Wellington School,

Midlothian Midlothian (; gd, Meadhan Lodainn) is a historic county, registration county, lieutenancy area and one of 32 council areas of Scotland used for local government. Midlothian lies in the east-central Lowlands, bordering the City of Edinburgh, ...

, Scotland was a residential school for boys, owned by the City of

Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...

Council and operated by the Council's Children and Families Department. It was operational between 1859 and 2014. Established in 1859 and initially known as "The Wellington Reformatory Farm School", the school was the creation of "The Edinburgh Association for the Reformation of Juvenile Offenders"; one of the founding members of the association was the Rev. Dr.

Thomas Guthrie Thomas Guthrie FRSE (12 July 1803 – 24 February 1873) was a Scottish divine and philanthropist, born at Brechin in Angus (at that time also called Forfarshire). He was one of the most popular preachers of his day in Scotland, and was associa ...

. The Wellington Reformatory Farm School sprang from thinking similar to that which created the

reform school A reform school was a penal institution, generally for teenagers mainly operating between 1830 and 1900. In the United Kingdom and its colonies reformatories commonly called reform schools were set up from 1854 onwards for youngsters who were ...

developments in the United States. The school admitted its first pupil in February 1860: James Watt, aged eleven years. James had been convicted at The Police Court of Edinburgh and sentenced by Sheriff Hallard to fourteen days' imprisonment and thereafter five years' detention at the Reformatory School. James's crime had been the "theft of a bottle of hair oil from off a barrow on the street". James had had no previous convictions. Although the word "Farm" was dropped from the school's name many years ago, it was still often referred to in Edinburgh as "Wellie Farm". In 2013 the decision was made by

Edinburgh council Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...

to close the school because of falling numbers. After 153 years the school closed in June 2014. The school's War Memorial listing those of its pupils who died in

the Great War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

is to be lodged in

Penicuik Penicuik ( ; sco, Penicuik; gd, Peighinn na Cuthaig) is a town and former burgh in Midlothian, Scotland, lying on the west bank of the River North Esk. It lies on the A701 midway between Edinburgh and Peebles, east of the Pentland Hills. Na ...

South Parish Church. The school archive has been preserved for posterity including admission papers which stretch back to the first pupils, correspondence from former pupils and the medical register. Many of the records have gone to the City of Edinburgh Archive, whilst some are held by the Penicuik Historical Society. In August 2014 confidential files were found unsecured in the building. The school motto was "Resurgam" and the crest was a

phoenix Phoenix most often refers to: * Phoenix (mythology), a legendary bird from ancient Greek folklore * Phoenix, Arizona, a city in the United States Phoenix may also refer to: Mythology Greek mythological figures * Phoenix (son of Amyntor), a ...

above a

saltire A saltire, also called Saint Andrew's Cross or the crux decussata, is a heraldic symbol in the form of a diagonal cross, like the shape of the letter X in Roman type. The word comes from the Middle French ''sautoir'', Medieval Latin ''saltator ...

References

External links

Scottish Schools Online entry for Wellington School
Boys' schools in Midlothian Boarding schools in Midlothian Defunct schools in Midlothian {{Scotland-school-stub