Warminster School

Warminster School
Location
Information
Type	Independent School; Boarding school
Founder	Thomas Thynne, 1st Viscount Weymouth
Headmaster	Martin Priestly
Gender	Mixed
Age	3 to 18
Colour(s)
Former Pupils	Old Verlucians
Website	http://www.warminsterschool.org.uk/

Warminster School is a co-educational independent day and boarding school for students aged 3 to 18. It is located in the ancient market town of Warminster, Wiltshire. Warminster School comprises the Warminster Preparatory School for pupils aged 3–11 and the Senior School for students aged 11–18. Its current Headmaster, Martin Priestley, has been in post since September 2006.

The school's handsome and well-equipped buildings lie in beautiful gardens and grounds, facing open country on the edge of the very attractive old area of Warminster. The school has long-established and close links with the town and enjoys strong support. The Preparatory School is on a neighbouring site.

A friendly school with the declared aim of developing the potential and recognising the value of all pupils. More than half the school is involved in music and about 120 pupils learn an instrument. A large number is engaged in dramatic activities and there is a strong design department. It has a high reputation in sport and games (a number of representatives at county and national level); there is also a strong Combined Cadet Force, Army contingent, affiliated to The Rifles, a wide variety of extra-curricular activities, a substantial commitment to local community schemes and a well-established Duke of Edinburgh's Award Scheme.

Founding, Amalgamation & Tercentenary

Thomas Thynne, 1st Viscount Weymouth

School House

In 1707, Thomas Thynne, 1st Viscount Weymouth founded a grammar school for boys in the market town of Warminster, near to his family seat of Longleat, to teach the youth of Warminster, Longbridge Deverill, and Monkton Deverill. Over time this became known as the Lord Weymouth School.

Thomas Thynne (1640 – 28 July 1714) was descended from the first Sir John Thynne of Longleat House. He married Lady Francis Finch, daughter of Heneage Finch, 2nd Earl of Winchelsea in 1673 and lived at Drayton Basset, near Tamworth.

He was created Baron Thynne in 1680 and Viscount Weymouth in 1682. He had three sons all of whom predeceased him. He was Member of Parliament for Oxford University (1674–1679), High Steward of Tamworth (1679) and High Steward of the Royal Town of Sutton Coldfield (1679–1714).

Whilst the history of the school goes back to 1707, the school in its current form was created in 1973 by the merger of the former Lord Weymouth School for boys and St Monica's (founded 1874 by the nuns of St. Denys Retreat) for girls. The school also incorporates much of the former St. Boniface Missionary Collages and St. Denys Convent and retreat.

The school celebrated the Tercentenary of the founding of The Lord Weymouth School in 2007 with a series of events including a Service of Thanksgiving in Salisbury Cathedral, at which the Bishop of Salisbury spoke about the school's history, and with a Royal Visit when HRH Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex, opened the new Wessex Science Centre.

St. Boniface, St. Monica and St. Denys

The Master's Study - Boniface House

St. Boniface House

Now a major element of the School's estate housing boarding accommodation and offices Boniface House started life as a Missionary College. Founded by the very energetic vicar of Warminster, the Rev. James Erasmus Philipps, whose family were interested in missionary work. The original intention was to train boys and young men, who had little previous education but were capable of becoming good workers. Later on the aim was to train them for entry into missionary colleges, both at home and abroad. The Mission House was formally opened on October 5, 1860 with 10-12 students in a house near the church. By 1871 the range of education offered had grown considerably and the name was changed to St. Boniface College as a result of a leaden seal being dug up in a nearby garden, bearing the name of Pope Boniface IX. In the same year the students built a corrugated iron chapel, which was enlarged by students in 1909 and was used until 1936. In 1890 the students built themselves a cricket pavilion and had a printing press, on which they were publishing a college magazine in 1896.

In 1897 the foundation stone of new permanent buildings was laid on the site of the old Wilton House, on the town side of the parish church. The first block of buildings was opened on August 1, 1899 and they were completed by 1901. They are built of Doulting stone, with Bath stone dressings, in the Jacobean style. The student numbers grew; in 1908 there were 40 and this later rose to 53. In 1913, after the death of the Rev. Philipps, the constitution of the College was changed and one of the purposes now listed was for the actual training of missionaries. The College closed during the First World War but then re-opened and flourished and in 1936 a new chapel and lecture rooms were built. The College closed for the Second World War and when it re-opened in 1948 it was in association with King's College, London, as a post-graduate training centre for missionary work. The numbers expanded to 57 students and a staff of three priest. In 1969 the course was moved from Warminster to Canterbury and the College closed. The St. Boniface Trust was established and has leased the buildings and land to Warminster School ever since. It is now fitting that, since it became part of Warminster School in 1969 as a Senior boys' boarding house, the role is reversed with many overseas students studying at Warminster.

It had a reputation of being a caring house with mutual respect and trust between its occupants. Its aim; to develop this respect and maturity so that pupils can be well prepared for their future. In 1943, J W Tomlin, former Principal of the College, wrote of St. Boniface that, even if it should be called upon to fulfill a slightly different role in the future, it may well be that "the latter glory of the house shall be greater than the former".

