ABINGDON SCHOOL

'Abingdon School' is an independent day and boarding school for boys in Abingdon, Oxfordshire. It owns Joscas Preparatory School in Frilford Heath, Oxfordshire and has strong connections with the school of St Helen & St Katharine in Abingdon. It is at least the thirteenth oldest independent school in the UK (possibly the sixth) and celebrated its 750th anniversary in 2006.

Contents

History

Students and Houses

Extracurricular activities

Academic

Headmasters

Tesdale Ushers

Notable Old Abingdonians including former Masters

Trivia

Footnotes

References

External links

History

Abingdon School is believed to have been founded prior to 1100 by the Benedictine monks of Abingdon Abbey. It may date from as early as the 950s when King Edgar is recorded as having been educated at the abbey. From its early years, the school used a room in St Nicholas' Church, which itself was built between 1121 and 1184.
The school now takes its anniversary from the earliest surviving reference to the school - 1256 - a charter of Abingdon Abbey recording an endowment by Abbot John de Blosneville for the support of thirteen poor scholars. In the past though, the school considered itself as having been founded by John Roysse in 1563. This led to the unusual circumstance whereby the school celebrated its 400th anniversary in 1963 (at which HRH Princess Margaret was guest of honour), and then its 750th in 2006. The focus on 1256 facilitated extensive anniversarial fundraising in 2006.
By the time of de Blosneville's endowment in 1256, the school had moved to a couple of rooms in Stert Street with a house for boarders at 3 Stert Street under the charge of a Dionysia Mundy. With John Roysse's re-endowment of 1563, the school moved to a site south of the Abbey gateway. Roysse was a prosperous mercer in the City of London, and through this association the school has received substantial benefactions from the Worshipful Company of Mercers. The name ''Roysse's School'' was used until the 1960s and many older Abingdon residents still use the term.
After the dissolution of Abingdon Abbey in 1538 the school passed through a difficult phase: the sixteenth century endowments by Old Abingdonians attempted to overcome the loss of monastic support. Thomas Tesdale, who had been a pupil in 1563^[1], made provision for an Usher to teach six poor scholars from the Borough of Abingdon and offered support for thirteen Abingdon students to study at Oxford. This benefaction eventually developed into Pembroke College in 1624 by the re-foundation of Broadgates Hall.

The six poor scholars, known as Bennett Boys, or colloquially as the Gown Boys due to their dress, were financed by another Old Abingdonian, William Bennett. Between 1609 and 1870 the school maintained a dual management: the Headmaster, appointed by the Mayor and Corporation, and the Tesdale Usher and Bennett Scholars appointed by the Master and Governors of Christ's Hospital, Abingdon. The Old Abingdonian Club was inaugurated in 1743 during the Headship of Thomas Woods, and is consequently one of the oldest such organisations in the country.
In 1854 Pembroke College distanced itself from the school.
The current school site in the Victorian quarter of Abingdon adjacent to Albert Park was designed by Edwin Dolby and was developed from 1870. Extensions to the 1870 buildings were added in 1880. In 1901 a chapel and gymnasium were built. The adjacent Waste Court property was acquired in 1928. The Science School came in 1952. In 1963, to mark the Quatercentenary of the school's re-foundation, the big schoolroom was re-ordered as the Grundy Library (opened by HRH Princess Margaret), together with erection of further buildings east of the Science Wing, the whole becoming known as Big School. In 1980 the Amey Theatre and Arts' Centre was opened and the Sports' Centre opened in 1984. Mercers' Court was opened in 1994 by the Chancellor of Oxford University and Visitor of Pembroke College, Baron Jenkins of Hillhead. In 2003 the new Arts' Department was opened (adjacent to the Amey Theatre) and the new Sports' Complex is due to be completed for the start of the school year 2008-2009, having been formally opened by HRH Princess Anne in 2006.

Students and Houses

The school currently has 812 pupils aged 11-18 of whom 126 are boarders. The school is split into 10 houses, 3 of which are for boarders and dayboys, 7 for day boys only. These are:

★ School - 57 boys (9 dayboys, 48 boarders)

★ Crescent - 60 boys (7 dayboys, 53 boarders)

★
★ These two houses have all the middle school boarders (aged 13-16) and the majority of the sixth form boarders (aged 16-18).

★ Waste Court - 25 boarders (16 6th form (with 2 in Boyd's) and 9 lower school)

★
★ This house has the remainder of the sixth form boarders and all of the lower school boarders (aged 11-13).

