Appleby Grammar School is a
mixed secondary school
A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' secondary education, lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) ...
and
sixth form
In the education systems of England, Northern Ireland, Wales, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago and some other Commonwealth countries, sixth form represents the final two years of secondary education, ages 16 to 18. Pupils typically prepare for A-l ...
in
Appleby-in-Westmorland, Cumbria for students aged 11 to 18. Since 2011, it has been an
Academy
An academy ( Attic Greek: Ἀκαδήμεια; Koine Greek Ἀκαδημία) is an institution of secondary or tertiary higher learning (and generally also research or honorary membership). The name traces back to Plato's school of philosophy ...
. Until 2013, the school was a
registered charity.
History
The origins of Appleby Grammar lie in the three
chantries
A chantry is an ecclesiastical term that may have either of two related meanings:
# a chantry service, a Christian liturgy of prayers for the dead, which historically was an obiit, or
# a chantry chapel, a building on private land, or an area i ...
established in the town's two medieval churches; those of the Blessed Virgin Mary (founded c.1260 by William de Goldyngton, Mayor of Appleby) and of St Nicholas (founded in 1334 by Robert de Threlkeld), both in the
Church of St Lawrence, and that of the Virgin Mary (founded by William L'English before 1344) in the Church of St Michael, Bongate. These chantries, constituted to celebrate masses for the souls of their founders, were also endowed (as deeds of 1478 and 1518
SMB/Aand 1533 show) with monies to enjoin the chaplain to teach a free grammar school in the borough, initially in the church itself, as a part of his duty.
The first mention of a school in Appleby is shown by the sale in 1452 of a
burgage
Burgage is a medieval land term used in Great Britain and Ireland, well established by the 13th century.
A burgage was a town ("borough" or "burgh") rental property (to use modern terms), owned by a king or lord. The property ("burgage tenement ...
house made by John Marshall,
Vicar
A vicar (; Latin: ''vicarius'') is a representative, deputy or substitute; anyone acting "in the person of" or agent for a superior (compare "vicarious" in the sense of "at second hand"). Linguistically, ''vicar'' is cognate with the English pref ...
of St Michael's, to
Thomas Lord Clifford, (also responsible for erecting the greater part of the present
Appleby Castle
Appleby Castle is in the town of Appleby-in-Westmorland overlooking the River Eden (). It consists of a 12th-century castle keep which is known as Caesar's Tower, and a mansion house. These, together with their associated buildings, are set ...
during the reign of
Henry VI). The property was described in the sale as "on the west side of Kirkgate extending in length to a certain narrow lane called School-house Gate".
In consideration of the loss sustained by the
dissolution of the chantries, in the time of
Edward VI
Edward VI (12 October 1537 – 6 July 1553) was King of England and Ireland from 28 January 1547 until his death in 1553. He was crowned on 20 February 1547 at the age of nine. Edward was the son of Henry VIII and Jane Seymour and the first E ...
,
Queen Mary granted to the school at Appleby a yearly rent charge of
£5 10s. 8d., its revenues being replaced by a grant payable from the income of the Rectory of
Crosby Ravensworth
Crosby Ravensworth is a village and civil parish in the Eden district of Cumbria, England. The village is about 4 miles (6.4 km) east of the M6 motorway, and Shap. At the 2001 census the parish had a population of 538, decreasing to 517 at ...
. Further bequests were made from the wills of Robert Langton (
Archdeacon of Dorset
The Archdeacon of Dorset is a senior ecclesiastical officer within the Diocese of Salisbury, England. He or she is responsible for the disciplinary supervision of the clergy within the four area deaneries: Purbeck, Poole, Wimborne, and Milto ...
1486-1514, educated in Appleby) and Dr. Miles Spencer (d. 1569). These legacies enabled the Borough to purchase Royal
Letters Patent, endowed by
Queen Elizabeth I
Elizabeth I (7 September 153324 March 1603) was Queen of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death in 1603. Elizabeth was the last of the five House of Tudor monarchs and is sometimes referred to as the "Virgin Queen".
