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Monmouth School for Boys is a
public school Public school may refer to: * State school (known as a public school in many countries), a no-fee school, publicly funded and operated by the government * Public school (United Kingdom), certain elite fee-charging independent schools in England an ...
(
independent Independent or Independents may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups * Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in the New Hope, Pennsylvania, area of the United States during the early 1930s * Independ ...
day and
boarding school A boarding school is a school where pupils live within premises while being given formal instruction. The word "boarding" is used in the sense of "room and board", i.e. lodging and meals. As they have existed for many centuries, and now exten ...
) for boys in
Monmouth Monmouth ( , ; cy, Trefynwy meaning "town on the Monnow") is a town and community in Wales. It is situated where the River Monnow joins the River Wye, from the Wales–England border. Monmouth is northeast of Cardiff, and west of London. I ...
,
Wales Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the Wales–England border, east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the ...
. The school was founded in 1614 with a bequest from William Jones, a successful merchant and trader. The School is run as a trust, the William Jones's Schools Foundation, by the
Worshipful Company of Haberdashers The Worshipful Company of Haberdashers, one of the Great Twelve City Livery Companies, is an ancient merchant guild of London, England associated with the silk and velvet trades. History and functions The Haberdashers' Company follows the M ...
, one of the livery companies, and has close links to its sister school,
Haberdashers' Monmouth School for Girls Haberdashers' Monmouth School for Girls is an independent school in Monmouth, Wales. The school was established by the Worshipful Company of Haberdashers in 1892, and continues to enjoy their support. It is part of a family of schools known as ...
. In 2018, the Haberdashers renamed their group of schools in the town, the Monmouth Schools, and made corresponding changes to the names of the boys' and girls' schools. The school is situated on the eastern edge of the border town of Monmouth, adjacent to the
River Wye The River Wye (; cy, Afon Gwy ) is the Longest rivers of the United Kingdom, fourth-longest river in the UK, stretching some from its source on Plynlimon in mid Wales to the Severn estuary. For much of its length the river forms part of Wal ...
. Nothing of the original school buildings from the 17th century remains as the school was completely rebuilt in the mid to late 19th century. Later developments have included the Science Block (1981–1984) and the William Jones Building of the early 21st century (2014). In 2014, the quatercentenary of the school's foundation was celebrated with a service at
St Paul's Cathedral St Paul's Cathedral is an Anglican cathedral in London and is the seat of the Bishop of London. The cathedral serves as the mother church of the Diocese of London. It is on Ludgate Hill at the highest point of the City of London and is a Grad ...
. Established originally as a
grammar school A grammar school is one of several different types of school in the history of education in the United Kingdom and other English-speaking countries, originally a school teaching Latin, but more recently an academically oriented secondary school ...
, by the early 1870s Monmouth was a member of the recently formed Headmasters' Conference and had acquired the status of a
public school Public school may refer to: * State school (known as a public school in many countries), a no-fee school, publicly funded and operated by the government * Public school (United Kingdom), certain elite fee-charging independent schools in England an ...
. Between 1946 and 1976 it was part of the direct grant scheme, returning to full independence in 1976. A member of the
Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference The Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference (HMC) is an association of the head teachers of 361 independent schools (both boarding schools and day schools), some traditionally described as public schools. 298 Members are based in the United ...
, the school has a roll of approximately 650 pupils. The fees for 2019/2020 are £16,275 for day boys, and £30,852 for boarders. The William Jones's Schools Foundation, which funds the Monmouth Schools on behalf of the Haberdashers’ Company, recorded an income of £20.5M against an expenditure of £24.0M in its accounts for 2020. In June 2022, the Haberdashers initiated a consultation on merging the school with the girls school in the town to create a fully
coeducational Mixed-sex education, also known as mixed-gender education, co-education, or coeducation (abbreviated to co-ed or coed), is a system of education where males and females are educated together. Whereas single-sex education was more common up to t ...
establishment by 2024.


History


Years of foundation: 1613–1616

In 1613, William Jones, a prominent merchant and
haberdasher In British English, a haberdasher is a business or person who sells small articles for sewing, dressmaking and knitting, such as buttons, ribbons, and zippers; in the United States, the term refers instead to a retailer who sells men's clothing, ...
, gave the Haberdashers’ Company £6,000, followed by a further £3,000 bequeathed in his will on his death in 1615, to "ordaine a preacher, a Free-School and Almes-houses for twenty poor and old distressed people, as blind and lame, as it shall seem best to them, of the Towne of Monmouth, where it shall be bestowed". Jones was born at
Newland, Gloucestershire Newland is a village and civil parish in the Forest of Dean in Gloucestershire, England. situated on the east side of the River Wye, south-east of Monmouth. It is notable for its parish church of All Saints, known as the 'Cathedral of the Fo ...
and brought up in Monmouth, leaving to make a sizeable fortune as a London merchant engaged in the cloth trade with the continent. The motivations for his bequest appear partly philanthropic and partly evangelical; the county of Monmouthshire in the early 17th century had a significant Catholic presence and the local historian
Keith Kissack Keith Edward Kissack MBE (18 November 1913 – 31 March 2010) was a British schoolteacher and historian. He is notable for his many publications on the history of Monmouth and Monmouthshire. Life Kissack was born in Clun, Shropshire, to Rev. ...
noted, "the priority given to the preacher illustrates ones'sconcern to convert an area in the Marches which was still, when the school opened in 1614, strongly
recusant Recusancy (from la, recusare, translation=to refuse) was the state of those who remained loyal to the Catholic Church and refused to attend Church of England services after the English Reformation. The 1558 Recusancy Acts passed in the reign ...
". The order for the establishment of the school was made, retrospectively by
James I James I may refer to: People *James I of Aragon (1208–1276) *James I of Sicily or James II of Aragon (1267–1327) *James I, Count of La Marche (1319–1362), Count of Ponthieu *James I, Count of Urgell (1321–1347) *James I of Cyprus (1334–13 ...
in 1616 and decreed "for ever in the town of Monmouth, one almshouse and one free grammar school". The Haberdashers purchased four fields as the site for the school before Jones's death, paying the sum of £100. Royal permission for this charitable purchase was required under the
Statute of Mortmain The Statutes of Mortmain were two enactments, in 1279 and 1290, passed in the reign of Edward I of England, aimed at preserving the kingdom's revenues by preventing land from passing into the possession of the Church. Possession of property by a ...
, which was granted in 1614. By Jones's death in Hamburg in 1615, the almshouses, and the schoolroom and headmaster's house had been completed, although nothing now remains of the original school buildings. The bulk of Jones's considerable bequest was used for the purchase of lands at
New Cross New Cross is an area in south east London, England, south-east of Charing Cross in the London Borough of Lewisham and the SE14 postcode district. New Cross is near St Johns, Telegraph Hill, Nunhead, Peckham, Brockley, Deptford and Greenwich, ...
, in South-East London, and the rent rolls from that estate provided the money for the salaries and running costs associated with the school, as well as the payment of pensions to the residents of the almshouses. The first headmaster was John Owen, M.A. of
Queens' College, Cambridge Queens' College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Queens' is one of the oldest colleges of the university, founded in 1448 by Margaret of Anjou. The college spans the River Cam, colloquially referred to as the "light s ...
, appointed on a salary of £60 per annum. Neither Owen, nor many of his 17th and 18th century successors, lasted very long unlike the school day which ran from 7–11 a.m., followed by an afternoon session from 1.30 to 5.00 p.m.


