St Albans School is a public school (traditional English fee-charging

day A day is the time rotation period, period of a full Earth's rotation, rotation of the Earth with respect to the Sun. On average, this is 24 hours (86,400 seconds). As a day passes at a given location it experiences morning, afternoon, evening, ...

and former

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. They have existed for many centuries, and now extend acr ...

) in the city of

St Albans St Albans () is a cathedral city in Hertfordshire, England, east of Hemel Hempstead and west of Hatfield, Hertfordshire, Hatfield, north-west of London, south-west of Welwyn Garden City and south-east of Luton. St Albans was the first major ...

in Hertfordshire. Entry before Sixth Form is for boys only, but the Sixth Form has been

co-educational 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 ...

since 1991. From 2026, St Albans School plans to be going fully co-educational. Founded in 948 by Wulsin (Abbot Ulsinus), St Albans School is not only the oldest school in

Hertfordshire Hertfordshire ( or ; often abbreviated Herts) is a ceremonial county in the East of England and one of the home counties. It borders Bedfordshire to the north-west, Cambridgeshire to the north-east, Essex to the east, Greater London to the ...

but also one of the oldest in the world. The school has been called "Britain's oldest public school" by the ''

Daily Mail The ''Daily Mail'' is a British daily Middle-market newspaper, middle-market Tabloid journalism, tabloid conservative newspaper founded in 1896 and published in London. , it has the List of newspapers in the United Kingdom by circulation, h ...

''.

Nicholas Carlisle Sir Nicholas Carlisle, Royal Guelphic Order, KH, Royal Society#Fellows, FRS, Royal Irish Academy, MRIA, (1771 in York, England – 27 August 1847 in Margate, England) was an English people, English antiquary and librarian. In 1806, he became a c ...

, in 1818, described the school as "of very ancient origin, and of great celebrity"N. Carlisle, "A concise description of the endowed grammar schools in England" (1818) p. 508 and the ''

Good Schools Guide ''The Good Schools Guide'' is a guide to British schools, both state and private. The guide's contributors are predominantly parents, but include researchers and former headteachers. It uses a conversational tone. Selection of schools is made ...

'' describes St Albans as a "traditional public school, with a rich history". Among its famous alumni are

Pope Adrian IV Pope Adrian (or Hadrian) IV (; born Nicholas Breakspear (or Brekespear); 1 September 1159) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 4 December 1154 until his death in 1159. Born in England, Adrian IV was the first Pope ...

Colin Renfrew Andrew Colin Renfrew, Baron Renfrew of Kaimsthorn, (25 July 1937 – 24 November 2024) was a British archaeologist, paleolinguist and Conservative peer noted for his work on radiocarbon dating, the prehistory of languages, archaeogenetics, ...

Jack Goody Sir John Rankine Goody (27 July 1919 – 16 July 2015) was an English social anthropologist. He was a prominent lecturer at Cambridge University, and was William Wyse Professor of Social Anthropology from 1973 to 1984. Among his main publica ...

Stephen Hawking Stephen William Hawking (8January 194214March 2018) was an English theoretical physics, theoretical physicist, cosmologist, and author who was director of research at the Centre for Theoretical Cosmology at the University of Cambridge. Between ...

, and Ian Grant. The current headmaster, Joe Silvester, was appointed in 2024, and was previously headmaster of Wetherby Senior School.

School arms

The school

coat of arms A coat of arms is a heraldry, heraldic communication design, visual design on an escutcheon (heraldry), escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the last two being outer garments), originating in Europe. The coat of arms on an escutcheon f ...

is composed of the cross of

Saint Alban Saint Alban (; ) is venerated as the first-recorded British Christian martyr, for which reason he is considered to be the British protomartyr. Along with fellow Saints Julius and Aaron, Alban is one of three named martyrs recorded at an ea ...

together with the School motto. The cross of Saint Alban is a gold

saltire A saltire, also called Saint Andrew's Cross or the crux decussata, is a Heraldry, heraldic symbol in the form of a diagonal cross. The word comes from the Middle French , Medieval Latin ("stirrup"). From its use as field sign, the saltire cam ...

(a cross, signifying that Alban was martyred, but diagonal, as he was beheaded, not crucified) on a blue field (or, in heraldic terms, ''Azure, a saltire Or''). The current school motto is ''Non nobis nati'' ("Born not for ourselves"). This dates back to the family of the 12th century Geoffrey de Gorham (Master and subsequently Abbot of

), deriving from Cicero's ("Non nobis solum nati sumus"; "We are not born for ourselves alone"), and was used until the

Reformation The Reformation, also known as the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation, was a time of major Theology, theological movement in Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the p ...

