Marlborough Royal Free Grammar School, previously known as Marlborough Grammar School and King Edward's School, Marlborough, was a grammar school in the town of Marlborough, in Wiltshire, England, founded in 1550.
Originally for boys only, the school became co-educational in 1906. Over a period of more than four hundred years, it had a number of homes around Marlborough. In 1975 it was closed, and its final buildings were re-used for the new St John's Marlborough comprehensive school.
History The Dissolution of Colleges Act 1547 closed all of the Kingdom of England's chantries, including the Hospital of St John, Marlborough. The town's burgesses then petitioned the Crown for the hospital to be converted into a "'Free-scole for the inducement of youth", and by letters patent dated 18 October 1550 a grammar school was established.'Education', in A History of the County of Wiltshire, vol. 5 (1957), pp. 348-368, accessed 7 April 2013Alfred Redvers Stedman, A History of Marlborough grammar school 1550–1945 (Devizes, 1945) The former hospital thus became the school's first home, but in 1578 it was demolished and a new building was erected which provided a schoolroom, a house for the schoolmaster, and dormitories. This survived until 1790.
The school was sometimes known as King Edward's School, Marlborough, in memory of King Edward VI,William W. Kenawell, Frederick Bligh Bond, The Quest at Glastonbury: a biographical study of Frederick Bligh Bond (1965), p. 20 but in the course of the 18th century it began to be known as Marlborough Grammar School.Michael Bosher, Patrick Hazlewood, Nurturing Independent Thinkers: Working with an Alternative Curriculum (2005), p. 15
In 1834 a Charity Commissioners' report called the school the "Free Grammar School" and found that its original purpose was to teach Greek, Latin, and the church catechism, and that the governing body was the Corporation of Marlborough. Fourteen boys were then being taught the prescribed subjects without the payment of fees, but had to pay for other subjects. There were also twenty-six "pay-scholars", including some boarders."Marlborough – Free Grammar School" in Public Charities: Analytical digest of the Reports made by the Commissioners of inquiry into charities. Digest of schools and charities for education (W. Clowes & Son, 1842), p. 128.
In 1853 the school survived a proposal by Earl Bruce to amalgamate it with the new Marlborough College.The Wiltshire archaeological and natural history magazine, vols. 78-80 (Wiltshire Archaeological and Natural History Society - 1983), p. 74 During the nineteenth century it declined in numbers.John Carey, William Golding: The Man Who Wrote Lord of the Flies (2012), p. 3
In 1872, the school had endowments worth £248 a year, and there were five schoolmasters teaching 85 boys. Some 37 of those were "sons of persons resident three years in town" and so were on the foundation, paying fees of six guineas a year, while the rest were boarders paying between 45 and 50 guineas. The school was entitled to Exhibitions at Brasenose College, Oxford, two worth £52 a year and four worth £36, and to a smaller number at St John's College, Cambridge.F. S. de Carteret-Bisson, Our Schools and Colleges, 1872, p. 322
In 1877, with the resignation of its long-serving Master Frederick Hookey Bond, the school was closed, awaiting the appointment of a new Master and a reorganisation."Marlborough Royal Free Grammar School", Salisbury and Winchester Journal, Saturday 28 April 1877, p. 7 By 1880, it was again open, under a new scheme, and in December put on a prize-giving event."Marlborough Royal Free Grammar School", Salisbury and Winchester Journal, Friday 24 December 1880, p. 7 But by the 1890s, the school had dwindled to only six boys, taking intermittent lessons in a single room. In April 1899, the school was reported to be at a low ebb when its Master, the Rev. H. Tootell, accepted the benefice of Overton-cum-Fyfield and Alton Priors and resigned his post, with effect from the next term."Marlborough Grammar School", Devizes and Wiltshire Gazette, Thursday 13 April 1899, p. 7 This led to another closure, as in May it was agreed not to appoint a new Master until a new scheme had been agreed."Marlborough Grammar School", Marlborough Times, Saturday 13 May 1899, p. 5 However, reporting the school's demise in August, the Devizes and Wiltshire Gazette told its readers
After gaining grants from Wiltshire County Council and others, it was reported in January 1904 that the Governing Body of the school had accepted a tender from Downing and Rudman, of Chippenham, to pull down the old school and build a new one at a cost of £6,000Wiltshire Times and Trowbridge Advertiser, Saturday 30 January 1904, pp. 11, 12 ().
