A History of Giggleswick School from its Foundation, 1499 to 1912

by Edward Allen Bell

LORD FREDERICK CAVENDISH.

During Mr. Style's Headmastership Athletics also became a permanent part of the School life. The Cricket-field had been purchased in 1869, and had been used for both Cricket and Football. Unfortunately it was a fair-weather ground. Its foundations rested on peat, and continuous play all the year round did not improve it. The first matches that were played took place in the early seventies, when the Hostel had as yet only fourteen boys, but in spite of their small numbers a match was arranged between them and the rest of the School. Later on other School fixtures were mapped out, and the great days of the year were when Sedbergh, and, for a time, Lancaster School were the opponents. Between the years 1871 and 1895 forty-six Cricket Matches were played against Sedbergh, of which nine were drawn and seventeen won. Similarly during the period 1880-1895 twenty-four Football Matches took place, and Giggleswick won ten. The two Schools were equally matched, and the football of both reached a high standard. The Swimming Bath had been built in 1877, and was roofed in for use in winter. The Fives Courts were well attended, and Golf was begun on the playing fields at a later time. In 1893 a new Football Field was bought and an adjoining one rented. This was a material help to the School Athletics, for it was one of the few level fields in the district that was not in the winter almost permanently a marsh.

THE SCHOOL BUILDINGS.

One of the most distinguishing features of the School was Music. The first resident Master was Mr. Charles Frederick Hyde, who came to the School in 1886, and for nearly seven years organized the music. With the help of Mr. L. Watkins all branches of the subject were developed, and, unlike the custom of most other Schools, music teaching was not cramped or regarded merely as an unfortunate necessity, but was given considerable opportunity. When Mr. Hyde died in 1893, his friends combined together, and, collecting £560, presented to the School Trustees a fine Organ, which was placed in Big School. This was a striking testimony to the appreciation that he had inspired after just seven years' work. Three men have up till the present succeeded to Mr. Hyde's place, and musical enthusiasm has been maintained at a very high pitch.

The School Library had been begun under Dr. Butterton in a room especially built for the purpose. But as the centre of the School life gradually changed and new Class-Rooms were built near the Hostel, the Library was transferred to its present position. For a time each boy paid a small terminal subscription to maintain it with a supply of books. Reading in the Library was never compulsory, but a number of boys would go there on wet afternoons or at other free times, and it proved itself very valuable. Among the Books in the School's possession there is a copy of the "Breeches" Bible; A Paraphrase and Note on the Epistles of St. Paul, by John Locke, the Second Edition, published in 1709; An Edition of Cocker's Arithmetic, and several of the first collected Editions of Charles Dickens.

The establishment of the Preparatory School had led Mr. Style to consider the question of providing a house for the boarding of younger boys, who should in time come up to the Hostel. Bankwell seemed a suitable building and was taken on a lease in 1887. Mr. G. B. Mannock was placed in charge. There was an excellent garden attached and the house had rooms for twenty boarders, while an adjoining field was rented for games. Thus the boys living there were able to keep almost entirely apart from the older boys in the School, except in school-time. Two years later Holly Bank was also taken for the same purpose.

The Junior School had for a period of nearly forty years been in the charge of Mr. Arthur Brewin, who had succeeded John Langhorne as Writing Master in 1859. He had seen the complete development of the School and had watched each of the many schemes of management mature. His own department had been completely revolutionized. Formerly it had been a Writing School, in which generally he had been accustomed to give an elementary education, that in some cases was to be the only book learning that the boys were ever to get; but he eventually found himself teaching boys whose average age was under twelve and scarcely one of whom left the School before going into the higher classes. In July, 1897, he retired.

In November, 1896, what might have proved an irreparable disaster came upon the Laboratory. During the early hours of the morning a fire was discovered in the Chemistry Room and it spread to the rest of the building. Most fortunately the Class-rooms and Hostel, which were both separate from the Laboratory, were not injured and the fire was quenched by 6-0 a.m. The misfortune seemed only to inspire the Headmaster and Dr. Watts to draw up plans for replacing what was already an excellent Laboratory with a still better one. In the following term both the Chemistry and Lecture Rooms were almost re-built and in 1899 a more extensive scheme was carried out by which two new Class-rooms, a Physical Laboratory and a Science Library were designed together with some smaller rooms, and the building fitly completed the appearance of the School.

An Educational Exhibition was held at the Imperial Institute, London, in 1900, and many of the Schools of England exhibited their ancient documents and summarized their schemes of work. Giggleswick was allotted a certain space and sent up a survey of its past history and a detailed statement of its curriculum. In the Sixth Form, the thirty-two teaching periods a week were divided thus: Latin was allotted six, Mathematics eight, English and Divinity one each, Modern Languages eight, and Natural Science eight. Boys who wished to take Greek omitted German. In addition preparation for the next day's work was done each evening and on Saturday nights an essay or theme was set. Drawing formed part of the regular work of the School below the first three Forms. Singing was taught to all the younger boys and a School Choir had been formed consisting of boys and masters. Nearly half the School learned instrumental music, chiefly the Piano, and there were one or two School Concerts given every year and in addition concerts of classical music were held every fortnight.