. It was re-introduced in 1994, thereby stressing the link between the School before and after the dissolution of the monastery in 1539. ''Non nobis nati'' replaced the previous motto ''Mediocria firma'' ("The middle road is best"), used between the 16th and 20th centuries. This was the motto of the Bacon family at Gorhambury (including Sir

Nicholas Nicholas is a male name, the Anglophone version of an ancient Greek name in use since antiquity, and cognate with the modern Greek , . It originally derived from a combination of two Ancient Greek, Greek words meaning 'victory' and 'people'. In ...

and Sir

Francis Bacon Francis Bacon, 1st Viscount St Alban (; 22 January 1561 – 9 April 1626) was an English philosopher and statesman who served as Attorney General and Lord Chancellor of England under King James I. Bacon argued for the importance of nat ...

). This formed part of the Bacon coat of arms, which for instance can still be seen outside the Verulam Arms public house in nearby Welclose Street and inside St Mary's Church, Redbourn.

History

Pre-Reformation history

The school was founded within St Albans Abbey by Abbot Wulsin in 948 and was the first school in the world to accept students not intending to join a religious order, being the first school open to the wider public.F.J. Kilvington, A Short History of St Albans School (1986) By the 12th century, the School had built for itself such a reputation that the famous Norman scholars Geoffrey de Gorham and

Alexander Neckam Alexander Neckam (8 September 115731 March 1217) was an English poet, theologian, and writer. He was an abbot of Cirencester Abbey from 1213 until his death. Early life Born on 8 September 1157 in St Albans, Alexander shared his birthday with ...

applied for the post of Master. Geoffrey de Gorham was later to become

Abbot of St Albans {{Use dmy dates, date=April 2022 This is a list of abbots of St Albans Abbey up to its Dissolution in 1539. # Willegod (793–796) # Eadric # Wulsig # Wulnoth (Walworth) (c. 930) # Eadfrith # Wulsin (d. c. 968) # Aelfric # Ealdred # Eadmer # Le ...

in 1119, and the School then remained under the control of the Abbot until the dissolution of the Abbey in 1539. By the 12th century, the school was one of the largest in the British Isles. On 16 September 1309, the school was given new statutes, including scholarships for poor students. The school and Abbey were sacked in 1381 during the

Peasants' Revolt The Peasants' Revolt, also named Wat Tyler's Rebellion or the Great Rising, was a major uprising across large parts of England in 1381. The revolt had various causes, including the socio-economic and political tensions generated by the Black ...

. (The revolt's leader John Ball, was also a former pupil of the school.) By the 15th century, the school was located in buildings in Romeland and inside the Abbey Gateway, which from 1479 housed schoolmaster's press. The St Albans Press continues today, in a semi-dormant form, as "John Insomuch Schoolmaster Printer 1479 Ltd", making the school the oldest extant presses in the world.DIRECTORS' REPORT AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 5 APRIL 2007
ST ALBANS SCHOOL

Post-Reformation history

After the dissolution of the abbey in 1539, Richard Boreman, the last abbot, became Headmaster and the school moved to a chapel near St Peter's church in St Albans after its buildings in Romeland were demolished by Sir Richard Lee for building materials to rebuild Sopwell Priory into a

country house image:Blenheim - Blenheim Palace - 20210417125239.jpg, 300px, Blenheim Palace - Oxfordshire An English country house is a large house or mansion in the English countryside. Such houses were often owned by individuals who also owned a Townhou ...

.Rickmansworth Historical Society – St Albans dissolution of monastery
Rickmansworthhistoricalsociety.btck.co.uk. Retrieved on 13 December 2011. In 1549, to put the school on a firmer foundation, the last abbot was granted the right to maintain a grammar school by a private act of Parliament, ( 2 & 3 Edw. 6. c. ''14'' ). Around 1545, the school outgrew its St Peter's church premises and moved again to the Lady Chapel at the east end of the abbey, bought for the huge sum of £100, and it was separated from the rest of the abbey with a wall made of smashed stones from the ancient shrine of St Alban. In 1553 the Crown sold the rest of the abbey church to the town for £400 (the value of the lead on its roof) and became a

Church of England The Church of England (C of E) is the State religion#State churches, established List of Christian denominations, Christian church in England and the Crown Dependencies. It is the mother church of the Anglicanism, Anglican Christian tradition, ...

parish church for the new Borough of St Albans. In 1570 Sir Nicholas Bacon,

Lord Keeper of the Great Seal The Lord Keeper of the Great Seal of England, and later of Great Britain, was formerly an officer of the English Crown charged with physical custody of the Great Seal of England. This position evolved into that of one of the Great Officers of ...

and father of Sir

, then living at nearby

Gorhambury Old Gorhambury House located near St Albans, Hertfordshire, England, is a ruined Elizabethan mansion, a leading and early example of the Elizabethan prodigy house. History The old house It was built in 1563–68 by Nicholas Bacon (courtier), S ...