★ Boyd's - 79 boys (2 boarders in Waste Court and 77 dayboys)

★ Elliott's - 83 dayboys

★ Franklin's - 80 dayboys

★ Gooding's - 82 dayboys

★ Olders' - 81 dayboys

★ Phelps' (Situated on the same site as Waste Court) - 84 boys (72 dayboys, 13 boarders, (11 lower school boarders and 2 from Boyd's house)

★ Webb's - 81 dayboys
Day boys from 11-13 belong to the Lower School which has 123 boys (114 dayboys and 9 boarders).
The day houses (with the exception of Lower School) take their names from their current Housemasters, and are thus prone to change.
In the 20th century, the school owned another upper school boarding house, Larkhill, to the north of the Faringdon Road. Various smaller buildings have also been used for boarders at various times, with the pupils being ''part'' of one of the larger houses. The Bath Street house, Lacies Court (rare) and Glyndowr come into this category, see school map.
There are many Inter-House competitions at Abingdon, both sporting and academic. These include Cricket, Rugby and Public Speaking. The competitions themselves are held every year, and each house has its traditional strengths. Elliot's (which holds the record of most 'tag-rugby' titles held at once, 4 of 5), School House and Crescent House (most of the 1st Eight rowers are in Crescent House), for example, are known to be particularly strong in the sports competitions, while Phelp's (which holds the record of the most public speaking titles held at one time, 3 of 5), Boyd's (Mr Boyd, Housemaster is Head of Debating) and Franklin's are better known for debating. There is also an annual inter-house singing competition, usually judged by a music department head from another school and by the Headmaster of Abingdon School.

Extracurricular activities

Abingdon is notable in the region for its dedication to extracurricular activities, dubbed the "Other Half" (of the syllabus).
Abingdon has a strong sporting tradition, especially in rowing. Documentary evidence indicates rowing was a school activity in 1830. Roysse's School Rowing Club (1840) became Abingdon School Boat Club. The 1st VIII won the "triple" in 2002: the Schools' Head of the River, the Queen Mother's Cup at the National School's Regatta and the Princess Elizabeth Cup at Henley Royal Regatta. This was masterminded by Mike Martin, the Head of Rowing. 2006's J14's A and B squads, coached by Mr. Athol Hundermark (now J16 coach), both became National School Champions.
The Debating Society is the school's oldest non-sporting society, founded in 1904. A wide range of motions is debated, from humorous to serious, dealing with the great issues of the day. There are dinner debates with girls' schools including the School of St Helen and St Katharine, Wycombe Abbey and St Mary's, Wantage.
Abingdon's Combined Cadet Force is nationally acclaimed, with the cadets in the contingent's Royal Air Force section winning the 2002 Ground Training Competition (South East) at RAF Uxbridge, Middlesex. The team consisted of 15 cadets of all ranks and became the overall winner by coming first in trim-trail, shooting and Aircraft Recognition. The shooting team went on to become the top team at the National final that same year.

Academic

Abingdon is academically a strong school: the students regularly achieve good results and a significant number progress to the most prestigious universities, including a yearly average of more than 20 to Cambridge and Oxford.
Subjects taught to GCSE and A-Level include English, History, Geography, French, Russian, German, Religious Education and Religious Studies, Mathematics, Biology, Chemistry and Physics, Drama, Music, Art and Design, Latin, Greek and Classical Civilisation or Ancient History.
Subjects taught to GCSE only are Italian and Chinese.
Subjects taught for A-Level only are Government and Politics, Economics, Business Studies and Art History, often taught in conjunction with the neighbouring girls' school, The School of St Helen and St Katharine.
Abingdon's Russian department is notably strong and was determined the best in the country by a leading national newspaper.

Headmasters

★ Richard the Pedagogue, -1337 (unverified)

★ John Argall before 1568-c.1571

★ Thomas Orpwood 1571-c.1573

★ Anthony Lancaster 1573-1574

★ John Chamberlen c.1574-1578

★ Richard Williams 1577-1578

★ Master Lewes c.1578-c.1583

★ Master Cerey c.1584-?