El ...
in 1574, and so provide a firm basis for the continued establishment and survival of the grammar school, "with ten governors, who are to appoint successors, nominate the master and usher, make statutes for the regulation of the school, and receive lands and possessions, so as they exceed not the clear yearly value of £40" (though this limitation has been greatly exceeded).
The incumbent headmaster in 1574,
John Boste
John Boste (c. 1544 – 24 July 1594) is a saint in the Catholic Church, and one of the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales.
Life
John Boste was born in Dufton, Westmorland around 1544, the son of Nicholas Boste, landowner of Dufton and Penri ...
, later a Catholic convert and martyr (canonised by
Pope Paul VI
Pope Paul VI ( la, Paulus VI; it, Paolo VI; born Giovanni Battista Enrico Antonio Maria Montini, ; 26 September 18976 August 1978) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City, Vatican City State from 21 June 1963 to his ...
in 1970 as one of the
Forty Martyrs of England and Wales) was followed in 1580 by
Reginald Bainbrigg, a considerable scholar, who made tours of
Hadrian's Wall
Hadrian's Wall ( la, Vallum Aelium), also known as the Roman Wall, Picts' Wall, or ''Vallum Hadriani'' in Latin, is a former defensive fortification of the Roman province of Britannia, begun in AD 122 in the reign of the Emperor Hadrian. R ...
in 1599 and 1601 and corresponded with
William Camden
William Camden (2 May 1551 – 9 November 1623) was an English antiquarian, historian, topographer, and herald, best known as author of ''Britannia'', the first chorographical survey of the islands of Great Britain and Ireland, and the ''Ann ...
and
Sir Robert Cotton on antiquarian matters. On his death (c.1613) he bequeathed some 295 volumes to the school library, which grew considerably in size as witnessed by the catalogues of 1656, 1782 and 1847. Its funds were augmented each year by contributions from departing pupils. The library is now in the care of the
University Library of Newcastle-upon-Tyne.
Official criticism of the school in 1869 by the Schools Inquiry Commission (1864-1868), which examined endowed grammar schools under the chairmanship of
Lord Taunton, revealed an uncertain future as a high grade classical school. In 1868, there were only 16 pupils attending but by 1880 there were 80 boarders alone.
Fruitless proposals were made by the governors to rebuild and amend the existing buildings, and in 1887 construction of a new school was completed at Battlebarrow, on the outskirts of the town, on a site provided by land purchased from St Anne's Hospital and
Lord Hothfield. A new scheme for the administration of the school along more modern lines was implemented in 1891. Thereafter, there followed a steady growth in pupil numbers, from 45 in 1887, 68 in 1914, 135 in 1940 to 170 in 1955, when girls were first admitted.
In the early 1950s, due to the extended width of the catchment area and problems students would face under adverse weather conditions, there were Government proposals for comprehensive education to be provided on larger sites, for pupils of all academic abilities, offering modern and technical courses. Westmorland County Council (1889-1974), suggested a development plan for
North Westmorland which was considered and agreed upon by the governors of both Appleby and
Kirkby Stephen Grammar Schools for defined catchment areas to be set in place. Appleby would take pupils from an area including Appleby,
Asby, the Fellside villages and villages to the west of the
A66. The catchment area would eventually extend to
Cliburn,
Morland,
Newby,
Reagill and
Sleagill.
In 1955, an extension at Appleby was completed to accommodate domestic science, woodwork, science and art rooms, and a girls’ cloakroom was added to the ground floor. A new school was also completed at Kirkby Stephen, with both schools becoming co-educational for the 1955–56 academic year and Appleby ceasing to take boarders.
In 1959, while retaining the title of grammar school, Appleby and Kirkby Stephen schools became comprehensive and expanded rapidly, so that by 1974, 400 years after the establishment of the
Elizabethan post-chantry grammar school, there were over 560 pupils on the school roll.
George Washington
The father and step-brothers of the founding President of the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
,
George Washington
George Washington (February 22, 1732, 1799) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Appointed by the Continental Congress as commander of th ...
, both attended the school.
On his death, the widow of Washington's paternal grandfather,
Lawrence Washington Laurence or Lawrence Washington may refer to:
*Laurence Washington (MP for Maidstone) (1546–1619), Member of Parliament (MP) for Maidstone
*Lawrence Washington (1622–1662), MP for Malmesbury
*Lawrence Washington (1565–1616), Mayor of Northam ...
of
Virginia
Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...