, gave the school new statutes and re-endowed the school by successful petitioning

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. She was the last and longest reigning monarch of the House of Tudor. Her eventful reign, and its effect on history ...

for a wine charter (extended by King James I in 1606). The only other educational institutions with the same privileges to tax the alcohol trade in their localities were the

University of Oxford The University of Oxford is a collegiate university, collegiate research university in Oxford, England. There is evidence of teaching as early as 1096, making it the oldest university in the English-speaking world and the List of oldest un ...

and the

University of Cambridge The University of Cambridge is a Public university, public collegiate university, collegiate research university in Cambridge, England. Founded in 1209, the University of Cambridge is the List of oldest universities in continuous operation, wo ...

. The income from taxation on wine and beer sales in the St Albans continued to fund the school until 1922, when they were surrendered to the Treasury in return for £1,200 in the Oxford and St Albans Wine Privileges (Abolition) Act 1922. Other benefactors from this period include Sir Richard Platt, Citizen of London, sometime Master of the

Worshipful Company of Brewers The Worshipful Company of Brewers is one of the ancient livery companies of the City of London. History London brewers are known to have organised as a group in the 13th century. Its first royal charter was granted by Henry VI in 1438. In 16 ...

and later founder of

Aldenham School Aldenham School is a co-educational private boarding and day school for pupils aged eleven to eighteen, located between Elstree and the village of Aldenham in Hertfordshire, England. There is also a preparatory school for pupils from the ag ...

, who 'conveyed to the Mayor and Burgesses, and their Successors for ever' former-abbey land on George Street in St Albans for the benefit of the school, and Charles Hale, whose relative Richard Hale later founded a grammar school in the town of Hertford.N. Carlisle, "A concise description of the endowed grammar schools in England" (1818) Queen Elizabeth I and Sir Nicholas Bacon also founded the school's library in 1570, which moved from Sumpter Yard in the 19th century to the Abbey Gateway, and then in the 1980s to an impressive converted 19th century neo-Gothic hall, opened by

, then Master of

Jesus College, Cambridge Jesus College is a Colleges of the University of Cambridge, constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Jesus College was established in 1496 on the site of the twelfth-century Benedictine nunnery of St Radegund's Priory, Cambridge, St ...

. The library collection now holds over 16,000 volumes and Elizabeth I is still regarded as the 'Benefactor Royal' of the St Albans School Library. Other significant benefactions to the school include a gift of clay pits near St Albans made in 1582 and a significant amount of land by Charles Woollam, an Old Albanian, in the 19th century, including playing fields at Belmont Hill and St Alban's "Holy Well", which was a site for medieval pilgrimage. In 1626, King Charles I visited the school in a royal inspection. His visit to St Albans was recorded by a royal crest being built into one of the fireplace surrounds in the Abbey Gateway and this room is still called the "King Charles Room" in honour of his visit. As a Free School in the 17th Century, the master of St Albans School was supposed to teach certain children in return for his salary, with such fees administered by the school's trustees rather than in return for tuition fees paid by parents. The children taught by the master were selected by their adherence to the specification of the school's donors or founder. In the early 17th century, those from outside the borough of St Albans who attended the school paid 12d; the price for students from within the borough was 4d. In Nicholas Carlisle's 1818 survey of Endowed Grammar Schools, it is noted that St Albans School was particularly unique insofar as it explicitly stated that "poor men's children were to be received before others". This provision was ended however, by virtue of the Master neglecting other students. Indeed, it is noted that in 1635 "many parents, upon hope to benefit their children more than the general, have secretly exceeded the rates aforesaid, being the ancient rates settled at the foundation of the free school . . . for that cause the said schoolmasters have applied themselves in their pains and affections much more to the children of such parents than the general". After over three centuries in the Lady Chapel, in 1871, due to the restoration of the abbey and the re-instatement of the Lady Chapel, the school moved into the Abbey Gateway (which had been built in 1365 and, following the dissolution, had been used as a prison for 300 years; now a scheduled ancient monument). Between 1907 and 1976, it was a direct grant grammar school, keeping the name St Albans School for most part not least because of the existence of 2 separate Boys' and Girls' Grammar Schools in St Albans and was generally referred to simply as a Direct Grant School. In the 1960s and 1970s many of the pupils at the school enjoyed a free education, paid for by public funds. From 1980 to 2005, it also offered free places to poor but academically talented pupils under the

Assisted Places Scheme The Assisted Places Scheme was established in the UK by the Conservative government in 1980. Children who were eligible were provided with free or subsidised places to fee-charging independent schools - based on the child's results in the schoo ...

