| Morden College | |
| Type: | Residential home |
| Map Relief: | yes |
| Coordinates: | 51.4695°N 0.0195°W |
| Location: | Blackheath, London, England |
| Built: | 1695-1702 |
| Architect: | Christopher Wren |
| Governing Body: | Charity |
| Designation1: | Grade I |
| Designation1 Offname: | Morden College |
| Designation1 Date: | 19 October 1951 |
| Designation1 Number: | 1289879 |
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.
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.'[1]
Morden College was built (to a design sometimes attributed to Sir Christopher Wren, but largely carried out by Edward Strong, his master mason)[2] 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 (1796):
College trustees were drawn from the Turkey Company.[3] 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:
| Year | Person | Value of gift | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1721 | Lady Morden | £100 | |
| 1723 | Sir Charles Cooke | £100 | |
| 1729 | Sir Peter Delmé | £100 | |
| 1751 | William Hanger, Esq | £100 | |
| 1751 | Richard Chiswell, Esq | £100 | |
| 1752 | Thomas Cooke, Esq | £114 | |
| 1764 | Francis Levett, Esq[4] | £200 | |
| 1772 | Richard Chiswell, Esq | £200 | |
| 1774 | Richard Pyke, Esq | £1,000 | |
| 1774 | John March, Esq | £500 | |
| 1775 | Sir Gregory Page | £300 | |
| 1788 | John Jamet, Esq | £50 |
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.
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 (designated 19 October 1951), 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.[5] [6]
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.[7]