Oscott

Oscott, a Roman Catholic college, near Birmingham, which claims to be the centre of the Roman Catholic movement in England. The name (or Auscott, as it is spelt in Camden's Britannia) is first met with towards the close of the 17th century as the seat of a Catholic mission, which continued to be served by different priests till in 1752 it was formed into a college for the education of both laymen and ecclesiastics, and called St Mary's College. In 1835 the present fine buildings were erected, and in 1889 the establishment became purely ecclesiastical, no longer admitting lay students. It is now styled St Mary's Seminary, and the curriculum includes a course of higher classics, science, and mathematics, to meet the requirements of the London University B.A. Exam. After this the course consists of two years of mental philosophy and three and a half of theology and kindred subjects. The staff includes a rector, vice-rector, and eight professors, and the seminary is open to students from any British diocese.