Social Transformations of the Victorian Age: A Survey of Court and CountryEscott, T. H. S. (Thomas Hay Sweet)
History
Social Transformations of the Victorian Age: A Survey of Court and Country
Escott, T. H. S. (Thomas Hay Sweet)
Great Britain -- Civilization -- 19th century; Great Britain -- Social life and customs -- 19th century
Before considering the provisions necessary to complete the educational
ladder, it will be well from specific instances to see what the facilities
already established have done towards promoting the ascent from the Board
School to the University. The following instances now published for the
first time, are supplied by the courtesy of the Clerk of the London School
Board. In 1879 a boy whose first learning was gained at a primary London
Board School, obtained on entering a secondary school the Carpenters'
Foundation Scholarship, together with the Conquest gold medal. Shortly
afterwards he became captain of the City of London School. Proceeding
thence to Cambridge, he won a Foundation Scholarship at Trinity;
eventually was placed in the first class of the Classical Tripos, became
next a Fellow of Trinity; and subsequently held a high position in the
Board of Trade. Another lad of equally humble birth in 1880 got a
mathematical scholarship at Queen's College, Cambridge, was among the
Senior Optimes in the Tripos and in 1886 was appointed a mathematical
master at one of the great public schools. In 1881, another Board School
boy, having received the Greek and Latin certificate from the Universities
Examining Board won a classical scholarship at St John's, Oxford, and
afterwards a First Class in Classical Moderations. A little later he was
placed fourth in the First Class of Civil Service candidates. He has since
developed into a useful official of the Local Government Board. Another
boy of like antecedents won a scholarship at St John's College,
Cambridge; subsequently came out first class in one division, second
class in another division, of the Theological Tripos; carried off the
Jeremie Septuagint prize, open to the whole University, and afterwards
became a successful parish clergyman. Other distinctions won by candidates
of the same category are a scholarship at the City of London School; in
1883 a first place in the competition for vacancies in the India Office;
in another case, and with the other sex, in 1885, the fifth place in the
London Matriculation test, the Gilchrist and Reid scholarships, and later
First Class Academic Honours for English. This instance is the more
memorable because it is the earliest distinction of the sort won by a
Board School girl. Since then the same young woman has become an assistant
teacher at the Ladies' College in Jersey. This example has often been
repeated since. Three or four of the prize winners at Girton College
during the later eighties were London Board School girls. The well-known
senior curate of St Saviour's, Everton, Liverpool, a High Honours
Cambridge graduate, had been a Board School boy. His colleague had been
enabled by a Fishmongers' scholarship to enter at Sidney Sussex College at
Cambridge. In the summer of 1880, F. J. Wild was the first London Board
School boy who went to Balliol. Nine years afterwards, this lad entered
the Indian Civil Service, and became Assistant Magistrate and Deputy
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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