroom accommodation block, named after former Principal, Professor Leslie Brooks, was completed by the start of the 2006-2007 academic year.


TRADITIONS

The Society's patron, St Cuthbert, continues to be remembered annually, if somewhat incongruously for an ascetic, in 'The Feast', a traditionally uproarious, members-only banquet held on or near St Cuthbert's Feast Day on 20 March.

Another, summer-based, event is 'Cuth's Day'. This includes entertainment conducted on, off and in the River Wear - which curls around the foot of the Society's gardens - live music, and a day-long garden party. In both its baccanalian character and aquatic activity it resembles in spirit, if not antiquity, the more famous May Morning revels of Magdalen College, Oxford .

In contrast, more solemn events, held on both the Society's own Cuth's Day and the traditional ecclesiastical festival, comprise a silent gathering of Cuth's students at the shrine of St. Cuthbert at the east end of Durham Cathedral at dawn, followed by a hearty breakfast in one of the city's better hotels.

The survivng Refounders of the Society hold a reunion weekend every September. The Founders of the Society are remembered at the annual Founders' Formal. Past Presidents attend the President's Formal.


COAT OF ARMS

The Society's arms depict the original, seventh century Pectoral Cross of St Cuthbert, discovered when his grave was opened in 1827, and now preserved in the cathedral treasury. The motto, ''gratia gratiam parit'', appears in the Adagia of Erasmus , a collection of Greek and Latin adages, and can be translated as ‘friendship begets friendship’ or ‘kindness begets kindness’. The college crest includes an eider duck. This is because, while resident in the Farne Islands , St Cuthbert instituted special laws to protect these and other seabirds nesting there, instituting what may have been the first bird protection laws anywhere in the world. Consequently, eider ducks have long been known as 'cuddy ducks' (Cuthbert's ducks) in the Pitmatic dialect as spoken in Northumberland .


BOAT CLUB

Launched in the summer of 1893, five years after the foundation of the Society itself, it then entered two boats in the inter-collegiate races. The next year the Club won its first trophy - the Challenge Pairs - and acquired its boathouse. This building remains the hub of the Club's activities.


DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI






















PRESIDENTS OF THE SOCIETY




PRINCIPALS OF THE SOCIETY



FURTHER READING



EXTERNAL LINKS