The Percival Guildhouse is an independent

adult education Adult education, distinct from child education, is a practice in which adults engage in systematic and sustained self-educating activities in order to gain new forms of knowledge, skills, attitudes, or values. Merriam, Sharan B. & Brockett, Ralp ...

centre and registered

charity Charity may refer to: Giving * Charitable organization or charity, a non-profit organization whose primary objectives are philanthropy and social well-being of persons * Charity (practice), the practice of being benevolent, giving and sharing * Ch ...

Rugby, Warwickshire Rugby is a market town in eastern Warwickshire, England, close to the River Avon. In the 2021 census its population was 78,125, making it the second-largest town in Warwickshire. It is the main settlement within the larger Borough of Rugby whi ...

, England. It is based in a building on St Matthew Street in the town centre, which dates from the mid-19th century, and which was once the home of the antiquarian

Matthew Bloxam Matthew Holbeche Bloxam (12 May 1805 – 24 April 1888), a native of Rugby, Warwickshire, England, was a Warwickshire antiquary and amateur archeologist, author of a popular guide to Gothic architecture. He was the original source of the legend o ...

(1805-1888). The building itself is

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 Percival Guild was founded in 1925 to promote adult education in Rugby, named after

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 ...

, a former headmaster of

Rugby School Rugby School is a public school (English independent boarding school for pupils aged 13–18) in Rugby, Warwickshire, England. Founded in 1567 as a free grammar school for local boys, it is one of the oldest independent schools in Britain. Up ...

. Some old boys of Rugby School purchased Bloxam's old home to house the institution creating the Guildhouse. Today it provides morning, afternoon and evening classes from Monday to Friday in a wide variety of subjects, and has an attached cafe and adjacent gardens which are open to the public, and are alongside the Rugby Art Gallery, Museum & Library.

Notable people

Maurice Beresford Maurice Warwick Beresford, (6 February 1920 – 15 December 2005) was an English economic historian and archaeologist specialising in the medieval period. He was Professor of Economic History at the University of Leeds. Early life and educat ...

, historian and archaeologist known for his later work on deserted medieval villages including Wharram Percy, served as sub-warden (1942–1943) and then warden (1943–1948) of Percival Guildhouse.

References

External links

Percival Guildhouse website
Buildings and structures in Rugby, Warwickshire Educational charities based in the United Kingdom Education in Warwickshire Grade II listed buildings in Warwickshire {{warwickshire-struct-stub