College of God's Gift

The College of God's Gift, often referred to as the Old (Dulwich) College, was a historic charity founded in 1619 by the Elizabethan actor and businessman Edward Alleyn who endowed it with the ancient Manor of Dulwich in south London. In 1857 it was renamed as Alleyn's College of God's Gift. The charity was reorganised in 1882 and again in 1995, when its varied component activities were split up into separate registered charities. The former constituent elements of College of God's Gift, which have been independent charities since 1995, are:

• the Dulwich Estate, the successor charity which owns the remaining freehold land of the manor of Dulwich;
• Alleyn's School
• Dulwich College
• James Allen's Girls' School
• Dulwich Almshouse^[1] located in the Old College complex
• Christ's Chapel of God's Gift^[2] located in the Old College complex
• Dulwich Picture Gallery, which became independent and ceased to be a beneficiary in 1995

The Foundation is also required to support from its endowment, as originally required by Alleyn, the Central Foundation Schools of London,^[3] which benefits Central Foundation Boys' School and Central Foundation Girls' School, and St Olave's & St Saviour's Schools Foundation,^[4] which benefits St Olave's Grammar School and St Saviour's and St Olave's Church of England School which are beneficiaries but wholly independent and indeed older foundations than that at Dulwich.