Saffron Walden Grammar School

Infobox UK school
name = Saffron Walden Free Grammar School


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established = 1525
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closed = 1940
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head_label = Master
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founder = Johane Bradbury
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city = Saffron Walden
county = Essex
country = Englandflagicon|England
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gender = Boys
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Saffron Walden Free Grammar School (or Saffron Walden Grammar School) was a school in the Essex town of Saffron Walden, which for over four hundred years educated the boys of the town and surrounding villages in a manner designed to be after the model of Eton College and Winchester. It was notable for its longeivity and for some of its illustrious alumni.

History

The earliest schools in Walden dated from 1423 under the control of the neighbouring monastery.Sketches of Saffron Walden, and its vicinity By John Player; (1845: Youngman) ] The Grammar School was founded by Dame Johane Bradbury in 1522. Dame Johane Bradbury was the wife of London’s Lord Mayor Thomas Bradbury and her brother, John Leche, was the Rector of Saffron Walden. The grammar school by its constitution was for benefit of the town and three villages in its vicinity. Johane )sometimes 'Jane') and her brother, along with the local abbot and monestary, arranged its endowment with local guilds. They erected a school house and school room and Dame Bradbury "granted a rent charge for the support of a priest and to teach the children grammar after the order and use of Winchester and Eton." In some histories, the school is deemed the successor of the 1423 establishment and thus has been described as having been refounded by Edward VI. The school bore the Tudor royal arms [A. C. Edwards, "History of Essex", page 80, (1994) (Phillimore)]

Buildings

The original building, designed for 60 pupils, flanked the churchyard wall. It was replaced in 1655 by new premises in Castle Street. After over two hundred years in these buildings, which in part still stand today, the school moved to new buildings in 1881 in Ashdon Road which remained the home of the school until the Second World War. During the war the 8th Air Force's 65th fighter wing (which was assigned the additional duty of Air Sea Rescue) had its fighter control center in the building. This was due to its proximity to Debden airfield. The buildings are now used by the Dame Johane Bradbury School, an establishment for small children but, rather aptly, taking the name of the person who first brought a formalised educational establishment to the town. [ [http://www.localauthoritypublishing.co.uk/councils/saffronwalden/aroundthetown.html www.localauthoritypublishing.co.uk] ]

Former masters

*William Dawson, later knighted, was the first master.
*Rev John Collins MA (of Trinity College, Dublin and Queens College, Cambridge) was master in 1845

Notable Alumni

*Sir Thomas Smythe - learned and eminent statesman in the reign of Edward VI and Elizabeth I went to the school and then to Cambridge. In 1538 he was appointed public orator, and in 1549 he became Secretary of State.
*Gabriel Harvey (c. 1545 – 1630) - writer and notable scholar of the sixteenth century.
*Edward Mellish (1880 - 1962) - recipient of the Victoria Cross
*Sir Henry Marking (March 11 1920 - May 16 2002) - Company lawyer and former British Airways boss [ [http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2002/may/23/theairlineindustry.guardianobituaries Roger Cowe, "Sir Henry Marking Obituary - The Guardian", Thursday May 23 2002] ]

References