In October 1905, the school reopened in new buildings on the same site, now formally known as Marlborough Grammar School and taking the form of a mixed school for eighty boys and girls, with a new headmaster, Sidney Pontefract. Most of the pupils were still boys, as the town's parents, particularly those of girls, were doubtful about co-education. Two classrooms were added in 1932, and by 1938 there were 300 pupils. A larger site to the south of the town was bought in 1936, but war and the subsequent restrictions prevented any building work there. In 1947 a boarding-house for both sexes was established at Wye House.
The school was eventually rehoused in 1962, in new buildings on the new site. In 1975, the school and the local secondary modern school, Marlborough Secondary Modern, were both closed, and a new comprehensive school, now called St John's Marlborough, was created and took over the buildings of both former schools. New school buildings were later built alongside those of the old grammar school, and the 1960s buildings were demolished in 2010.Camilla officially opens St John's, Marlborough, from The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald at gazetteandherald.co.uk
Masters John Hildrop, 1711 William Stone, 1733–1750 Thomas Neyler the Elder, 1750–1774 Joseph Edwards, 1774–1808 J. T. Lawes, 1809–1828 T. Nayler, 1828The Gentleman's Magazine, vol. 144 (1828), p. 461 Frederick Hookey Bond, 1853–1877Rev. Frederick Hookey Bond (I17188) at stanford.edu, accessed 5 April 2013 H. Tootell, resigned 1899
Headmasters Sidney Pontefract, 1905–1932Margaret H. Wharton, Marlborough Revisited and the War Remembered (A. Sutton, 1987), p. 55 Arthur Redvers Stedman, 1932–1962 Michael Stevens, acting headmaster, 1963–1964 William Roger Daffurn MA, 1964–1975The Education Authorities Directory (Office of the School Government Chronicle and Education Authorities Gazette, 1972), p. 423
Notable former pupils See also :Category:People educated at Marlborough Royal Free Grammar School Robin Baker, biologist and writer, author of Sperm Wars, attended 1955–1962 Frederick Bligh Bond (1864–1945), architectFrederick Bligh Bond at digitalseance.wordpress.com, accessed 5 April 2013 General Sir Francis George Bond (1856–1930), British Army officer Alexander Meyrick Broadley (1847–1916), lawyer and author"Broadley, Alexander Meyrick (19 July 1847–16 April 1916), lawyer, author, journalist, and collector" in Who Was Who, online edition, accessed 10 March 2025 Edward Caswall (1814–1878), clergyman, poet, and hymn writerEdward Caswall at oce.catholic.com, accessed 7 April 2013 Charles Chenery (1850–1928), international footballerCharley Chenery at englandfootballonline.com, accessed 7 April 2013 Michael Dodson (1732–1799), lawyer and writer on religious subjects'Dodson, Michael' in Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (OUP, 2007) Sir William Golding novelist, Nobel Laureate in LiteratureHarold Bloom, William Golding's Lord of the Flies (2010), p. 9 Phil Hammond (born 1962), comedian Phil Harding (born 1950), archaeologist, known for Channel 4's Time TeamNotable People at insidewiltshire.co.uk, accessed 7 April 2013 Walter Harte (1709–1774), poet and historian'Harte, Walter', in Dictionary of National Biography, vol. 25 (Wikisource text) Frederick Maddison (1849–1907), previously known as Frederick Patey Chappell, footballer who played for England in the first international football match Henry Moule (1801–1880), clergyman and inventor of the dry earth closet Henry Sacheverell (1674–1724), high church clergyman John Whitelocke (1757–1833), British Army general'Whitelocke, John', in Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (OUP, 2007)
Further reading Alfred Redvers Stedman, A History of Marlborough grammar school 1550–1945 (Devizes, 1945)
See also List of English and Welsh endowed schools (19th century)
References