Burnley Grammar School

Summary

Burnley Grammar School was latterly, a state-funded selective boys grammar school, situated in Byron Street in Burnley, Lancashire. However, during its long history, it moved between a number of sites in the town.

Burnley Grammar School
Address
Map
Byron Street

,
England
Coordinates53°47′42″N 2°17′35″W / 53.795°N 2.293°W / 53.795; -2.293
Information
TypeGrammar school
Established1559
Closed1981
Local authorityLancashire
GenderMale
Age13 to 18

History edit

In 1552, on the order of Edward VI of England, Chantries were dissolved, effectively closing the Chantry School in Burnley. The lands that had funded the chantry, were purchased by some of the wealthy men of the parish and granted to the former chantry priests for the rest of their lives. This enabled the chantry school to continue to operate for a few more years.[1]

By 1558 it had become obvious that the chantries would not be restored and the men urged the endowment of a Free Grammar School, with additional gifts of land and rents. February 1, 1559, the Habergham deed was sealed marking the beginning of the Burnley Grammar School. The Towneley family - along with the Haydock, Habergham, Woodruff and Whitacre - were the founders and governors of the school.[2]

 
St. Peter's Church, Burnley

Its first headmaster was a former chantry priest, Gilbert Fairbank, with lessons initially taught at his home next to St Peter's Church (53°47′31″N 2°14′24″W / 53.792°N 2.240°W / 53.792; -2.240). In 1602, one of the governors, John Towneley, paid for a new schoolhouse to be built in the churchyard.[3]

There was a dispute throughout the 1680s between the Catholic Towneleys and the school's Anglican governors over the choice of schoolmasters. This resulted in the building the construction of an Anglican schoolhouse (53°47′35″N 2°14′24″W / 53.793°N 2.240°W / 53.793; -2.240) in 1693. The school is situated across the River Brun in an area then known as Brown Hill.[1] In 1728 the Suffolk-based, Burnley born clergyman, Henry Halstead left a large collection of books to the School's library.[4]

 
Former Burnley Grammar School (1874-1959)

The school seems to have been in decline in second half of the 19th century, even as the town rapidly expanded around it. An education commissioner's report from the late 1860s showed attendance to be low and the schoolhouse in a poor state. Wealthy families shunned the school in favour of distant boarding schools, and several attempts to raise funds for a new building failed.[5] During 1871 the Governors of the school agreed to allow representatives of the Town Council and School Board to join them, in return for financial aid. This resulted in the 1874 opening of new school buildings across Bank Parade (53°47′35″N 2°14′28″W / 53.793°N 2.241°W / 53.793; -2.241),[6] which can still be seen today.[7] Despite an agreement at this time to establish a girls department once funding could be established, no action was taken. By the late 1890s, it looked like the school board would create a rival higher grade school,[8] which would likely be disastrous for the grammar school. Some girls were allowed to attend from 1903 and it was taken over entirely by the council in 1904. It was decided that an equivalent girls school should be created and Burnley High School for Girls opened in Ormerod Road in 1910 (53°47′35″N 2°14′17″W / 53.793°N 2.238°W / 53.793; -2.238). It moved to a new building in the former grounds of Ivy Bank House in the 1951 (53°47′38″N 2°17′17″W / 53.794°N 2.288°W / 53.794; -2.288).[9] In 1959 the grammar school moved once again to larger premises on Byron Street (53°47′42″N 2°17′35″W / 53.795°N 2.293°W / 53.795; -2.293), neighboring the girls school[1] with Ivy Bank Secondary Modern School also constructed on the site in the 1960s.

The school celebrated an annual founders day at St Peters. During the 70's it had very active Public Speaking & Debating Clubs (Mr JD Mitchell), a Photographic Society (Mr AG Stephenson), Film club (Mr Wardle), French Club (Madam Heap).

Most boys took up to 10 GCE 'O' levels, and rarer subjects including Geology (Mr HH Grieve), Control Technology (Mr Stephenson), Additional Maths (Mr Grayson), Latin, were offered. The school was particularly successful at encouraging boys to read PPP/PPE at Oxford.

The mixed comprehensive Habergham High School was formed in 1981, from the merger of two schools, with the girls school becoming the sixth form centre.

Burnley Grammar Schools last Headteacher being Mr Keith Panter, Mr P Jennings and Mr GD Clayton (Death Notice September 2014) were his deputies. Staff included Mr JD Mitchell (Senior Teacher i/c Library), Mr Mel Saunders (Maths), Mr Bernard Grimes (Chemistry & Head of science), Mr W Slater (Biology), During this period, many new names were considered for the school including 'Burnley Collegiate School' which was deemed to be inappropriate.