★ John Clyffe, ~1540

★ Richard Humfrey ?-1579

★ Anthony Appletree 1597-1599

★ John Birde 1600-1605

★ Degorie Wheare 1605-1606. Afterwards first Camden Professor of Ancient History at Oxford University and Principal of Gloucester Hall

★ Edward Groome 1606-1608

★ Thomas Godwyn, DD, 1608-1625

★ Anthony Huish, 1625-1654

★ Edmund Slye 1654

★ Robert Payne 1654-1655. Tesdale Usher-in-Charge

★ John Kerridge 1655-57

★ Robert Jennings, 1657-1683

★ Richard Playdell, 1684-1716. Formerly Tesdale Usher (1676-1684)

★ Thomas Woods, 1716-1753. Formerly Tesdale Usher (1711-1716)

★ John Abbot, 1753-1758

★ Henry Bright, 1758-1774. Afterwards headmaster of New College School, Oxford

★ Andrew Portal, 1774-1775

★ William Kennedy, 1775-1792

★ John Lemprière, 1792-1809. Afterwards headmaster of Exeter School

★ Edward Nicholson, 1810-1827

★ Joseph Thomas James Hewlett, 1827-39

★ William Alder Strange, DD, 1840-1868

★ Edmund Tristram Horatio Harper, 1868-70. Formerly Tesdale Usher (1855-68)

★ Edgar Summers, 1870-1883

★
★ (b. 1834, d. 1907) Formerly second master at King's School, Ely and King Edward's Grammar School, Bury St Edmund's, and a master at Brighton College. After retirement from teaching, Summers became vicar of Brading, Isle of Wight, (1884-1906) and rural dean of East Wight. He died at Radley House, Winchester. There is a memorial window to him at Brading church.

★ William Herbert Cam, 1883-1893

★ Thomas Layng, 1893-1913

★ William Mitchell Grundy, 1913-1947

★ Sir James Cobban, CBE, 1947-1970

★ Sir (William) Eric (Kinloch) Anderson, KT, 1970-1975. Afterwards headmaster of Shrewsbury School, Eton College, Rector of Lincoln College, Oxford and Provost of Eton

★ Michael St. John Parker, 1975-2001

★ Mark Turner, 2002-present

Tesdale Ushers

★ Nicholas Giles, 1610-?

★ Christopher Capper, 1619-20

★ John Stone, 1628-1643

★ Robert Payne, 1645-76

★ Richard Playdell, 1676-1684. Afterwards headmaster

★ James Barefoote, 1686-1692

★ Walter Harte, 1692-1709

★ William Templer, 1709

★ John Rock, 1709-1710

★ Thomas Woods, 1711-1716. Afterwards headmaster

★ Daniell Darrell, 1716-1718

★ John Ingles, 1718-20

★ Josiah Bennett, 1720-1750

★ Joseph Bennett, 1750-1751

★ Andrew Portal, 1751-1758. Later headmaster

★ James Smith, 1758-59

★ Thomas Till, 1759-62

★ John Stevenson, 1762-83

★ Matthew Armstrong, 1783-92. Deputy Usher, George Anderson, 1784-85

★ William Smith, 1793-1844

★ Thomas Pantin, 1845

★ Henry Jackson Rhodes, 1846-1851. Afterwards, editorial secretary, SPCK.

★ Henry Day, 1851-1855. Afterwards headmaster, Burton-on-Trent Grammar School

★ Edmund Tristram Horatio Harper, 1855-1871. Afterwards, vicar, Luddington, Lincolnshire (1871-1923)

★ John Whitmore Black (second master 1868-70). Afterwards, vicar, Launcells, Cornwall (1873-1914)

Notable Old Abingdonians including former Masters

Prominent Conservative politician Francis Maude attended the school in the 1960s.
The members of rock band Radiohead attended Abingdon in the 1970s and 1980s, and formed the band while at the school. ^[2] Their song 'Bishop's Robes' reputedly refers to a former headmaster of Abingdon, Michael St John Parker, who was known for wearing academic gowns. Related to this is the Japanese rock band abingdon boys school which takes its name from the school since their lead singer is a Radiohead fan.^[3][4]

Trivia

★ Abingdon School attracted unwanted attention in the press in the summer of 1999, when a resident matron was asked to step down after an affair with a boarder at the school.^[5]

Footnotes

1. Thomas Tesdales's biography
2. Reinventing Rock Christopher John Farley
3. Abingdon Boys School
4. a.b.s. make debut
5. School matron quits after affair with pupil

References

★ ''St Nicholas Abingdon and Other Papers'', Arthur E Preston (1929 and 1971)

★ ''Abingdon School 1870-1970'' (1970)

★ ''A History of Rowing at Abingdon School 1840-1990'', R G Mortimer (1990)

★ ''The Martlet and the Griffen'', Thomas Hinde and Michael St John Parker (1997)

★ ''A Record of Tesdale Ushers & Bennett Scholars 1609-1870'', Nigel Hammond (2004)

External links

★ School website

★ Abingdon Touring Theatre

★ St Nicholas Church