, Mildred (
née
A birth name is the name of a person given upon birth. The term may be applied to the surname, the given name, or the entire name. Where births are required to be officially registered, the entire name entered onto a birth certificate or birth re ...
Warner) married George Gale. The Gale family were the chief tobacco merchants of
Whitehaven
Whitehaven is a town and port on the English north west coast and near to the Lake District National Park in Cumbria, England. Historically in Cumberland, it lies by road south-west of Carlisle and to the north of Barrow-in-Furness. It i ...
, Cumberland. In 1700, carrying child, she moved with her new husband and three children, John 6,
Augustine
Augustine of Hippo ( , ; la, Aurelius Augustinus Hipponensis; 13 November 354 – 28 August 430), also known as Saint Augustine, was a theologian and philosopher of Berber origin and the bishop of Hippo Regius in Numidia, Roman North A ...
3, Mildred infant, to Whitehaven. In 1701,
Mildred Gale
Mildred Gale (1671–1701), born Mildred Warner in the Colony of Virginia, was the paternal grandmother of former president George Washington.
Early life
Mildred was born in 1671, at Warner Hall, the family home in Gloucester County, Virginia, t ...
died in childbirth, she was buried in St Nicholas Churchyard in Whitehaven. Midred's sister, Mary, is an ancestor of
Queen Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. She was queen ...
. George Gale sent the boys to board at Appleby Grammar until custody of the children was successfully challenged by the Washington family, and the boys returned to Virginia, to live near
Chotank Creek
King George County is a county (United States), county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, the population sits at 26,723. Its county seat is the town of King George, Virginia, King George.
...
.
Washington's father, Augustine, chose to enrol his two sons from his first marriage to
Jane Butler,
Lawrence
Lawrence may refer to:
Education Colleges and universities
* Lawrence Technological University, a university in Southfield, Michigan, United States
* Lawrence University, a liberal arts university in Appleton, Wisconsin, United States
Preparator ...
and
Augustine
Augustine of Hippo ( , ; la, Aurelius Augustinus Hipponensis; 13 November 354 – 28 August 430), also known as Saint Augustine, was a theologian and philosopher of Berber origin and the bishop of Hippo Regius in Numidia, Roman North A ...
, at Appleby Grammar. George was the first son of his second marriage to
Mary Ball. Were it not for the sudden death of his father in 1743, on reaching the age at which the two older boys had made the long voyage from Virginia, George would have most certainly followed in their footsteps.
Ofsted and academic performance
In 2008, Appleby Grammar School was one of five Cumbrian schools presented with the
DCSF
Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) was a department of the UK government, between 2007 and 2010, responsible for issues affecting people in England up to the age of 19, including child protection and education. DCSF was replac ...
International School Award
The International School Award is a British Council
The British Council is a British organisation specialising in international cultural and educational opportunities. It works in over 100 countries: promoting a wider knowledge of the Un ...
for recognition of links with schools abroad. It was rated Good in its
Ofsted
The Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills (Ofsted) is a Non-ministerial government department, non-ministerial department of Government of the United Kingdom, His Majesty's government, reporting to Parliament of the U ...
inspection in the same year. In the 2011 Ofsted inspection, the school was rated as "satisfactory". In 2013 and again in 2016, Ofsted report's determined that the school required improvement.
Notable former pupils
(in alphabetical order)
*
Bishop Thomas Barlow (1607/8-1691) — an English academic and clergyman who became Provost of
The Queen's College, Oxford
The Queen's College is a constituent college of the University of Oxford, England. The college was founded in 1341 by Robert de Eglesfield in honour of Philippa of Hainault. It is distinguished by its predominantly neoclassical architecture, ...
and
Bishop of Lincoln
The Bishop of Lincoln is the ordinary (diocesan bishop) of the Church of England Diocese of Lincoln in the Province of Canterbury.
The present diocese covers the county of Lincolnshire and the unitary authority areas of North Lincolnshire and ...
.
