Morden College


Morden College is a charity which has been providing residential care in Blackheath, south-east London, England for over 300 years. Founded by philanthropist Sir John Morden in 1695 as a home for "poor Merchants", Morden College was built to a design sometimes attributed to Sir Christopher Wren. The original college buildings were intended to house 40 single or widowed men. Since expanded, today Morden College is a Grade I listed building and functions as a retirement home. In October 2023, its day centre, the John Morden Centre, won the Stirling Prize for architecture.

History

The college was founded by the philanthropist Sir John Morden in 1695 as a home for 'poor Merchants... and such as have lost their Estates by accidents, dangers and perils of the seas or by any other accidents ways or means in their honest endeavours to get their living by means of Merchandizing.'
Morden College was built on the north-east corner of the Wricklemarsh estate.
The original college buildings were intended to house 40 single or widowed men. It was described by Daniel Lysons in Environs of London :

Turkey Company period (1708–1826)

College trustees were drawn from the Turkey Company.
Lysons reported:
Subsequent donations to the college by prominent Turkey merchants and their wives helped assure that the college would survive. Lysons recorded those donors and the totals of their gifts:
YearPersonValue of gift
1721Lady Morden£100
1723Sir Charles Cooke£100
1729Sir Peter Delmé£100
1751William Hanger, Esq£100
1751Richard Chiswell, Esq£100
1752Thomas Cooke, Esq£114
1764Francis Levett, Esq£200
1772Richard Chiswell, Esq£200
1774Richard Pyke, Esq£1,000
1774John March, Esq£500
1775Sir Gregory Page£300
1788John Jamet, Esq£50

East India Company period (1827–1884)

The first British East India Company Trustee was William Astell. He held the position from 1827 to 1847. John Lubbock was Chairman of the Trustees from 1873 to 1889.

Court of Aldermen of the City of London period (1884–present)

During the 20th century, admission requirements were amended so that the college could accommodate women and married couples, and several new buildings were added. Today, Morden College is a Grade I listed building, and functions as a retirement home. The college also manages other homes in Blackheath and in Beckenham.
In October 2023, the John Morden Centre, a day centre at Morden College designed by Mæ, won the Stirling Prize for architecture.
In November 2023, Galliard Homes, in a joint venture with Singaporean partner City Developments Limited, acquired the 13.8-acre Morden Wharf development in Greenwich from Morden College and its partner LandsecU+I.

Other key people

Chaplains

Notable residents