In 2006 Habergham merged with Ivy Bank to form Hameldon Community College, which in 2010 moved to a new building on Coal Clough Lane. In 2015 it was announced that the recently opened free school, Burnley High will construct a new building on the former Habergham site.[10]

Alumni edit

Burnley Grammar School edit

Pre-twentieth century
Twentieth century

Burnley High School for Girls edit

References edit

  1. ^ a b c Lowe, John (1985). Burnley. Phillimore. ISBN 978-0-85033-595-8.
  2. ^ The National Archives Accessed 2010
  3. ^ Hall & Spencer, Burnley: A Pictorial History, p.[2]
  4. ^ MF Snape The Church of England in industrialising society: the Lancashire parish of Whalley Full text at Google books
  5. ^ Historic Society of Lancashire and Cheshire The Transactions, Volume 9 Vol. X p.19-24 Full text at Google books
  6. ^ Bennett, Walter (1951), The History of Burnley, vol. 4, Burnley Corporation, pp. 190–195, OCLC 220326580
  7. ^ www.visitburnley.com. Accessed 6 November 2007
  8. ^ Sheila Fletcher Feminists and bureaucrats: a study in the development of girls' education in the nineteenth century Full text at Google books
  9. ^ "Burnley High School for Girls". Burnley Express. Johnston Press. 1 June 2010. Retrieved 11 February 2016.
  10. ^ Jon Robinson (30 April 2015). "New multi-million pound campus will be built for Burnley's controversial free school". Lancashire Telegraph. Newsquest Media Group. Retrieved 10 February 2016.
  11. ^ a b c d Bennett, Walter (1949), The History of Burnley, vol. 3, Burnley Corporation, pp. 329–330, OCLC 220326580
  12. ^ Simpson, Ray (2007). The Clarets Chronicles: The Definitive History of Burnley Football Club. p. 574. ISBN 978-0-9557468-0-2.
  13. ^ "Halliwell, Henry" . Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1885–1900.
  14. ^ "Hamerton, Philip Gilbert" . Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1885–1900.
  15. ^ "MITCHELL, William". Who's Who. A & C Black, Oxford University Press. April 2014. Retrieved 13 February 2016.
  16. ^ "Raines, Francis Robert" . Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1885–1900.
  17. ^ "Chance to drink a little history". Lancashire Telegraph. Newsquest Media Group. 31 May 2000. Retrieved 11 February 2016.
  18. ^ Roger Frost (13 November 2014). "Burnley's historic links to horse-racing fame". Burnley Express. Johnston Press. Retrieved 13 February 2016.
  19. ^ Dennis Brockwell (14 February 2001). "Obituary: Sir Herbert Ashworth". Guardian. Retrieved 11 February 2016.
  20. ^ Desmond Hetherington (20 October 1992). "Obituary: John Benn". Independent. Retrieved 11 February 2016.
  21. ^ "BROOKER, Mervyn Edward William". Who's Who. A & C Black, Oxford University Press. November 2015. Retrieved 13 February 2016.
  22. ^ John Beale (6 March 2004). "Professor Fred Brown". Independent. Retrieved 11 February 2016.
  23. ^ Victor Watts (9 April 2001). "Obituary: Prof Kenneth Cameron". Guardian. Retrieved 11 February 2016.
  24. ^ "CAMPBELL, Sir Colin". Who's Who. A & C Black, Oxford University Press. April 2014. Retrieved 14 February 2016.
  25. ^ a b c d e f g h "Our school..." Lancashire Telegraph. Newsquest Media Group. 10 September 2001. Retrieved 11 February 2016.
  26. ^ Joanna Walters (19 November 2000). "Journey's end for the king of the costas?". Guardian. Retrieved 11 February 2016.
  27. ^ "CROSSLEY, Harry". Who's Who. A & C Black, Oxford University Press. April 2014. Retrieved 13 February 2016.
  28. ^ "Air Marshal Sir Herbert Durkin". Telegraph. 24 April 2004. Retrieved 12 February 2016.
  29. ^ "DURKIN, Air Marshal Sir Herbert". Who's Who. A & C Black, Oxford University Press. April 2014. Retrieved 13 February 2016.
  30. ^ "Ernest Faraday". Telegraph. 27 October 2000. Retrieved 12 February 2016.
  31. ^ "Obituary: John Hacking", Journal of the Institute of Fuel (43), Institute of Fuel: 67, 1970
  32. ^ "HACKING, Sir John". Who's Who. A & C Black, Oxford University Press. April 2014. Retrieved 13 February 2016.