. Since the 1970s, the school has also offered a large number of scholarships and bursaries up to 100% of the school's fees, funded from its endowments. Since the 19th century, there have been many additions to the school site, which now comprises a very interesting architectural mixture of buildings dating from the Roman-era cellar, where the archives are kept under the Abbey Gateway, to modern extensions built in the 1990s.Hertfordshire HER & St Albans UAD
heritagegateway.org.uk The school also includes the oldest room in the world regularly used as a classroom, the 12th century West Gate Room, which was incorporated from a previous gateway into the current Abbey Gateway in the 1360s. Ptolemy Dean is the current school architect. The Woollam Playing Fields, a couple of miles away to the north of the city, provides an extensive, modern, outdoor sports facility for the School and the Old Albanian Sports Club. At over 100 acres, it was the largest sporting development in Western Europe until the construction of the Olympic Park in East London for the 2012 games. The site was officially opened in October 2002 by Prince Richard, The Duke of Gloucester. Woollam's was built on part of a 400-acre farm owned by the school, which also contains a field studies centre used by the school's biology department. In 2003, the school opened a new Drama Department building and theatre in Romeland, on the site of the medieval school's building, called the "New Place". The summer of 2012 saw the completion of a new sports centre on site, with sports hall, swimming pool, climbing wall, fitness suite and dance studio. Another recent development was the acquisition of Aquis Court, an office building adjacent to the school, which provides facilities for the sixth form, with a new common room, cafeteria and classrooms, while the art department also has new facilities.

Religion and musical education

The school still maintains links with

St Albans Cathedral St Albans Cathedral, officially the Cathedral and Abbey Church of St Alban, also known as "the Abbey", is a Church of England cathedral in St Albans, England. Much of its architecture dates from Normans, Norman times. It ceased to be an abb ...

, which doubles as the school's chapel. Services are held there every Monday and Friday morning during term time, and special events held there include the annual Founders' Day and two carol services, led by the school choir, who still wear black and blue gowns in the same style as worn by undergraduates at

Trinity College, Cambridge Trinity College is a Colleges of the University of Cambridge, constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Founded in 1546 by King Henry VIII, Trinity is one of the largest Cambridge colleges, with the largest financial endowment of any ...

and similar to those worn by monks at the Abbey in medieval times. In addition, the school's music staff are usually linked with the Abbey's musical staff. Andrew Parnell, organist and harpsichordist, was assistant master of music at the Abbey as well as being master of music and choirmaster at the school from 1976 to 2001. Simon Lindley also held these posts a few years earlier;

John Rutter Sir John Milford Rutter (born 24 September 1945) is an English composer, conductor, editor, arranger, and record producer, mainly of choral music. Biography Born on 24 September 1945 in London, the son of an industrial chemist and his wife, R ...

's 1974 carol ''Jesus Child'' bears a dedication "for Simon Lindley and the choir of St Albans School".

Academic tradition

Scientific tradition

The school also has a long scientific tradition, stretching back to the Norman era, when

became master of the school. Since the advent of modern science, the school has produced many famous scientists and mathematicians including cognitive scientist

Colin Cherry Edward Colin Cherry (23 June 1914 – 23 November 1979) was a British cognitive scientist whose main contributions were in focused auditory attention, specifically the cocktail party problem regarding the capacity to follow one conversati ...

, physicist Ian Grant, cosmologist

(inspired by Dikran Tahta, a teacher at the school who later worked at the

Open University The Open University (OU) is a Public university, public research university and the largest university in the United Kingdom by List of universities in the United Kingdom by enrolment, number of students. The majority of the OU's undergraduate ...

), and mathematician Christopher Budd. In the light of its long scientific heritage, the school was awarded a large sum of money in 2007 by the Wolfson Foundation to rebuild its physics laboratories to university standards. It has maintained a reputation for being a science and maths oriented school.

Historical tradition

St Albans School has also produced some notable historians and historiographers. In medieval times, the school and one of its alumni,

Matthew Paris Matthew Paris, also known as Matthew of Paris (; 1200 – 1259), was an English people, English Benedictine monk, English historians in the Middle Ages, chronicler, artist in illuminated manuscripts, and cartographer who was based at St A ...