Years of uncertainty: 1617–1799

The mid-twentieth-century historian of the school, H. A. Ward, described its early history as "the precarious years". Continuing religious controversy, coupled with the
English Civil War The English Civil War (1642–1651) was a series of civil wars and political machinations between Parliamentarians (" Roundheads") and Royalists led by Charles I ("Cavaliers"), mainly over the manner of England's governance and issues of re ...
, made the town of Monmouth a divided and uncertain setting for the school. Divisions between staff, and the financial instability, and remoteness, of the Haberdashers Company, which was compelled to make substantial loans to the Parliamentary government that went unpaid for decades, and was then required to finance the rebuilding of their livery hall which was destroyed during the
Great Fire of London The Great Fire of London was a major conflagration that swept through central London from Sunday 2 September to Thursday 6 September 1666, gutting the medieval City of London inside the old Roman city wall, while also extending past the ...
, contributed to internal weaknesses. These difficulties continued well into the 18th century, and at one point, during the headship of the "morose and tyrannical" John Crowe, who was removed from his post after becoming insane, the school roll fell to just three boys. A source for information regarding the school in the mid-17th century is the diary of the school's usher, More Pye. The diary, extracts from which were published in the ''
Monmouthshire Beacon The ''Monmouthshire Beacon'' is a weekly tabloid newspaper covering the areas of Monmouthshire, south Herefordshire and western Gloucestershire. It has been in continuous publication since 1837. Since 1980 the newspaper has been part of the T ...
'' in 1859 but which is now lost, records Pye's experiences in great detail from the date of his appointment in 1646 until his resignation in 1652. An example is Pye's entry for February 18, 1647; "Pd (paid) 6 d ffor (for) wormeseedes and triacle for ye boys". A less parochial entry for November 11, 1647, records Pye's
monarchist Monarchism is the advocacy of the system of monarchy or monarchical rule. A monarchist is an individual who supports this form of government independently of any specific monarch, whereas one who supports a particular monarch is a royalist. ...
sympathies, " Ye King's Magy (Majesty) made an escape from
Hampton Court Hampton Court Palace is a Grade I listed royal palace in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, southwest and upstream of central London on the River Thames. The building of the palace began in 1514 for Cardinal Thomas Wolsey, the chief ...
, out of ye Armye's power. Vivat, vivat in aeternum".


Years of controversy: 1800–1850

Ward described the early 19th century period of the school's history as years of "controversy". These focused mainly on three issues; relations between the school and the town, relations between the school, the town and the Haberdashers Company and the Court of Chancery, which together were responsible for the school's funding and oversight, and attempts to expand the school's curriculum beyond the traditional study of Latin and Greek. The first issue saw the school perceived as part of the faction of the
Dukes of Beaufort Duke of Beaufort (), a title in the Peerage of England, was created by Charles II in 1682 for Henry Somerset, 3rd Marquess of Worcester, a descendant of Charles Somerset, 1st Earl of Worcester, legitimised son of Henry Beaufort, 3rd Duke of Som ...
, the premier landowners in the county, and directors of the town's politics from their regional base at
Troy House Troy House is a List of historic houses in Wales, Welsh historic house, on a "ducal" scale, north-east of Mitchel Troy, Monmouthshire. The original house belonged to Blanche Herbert, Lady Troy, of the Herbert family of Raglan Castle, who owned grea ...
. Early 19th century Monmouth had a strong
Radical Radical may refer to: Politics and ideology Politics *Radical politics, the political intent of fundamental societal change *Radicalism (historical), the Radical Movement that began in late 18th century Britain and spread to continental Europe and ...
tradition led by burgesses such as Thomas Thackwell, and fuelled by the liberal positions of the local newspapers, the ''Monmouthshire Beacon'' and the ''
Monmouthshire Merlin The ''Monmouthshire Beacon'' is a weekly tabloid newspaper covering the areas of Monmouthshire, south Herefordshire and western Gloucestershire. It has been in continuous publication since 1837. Since 1980 the newspaper has been part of the ...
''. The school's leadership was perceived in the town to be too close to the Beauforts, and Thackwell ran an almost fifty-year campaign against their attempts to defend the established order. The second controversy related to the governance of the school and another long campaign of attrition saw the school's Lecturer lose the responsibility for preparing an annual report on the school, this being transferred by the Court of Chancery to a Board of Visitors. The last area of conflict arose between the school's leadership, which wanted to maintain the tradition of a curriculum that involved the study solely of Latin and Greek, and the Court and the Haberdashers who wanted expansion to cover such areas as writing and arithmetic. In a damming report in 1827 they condemned "the present Masters, though so liberally paid, and having so little to do, consider themselves engaged only to teach Latin and Greek. A school teaching those branches of learning only will never be useful to a place of such confined population as Monmouth". Reforms introduced by John Oakley Hill in 1852, saw the establishment of Upper and Lower Schools, the former continuing to provide a classical education, while the latter had a curriculum focused on writing and arithmetic. William Coxe, who undertook extensive tours of Wales in the very late 18th and early 19th centuries in the company of his friend,
Sir Richard Colt Hoare Sir Richard Colt Hoare, 2nd Baronet FRS (9 December 1758 – 19 May 1838) was an English antiquarian, archaeologist, artist, and traveller of the 18th and 19th centuries, the first major figure in the detailed study of the history of his home c ...
, recorded his impressions of the school in the second volume of his ''An Historical tour in Monmouthshire'', published in 1801. Describing the school as enjoying "a high reputation under the care of (the headmaster) the Rev. John Powell", Coxe retells the mythical story of the school's establishment and records a "portrait of the founder, habited in the costume of the age of James the First, with an inscription 'Walter William Jones, haberdasher and merchant of London etc.' is preserved in the school room".


