Heath Grammar School

Contents:

• History of the School
• Headmasters at the School
• Ushers at the School
• Teachers & Masters at the School
• Pupils at the School

History of the School

The Free Grammar School of Queen Elizabeth - aka Heath School and Heath Grammar School – was founded in 1600 by Dr John Favour under a Queen's Charter obtained by Henry Farrar of Ewood in 1585, and was built on land donated by Farrar and his brothers, and with money raised by public subscription and from various benefactors, including the Savile family – Edward and Sir George – and Gilbert, the 7th Earl of Shrewsbury.

The foundation stone was laid on 8th June 1598. The Akroyd family worked on the building. The building cost £120 and the Akroyds were paid a further £20 for building it so well, and a further £20 for building it so quickly.

Originally, 41 boys attended the school, and the scholars were only allowed to speak Latin whilst in school.

On 7th July 1730, a second Charter was obtained.

The school was extended in 1777 when Richard Hudson was Master.

In 1878, a new school was designed by John & Joseph Leeming. The new building opened in 1879 and accommodated 250 boys.

In 1883, it closed when the number of boys fell to 13. Nathan Whitley was a strong advocate for the school's reopening after Easter 1887.

It accommodated 190 boys [1917].

In 1925, it came under control of the local authority.

Extensions were added in 1939. There is work – three oak chairs, and a reading desk – by Harry Percy Jackson [1951].

The memorial gates, to commemorate old boys killed in action, were unveiled in June 1949.

The tradition of a half-day holiday per week (originally Thursday afternoon, but latterly Wednesday afternoon) with Saturday morning attendance, was continued until 1965.

The school closed in 1984 and merged with Crossley & Porter School to become Crossley-Heath School.

The apple-and-pear window, constructed by the Akroyd family between 1598 and 1601, is the only remaining part of the old school. It has been suggested that the window was designed by Robert Smythson [1535-1614]

The mason who made the stone over the main entrance mistakenly carved the word grammer and later corrected it.

The building is now the Heath Training & Development Centre [2009].

There were plans to sell the building for use as housing in order to raise funds for proposed changes to the civic buildings and the central library [2011]

Headmasters at the School

According to the original charter, the qualifications of a Master was that he should be

a meet man learned and cunning [skilled] which hath been a student in one of the universities of this realm of England the space of 5 years at the least and hath profited in learning

Headmasters at the school have included:

• 1600-1603: Richard Wilkinson
• 1603-1629: Robert Byrron
• 1629-164?: Francis Cockman
• 1650: Mr Marsh
• 1651-1666: Rev Paul Greenwood
• 1666-1688: John Doughty
• 1688-1728: Thomas Lister
• 1730-1731: Christopher Jackson
• 1731-1733: Edward Topham
• 1733-1744: Rev John Holdsworth
• 1744-1753: Rev Samuel Ogden
• 1751-1771: Thomas West
• 1771-1782: Rev Richard Hudson
• 1783-1788: Rev Gough Willis Kempson
• 1789-1839: Rev Robert Wilkinson
• 1840: Edward Sleap
• 1840-1861: Rev John Henry Gooch
• 1861-1883: Rev Thomas Cox
• 1887-1908: Archibald William Reith
• 1908-1916: Dr William Edwards
• 1916-1935: Owen Richard Augustus Byrde
• 1935-1946: Douglas Joseph David Smith
• 1946-1971: Walter Ronald Swale
• 1971-1984: Albert Crosby
• 1984-1985: John Trevor Bunch

Ushers at the School

In addition to the Headmaster, the School had an Usher – or Assistant Master or Second Master

The Usher had similar duties to the Headmaster, but received only half the salary

Ushers at the school have included:

• 160?: Mr Hubert
• 1629: Mr Crag
• 1632: Robert Bolton
• 1671: Thomas Preston
• 1727: Abraham Milner
• 1744: Rev Richard Sutcliffe
• 1757: Mr Fish
• 1759: Mr Bland
• 1763: George Hutchinson
• 1770: David Sutcliffe
• 1782: Mr Houghton
• 1782: Matthew Moss
• 1818: Mr Sutcliffe
• 181?: Joseph Edwards
• 1840: William Augustus Marsh
• 1841: Rev Joshua Waltham
• 1841-1843: Rev John Gooch
• 1843: William Henry Parr
• 1844: Charles Wilmot Hardy
• 1849: Frederick Russell
• 1850: William Kirby
• 1852: Rev David Bellamy
• 1857: Rev John William Earnshaw
• 1859: Edward Carter
• 1861: John Cox Edwards
• 1862: William Chantler Whitehead
• 1864: James Mayo
• 1865: William John Brookes
• date: S. Franklin Hiron

The Office of Usher was discontinued in 1876

Teachers & Masters at the School

Teachers and masters at the school have included:

Phyllis Bentley Dr Phyllis Eleanor Bentley John E. Bissell [1876] Henry Robert Field Canham Rev Stephen Carr [1876] Joseph Clayton Joseph Chappell Collins Arthur Comfort [1901] William Bunting Crump [1952-1982] Alan Guy [1855] S. Franklin Hiron John Horner George Lawrence