, were closely associated with the St Albans school of medieval

historiography Historiography is the study of the methods used by historians in developing history as an academic discipline. By extension, the term ":wikt:historiography, historiography" is any body of historical work on a particular subject. The historiog ...

, and developed one of the first consistent methods of historical writing. More recently; two teachers in the award-winning Ancient History department published a book on Roman sources in 2010. Some notable historians who are alumni of the school include

, an archaeological historian and former Disney Professor of Archaeology at the

Ernest Gellner Ernest André Gellner (9 December 1925 – 5 November 1995) was a French-born British-Czech philosopher and social anthropologist described by ''The Daily Telegraph'', when he died, as one of the world's most vigorous intellectuals, and by '' ...

, an anthropological historian, Professor

Malcolm Schofield Malcolm Schofield, (born 19 April 1942) is a British classicist and academic, specialising in ancient philosophy. Career Having taught at Cornell University and the University of Oxford, he joined the University of Cambridge in 1972 as a lecture ...

of St John's College, Cambridge, and more recently Justin Pollard, a TV historian, and Peter Sarris, a specialist on the

Byzantine Empire The Byzantine Empire, also known as the Eastern Roman Empire, was the continuation of the Roman Empire centred on Constantinople during late antiquity and the Middle Ages. Having survived History of the Roman Empire, the events that caused the ...

and a fellow of

The school today

St Albans School is predominantly a single-sex school for boys, but has accepted girls into the sixth form since 1991. It is a member of the

Headmasters' Conference The Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference (HMC), formerly known as the Headmasters' Conference and now branded HMC (The Heads' Conference), is an association of the head teachers of 351 private fee-charging schools (both boarding schools an ...

of leading public schools. In its earlier days it was known as the Free School of St Albans, City of St Alban Grammar School or St Albans Grammar School. It is often (erroneously) referred to as "The Boys' School", "St Albans Boys" and "The Abbey School" (thereby causing confusion with The Abbey C of E Primary School nearby which is almost always referred to as "The Abbey School", and the adjacent but now defunct ''Abbey National Boys' School'', a name which is still borne by a building in nearby Spicer Street). In 1967 the School acquired what was then a derelict hill farm in the

Brecon Beacons The Brecon Beacons (; ) are a mountain range in Wales. The range includes South Wales's highest mountain, Pen y Fan (), its twin summit Corn Du (), and Craig Gwaun Taf (), which are the three highest peaks in the range. The Brecon Beacons ha ...

. The property, Pen Arthur, was restored and is now a Field Studies Centre. Academic departments use Pen Arthur for field trips and study weekends throughout the year, and it is a base for outdoor activities organised by 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, sub divided into Royal Navy, Royal Marines, Army and Royal Air Force sections. Its aim is to ...

and for

The Duke of Edinburgh's Award The Duke of Edinburgh's Award (commonly abbreviated DofE) is a youth awards programme founded in the United Kingdom in 1956 by the Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, which has since expanded to 144 nations. The awards recognise adolescents and ...

. In March 2025, it was announced that starting from September 2026, the school would accept both girls and boys in first form (year 7) meaning the school would become fully co-educational.

Notable alumni

Former pupils of the School are known as OAs or 'Old Albanians'.

12th century

* Cardinal Boso (d. c. 1181), third English Cardinal * Nicholas Breakspear (c. 1100–1159), who became

(1154–1159), the only English Pope. *

(1157–1217), scientist and teacher

13th century

, monk and historian

14th century

* John Ball, Christian radical political thinker and leader of the

of 1381 * William Grindcobbe, a leader in St Albans of the

of 1381 *

Richard of Wallingford Richard of Wallingford (1292–1336) was an English mathematician, astronomer, horologist, and cleric who made major contributions to astronomy and horology while serving as abbot of St Albans Abbey in Hertfordshire. Biography Richard was b ...

(1292–1336) English mathematician who made major contributions to

astronomy Astronomy is a natural science that studies celestial objects and the phenomena that occur in the cosmos. It uses mathematics, physics, and chemistry in order to explain their origin and their overall evolution. Objects of interest includ ...

astrology Astrology is a range of Divination, divinatory practices, recognized as pseudoscientific since the 18th century, that propose that information about human affairs and terrestrial events may be discerned by studying the apparent positions ...

and

horology Chronometry or horology () is the science studying the measurement of time and timekeeping. Chronometry enables the establishment of standard measurements of time, which have applications in a broad range of social and scientific areas. ''Hor ...