Years of expansion: 1851–1913

In the early 1850s the Court of Chancery insisted on the appointment of an external examiner. His report of 1852 was not encouraging; "many of the boys appear so ignorant as to be a disgrace to their parents, still more than to their teachers". If the academic outlook remained bleak, the financial position of the school was transformed in this period. The sale of part of the New Cross estate to railway developers, and the vastly increased rents accruing from the development and expansion of London saw the Haberdashers' fortunes dramatically increase. The availability of funds led to the complete rebuilding of the school on its original site between 1864, the school's 250th anniversary, and the end of the century. The school's expansion was undertaken during the long reign of the Rev. Charles Manley Roberts, headmaster for 32 years from 1859 to 1892. During Roberts's time Monmouth became an early member of the prestigious Headmaster's Conference (created by Edward Thring of Uppingham in 1869), a mark of its increasing reputation and status as a public school. The school's reputation for sporting prowess also rose, its rugby teams and rowers enjoying particular success. As a result of rising revenues from rents and investments, by the mid-19th century, Monmouth's endowment was one of largest of any school in England and Wales. To use the resulting surpluses, the original foundation was reorganised in 1891 to support a new girls’ school and an
elementary school A primary school (in Ireland, the United Kingdom, Australia, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, and South Africa), junior school (in Australia), elementary school or grade school (in North America and the Philippines) is a school for primary ed ...
in the town, as well as a boys' grammar school
West Monmouth School West Monmouth School (Welsh: ''Ysgol Gorllewin Mynwy''; colloquially: West Mon) is a state-funded and non-selective secondary school in Pontypool, Torfaen, south Wales. Admissions Pupils who attend the school generally live in the Torfaen area. ...
in
Pontypool Pontypool ( cy, Pont-y-pŵl ) is a town and the administrative centre of the county borough of Torfaen, within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire in South Wales. It has a population of 28,970. Location It is situated on the Afon Lwyd ri ...
. As importantly for the school's development, the rule that limited applications to boys from Monmouthshire and the neighbouring counties was set aside, and applications were opened to the entirety of Wales and England.


Years of war: 1914–1945

Monmouth School's
Combined Cadet Force The Combined Cadet Force (CCF) is a youth organisation in the United Kingdom, sponsored by the Ministry of Defence (MOD), which operates in schools, and normally includes Army, Royal Navy and Royal Air Force sections. Its aim is to "provide a ...
was reportedly the last CCF in the country to change its uniforms to
khaki The color khaki (, ) is a light shade of tan with a slight yellowish tinge. Khaki has been used by many armies around the world for uniforms and equipment, particularly in arid or desert regions, where it provides camouflage relative to sandy ...
from the traditional blue at the outbreak of
war War is an intense armed conflict between states, governments, societies, or paramilitary groups such as mercenaries, insurgents, and militias. It is generally characterized by extreme violence, destruction, and mortality, using regular o ...
in August 1914. The conflict brought the award of the school's only
Victoria Cross The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest and most prestigious award of the British honours system. It is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the British Armed Forces and may be awarded posthumously. It was previously ...
, awarded to Angus Buchanan in 1916 for conspicuous bravery in the
Mesopotamian campaign The Mesopotamian campaign was a campaign in the Middle Eastern theatre of World War I fought between the Allies represented by the British Empire, troops from Britain, Australia and the vast majority from British India, against the Central Powe ...
. Blinded by a bullet to the head the following year, he returned to Monmouthshire and worked as a solicitor in Coleford, unveiling the school's war memorial in 1921. In total, seventy-six old boys from the school were killed in the war. The school's Bricknell Library, founded in 1921, commemorated one of them, Ernest Thomas Samuel Bricknell, who died in October 1916 from wounds received at the
Battle of the Somme The Battle of the Somme ( French: Bataille de la Somme), also known as the Somme offensive, was a battle of the First World War fought by the armies of the British Empire and French Third Republic against the German Empire. It took place bet ...
. Further loss of life occurred in 1921, when the Head of School, G. H. Sutherland, drowned in the Wye during a rowing match between the school and
Hereford Cathedral School Hereford Cathedral School is an independent, co-educational day and boarding school for pupils of ages 3 to 18 years, from Nursery to Sixth Form. Its headmaster is a member of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference. The school's premi ...
. Sutherland is commemorated by the sundial in the school's cloister. The
Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
added the names of a further sixty-one Old Monmothians to the lists of the dead inscribed on the school's war memorial. During the war, the school hosted the entire school and staff from
King Edward VI Five Ways School King Edward VI Five Ways (KEFW) is a highly selective co-educational state grammar school for ages 11–18 in Bartley Green, Birmingham, England. One of the seven establishments of the Foundation of the Schools of King Edward VI, it is a volunt ...
,
Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands in England. It is the second-largest city in the United Kingdom with a population of 1.145 million in the city proper, 2.92 million in the West ...
, who were evacuated due to German bombing of
the Midlands The Midlands (also referred to as Central England) are a part of England that broadly correspond to the Kingdom of Mercia of the Early Middle Ages, bordered by Wales, Northern England and Southern England. The Midlands were important in the Ind ...
.


