The Completion of the Restoration & Enlargement of the Grammar School.(1863/64)

The Grammar School:  The completion of  the restoration and enlargement of this ancient foundation was celebrated on January 7th. The trustees, pupils, and a great number of visitors met at the Grammar School at eleven o’clock, and proceeded to the church, where an appropriate sermon was preached by the Rev. Canon Kennaway. After divine service a luncheon was provided by Mr. Gurton of the Noel Arms, in the Town Hall, at which the Right Honourable Lord Redesdale presided. The hall was handsomely decorated with evergreens and flowers, and at the end of the room behind the chairman was the following inscription: – ‘Johannes Fereby; 1487. Baptist Hicks, 1627. Georgius Townsend 1685. Floreat Schola.’ The noble Chairman was supported right and left by the Rev. C.E.Kennaway and Mrs. Kennaway, and numbers of the clergy of the town 7 neighbourhood, including the Rev. Dr. Hiron, headmaster of the school, and Mrs. Hiron, Rev. G.D.Bourne, Rev.J.Hamilton and Mrs. Hamilton, Rev’ds T.Hunt (Badsey), A. Sturges, R.Payne, B.H.Poissin, G.S. Morris, A.Mills, J.Jarrett, C.S.Cuaffyn, Mrs. and Miss Smith, Rev. J. and Mrs. Hunter, Rev.R. and Mrs Bamford, Rev.H. and Mrs Bronfield, E.Petre, H.G.Basby, E.Hiron, C.D.Matthews, R.Careless, Russel Smith, W.Rimmell, E.Matthews, M.Tennant, G.Averill, G.J.Smith, R.Smith, Esqs., M.de Poix Tyrel, C.BucklerEsq., the architect, T.E.Hiron and Mrs. Hiron, W. and Mrs Greenhouse,, C.H. and Mrs Morris, Mr and Mrs J.Andrews,, Mrs and Miss Westmancott, Mr and Mrs Charles Izod jnr, Miss Tidmarsh, Mr.Nathan Izod, Mr and Mrs Greenhouse, Mr William Stanley, Mr Joseph Hands, Mrs Tucker and Mr.John Tucker, Miss Matthews &c.

After the luncheon, the noble chairman, Lord Redesdale, gave the health of the Queen, & then addressed a few words to the meeting, congratulory of the event which they had met to celebrate – the completion of the new schools, contrasting their present position with that a few years back, when for neglect & want of funds, the school had fallen into decay, & its usefulness sadly crippled, and impaired. He also referred with satisfaction to the completion of the new building, and to the scholarships with which it was endowed. His Lordship concluded by proposing ‘Success to the Campden Grammar School,’ coupling with the toast the name of the Headmaster, the Rev.Dr.Hiron. Dr Hiron, in responding gave an outline of the proceedings of the past year in connection with the work of re-organising the schools, to the difficulties and objections with which they had met. He also strongly urged upon the meeting the importance of a good middle-class school and the advantages to be derived therefrom, advocating the claims of Grammar Schools in general to to the support of all interested in the educational well-being of the middle-classes.

(The Ej report continued with more toasts & speeches.)