Monument record BSE 323 - Jesus College; The College; College Street

'Jesus College (site of)' marked with a small cross at this location on 1880s OS map (S1). Building previously shown on Warren's map (S2) as 'The College' (he marks Jesus College seperately to NE - see BSE 101).

Presumably all part of college building complex founded by Jankyn Smith circa 1480 bequeathed in his will to provide a residence for the priests of St Mary's and St James'. As well as the college itself, the complex included six tenements (S3).

See also BSE 290 for evaluation and excavation results revealing a high-status medieval cellar, likely associated with Jesus College.

The early cellar is probably part of the College of Jesus founded to supply priests for the celebration of mass within the Abbey chantries and the charnal house that were dissolved in 1549. This is identified as the site of ‘the College’ on Thomas Warren’s map of 1776; however, he also refers to the ‘College of Jesus’ on the opposite side of the street. From this we can suggest that there was more than one large building of stone associated with the site of the College and that these appeared on either side of College Street (S4).

Evidence of an 18th century workhouse on the same site as the College, See BSE 660.

Jesus College was founded in 1480 by John Smyth for chantry priests to live in common, and licensed in 1481 for a warden and 6 chaplains, 4 almsmen being maintained at the dissolution. The college was sited on the west side of College Street 8 chains north of the junction with Westgate Street and 3 chains south of Churchgate Street. (S5)