Recent years: 1946–present

Internal conflict within the school's management continued in the mid-twentieth century, with the governors sacking two headmasters within three years. This led to the school's expulsion from the Headmasters Conference, and to that body's advising any of its members against applying for the vacant headship. The impasse was resolved in 1959, with the appointment of Robert Glover. Reorganisation of the Haberdashers' endowments also occurred at this time. The elementary school, founded with Haberdashers' funds in 1891, was transferred to County Council control in 1940 with
West Monmouth School West Monmouth School (Welsh: ''Ysgol Gorllewin Mynwy''; colloquially: West Mon) is a state-funded and non-selective secondary school in Pontypool, Torfaen, south Wales. Admissions Pupils who attend the school generally live in the Torfaen area. ...
at
Pontypool Pontypool ( cy, Pont-y-pŵl ) is a town and the administrative centre of the county borough of Torfaen, within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire in South Wales. It has a population of 28,970. Location It is situated on the Afon Lwyd ri ...
following in 1955. This left the William Jones's Schools Foundation responsible for Monmouth School and
Haberdashers' Monmouth School for Girls Haberdashers' Monmouth School for Girls is an independent school in Monmouth, Wales. The school was established by the Worshipful Company of Haberdashers in 1892, and continues to enjoy their support. It is part of a family of schools known as ...
– also known as HMSG – both of which joined the
Direct Grant A direct grant grammar school was a type of Selective school, selective secondary school in the United Kingdom that existed between 1945 and 1976. One quarter of the places in these schools were directly funded by central government, while the rem ...
scheme in 1946. Another significant development for the school's location was the building of the A40, which "severed (Monmouth) ruthlessly from the river on which in the past it had depended" and cut off the school from its historic frontage onto the River Wye. This led to the permanent closure of the school's ceremonial entrance, the Wye Bridge Gate, constructed by Henry Stock in the 1890s. The direct impact on the school was perhaps less significant, Ward had recorded an early comment on the entrance, "that ancient gate which never opened is but thrice a year on notable occasions, such as when the coal cart comes". In 1976, with the ending of the Direct Grant system, the school returned to full independence. Having argued strongly against the ending of the grant system, the headmaster at the time, Robert Glover, gave a warning as to the likely consequences, "if direct grant goes, the school which has served the boys of Monmouth for four hundred years, will suddenly become for many families financially prohibitive". In response, a committee of the Old Monmothian Club, headed by
Lord Brecon David Vivian Penrose Lewis, 1st Baron Brecon PC (14 August 1905 – 10 October 1976) was a Welsh businessman and Conservative politician. Background and education Lewis was the son of Alfred William Lewis, of Talybont-on-Usk, Breconshire, and wa ...
and Sir Derek Ezra undertook a campaign to raise funding for scholarships which accumulated £100,000 in ten weeks. During his tenure Glover also secured re-admittance to the Headmasters' Conference. To mark the school's four hundredth anniversary a service of thanksgiving was held at St. Paul's Cathedral, on 19 March 2014, attended by some 2,200 pupils and staff from the school and from Haberdashers' Monmouth School for Girls, as well as Haberdashers and friends of the Schools. In 2018, the Haberdashers rebranded their group of schools in the town as ''Haberdashers Monmouth Schools'' and renamed the senior schools as Monmouth School for Boys and Monmouth School for Girls respectively. In its most recent accounts, published in 2020, the William Jones's Schools Foundation, which funds the Monmouth group of schools on behalf of the Haberdahers’ Company, recorded an expenditure of £24.0M against an income of £20.5M. In June 2022, the Haberdashers began a consultation on proposals to merge the Boys and Girls schools, making them fully
coeducational Mixed-sex education, also known as mixed-gender education, co-education, or coeducation (abbreviated to co-ed or coed), is a system of education where males and females are educated together. Whereas single-sex education was more common up to t ...
by 2024.


Histories of the school

The Monmouthshire antiquarian
Charles Heath Charles Theodosius Heath (1 March 1785 – 18 November 1848) was a British engraver, currency and stamp printer, book publisher and illustrator. Life and career He was the illegitimate son of James Heath, a successful engraver who enjoyed ...
described the traditional, and almost certainly inaccurate, story of the school's foundation in his ''Accounts of the Ancient and Present State of the Town of Monmouth'', published in 1804. Heath records that William Jones, now established as a successful and wealthy merchant, returned to his home town of Newland disguised as a beggar. Receiving a hostile reception, he travelled to Monmouth, where he was more warmly received and where, as a consequence, he funded the construction of the school and associated almshouses. The story is taken from an earlier oral tradition, also recorded in Archdeacon Coxe's ''An Historical Tour in Monmouthshire'', published three years before. In 1899, the Rev. W. M. Warlow published his ''History of the Charities of William Jones at Monmouth and Newland''. His fellow cleric and master, the Rev. K. M. Pitt wrote a more focused account, ''Monmouth School in the 1860s''. H. A. Ward published ''Monmouth School: 1614–1964: An Outline History'' to commemorate the school's 350th anniversary. In 1995, Keith Kissack published his history, ''Monmouth School and Monmouth: 1614–1995''. In 2014, in celebration of the school's quatercentenary, two masters at the school, Stephen Edwards, who wrote the text, and Keith Moseley, who took the photographs, published a new history, ''Monmouth School: The First 400 Years''.