(late 14th century) a leader in St Albans of the

of 1381

15th century

John Whethamstede John Whethamstede (died 20 January 1465) was an English abbot and one of the leading literary figures in fifteenth-century England. Life He was a son of Hugh and Margaret Bostock, and was born at Wheathampstead in Hertfordshire, owing his name, ...

(or Bostock) (c. 1392–1465), scholar, writer and Abbot of St Albans Abbey

16th century

* Walter Curle (1575–1647), Bishop of Winchester * Robert Wright (1560–1643), first Warden of

Wadham College, Oxford Wadham College ( ) is a Colleges of the University of Oxford, constituent college of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. It is located in the centre of Oxford, at the intersection of Broad Street, Oxford, Broad Street and Parks Road ...

and Bishop of Lichfield & Coventry

17th century

* Henry Blount (1602–1682), traveller and writer * William Cowper, 1st Earl Cowper (c. 1665–1723),

Lord Chancellor The Lord Chancellor, formally titled Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain, is a senior minister of the Crown within the Government of the United Kingdom. The lord chancellor is the minister of justice for England and Wales and the highest-ra ...

of Great Britain, grandfather of

William Cowper William Cowper ( ; – 25 April 1800) was an English poet and Anglican hymnwriter. One of the most popular poets of his time, Cowper changed the direction of 18th-century nature poetry by writing of everyday life and scenes of the Engli ...

, poet and hymnodist *

William Dobson William Dobson (4 March 1611 (baptised); 28 October 1646 (buried)) was a portraitist and one of the first significant English painters, praised by his contemporary John Aubrey as "''the most excellent painter that England has yet bred''". He ...

(1611–1646), painter to Charles I * Major-General John Hill (?c. 1680–1735), M.P., army officer, politician and courtier * Francis Pemberton (1624–1697), Lord Chief Justice

18th century

William Domville William Domville (or Domvile) (1609–1689) was a leading Irish politician, barrister and Constitutional writer of the Restoration era. Due to the great trust which the English Crown had in him, he served as Attorney General for Ireland throug ...

, Bt (1742–1833),

Lord Mayor of London The Lord Mayor of London is the Mayors in England, mayor of the City of London, England, and the Leader of the council, leader of the City of London Corporation. Within the City, the Lord Mayor is accorded Order of precedence, precedence over a ...

1813 * Thomas Walsh (1776–1849), Roman Catholic Bishop and Vicar Apostolic, Midlands and London Districts

19th century

* Colonel Sir Hildred Carlile, 1st Bt, M.P. (1852–1942), army officer, politician and philanthropist * Alfred Faulkner (1882–1963), civil servant – Permanent Under-Secretary for Mines * Henry Montague Grover (1791–1866), writer and theologian * Coulson Kernahan (1858–1943), essayist, novelist and editor * Frank Toovey Lake (1849–1868) Naval Officer who was part of Richard Henry Brunton's team who surveyed lighthouse sites around Japan *

Max Pemberton Sir Max Pemberton (19 June 1863 – 22 February 1950) was a popular English novelist and publisher working mainly in the adventure and mystery genres.LeRoy Lad Panek, ''After Sherlock Holmes: The Evolution of British and American Detective St ...

(1863–1950), novelist and editor * Aubrey George Spencer (1795–1872), first Anglican Bishop of Newfoundland * Thomas Spencer Wells (1818–1897), surgeon * William Whitaker, (1836–1925), geologist * Charles Williams (1886–1945), poet, novelist, publisher and theological writer

20th century

Rod Argent Rodney Terence Argent (born 14 June 1945) is an English musician. In a career spanning more than 50 years, Argent came to prominence in the mid-1960s as the keyboardist, founder and leader of the rock band the Zombies, and went on to form the ba ...

(b. 1945), musician, founder member of

The Zombies The Zombies are an English Rock music, rock band formed in St Albans in 1961. Led by keyboardist/vocalist Rod Argent and lead vocalist Colin Blunstone, the group had their first British and American hit in 1964 with "She's Not There". In the U ...

* Keith M. Ashman (b. 1963), theoretical physicist and globular clusters expert * Paul Atkinson (1946–2004), musician, founder member of

Ian Bell Ian Ronald Bell (born 11 April 1982) is an English former cricketer who played international cricket in all formats for the England cricket team and county cricket for Warwickshire County Cricket Club. A right-handed higher/middle order batsm ...

(b. 1962), co-author of

Elite In political and sociological theory, the elite (, from , to select or to sort out) are a small group of powerful or wealthy people who hold a disproportionate amount of wealth, privilege, political power, or skill in a group. Defined by the ...

