Rev. Henry Girdlestone, M.A. (5 July 1863 – 29 June 1926), often referred to as Canon Girdlestone, was head master of St Peter's College from 1894 to 1916 and of

Melbourne Grammar School (Pray and Work) , established = 1849 (on present site since 1858 - the celebrated date of foundation) , type = Independent, co-educational primary, single-sex boys secondary, day and boarding , denominatio ...

from 1917 to 1919.

History

Girdlestone was born at

Penkridge Penkridge ( ) is a village and civil parishes in England, civil parish in South Staffordshire, South Staffordshire District in Staffordshire, England. It is to the south of Stafford, north of Wolverhampton, west of Cannock and east of Telford. ...

Staffordshire Staffordshire (; postal abbreviation Staffs.) is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. It borders Cheshire to the northwest, Derbyshire and Leicestershire to the east, Warwickshire to the southeast, the West Midlands Cou ...

, the eldest son of Eliza Jane Girdlestone, née Webb and Henry Girdlestone, a Church of England clergyman. He grew up at the rectory of

Bathampton Bathampton () is a village and civil parish east of Bath, England on the south bank of the River Avon. The parish has a population of 1,603. The Kennet and Avon Canal passes through the village and a toll bridge links Bathampton to Bathea ...

and was educated at

Bath College Bath College is a Further Education college in the centre of Bath, Somerset Bath () is a city in the Bath and North East Somerset unitary area in the county of Somerset, England, known for and named after its Roman-built baths. At the 2 ...

and

Magdalen College, Oxford University Magdalen College (, ) is a constituent college of the University of Oxford. It was founded in 1458 by William of Waynflete. Today, it is the fourth wealthiest college, with a financial endowment of £332.1 million as of 2019 and one of the s ...

, where he graduated BA and MA and rowed for Oxford. In 1888 he returned to Bath College as a tutor, and was briefly a private tutor to one of the Lords Ashtown. In 1891 he entered holy orders in the

Diocese of Bath and Wells The Diocese of Bath and Wells is a diocese in the Church of England Province of Canterbury in England. The diocese covers the county of Somerset and a small area of Dorset. The Episcopal seat of the Bishop of Bath and Wells is located in the C ...

and was ordained in 1892. In 1893

Bishop Kennion George Wyndham Kennion, Doctor of Divinity, DD (5 September 184519 May 1922), was the Anglican Anglican Diocese of Adelaide, Bishop of Adelaide, and later Bishop of Bath and Wells. Birth and education George Wyndham Kennion, the son of Georg ...

was in England recruiting teaching staff for St Peter's College, Adelaide, and Girdlestone successfully applied for the position of headmaster. Years later he would joke that Kennion was more impressed with the fact that he had rowed stroke for Oxford in 1885 and 1886 than his other credentials. He commenced his duties in the first term of 1894, and his influence was immediately felt. His love of sport and good sportsmanship was infectious, and he gained additional respect by his own record and athletic ability. Rowing became one of the chief features of the school's sporting calendar. Enrolments, and indeed student numbers, which had stagnated during the reign of his predecessor, P. E. Raynor, immediately improved: when he took charge the College had 170 students; a year later there were 202; in succeeding years 275, 310, 347 . . . and in 1916 when he retired there were 450. Nor did he neglect the school's traditions of discipline, patriotism, religious observance and scholastic achievement; that and his forthright manner won the boys' respect and that of their parents. Girdlestone was appointed honorary canon of St Peter's Cathedral in 1912 by Bishop Thomas. He and his wife, with Archdeacon Hornabrook, put much effort and energy into the founding and running of St. Peter's College Mission, a charitable outreach at St. Mary Magdalene's Church, Moore Street off

Angas Street Angas Street is a main street in the Adelaide city centre, South Australia.Map
of the

University of Adelaide The University of Adelaide (informally Adelaide University) is a public research university located in Adelaide, South Australia. Established in 1874, it is the third-oldest university in Australia. The university's main campus is located on N ...

council from 1901 and for most of his time in Adelaide actively involved with the

Adelaide Rowing Club The Adelaide Rowing Club (ARC) is a rowing club located in Adelaide, South Australia. The Patron of the ARC is the Right Honourable Lord Mayor of Adelaide, Mr Martin Haese. The club is affiliated to the South Australian Rowing Association (SAR ...

and its president 1913–15. He resigned as headmaster in 1916, saying that the job should be that of a younger man (large of frame, he had continually to fight a tendency to overweight), and retired to his home in

Balhannah Balhannah is a town in the Adelaide Hills about 30 km southeast of Adelaide, the capital of South Australia. It was established in 1839 as a farming community by James Turnbull Thomson, who built the first hotel. The town soon grew to inco ...

, T. Ainslie Caterer filling the vacancy. He consented however, to take charge in 1917 of

, whose headmaster, Richard Penrose "Lofty" Franklin (November 1884 – 12 October 1942) had volunteered for war service, and relinquished the position on the return of Lieut. Franklin in 1919. He retired with his family to England in April 1920 by the liner SS ''Osterley'', and lived at "Hillcote" Lansdown, near Bath, where he died, and was buried at Lansdown cemetery.

Family

Girdlestone married Helen Joanna Crawford (died November 1946) on 17 September 1900. Helen was a daughter of W. Crawford, Adelaide manager of the Union Bank. They had two children: *Peter Crawford Girdlestone (1902– ) *(Helen) Neste Girdlestone, later Murray (1905– )

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Girdlestone, Henry 1863 births 1926 deaths Australian headmasters Australian Anglican priests Alumni of Magdalen College, Oxford English schoolteachers English Anglican priests People educated at Bath College English emigrants to colonial Australia Melbourne Grammar School Oxford University Boat Club rowers People from Penkridge