Buildings

William Jones's original foundation provided for a schoolroom, on the site of the present chapel, houses for the Headmaster and Lecturer, and almshouses segregated by sex. A painting by J.A. Evans, of later date and purchased on behalf of the school by the then Headmaster Lionel James in 1921, shows the buildings and is titled ''The Old School Room. Built A.D. 1614. Pulled down to make room for the present school room, 1865''. Nothing of these buildings remains. The local writer and artist
Fred Hando Frederick James Hando MBE (23 March 1888 – 17 February 1970) was a Welsh writer, artist and schoolteacher from Newport. He chronicled the history, character and folklore of Monmouthshire, which he also called Gwent, in a series of nearly ...
records that the bell, which hung above the schoolroom, was cast at the Evan Evans foundry at
Chepstow Chepstow ( cy, Cas-gwent) is a town and community in Monmouthshire, Wales, adjoining the border with Gloucestershire, England. It is located on the tidal River Wye, about above its confluence with the River Severn, and adjoining the western ...
in 1716. In 1864 the Haberdashers undertook a substantial rebuilding of the school. Funded by the rising fortunes of Jones's bequest on the back of the Victorian expansion of London, the work was mostly undertaken by William Snooke and
Henry Stock Henry Stock (1824/5–1909) was a British architect. He served as the county surveyor for Essex for nearly 50 years, and as the surveyor and architect to the Worshipful Company of Haberdashers. The latter appointment led Stock to undertake a co ...
, of the firm Snooke & Stock, surveyors to the Haberdashers' Company. Snooke built the chapel, two schoolrooms and a classroom in 1864–1865, followed in the 1870s by the library, Headmaster's House and the buildings which now form Monmouth House and Hereford House. These buildings are all
Grade II listed In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Irel ...
. The Monmouth Alms Houses, on Almshouse Street, were rebuilt by J. B. Bunning in 1842, and redeveloped by William Burn in 1895–1896. They now form part of the school and incorporate a large inscription panel describing the benefactions of the Jones Foundation. The almshouses are also Grade II listed. The chapel was further extended in 1875. Snooke's work was not universally praised; a report from the School's Commissioner commenting, "the architect has arranged the buildings in a most inconvenient manner, and the ventilation is deficient." School House, with its ceremonial arched entrance and coat of arms facing the Wye Bridge, and the adjacent technology block, were designed by Henry Stock in 1894–1895. They are Grade II listed buildings as of 8 October 2005. The style of the School House block mirrors that of the main block of
Haberdashers' Monmouth School for Girls Haberdashers' Monmouth School for Girls is an independent school in Monmouth, Wales. The school was established by the Worshipful Company of Haberdashers in 1892, and continues to enjoy their support. It is part of a family of schools known as ...
, which Stock designed at the same time. The war memorial was dedicated in 1921,
Angus Buchanan (VC) Angus Buchanan, (11 August 1894 – 1 March 1944) was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces. Early l ...
attending the ceremony. The memorial is a Grade II listed structure. To the west of Stock's School House block, and set into the wall previously facing the Wye and now completely overshadowed by the A40 by-pass, is a pair of iron gates, of 18th century date and installed at the school in 1941. They come from the
Haberdashers' Hall The Worshipful Company of Haberdashers, one of the Great Twelve City Livery Companies, is an ancient merchant guild of London, England associated with the silk and velvet trades. History and functions The Haberdashers' Company follows the M ...
in London which was destroyed during
the Blitz The Blitz was a German bombing campaign against the United Kingdom in 1940 and 1941, during the Second World War. The term was first used by the British press and originated from the term , the German word meaning 'lightning war'. The Germa ...
. The school's building of greatest architectural merit is the
Grade II* listed In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Irel ...
Chapel House. The architectural historian John Newman describes the 18th century building, situated on the Hereford Road away from the main school site, as "the best house in the entire street". More modern developments include the Hall of 1961, redeveloped in the early 21st century and now the Blake Theatre, the Red Lion Block of the same date and the Science Block of 1981–1984. In 1985–1986, two ceramic murals were designed for the chapel by the Polish religious artist
Adam Kossowski Adam Kossowski (5 December 1905 – 31 March 1986) was a Polish artist, born in Nowy Sącz, notable for his works for the Catholic Church in England, where he arrived in 1943 as a refugee from Soviet labour camps and was invited in 1944 to join ...
, a friend and wartime colleague of the school's Head of Art from 1947 to 1978, Otto Maciag. Executed by Maciag, and another art master at the school, Michael Tovey, the murals were dedicated at a service conducted by the
Bishop of Monmouth The Bishop of Monmouth is the diocesan bishop of the Church in Wales Diocese of Monmouth. The episcopal see covers the historic county of Monmouthshire with the bishop's seat located at the Cathedral Church of Saint Woolos in Newport, whi ...
, the Rt Rev Clifford Wright on 3 October 1987. He described them as "masterpieces of twentieth-century religious art”. In November 2008, a £2.3 million sports pavilion was completed and opened by the former British Lions player and
Welsh Welsh may refer to: Related to Wales * Welsh, referring or related to Wales * Welsh language, a Brittonic Celtic language spoken in Wales * Welsh people People * Welsh (surname) * Sometimes used as a synonym for the ancient Britons (Celtic peop ...
captain, Eddie Butler, an old boy of the School. It was designed by the architects Buttress Fuller Alsop Williams. In 2011 the school began the ''Heart Project''. This led to the sale of some outlying sites, such as St. James's House, and the re-organisation of others, to assist in the raising of funds for the redevelopment of the main school site. Further funds came from the Haberdashers' Company, and the first phase was completed with the rebuilding of the Red Lion Block, renamed the William Jones Building.