* Tolaji Bola (b. 1999), association footballer * Christopher Budd (b. 1960), mathematician * Johnson Cann (b. 1937), geologist *

(1914–1975), cognitive scientist * Ralph Chubb (1892–1960), poet, printer and artist * Sally Connolly (b. 1976), literary critic, author, and academic * Charles "Nick" Corfield (b. 1959), mathematician, computer programmer, and founder of several startup companies in Silicon Valley * Rogers Covey-Crump (b. 1944), singer (tenor), member of The Hilliard Ensemble * Charles Crawford (b. 1954) British diplomat and speechwriter * Graham Dow (b. 1942),

Bishop of Carlisle The Bishop of Carlisle is the Ordinary (officer), Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Carlisle in the Province of York. The diocese covers the county of Cumbria except for Alston Moor and the former Sedbergh Rural District. The Episcop ...

* Bruce Duncan (b. 1938), Anglican priest * Chris Duffield (b. 1952), Town Clerk and Chief Executive of the Corporation of the

City of London The City of London, also known as ''the City'', is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county and Districts of England, local government district with City status in the United Kingdom, city status in England. It is the Old town, his ...

from 2003 to 2012. * Larry Elliott, Economics Editor of the Guardian *

(1925–1995), philosopher and social anthropologist *

Dave Gibbons David Chester Gibbons (born 14 April 1949) is an English comics artist, writer and sometimes letterer. He is best known for his collaborations with writer Alan Moore, which include the miniseries ''Watchmen'' and the Superman story " For the M ...

(b. 1949),

Kirby Award The Jack Kirby Comics Industry Awards were a set of awards for achievement in comic books, presented from 1985 to 1987. Voted on by comic-book professionals, the Kirby awards were the first such awards since the Shazam Awards ceased in 1975. Spo ...

winning comic book artist and co-creator of ''

Watchmen ''Watchmen'' is a comic book Limited series (comics), limited series by the British creative team of writer Alan Moore, artist Dave Gibbons, and colorist John Higgins (comics), John Higgins. It was published monthly by DC Comics in 1986 and 19 ...

'' *

, (1919–2015), social anthropologist * Andrew Grant (b. 1968), novelist * Ian Grant (b. 1930), mathematical physicist * John Grimaldi (b. 1955), musician, songwriter, member of

Argent In heraldry, argent () is the tincture of silver, and belongs to the class of light tinctures called "metals". It is very frequently depicted as white and usually considered interchangeable with it. In engravings and line drawings, regions to b ...

* David Grossman, political correspondent for

Newsnight ''Newsnight'' is the BBC's news and current affairs programme, providing in-depth investigation and analysis of the stories behind the day's headlines. It is broadcast weeknights at 10:30 on BBC Two and the BBC News channel; it is also avail ...

* Hugh Grundy (b. 1945), musician, founder member of

* Patrick Burnet Harris (b. 1934), former Bishop of Southwell * Tim Hart (1948–2009), musician, founder member of electric folk band

Steeleye Span Steeleye Span are a British folk rock band formed in 1969 in England by Fairport Convention bass player Ashley Hutchings and established London folk club duo Tim Hart and Maddy Prior. The band were part of the 1970s British folk revival, ...

(1942-2018), cosmologist and theoretical physicist * Tony Hendra (1941-2021), satirist and writer * General Sir Richard Lawson (b. 1927), Commander-in-Chief of Allied Forces Northern Europe 1982–96 * Yann Lovelock (b.1939), writer and interfaith worker * Ed Macfarlane, member of the St Albans-based Indie band Friendly Fires * Gregory Paul Martin (b. 1957), actor and writer * Christopher Morris (b. 1938), TV news presenter, journalist and author *

Herbert Mundin Herbert Thomas Mundin (21 August 1898 – 5 March 1939) was an English character actor. He was frequently typecast in 1930s Hollywood films like ''The Adventures of Robin Hood'' as an older cheeky eccentric, a type helped by his jowled featur ...

(1898–1939), Hollywood character actor * Mike Newell (b. 1942), film director *

Ray Pahl Raymond Edward Pahl (17 July 1935 – 3 June 2011) was a British sociologist, best known for his studies of social interaction, polarisation, work and friendship in suburban and post-industrial communities. Biography He was born in London, and a ...

(1935–2011), sociologist *

Tony Penikett Antony David John Penikett (born November 14, 1945) is a mediator and negotiator and former politician in Yukon, Canada, who served as the third premier of Yukon from 1985 to 1992. Early life and political activity Born in Sussex, England, o ...

