Douay

Douay (the Roman Duacum) is in the department of the Nord, on the river Scarpe, 20 miles S. of Lille, and is one of the chief military towns of France, strongly fortified, and possessing arsenal, cannon foundry, and school of artillery. It has good churches, hotel de ville, library, museum, hospital, and artillery barracks. The chief industries are the manufacture of lace, cotton, oil, soap, ironware, and machinery. But the chief interest to Englishmen of Douay is centred in the fact that it was the centre of English Catholicism after the Reformation. Cardinal Allen founded an English college here in 1568, and it was from here that most of the missionary priests were sent to England. The college sent a colony to Rheims in 1578-93. The Douay Bible was printed at both places - the New Testament at Rheims in 1582, and the Old Testament at Douay in 1610. Many other important works were printed here. The college buildings are now the artillery barracks. Among the Douay students expelled from France during the First Revolution was Lingard the historian. Ushaw College, near Durham, is an offshoot of Douay. There were also Scottish, Irish, Franciscan, and Benedictine colleges. In early times possession of Douay was disputed between French and Flemish. Passing later to Spain, it was taken by Louis XIV. in 1667. Marlborough took it in 1710, but it was reoccupied by France, and secured to her by the treaty of Utrecht.