The school today

With 650 pupils, the school offers boarding and day places as well as preparatory departments in a single-sex environment. A range of
GCSE The General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) is an academic qualification in a particular subject, taken in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. State schools in Scotland use the Scottish Qualifications Certificate instead. Private sc ...
, A and AS level subjects are offered, with the
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 ...
having some collaborative teaching with pupils from the sister school,
Haberdashers' Monmouth School for Girls Haberdashers' Monmouth School for Girls is an independent school in Monmouth, Wales. The school was established by the Worshipful Company of Haberdashers in 1892, and continues to enjoy their support. It is part of a family of schools known as ...
(HMSG).
Tatler ''Tatler'' is a British magazine published by Condé Nast Publications focusing on fashion and lifestyle, as well as coverage of high society and politics. It is targeted towards the British upper-middle class and upper class, and those interes ...
magazine's 2020 Schools Guide noted its strong academic performance. The school charges fees for attendance; for 2019–2020, the annual fees are: day pupils, £16,275, boarding pupils, £30,852. The school operates a substantial
bursary A bursary is a monetary award made by any educational institution or funding authority to individuals or groups. It is usually awarded to enable a student to attend school, university or college when they might not be able to, otherwise. Some awa ...
programme. In September 2018, Monmouth School was renamed Monmouth School for Boys after a merger of all five Haberdashers' Company schools in Monmouth. The Foundation now operates under the name Haberdashers' Monmouth Schools and consists of: Monmouth School for Boys (formerly Monmouth School), Monmouth School for Girls (formerly Haberdashers' Monmouth School for Girls or HMSG), Monmouth School Boys' Prep (formerly The Grange), Monmouth School Girls' Prep (formerly Inglefield House) and Monmouth Schools Pre-Prep and Nursery (formerly Agincourt School).


Houses

There are three age divisions in the school; lower (forms I and II) middle (forms III, IV, and V) and sixth form (forms VI.1 and VI.2). Within these divisions, the school operates a
House system The house system is a traditional feature of schools in the United Kingdom. The practice has since spread to Commonwealth countries and the United States. The school is divided into subunits called "houses" and each student is allocated to o ...
. As of December 2022, the houses are: * Monnow House, the lower school boarding house; * Wye and Dean Houses, the lower school day houses; * Severn House, Town House, Monmouth House and Hereford House, middle school day houses; * New House, Weirhead House, and School House, middle school boarding houses; * Tudor, Glendower, and Buchanan Houses, which comprise the sixth form centre and VI.2 boarding.


Extracurricular activities

The school has its own theatre, The Blake, opened in 2004. Funded by Bob Blake, a former pupil, it is used as a venue for performances by both the school and the girls' school, and by external performers. The Glover Music School has an auditorium and teaching and practice rooms. The strong musical tradition owes much to Michael Eveleigh, director of music at the school from 1950 to 1986, and his successors, there having been only five directors of music since the
Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
. Other extra-curricular activities include foreign expeditions, music and drama events as well as a newspaper, ''The Lion'', a creative writing leaflet, ''The Lion's Tale'', ''The Mon-Mouth'', a bi-weekly, student-run newspaper and an annual magazine, ''The Monmothian'', first published in 1882. The
Combined Cadet Force The Combined Cadet Force (CCF) is a youth organisation in the United Kingdom, sponsored by the Ministry of Defence (MOD), which operates in schools, and normally includes Army, Royal Navy and Royal Air Force sections. Its aim is to "provide a ...
, founded in 1904, which has both Army and RAF sections, is operated in collaboration with HMSG.


Sport

The school has a notable sporting tradition, with a high number of successful sportsmen amongst its alumni. The main sports are
rugby Rugby may refer to: Sport * Rugby football in many forms: ** Rugby league: 13 players per side *** Masters Rugby League *** Mod league *** Rugby league nines *** Rugby league sevens *** Touch (sport) *** Wheelchair rugby league ** Rugby union: 1 ...
,
rowing Rowing is the act of propelling a human-powered watercraft using the sweeping motions of oars to displace water and generate reactional propulsion. Rowing is functionally similar to paddling, but rowing requires oars to be mechanically atta ...
and
cricket Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players on a field at the centre of which is a pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two bails balanced on three stumps. The batting side scores runs by striki ...
. The school's rowing club, affiliated to
British Rowing British Rowing, formerly the Amateur Rowing Association (ARA), is the national governing body for the sport of rowing (both indoor and on-water rowing). It is responsible for the training and selection of individual rowers and crews representin ...
(boat code MNS), produced three championship crews at the
1988 File:1988 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The oil platform Piper Alpha explodes and collapses in the North Sea, killing 165 workers; The USS Vincennes (CG-49) mistakenly shoots down Iran Air Flight 655; Australia celebrates its Australian ...
,
2007 File:2007 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Steve Jobs unveils Apple's first iPhone; TAM Airlines Flight 3054 overruns a runway and crashes into a gas station, killing almost 200 people; Former Pakistani Prime Minister of Pakistan, Pr ...
and 2009 British Rowing Championships. Facilities include a boathouse, a sports complex which houses a six-lane swimming pool, indoor facilities including a weights and fitness suite, tennis courts, and a full size astroturf pitch. The Hitchcock sports pavilion, completed in 2008, stands on the playing fields, on the other side of the Wye from the school's main site. In addition to rugby, rowing and cricket, the school offers a range of other sports which include soccer, cross-country, tennis, basketball, golf, athletics, swimming, water polo, canoeing, and squash.


Other

The school has an alumni society, the Old Monmothian Club, founded in 1886. In June 2009, the school paid out £150,000 to settle a landmark pensions rights case brought by female catering and support staff who claimed that, as part-time workers, they had been unjustly excluded from the school's pension scheme.