  33. ^ "Obituary: Albert Haffner", Gas Engineering and Management (36), Institution of Gas Engineers, 1996, retrieved 14 February 2016
  34. ^ Steve Chapples (6 December 2012). "How Eric became top dog on TV show". Lancashire Telegraph. Newsquest Media Group. Retrieved 14 February 2016.
  35. ^ "HARRISON, Sir Cyril". Who's Who. A & C Black, Oxford University Press. April 2014. Retrieved 14 February 2016.
  36. ^ "BAFTA winner Don dies at 83". Lancashire Telegraph. Newsquest Media Group. 29 January 2007. Retrieved 11 February 2016.
  37. ^ "Man who sold London Bridge dies". Lancashire Telegraph. Newsquest Media Group. 1 July 1998. Retrieved 11 February 2016.
  38. ^ "Obituary: Frank Hodson" (PDF), The Palaeontology Newsletter, no. 36, The Palaeontological Association, pp. 46–7, March 2003, retrieved 14 February 2016
  39. ^ "JACKSON, Willis, Baron Jackson of Burnley (1904–1970)". AIM25. Archived from the original on 26 September 2006. Retrieved 14 February 2016.
  40. ^ "Emmerdale star sneaks his Clarets scarf into show scenes". Lancashire Telegraph. Newsquest Media Group. 15 May 2004. Retrieved 11 February 2016.
  41. ^ "NEILSON, Richard Alvin". Who's Who. A & C Black, Oxford University Press. April 2014. Retrieved 13 February 2016.
  42. ^ "NEWTON, Sir Hubert". Who's Who. A & C Black, Oxford University Press. April 2014. Retrieved 13 February 2016.
  43. ^ "OGDEN, Sir George (Chester)". Who's Who. A & C Black, Oxford University Press. April 2014. Retrieved 13 February 2016.
  44. ^ Simone O'Kane (4 March 2013). "New RSPB boss discovered love of nature growing up in Burnley". Lancashire Telegraph. Newsquest Media Group. Retrieved 11 February 2016.
  45. ^ "OSBORN, Theodore George Bentley". Who's Who. A & C Black, Oxford University Press. April 2014. Retrieved 13 February 2016.
  46. ^ Michael Worboys (23 February 2014). "John Pickstone obituary". Guardian. Retrieved 13 February 2016.
  47. ^ Henry R. Rollin (1992), "Obituary: Kenneth Rawnsley" (PDF), Psychiatric Bulletin, 16, The Royal College of Psychiatrists: 587–589, doi:10.1192/pb.16.9.587, retrieved 13 February 2016
  48. ^ "ROGERS, Philip John". Who's Who. A & C Black, Oxford University Press. November 2015. Retrieved 13 February 2016.
  49. ^ "SHELDON, Baron". Who's Who. A & C Black, Oxford University Press. November 2015. Retrieved 13 February 2016.
  50. ^ Dominic Collis (12 November 2015). "Burnley war hero remembered". Burnley Express. Johnston Press. Retrieved 13 February 2016.
  51. ^ "Edwin Southern CV" (PDF). Roche. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 April 2012.
  52. ^ "Leading Burnley actor dies". Burnley Express. Johnston Press. 17 November 2010. Archived from the original on 9 March 2012. Retrieved 13 February 2016.
  53. ^ "Norman Tattersall". Telegraph. 22 May 2001. Retrieved 12 February 2016.
  54. ^ "Paul's lament for fallen Angels". Lancashire Telegraph. Newsquest Media Group. 28 September 2002. Retrieved 11 February 2016.
  55. ^ Michael Sanderson (2002), The History of the University of East Anglia, Norwich, Hambledon and London, p. 41, ISBN 9781852853365, retrieved 13 February 2016
  56. ^ "WHITHAM, Air Cdre (Temp. Air Vice-Marshal) Robert Parker Musgrave". Who's Who. A & C Black, Oxford University Press. November 2015. Retrieved 13 February 2016.
  57. ^ Harvey McGavin (11 May 2008). "My best teacher". TES. Retrieved 13 February 2016.
  58. ^ "Ian Hughe website". Archived from the original on 17 August 2021. Retrieved 17 August 2021.
  59. ^ "BRUCE, Fiona Claire". Who's Who. A & C Black, Oxford University Press. November 2015. Retrieved 13 February 2016.
  60. ^ "CARRUTHERS-WATT, Miranda Lucy Mary, (Mrs P. Vercoe)". Who's Who. A & C Black, Oxford University Press. November 2015. Retrieved 13 February 2016.

External links edit

  • Silent footage of Sports Day 1961 Sam Hanna (Vimeo - North West Film Archive)
  • Reference to history of Burnley Grammar School on Turfites Talk