Formerly a Scholar of Pembroke College, Oxford, A C Price was a Master at the School from 1884 until 1919. He was Senior Classics Master from 1906 to 1919, and Senior Assistant Master from 1918 to 1919.

His book, “A History of the Leeds Grammar School” was published in 1919 by Richard Jackson,
16 & 17 Commercial Street and 5 Albion Place, Leeds.



A HISTORY

of the

LEEDS GRAMMAR SCHOOL

FROM ITS FOUNDATION

to

THE END OF 1918.


by

A. C. PRICE, M.A.


_____



PREFACE


THIS BOOK NEEDED to be written, for the history of the School is an integral part of that of the City, and its records and traditions might easily be lost, but it was with considerable reluctance that I undertook the task.

It would involve, I knew, a great deal of work, and there were problems I could not hope to solve; the records were lamentably scanty and dealt almost solely with administration and organization, while on the really interesting points—the teaching and the inner life of the School—there was scarcely a word, and of picturesque incidents an entire lack; a master too was sure to be regarded as writing in an official capacity, and with the thorny subject of education a man of strong views, and those not always in accordance with theories now in fashion, might find it hard to deal without an unpleasant feeling of restraint. In most respects my anticipations have been justified, but on the last point I have been hampered much less than I expected, and I must acknowledge most gratefully the assistance I have received from the School authorities, but, in mere justice to them, I must emphasize the fact that for all that is said I alone am responsible; and as to my personal opinions, though I have found it impossible to keep them entirely out of the body of the work, I have reserved the main expression of them for the Postscript, which no one need read unless he desires.

For the delay in the issue of the book as well as a certain number, I fear, of typographical errors the war is chiefly responsible. The manuscript was completed at the end of 1914, but owing to the restrictions in force it has had to be printed off by instalments at long intervals. It was difficult then to be consistent in the correction of the proofs, and what was once printed could not be altered, though in the later chapters I have been able to make a few insertions so as to bring the facts fairly up to date.

As a terminus ad quem however the war has been of use, for education, like most other things, is in the melting pot, and in more than one respect the present time seems likely to be the close of one epoch and the beginning of another in the history of the School.


A. C. PRICE.
Easter, 1919.


_____



CONTENTS.


Chapter I
Grammar Schools of the Middle Ages and of the Renaissance
Chapter II
Leeds in Tudor Times
Chapter III
 William Sheafield
Chapter IV
 Establishment of the School
Chapter V
1663-1789
Chapter VI
 Mr. Whiteley’s Headmastership and the Chancery Suit (1789-1815)
Chapter VII
Changes and Reforms (1815-1830)
Chapter VIII
 Dr. Holmes’ Headmastership (1830-1854)
Chapter IX
 Mr. Barry and the Transformation of the School (1854-1862)
Chapter X
Dr. Henderson’s Headmastership (1862-1884)
Chapter XI
Mr. Matthews Headmastership (1884-1902)
Chapter XII
1902-1918
Chapter XIII
Library, Games, Societies, etc.
Chapter XIV
The Girls’ School
Postscript
Assistant Masters
List of Assistant Masters since 1854



LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.


 John Harrison  in Chapter IV
 John Smeaton, F.R.S.  in Chapter V
 The Old School  in Chapter V
 C. W. Cope, R.A.  in Chapter VII
 Rev. Dr. Holmes  in Chapter VIII
 Prof. J. R. Lumby, D.D.  in Chapter VIII
 Right Rev. Alfred Barry, D.D.  in Chapter IX
 The Upper School  in Chapter IX
 The Old Buildings and Chapel  in Chapter IX
 The Very Rev. Dr. Henderson  in Chapter X
 Sir John Hawkshaw, F.R.S.  in Chapter X
 Colonel G. F. R. Henderson, C.B.  in Chapter X
 Rev. J. H. Dudley Matthews, M.A.  in Chapter XI
 Rev. J. R. Wynne-Edwards, M.A.  in Chapter XII
 The Library and Old School  in Chapter XIII
 The New Buildings from the Playground  in Chapter XIII
 Field-Marshal Lord Nicholson  in Chapter XIII
 Right Rev. Robert Jarratt Crosthwaite, D.D. * in Chapter XIII

*Webmaster’s note: it was possibly an oversight on Mr. Price’s part, but there is no mention of the Rt. Rev. R. J. Crosthwaite anywhere in his text. I have placed the photograph at the end of Chapter XIII as it appears in the book.

The Rev. Crosthwaite does however feature significantly in Edmund Wilson’s “Leeds Grammar School Admission Books – 19th Century”. Click here to see his photo and entry from that volume.


Back to
Histories Of Leeds Grammar School
Home Page