Welsh Journals

A History of King Henry VIIFs Boys Grammar School at Abergavenny PART II Grahame V. Nelmes The 1891 Reorganisation Scheme The Reorganisation Scheme proposed by the Charity Comissioner envisaged the complete reform of the school's governing constitution. Whereas under the terms of the 1760 Act the government of the school had been vested in the vicar of Abergavenny and the Principal of Jesus College, it was now, under the terms of the new scheme to be vested in Representative and Co-opted Governors. The Representative Governors were to represent the newly created Monmouthshire County Council; the parish; the Haberdashers Company; the University College of South Wales and Monmouthshire at Cardiff; and the Improvement Commissioners, the forerunner of Abergavenny Borough Council. The Co-optative Governors were to be leading citizens of Abergavenny, in the first instance the Vicar; John Owen Marsh, merchant; John Prichard, hotelier; Charles John Daniel, draper; James Glendinning, doctor; and Henry Lawrence Baker, Iltyd Gardner and James Berry Walford, solicitors. The Governors were to be responsible for the appointment of the Headmaster and for the sale of the old school and its replacement by a new school. Under the terms of the 1891 Scheme this new school was to be for 200 pupils of whom up to 28 should be boarders. The Day Boys should pay not less that £ 6 and not more than £ 12 a year and the Boarders £ 30 in the hostel and £ 35 in the Masters House. Boys between the ages of 8 and 16 were eligible after sitting an entrance examination in reading, writing from dictation and sums, simple arithmetic with multiplication tables. The Headmaster was to be paid £ 100 a year and for the first time was to receive a capitation for each pupil of between £ 2 and £ 3. The curriculum was to consist of Reading, Writing, Arithmetic, Geography, History, English Grammar, Composition, Literature, Mathematics, Latin, at least two modern foreign European languages, Natural Science with provision for practical teaching, Drawing, Drill and Vocal Music. There were to be yearly examinations and the Headmaster was to make an Annual Report to the Governors. Prizes of books were to be given as marks of distinction. There were to be five Foundation Scholarships exempting scholars from tuition fees and paying them £ 5 a year for three years. These were to be given to exceptional pupils from elementary schools in the Abergavenny area.