Headmasters

style="font-size:100%;" * 1615 John Owen * 1617 Humfrey Crewys * 1639 Nathaniel Taynton * 1657 Robert Brabourne * 1658 Robert Frampton * 1663 John Harmer * 1663 Charles Hoole * 1664 William Morris * 1672 Thomas Bassett * 1687 Thomas Wright * 1691 Thomas Bassett (restored) * 1713 Andrew Cuthbert * 1723 James Birt * 1738 Baynham Barnes * 1758 John Crowe * 1780 Thomas Prosser * 1793 John Powell * 1823 William Jones / * 1828 John Oakley Hill * 1832 George Monnington * 1844 John Dundas Watherston * 1859 Charles Manley Roberts * 1891 Edward Hugh Culley * 1906 Lionel James * 1928 Christopher Fairfax Scott * 1937 Wilfred Roy Lewin * 1941 Noel Chamberlain Elstob * 1946 Cecil Howard Dunstan Cullingford * 1956 John Robert Murray Senior * 1959 R H S Hatton (acting) * 1959 Robert Finlay Glover * 1977 Nicholas Bomford * 1982 Rupert Lane * 1995 Peter Anthony * 1995 Timothy Haynes * 2005 Steven Connors * 2015 Andrew Daniel * 2020 Simon Dorman