(b. 1945), writer and Canadian politician *

Charles Pereira Sir Herbert Charles Pereira FRS (12 May 1913 – 19 December 2004) was a British hydrologist. He was born in London but spent his early years in Saskatchewan on an Indian Reservation. He was educated there, then at St Albans School and the U ...

(1913–2004), tropical agriculturist and hydrologist * Justin Pollard (b. 1968), writer and historian *

(b. 1937), archaeologist *

Tim Rice Sir Timothy Miles Bindon Rice (born 10 November 1944) is an English songwriter. He is best known for his collaborations with Andrew Lloyd Webber, with whom he wrote, among other shows, '' Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat'', ''Jesus C ...

(b. 1944), lyricist *

Charlie Scott Charles or Charlie Scott may refer to: Politicians * Charles Scott (governor) (1739–1813), American Revolutionary War soldier and fourth governor of Kentucky * Charles L. Scott (1827–1899), U.S. Representative from California * Charles Frederic ...

(b. 1999), cricketer * Joss Sheldon (b. 1982), author * Harry Solomon (b. 1937), businessman * Arthur Swinson (c. 1915–70), army officer, writer, playwright and historian * Nicholas Tarling (1931–2017), historian * Bob Wilkinson (1951–2021), rugby union player *

Richard Yeoman-Clark Richard Yeoman-Clark was a British composer and sound engineer who worked at the BBC Radiophonic Workshop from 1970 to 1978. Richard joined BBC Radio direct from St Albans School as a Technical Operator at Broadcasting House, moving to the Ex ...

(1944-2019), BBC Radiophonics Engineer * Kane Vincent-Young (b. 1996), association footballer

21st century

* Josh de Caires (b. 2002), cricketer * Charlie Bracken (b.2003), rugby union player for

Saracens file:Erhard Reuwich Sarazenen 1486.png, upright 1.5, Late 15th-century History of Germany, German woodcut depicting Saracens ''Saracen'' ( ) was a term used both in Greek language, Greek and Latin writings between the 5th and 15th centuries to ...

* Justin Obikwu (b.2004), professional Footballer for Coventry City and

Trinidad and Tobago Trinidad and Tobago, officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, is the southernmost island country in the Caribbean, comprising the main islands of Trinidad and Tobago, along with several List of islands of Trinidad and Tobago, smaller i ...

Notable teachers

* Hilary Davan Wetton, musician * David Franklin, broadcaster * Geoffrey de Gorham (d. 1146), scholar, Abbot of St Albans Abbey 1119–1146 * Tommy Hampson (1907–1965), runner - 800m Olympic Champion (

1932 Events January * January 4 – The British authorities in India arrest and intern Mahatma Gandhi and Vallabhbhai Patel. * January 9 – Sakuradamon Incident (1932), Sakuradamon Incident: Korean nationalist Lee Bong-chang fails in his effort ...

in Los Angeles) and World Record holder (1:49.7) * John Harmar was headmaster from 1626 to 1635 * Peter Hurford (1930-2019), organist * Mark Ilott, cricketer * Simon Lindley (b. 1948), organist * John Mole (b. 1941), poet, critic and jazz clarinettist.

Poet in Residence since 1998 (under the

Poetry Society The Poetry Society is a membership organisation, open to all, whose stated aim is "to promote the study, use and enjoyment of poetry". The society was founded in London in February 1909 as the Poetry Recital Society, becoming the Poetry Society ...

's ''Poet in the City'' scheme) *

(1157–1217), scientist and teacher * Herbert Edward Palmer (1880–1961), poet *

James Shirley James Shirley (or Sherley) (September 1596 – October 1666) was an English dramatist. He belonged to the great period of English dramatic literature, but, in Charles Lamb (writer), Charles Lamb's words, he "claims a place among the worthies of ...

(1596–1666), playwright * Dikran Tahta (taught at the school 1955–1961), mathematician who taught Stephen Hawking * Kyran Bracken (b. 1971), Rugby Union Player, World Cup Winner for England (Rugby Coach 2016-)url=https://education-today.co.uk/st-albans-school-enhances-its-reputation-for-sporting-excellence-with-the-appointment-of-kyran-bracken-mbe-and-its-partnership-with-hudl-technology/

References

External links

Official school website

Independent Schools Inspectorate – St Albans School
{{DEFAULTSORT:Saint Albans School Private schools in Hertfordshire Schools in St Albans 948 establishments Educational institutions established in the 10th century Member schools of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference 10th-century establishments in England Boarding schools