by Michael Briody

On 17th February, 1770, in Aberdeen, Bishop James Grant appointed Rev. John Geddes Rector of the Scotch College in Madrid. Geddes had already left his mission station at Preshome, and set out on the overland journey to Spain. He arrived in Madrid on 14th April.

Geddes discovered that the Extraordinary Council set up to deal with the property and affairs of the Jesuit Order, expelled from Spain in 1767, had acceded to the suggestion of the Irish. They had a college at Alcalá de Henares, 22 miles north-east of Madrid, and proposed that the Scots property and its assets would be best given to them since there were very few Catholics in Scotland and it was very unlikely that they would return to reclaim their college.

Fr Michael Briody is a priest of the Diocese of Motherwell. He has just completed a seven year term as President of the San Ambrosio Society.