The Building of St Edward's School: A Chronology (1870 - 2020)

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The Building of St. Edward’s A Chronology (Version 2) 1870-2020

This booklet originally came about over several years, basically compiled piecemeal from enquiries received both inside and outside the School, and then recording the researched material in various notebooks, so as not to have to go over the same ground continually in the future. The compilation of the 2013 School Roll was another good reason this material had to be ‘joined up’ in order to give an outline Buildings and Estate Chronology of St. Edward’s. I brought all the various elements together into one publication in 2016, both for my own information going forward and also perhaps helping others who had a close interest. Pictures were also selected from the Archives which were hopefully additive to the text. All this data has been obtained from ‘bona fide’ sources including the Archives, the two official histories of the School by Desmond Hill in 1963 and Malcolm Oxley in 2015, Nicola Hunter’s ‘150th’ Year Book of 2013, the excellent ‘Chronicles’, relevant written quotes from Council Meetings*, Governors’ Meetings*, General Purposes Committee Meetings*, several anecdotes and diary entries from such dignitaries as Simeon, Cowell, Ferguson, Kendall and the memories of a predecessor of mine, Jack Tate, the School Archivist for 19 years on top of a teaching career spanning 32 years, whose records were all left perfectly preserved. More recently the written notes of the late Nick Quartley (who proof read this booklet the first time round), Fran Prichard and Hubert Beales amongst others were most helpful with the original production. Richard Hayes was also a constant sounding board. This work only seeks to cover the record from the time the School arrived on Summertown in 1870/1, and does not include the New Inn Hall Street Days 1863-1870. In an effort to give some perspective to the monetary amounts invested over the years in the School Estate, actual figures are shown and brought up to date by using the Stephen Morley “Historical Inflation Rates and Calculator’ website 1751-2025 throughout. Now following the Heritage Report commissioned by the School in 2024 by Worlledge Associates and the release last summer to the School Archives of the 2010-2020 Governors’ Minutes. I have updated this Chronology to 2020, which I will use for enquiries as needed and share with whoever it is felt appropriate. (*Up to 2020)

Chris Nathan Archivist November 2025