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Rev. Matthias Watkinson resigned the President ship of the College in 1706, and was succeeded by the Rev. Edward Jones, the eleventh President. He was a native of Staffordshire, arrived in Lisbon in 1684, was promoted to the priesthood in 1691, and in the following year was appointed Professor of Philosophy. He shortly afterwards paid a short visit to England for the purpose of transacting some family affairs, and on his return in 1699, was named Vice-President and Professor of Theology. On the resignation of Father Watkinson, the entire government of the House devolved upon him.

The first object which Father Jones proposed to himself in his new dignity was the repairing, or rather the rebuilding of the College. The edifice as originally erected, had fallen into a most dilapidated state, and had the appearance rather of a group of small houses than of a College. By the Will of the Founder, the right of patronage of the College had been committed to an Institution called the Misericordia, to which the possession of the buildings and whatever property might belong to them, was to be made over in case the inmates were withdrawn from Lisbon and returned to England.

This right of patronage both by Civil and Canon Law, imposed upon the Misericordia the obligation of keeping the College in a proper state of repair, with which, however, it refused to comply. The Superiors had recourse to the law and obtained a decision to the effect, that the Misericordia should forfeit its right of patronage or rebuild the College. At length both sides agreed to a compromise, by which the Superiors took upon themselves the onus of rebuilding and keeping in repair for the future the fabric; the Misericordia, on its part,