A History of Giggleswick School from its Foundation, 1499 to 1912Bell, Edward Allen
History
A History of Giggleswick School from its Foundation, 1499 to 1912
Bell, Edward Allen
Giggleswick School (Giggleswick, England) -- History
For the most part of the last twenty years of the century the numbers of
the School had been too great for the Hostel to include them all. In
1894 there were two hundred and eight boys in the School, of whom only
twenty to twenty-five were Day Boys. Craven Bank had consequently been
used as another Dormitory. Bankwell, and for a time Hollybank, were
filled with some of the younger boys. The great difficulty under which
the School laboured was the frequent change of Masters, especially of
those who took the higher forms. It was therefore suggested that the
House System as opposed to the Dormitory System should be given a trial.
Hollybank was no longer needed in 1900 to take the overplus from
Bankwell, and a Master was put in charge of it, in the hope that older
boys would come. The attractions were twofold. In the first place it was
intended to give the Master in charge of it an opportunity of marrying
and the expectation of a sufficient income to make him content to
continue at Giggleswick. In the second place it was hoped that the fact
of a man being married would tend to induce parents to send their boys
more readily. Unfortunately the scheme was not wholly successful, and
was soon abandoned.
Every boy in the School attended the Gymnasium, which since its opening
in 1887 had been under the superintendence of Sergeant-Major Cansdale.
Many boys also learned carpentry in the Joiners' Shop, which had been
fitted with benches and lathes, and other necessary materials in the
upper room of the Old School.
This brief summary of the School life was depicted at the Educational
Exhibition and it was a worthy record for a small School. It will be
seen that the main characteristic of the School was that it was amongst
the first to adapt itself to modern needs. It is probably no
exaggeration to say that at that period no school in England could
approach Giggleswick in the practical teaching of Science; to this was
due a great measure of its success. In every branch of school life
excellence was attained, an unusual number of Scholarships were won and
the Football Fifteen for two successive seasons in 1894 and 1895 never
had a single point scored against them in any School Match.
Throughout the history of the School there have been very few signs of
literary exuberance. Only one School song has been written, called "Now
Reds" by Mr. J. R. Cornah for the _Giggleswick Chronicle_, April, 1898.
The _Giggleswick Chronicle_ was begun in 1880 but it was edited by
Masters and was intended rather to place on record the terminal life of
the School than aspire to literary eminence. As such it has achieved its
purpose and is a valuable and interesting record. But apart from
official matter boys have shewn themselves very loth to summon forth
their energies and write. With one exception no paper, written by boys
alone, has been published since the _Olio_ caused Sir Walter Scott to
smile.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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