Arthur Keighley Lister Cecil Owen Mackley T. Morley H. C. Morris Arthur Owen Anthime Camille Poiré [1875] William Edward Sadd Hugh John Armand Seaton O. C. Silverlock William Henry Stopford T. H. Wheatley

Pupils at the School

Past pupils have included:

John Abbott Keith Ackroyd Maurice Lucius Armitage George Stuart Arthur Arthur Howard Ashworth George Wheelhouse Ashworth Philip Sidney Ashworth Rev William Atkinson Ralph W. J. Austin Sir Leonard Bairstow Robert Baker Philip Hugh Ballantyne Henry Bates Joah Bates Rev Thomas Bates Rev Michael Beaufort-Jones Lawrence Bedworth Thomas Washington Benson Cecil Adler Beverley Sir John Winfield Bonser Fred W. Booth Martin Walter Bottomley Henry Hearder Bowman Sidney Herbert Bray Graham Brayshaw Kenneth Gough Breaks Charles ffrench Bromhead Edward Thomas ffrench Bromhead Edgar Deighton Brook Donald Broughton Richard George de Fer Byrde Gilbert Alva Carter Major Cartwright David Cawthra Francis Joseph Chambers Lindsay Clarke Philip Clegg George Clewer Eric Coates Thomas William Coghlin Richard Jeffreys Hampton Collinson Rev Steven John Lindsey Croft James Crossley Alec Dakin William Frederick Wilkinson Davis Leslie Dawson William Ernest Denison Carl Penrose Dixon Sir Frank Watson Dyson Stanley Gilbert Dyson Rev John William Earnshaw Ian D. East Rev Dr Joseph Edleston Rev Edward Ellis Francis Vaughan Evans Percy Lewis Evans Harold Eyre Richard Edwin Feather Frederic William Oswald Fleming Dr Ernest Faber Fookes Charles Clifford Foster Sir Lionel Wray Fox Ralph Fox

Rev Henry Eli Garnet George Douglas Gelder Ernest Edward Roberts Gomersall Charles Norman Greenwood Dr Jeremiah Hall Alfred L. Haller A. L. Halley Laurence William Hanson Eric Harrison John Holroyd Harrison Rev John Fearby Haslam James Hardy Heal Tom Denton Hepworth George Frederick Vincent Hervey Sidney Fred Hetherington S. Franklin Hiron John Gregson Hitchen Clifford Holroyd John Basil Hope Augustus William Howell Samuel Hoyle Geoffrey Knowles Humphreys William Huntriss Sir Charles Illingworth Charles Frederick William Illingworth Rev Cyril Jackson William Jackson Peter Jeffries George Frederick Johnston Thornton Jowett Courtney Stanhope William Kenny Graham Collow Kerr Joseph Moxon Kirk Bishop John Lake George Lassey Eric Lewin George Ronald Lewin John Lewin Arthur Thompson Longbottom Dr Lonsdale Albert Edward Lord Sam Leslie Lord Walter Magson Stuart Petre Brodie Mais Jeffery Middleton John Milner Arthur Page Mitchell Joseph Harger Mitchell Brian McBeath Murrell Robert Naylor Right Rev Donald Patrick Nestor Eric Nettleton Willie Normanton Walter Holroyd Oates William Alexander Wildman Orange Alan Ostler Thomas Ostler George Patchett Robert Clement Perks Eric Bateman Petty

Rev William Henry Priestley Jesse Ramsden Benjamin Currer Rawson John Frederick Reid Hugh John Trafford David Robertson Eric Leslie Robinson Gerald Holt Rothwell Edward Peake Rouse William Archibald Rouse Daniel Salt Sir Richard Saltonstall Gerald Scarborough G. B. Scott Barry Seal Leonard Tetley Seed Rev Samuel Sharpe Edward Butterworth Shaw Dr George Shaw John Ewart Shillito Harry George Spencer Short Roland Woolfall Siddall William Mills Smeeton Sir Matthew Arnold Bracy Smith Oliver Smithies William (Billy) Somerville Richard Stafford Rev Samuel John Stancliffe George Stansfeld Raywood Micklethwait Stansfeld Colonel Robert Stansfeld Sir Walter Stansfield Edwin Stewart Arthur Hudson Stocks Arthur Hudson Stocks Charles Clifford Stott Frank Gordon Stott John Garside Sugden Thomas Lister Joseph Sunderland Canon Richard Dawson Swallow Ernest Edward Sykes Abraham Thomas Herbert Edward Thompson Archbishop John Tillotson John Ralph Tillotson Louis F. Tinker Oswald Edward Meader Travis Gordon Stafford Wade Arnold Edgar Walker Philip Walker J. E. Walton Keighley Walton Alan Waring Arthur James Waring Roy Watling Andrew Watson Eric Webster Frank Allison Whiteley Harry Whitley Andrew Wilkinson Percy Wilson Ronald Edward Wilson Frank Wolfenden Arthur Gordon Wood Leslie Woodhead Donald Wright

Please email me if you can add the names of any masters or teachers at the school

See Alexander & Hammerton, Crossley-Heath School, Bryan Crowther, Heath Grammar School: Memorial Gates, Heath Grammar School: Grace, Heath Grammar School: Seal, Heath School House and Dr Cyril Jackson

© Malcolm Bull 2017 / [email protected]
Revised 19:04 on 11th December 2017 / kk_7 / 48