Colonel William Semple of Lochwinnoch, after a life spent in the military and diplomatic service of the Spanish crown, founded (with his wife, Doña María de Ledesma) a College in Madrid in 1627, entrusting its running to the Jesuits. Their deed of foundation stipulated that the College was for students:
"Scottish by birth, preferably those of superior character and virtue and those who promise more fruit in the welfare of souls, and they have to spend whatever time may be necessary in studying Grammar and Philosophy, Theology, Controversies and Sacred Scripture, so that when they are well versed in all of these, they may proceed to the said Kingdom of Scotland to preach the Gospel and convert heretics… when they leave the said seminary for this purpose, others are to be received in their place having the same end, and thus the matter will continue for as long as the aforesaid conversion may require."
The College in Madrid did not produce very many Priests for the Mission in Scotland. In 1771 John Geddes (later to be Vicar Apostolic of the Lowland District in Scotland) obtained from King Carlos III the use of the former Jesuit Colegio de San Ambrosio in Valladolid. Luckily, for us Scots at least, in 1767 the King had suppressed the Society of Jesus in his realm and many of the former Jesuit buildings lay empty. The original Cédula Real (Royal Charter) of 1771 granting us part of the building was followed in the same decade by others which gave us the use of more of the building and granted us similar constitutions and rights as had the English ‘Colegio de San Albano’, founded in Valladolid in 1589.
While the College had a long and fruitful stay of more than two hundred years in Valladolid, occupied a distinguished building in that city and had many friends and pastoral contacts there, the decision was taken to move to the beautiful university city of Salamanca in 1988. This was done principally to give our students the possibility of attending the Pontifical University (established by Pope Pius XII in 1940, restoring the ancient Salmantino tradition of teaching Theology and Canon Law to the highest level), thus allowing them access to degrees in: Licentiate of Canon Law (Latin: Juris Canonici Licentiatus - J.C.L.) and Licentiate in Sacred Theology (Latin: Sacrae Theologiae Licentiatus - S.T.L.).