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Origin and history

The College of Scots of Paris, founded in the 14th century and rebuilt in the 3rd quarter of the 17th century, was an educational institution for young Scots exiled to France. These students enjoyed dual French and Scottish citizenship thanks to the treaty of the Auld Alliance. The college, originally located on Rue des Amandiers (present-day Laplace Street), was moved in 1662 to the Saint-Victor ditches by Robert Barclay, who joined a seminar for Scottish refugees.

In 1685, urban works (demolition of the Saint-Marcel gate and filling of the ditches) forced the college to make structural changes, including the addition of a ground floor. The building served as a prison during the Terror before being returned to the Scottish Church in 1806. A macabre peculiarity was preserved there: a golden bronze urn containing the brains of James II of England and VII of Scotland, king who died in exile at Saint-Germain-en-Laye in 1701.

The college was merged in 1802 with that of Douai (founded in 1573 by John Lesley, bishop of Marie Stuart) by a decree of the Consulate. Today, the site of the 65 rue du Cardinal-Lemoine houses a primary school and a student home. Partially classified as historical monuments (1945 and 1975), it bears witness to the historical links between France, Scotland and the Jacobite exiles.

Note: a third private Scottish college was established in Montpellier in 1924 by Patrick Geddes, with no direct connection to Parisian or Customs institutions. These colleges illustrated the French tradition of welcoming Scottish Catholics, especially after the Protestant Reformation and persecution in England.

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