The list of headmasters of St. Bees School includes the men and one woman who have held the headmastership of St. Bees School in west Cumbria (formerly the county of Cumberland). Under the statutes drawn up by the school's founder, Archbishop Edmund Grindal, the headmaster of the school was chosen by the Provost of the Queen's College, Oxford. This state of affairs lasted until 1879 when a "new scheme" came into place and the board of governors had a greater say in the appointment.
In the early days of the school the headmaster was the sole master, his school being a one-story stone building (now the school's main dining room). In the nineteenth century, St. Bees School began to expand thanks to the proceeds from mineral royalties, legally won in part by the efforts of Headmaster William Wilson,Todd, John The Headmaster, the Provost and the Earl: the Affair of the St. Bees School Mineral Lease, 1812–1817 Transactions of the Cumberland and Westmorland Antiquarian and Archaeological Society Volume LXXXIII Kendal 1983 pp163-171 and in 1844 the headmaster moved into the newly built south wing of the "Quad", the quadrangle of sandstone buildings which makes up the main and oldest part of the school. In 1886, a purpose built home was constructed called the "School House", part of which today serves as a senior boys' boarding house.
List of headmasters at St. Bees School
+ List of headmasters at St. Bees School since 1583 Years Name Alma mater References 1583–1593 Nicholas Copland, B.A. - 1593–1612 William Briscoe, M.A. - 1612–1630 William Lickbarrow, M.A. - 1630–1679 Francis Radcliffe, M.A. The Queen's College, Oxford 1679–1681 Bernard Gilpin, B.A. The Queen's College, Oxford 1681–1686 Jonathan Banks, B.A. Pembroke College, Cambridge 1686–1738 Rev. Richard Jackson, M.A. The Queen's College, Oxford 1738–1755 Rev. Alan Fisher, B.A. The Queen's College, Oxford 1755–1773 Rev. John James, M.A. The Queen's College, Oxford 1773–1788 Rev. Robert Scott, M.A. The Queen's College, Oxford 1788–1791 Rev. James Hutchinson, M.A. The Queen's College, Oxford 1791–1811 Rev. John Barnes, M.A. The Queen's College, Oxford 1811–1817 Rev. William Wilson, M.A. The Queen's College, Oxford 1817–1830 Rev. Thomas Bradley, M.A. The Queen's College, Oxford 1830–1841 Rev. John Fox, M.A. The Queen's College, Oxford 1841–1854 Rev. Miles Atkinson, M.A. The Queen's College, Oxford 1854–1879 Rev. George Henry Heslop, M.A. The Queen's College, Oxford 1879–1903 Rev. William Taylor Newbold, M.A. St John's College, Cambridge 1903–1916 Rev. Harold Athelstane Parry Sawyer, M.A. The Queen's College, Oxford 1917–1926 Cecil William Kaye, M.A. University College, Oxford 1926–1935 Edward Allen Bell, M.A. Christ Church, Oxford 1935 (acting) Robert Branston Brown, M.A. Trinity Hall, Cambridge 1936–1938 Howard George Charles Mallaby, M.A. Merton College, Oxford 1938–1945 Rev. John Sidney Boulter, M.B.E., T.D., M.A. Keble College, Oxford 1945–1946 C.G.S. Harden, M.A. St. John's College, Cambridge 1946–1951 Henry Enfield Reekie Clare College, Cambridge 1951–1963 James Cochrane Wykes, M.A. Clare College, Cambridge Who Was Who, Vol IX 1991–1995, p.613 year=2010 1963–1980 Geoffrey William Lees, M.A. Downing College, Cambridge 1980–1988 Malcolm Tod Thyne, M.A. Clare College, Cambridge 1988–1997 Paul Arthur Chamberlain, B.Sc. University of Durham 1997 (acting) Philip James Etchells, B.Sc., Ph.D. University of Liverpool - 1998–2000 Janet Dolton Pickering, B.Sc. University of Sheffield 2000–2012 Philip J. Capes, M.A. University of Exeter 2012–2015 James Davies University of Sheffield 2017-2018 Jeremy Hallows University of Sheffield 2018-2021 Gareth Seddon Université de Lyon II 2021-2021 Roger Sinnett University of Cambridge 2021-2024 Robin Silk University of Cambridge 2024-Present Andrew Keep University of Exeter
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