Woodhall House, Edinburgh facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Woodhall House |
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View of the east side of the house from the track that links Woodhall Road to Blinkbonny Road.
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| OS grid reference | 319729, 668348 |
| Location | Juniper Green, Edinburgh |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| History | |
| Status | Closed |
| Founded | 1959 |
| Founder(s) | Society of Jesus |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Private House |
| Heritage designation | Category B |
| Designated | 19 December 1979 |
| Closed | 1976 |
Woodhall House is an old mansion in Scotland. It was first mentioned way back in 1707! For a while, it was even run by a group called the Society of Jesus. You can find it in Juniper Green, a part of Edinburgh, Scotland. It's a special building, protected because of its history.
Contents
History of Woodhall House
The Foulis Family Owners
In 1707, Juniper Green was a very small place. It had just two main buildings: Baberton House and Woodhall House. Back then, Woodhall House belonged to William Foulis. His family, the Foulis baronets, were important landowners. William got the house from Sir John Foulis.
Later, the house went to Sir James Foulis. He owned it from 1796 until he passed away in 1842. The Foulis family kept the house for many years. Eventually, they sold it to a famous doctor named Professor Stanley Patrick Davidson.
Professor Davidson was a very respected doctor. In 1921, he joined the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh. He was even the President of the Royal College of Physicians in Edinburgh from 1953 to 1957. When he retired in 1959, Woodhall House was sold again.
The Society of Jesus Takes Over
In 1959, a religious group called the Society of Jesus bought Woodhall House for £8000. They used it for a few important things. It became a place for people to go on quiet retreats. These retreats helped people learn about Ignatian spirituality. It was also a training house, called a novitiate, for new members of the Jesuits in Scotland.
The Jesuits hoped to create a special Scottish branch of their group. This would help them continue their work in Scotland. It would also connect Scottish Jesuits with those working in other places, like what was then called British Guyana.
In September 1963, the Jesuits built Woodhall Court next to the house. This was the new training center for Scotland. Fr James Christie SJ was the first leader of the novitiate. A well-known writer of hymns, Fr James J. Quinn SJ, was in charge of studies. The first religious service in the new chapel was led by Cardinal Gordon Gray.
By 1964, all new Jesuit members in Britain came to Woodhall House for their training.
In 1970, the Jesuit training program moved out of Woodhall House. The new members went to Loyola Hall near Liverpool. The Society of Jesus then sold Woodhall House in 1976 to a private owner.
Woodhall House Today
After the Jesuits sold the property, Woodhall Court was rented out. Students from Edinburgh Napier University and Moray House School of Education lived there. In 1982, it was changed into 17 private apartments. Woodhall House itself is still a privately owned home.
See also
- Society of Jesus
- Ignatian spirituality
- Juniper Green