Alumni

style="font-size:100%;" ;Historical * Angus Buchanan VC (1894–1944), soldier and holder of the
Victoria Cross The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest and most prestigious award of the British honours system. It is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the British Armed Forces and may be awarded posthumously. It was previously ...
*
John Josiah Guest Sir Josiah John Guest, 1st Baronet (2 February 1785 – 26 November 1852), known as John Josiah Guest, was a Welsh engineer, entrepreneur and politician. Early life Guest was born on 2 February 1785 in Dowlais, Merthyr Tydfil, Wales. He wa ...
(1785–1852), industrialist *
Jacob Owen Jacob Owen (28 July 1778 – 29 October 1870) was a Welsh-born Irish architect and civil engineer of the nineteenth century. His architectural work is most closely associated with Dublin, Ireland. He also contributed extensively to the ...
(1778-1880), architect * James Endell Tyler (1789-1851), theologian *
John Vassall William John Christopher Vassall (20 September 1924 – 18 November 1996) was a British civil servant who spied for the Soviet Union, allegedly under pressure of blackmail, from 1954 until his arrest in 1962. Although operating only at a junior ...
(1924–1996), civil servant and spy *
David Thomas Gwynne-Vaughan Prof David Thomas Gwynne-Vaughan FRSE Linnean Society, FLS MRIA (12 March 1871 – 4 September 1915) was a 20th-century Welsh botanist and botanopalaeolontologist, specialising in fossilised plants (especially ferns). Life He was born on 12 March ...
(1871-1915), botanist and botanopalaeolontologist ;Sporting *
Hallam Amos Hallam Benjamen Amos (born 24 September 1994) is a former Welsh rugby union player who played for Cardiff Rugby and Newport Gwent Dragons. He mostly played as a wing, but he was also capable of playing at fullback and as a centre. Born in Stoc ...
, (born 1994), rugby player *
Wayne Barnes Wayne Barnes (born 20 April 1979) is an English international rugby union referee and barrister. He is a regular referee in the English Premiership, and has refereed games in the Heineken Cup and the European Challenge Cup. At international lev ...
, (born 1979), rugby union referee *
David Broome David McPherson Broome (born 1 March 1940) is a retired Welsh show jumping champion. He competed in the 1960, 1964, 1968, 1972 and 1988 Olympics and won individual bronze medals in 1960 on Sunsalve and in 1968 on his best-known horse ''Mr Sof ...
,
CBE The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...
, (born 1940), showjumper * Eddie Butler, (1957-2022), rugby player / TV commentator * Jonathan Denning, (born 1991), first-class cricketer *
John Gwilliam John Albert Gwilliam (28 February 1923 – 21 December 2016) was a Welsh rugby union player and schoolteacher. As a "Rugby union positions#8. Number Eight, No. 8" he played international rugby for Wales national rugby union team, Wales and cl ...
(1923-2016), rugby player * Steve James, (born 1967), cricketer *
Keith Jarrett Keith Jarrett (born May 8, 1945) is an American jazz and classical music pianist and composer. Jarrett started his career with Art Blakey and later moved on to play with Charles Lloyd and Miles Davis. Since the early 1970s, he has also been a ...
, (born 1948), rugby player * Martin Johnson (1949-2021), sports journalist *
Tom Lucy Thomas David Lucy (born 1 May 1988 in Bristol) is a British international rower from Llangovan near Monmouth. He won a silver medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics for Great Britain in the Men's eight. He attended Monmouth School for seven year ...
, (born 1988), rower * William Marsh (1917–1978), cricketer *
Lewis Oliva Lewis Oliva (born 23 August 1992) is a Welsh racing cyclist from Monmouthshire, Wales, who has ridden on the track for the Welsh Cycling backed professional track team since September 2016. Prior to this he was part of the Great Britain cycling ...
, (born 1992), team GB cyclist *
Richard Parks Richard David Parks (born 14 August 1977) is a former Wales international rugby union player turned extreme endurance athlete and television presenter. In rugby he represented Newport RFC, Pontypridd RFC, Celtic Warriors, Leeds Tykes, USA Perp ...
, (born 1977), rugby player *
Kyle Tudge Kyle Daniel Tudge (born 19 March 1987) is a Welsh cricketer. He is a right-handed batsman and a slow left-handed bowler who formerly played for Glamorgan. He was born at Newport. He entered first-class cricket for the first time in August 2006 ...
, (born 1987), cricketer *
Huw Waters Huw Thomas Waters (born 26 September 1986) is a former Welsh cricketer. He was a right-handed batsman and a right-arm fast-medium-pace bowler, who played for Glamorgan County Cricket Club, Glamorgan. He attended the Sixth Form at Monmouth Schoo ...
, (born 1986), cricketer * Charles Wiggin, (born 1950), rower * Robin Williams, MBE, (born 1959) rower and coach ;Public Life * Sir John Beddington, CMG, (born 1945), scientist and UK
Government Chief Scientific Adviser The UK Government Chief Scientific Adviser (GCSA) is the personal adviser on science and technology-related activities and policies to the Prime Minister and the Cabinet; and head of the Government Office for Science. The Chief Scientific Advi ...
*
Richard Carwardine Richard John Carwardine (born 12 January 1947) is a Welsh historian and academic. He specialises in American politics and religion in the era of the American Civil War. The professor is best known for his work on President Abraham Lincoln an ...
, (born 1947), historian and President of
Corpus Christi College, Oxford Corpus Christi College (formally, Corpus Christi College in the University of Oxford; informally abbreviated as Corpus or CCC) is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. Founded in 1517, it is the 12th ...
* David Warren Arthur East,
CBE The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...
, (born 1961) CEO
Rolls-Royce Holdings Rolls-Royce Holdings plc is a British multinational aerospace and defence company incorporated in February 2011. The company owns Rolls-Royce, a business established in 1904 which today designs, manufactures and distributes power systems for ...
* Derek Ezra, Baron Ezra
MBE Mbe may refer to: * Mbé, a town in the Republic of the Congo * Mbe Mountains Community Forest, in Nigeria * Mbe language, a language of Nigeria * Mbe' language, language of Cameroon * ''mbe'', ISO 639 code for the extinct Molala language Molal ...
(1919–2015), Chairman of the
National Coal Board The National Coal Board (NCB) was the statutory corporation created to run the nationalised coal mining industry in the United Kingdom. Set up under the Coal Industry Nationalisation Act 1946, it took over the United Kingdom's collieries on "v ...
*
Christopher Herbert Christopher William Herbert (born 7 January 1944) is a British Anglican bishop. From 1996 to 2009, he was the Bishop of St Albans. Early life Herbert was born on 7 January 1944, in Lydney in the Forest of Dean. His father helped run the family ...
, (born 1944), ecclesiastic and
Bishop of St Albans The Bishop of St Albans is the Ordinary of the Church of England's Diocese of St Albans in the Province of Canterbury. The bishop is supported in his work by two suffragan bishops, the Bishop of Hertford and the Bishop of Bedford, and three arc ...
*
Paul Langford Paul Langford FBA FRHistS (20 November 1945, Bridgend – 27 July 2015) was a British historian. From 2000 until late 2012 he was the rector of Lincoln College, Oxford, succeeded by professor Henry Woudhuysen. Educated at Monmouth School and He ...
(1945–2015), historian and Rector of
Lincoln College, Oxford Lincoln College (formally, The College of the Blessed Mary and All Saints, Lincoln) is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford, situated on Turl Street in central Oxford. Lincoln was founded in 1427 by Richard Fleming, the ...
*
David Lewis, 1st Baron Brecon David Vivian Penrose Lewis, 1st Baron Brecon PC (14 August 1905 – 10 October 1976) was a Welsh businessman and Conservative politician. Background and education Lewis was the son of Alfred William Lewis, of Talybont-on-Usk, Breconshire, and w ...
(1905-1976), businessman and politician *
Colin Moynihan, 4th Baron Moynihan Colin Berkeley Moynihan, 4th Baronet, 4th Baron Moynihan (born 13 September 1955) is a British Olympic silver medalist, businessman, Conservative Party (UK), Conservative politician, and sports administrator. Lord Moynihan served as ...
, (born 1955), politician and sportsman * Frank Owen(1905-1979), politician and journalist *
Peter Young Peter or Pete Young may refer to: Sports * Peter Dalton Young (1927–2002), English rugby union player * Peter Young (cricketer, born 1961), Australian cricketer * Pete Young (born 1968), American baseball player * Peter Young (rugby league) (fl. ...
, DSO, MC (1915–1988), soldier, historian and founder of
The Sealed Knot The Sealed Knot was a secret Royalist association which plotted for the Restoration of the Monarchy during the English Interregnum. The group was commissioned by King Charles II between November 1653 and February 1654 from his exile in Paris fo ...
. ;Arts and Entertainment * Leonard Clark (1905-1981), poet *
Angus McBean Angus Rowland McBean (8 June 1904 – 9 June 1990) was a Welsh photographer, set designer and cult figure associated with surrealism. Early life Angus Rowland McBean was born in Newbridge, Monmouthshire, Wales on 8 June 1904, elder child and o ...
(1904–1990), photographer *
Richard Marner Richard Marner (born Alexander Pavlovich Molchanov, russian: Александр Павлович Молчанов, translit=Aleksandr Pavlovič Molčanov; 27 March 192118 March 2004) was a Russian-British actor. He was probably best known for h ...
(1921–2004), actor *
Grant Nicholas Grantley Jonathan "Grant" Nicholas (born 12 November 1967) is a Welsh musician, and lead singer and guitarist of the rock band Feeder. Early years Nicholas was born in Newport, South Wales, but grew up in Pwllmeyric, near Chepstow. He was educa ...
, (born 1967), guitarist and singer with the rock band Feeder * Richard Pearson (1918–2011), actor * Tom Price, (born 1980), actor and comedian *
Victor Spinetti Vittorio Giorgio Andre "Victor" Spinetti (2 September 1929 – 19 June 2012) was a Welsh actor, author, poet, and raconteur. He appeared in dozens of films and stage plays throughout his 50-year career, including the three 1960s Beatles films ' ...
(1933–2012), actor *
Glyn Worsnip Glyn Worsnip (2 September 1938 – 7 June 1996) was a British radio and television presenter. Born in Highnam, Gloucestershire, he was most famous for his appearances on ''That's Life!'' (where he was teamed with Kieran Prendiville from 1973 to 1 ...
(1938–1996), actor and broadcaster


Footnotes


References


Sources

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *


External links


Official website

The Blake Theatre

Monmouth Schools Sports Club official website

School YouTube Channel

Old Monmothians Club
{{authority control Haberdashers' Schools Educational institutions established in the 1610s Independent schools in Monmouthshire Boys' schools in Wales Christian schools in Wales 1614 establishments in Wales Boarding schools in Wales Member schools of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference Buildings and structures in Monmouth, Wales Grade II listed buildings in Monmouthshire Diamond schools