*
Sir John Lowther, 1st Baronet (1605–1675) — an English lawyer, landowner and politician who sat in the
House of Commons
The House of Commons is the name for the elected lower house of the bicameral parliaments of the United Kingdom and Canada. In both of these countries, the Commons holds much more legislative power than the nominally upper house of parliament. ...
for
Westmorland
Westmorland (, formerly also spelt ''Westmoreland'';R. Wilkinson The British Isles, Sheet The British IslesVision of Britain/ref> is a historic county in North West England spanning the southern Lake District and the northern Dales. It had an ...
in 1628 and in 1660.
*
John Percival
John Percival (3 April 1779 – 7 September 1862), known as Mad Jack Percival, was a celebrated officer in the United States Navy during the Quasi-War with France, the War of 1812, the campaign against West Indies pirates, and the Mexican–Amer ...
(1834–1918) — educator and
Bishop of Hereford (1895-1918).
*
Bishop Thomas Smith (1615–1702) —
Dean of Carlisle
The Dean of Carlisle is based in Carlisle, UK and is the head of the Chapter of Carlisle Cathedral. There have been 39 previous incumbents and the post is currently vacant.
List of deans
Early modern
*1542–1547 Lancelot Salkeld (last prio ...
(1672–1684) and
Bishop of Carlisle (1684–1702).
*
Lawrence Washington (1718–1752)
Lawrence Washington (1718–1752) was an American soldier, planter, politician, and prominent landowner in colonial Virginia. As a founding member of the Ohio Company of Virginia, and a member of the colonial legislature representing Fairfax C ...
— stepbrother of founding U.S. President, George Washington.
*
Augustine Washington
Augustine Washington Sr. (November 12, 1694 – April 12, 1743) was the father of the first U.S. president, George Washington. He served as an officer in the British Navy during the War of Jenkin's Ear although he belonged to the Colony of Vir ...
(1694–1743) — father of the first U.S. President,
George Washington
George Washington (February 22, 1732, 1799) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Appointed by the Continental Congress as commander of th ...
.
*
Augustine Washington, Jr.
Augustine Washington Jr. (1720 – 1762) was an American planter, military officer and politician best known for being the half-brother of George Washington.
Early and family life
A member of the Washington family. He was the third and younges ...
(1720-1762) — stepbrother of founding U.S. President, George Washington.
*
James Whitehead (1834-1917) —
Lord Mayor of London
The Lord Mayor of London is the mayor of the City of London and the leader of the City of London Corporation. Within the City, the Lord Mayor is accorded precedence over all individuals except the sovereign and retains various traditional powe ...
(1888-89)
*
Helen Skelton
Helen Elizabeth Skelton (born 19 July 1983) is an English television presenter and Actor, actress. She co-presented the BBC children's programme ''Blue Peter'' from 2008 until 2013, and since 2014 has been a presenter on ''Countryfile''. She als ...
(1983-) — television presenter
*
Gavin Skelton — footballer
Bibliography
* Edgar Hinchcliffe (1974). ''Appleby Grammar School: From Chantry to Comprehensive''. J. Whitehead and Son (Appleby) Limited for the Governors. ISBN 0-95-017473-4.
* John Flavel Curwen (1932). ''The Later Records Relating to North Westmorland Or the Barony of Appleby''. Volume 8 of Record series. Titus Wilson & Son.
* Andrew Connell(2013), 'John Robinson (1727-1802), Richard Atkinson (1739–85), Government, Commerce and Politics in the Age of the American Revolution: "From the North"'. Northern History, Volume L. No.1 (March 2013), pp. 54–76. Many Publishing, University of Leeds.
References
External links
School homepageCumbria County Council - Cumbria Archive ServiceBritish Listed Buildings - Main Building at Appleby Grammar SchoolBritish History Online , The Later Records relating to North Westmorland: or the Barony of Appleby , The East Ward - The Parish of St Lawrence, ApplebyAppleby in Westmorland - HistoryMore Grammar School Reminiscences – 1945-1952Class of ’59 – 50 Years of Comprehensive Education at Appleby Grammar School
{{Schools in Cumbria
Educational institutions established in the 1570s
1574 establishments in England
Secondary schools in Cumbria
Schools with a royal charter
Academies in Cumbria
Appleby-in-Westmorland