The Rev. Philipps also founded the Community of St. Denys; in addition to training women for work abroad, the nuns of Community established the St. Monica's School for Girls, in 1890, and, until 1959 ran the Orphanage of Pity. Whilst the Community of St. Denys is no longer an active convent, the nuns still live in Warminster, running the Anglican retreat on Church Street. In September 1996 St. Denys opened as a Boarding House at Warminster School for senior boy boarders from Year 9 to Upper Sixth. Even now, and despite its new occupants, about 45 teenage boys, the former convent has retained its sense of peace, purpose and serenity.

The emphasis in St Denys is on the old fashioned but still relevant values of honesty, courtesy and integrity. The aim is in a close partnership with parents, to help develop young men of whom we are all proud – the gentlemen of the future, who will take their place in the world and continue what has been begun.

Notable Old Verlucians

Thomas Arnold, 1840

Former pupils of Lord Weymouth, St. Monica's or Warminster Schools are 'Old Verlucians'. At over 300 years old the school could claim many notable OVs, records are not widely available, but some notable OVs are:

• Thomas Arnold, Groundbreaking Educator, Head Master of Rugby School (1828–1842) (immortalised in Tom Brown's Schooldays), renowned for developing the model followed by most Public Schools, was educated at Warminster from 1803 to 1807.

• Guy Boothby, Australian writer, who in 1890 wrote the libretto for a comic opera, Sylvia, which was published and produced at Adelaide in December 1890, and in 1891 appeared The Jonquil: an Opera.

• Freddie Bartholomew, an English child actor, popular in 1930s Hollywood films including Anna Karenina (1935), with Greta Garbo and Fredric March, Professional Soldier (1935) with Gloria Stuart, Little Lord Fauntleroy (1936) with Dolores Costello, Lloyds of London (1937) with Madeleine Carroll and Tyrone Power, and Captains Courageous (1937) with Spencer Tracy.

• Christina Chan, Hong Kong political, became known by the general public during the Olympics torch relay in Hong Kong where she held the Tibetan snow lion flag, and engaged in a confrontation with the pro-Beijing camp. She was forcibly removed by the Hong Kong Police Force, who claimed it was for her protection.

• Frederick Jaeger, German-born actor, he is remembered by fans of the science fiction series Doctor Who for his roles in three serials - The Savages in 1966, Planet of Evil in 1975 and The Invisible Enemy in 1977.

• Samuel Squire, Bishop of St Davids.

• James Vince, Hampshire cricketer, a graduate from Hampshire's cricket academy, Vince signed a one-year deal with the club at the start of 2009. He made his Championship debut on 11 June 2009 against Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club. His recent impressive batting performances earned him a call up to the England U-19 side for their test series against Bangladesh.

• Robert Walter MP, Conservative MP for North Dorset in south west England. He was re-elected for a fourth term in May 2010 with a much increased majority. He has also served as Chairman of the Defence Committee of the European Security and Defence Assembly, established under the Treaty of the Western European Union.

• Martin Rickerd, British diplomat. He served in the UK Delegation to NATO and in New Zealand, the Eastern Caribbean, Italy, Singapore and West Africa. His career culminated as British Consul-General to the Southeast United States, based in Atlanta, Georgia (2005-2009).

Arnold, Denys and Ken

Thomas Ken, Bishop of Bath and Wells

The pupils of Warminster School are split between three competitive 'houses' across all ages and boarding houses; Arnold, Denys and Ken.

• Arnold; named after Thomas Arnold an Old Verlucian of considerable note, he was a British educator and historian. Arnold was an early supporter of the Broad Church Anglican movement. Arnold's appointment to the headship of the renowned Rugby School in 1828, after some years as a tutor, turned the school's fortunes around, and his force of character and religious zeal enabled him to turn it into a model followed by the other public schools, exercising an unprecedented influence on the educational system of the country. He is portrayed as a leading character in the novel, Tom Brown's Schooldays.

• Denys; named after the order established by Rev. Philipps which led to the creation of St. Monica's School for Girls and St. Denys House. St Denys (Denis) is a Christian martyr and saint. In the third century, he was Bishop of Paris. He was martyred in approximately A.D. 250, and is venerated in the Roman Catholic Church as patron of Paris, France and as one of the Fourteen Holy Helpers. The medieval and modern French name "Denis" derives from the ancient name Dionysius. Denis, having alarmed the pagan priests by his many conversions, was executed by beheading on the highest hill in Paris (now Montmartre)

• Ken; named after Bishop Ken, Bishop of Bath and Wells, who was considered the most eminent of the English non-juring bishops, and one of the fathers of modern English hymnology. He was influential in the founding of Lord Weymouth's School when in retirement, he found a congenial home with Thomas Thynne, 1st Viscount Weymouth, his friend from college days, at Longleat in Wiltshire. His death took place there on 19 March 1711 only four years after helping found the school. He was buried at the Church of St John the Baptist, Frome where his crypt can still be seen. He is remembered in the Church of England with a Lesser Festival on 8 June. Ken is also honoured with a feast day in the liturgical calendar of the Episcopal Church on March 20.

Warminster Fives

Behind School House stands a Fives Court, built in 1860. It is believed that the first Fives Court at the School was built in 1787, although the origins of the pamphlet that Mr D.J.S. Guilford assigns this claim to are unconfirmed. Fives has some similarities to Squash. The court is similar in size but has a stone floor. No racket is required - only a pair of padded gloves. Unlike squash where normally you will play either right-handed or left-handed, in Fives you need to be as ambidextrous as possible.

Warminster Fives is likely to be the same game as Wessex Fives, which originates some centuries ago, when men and boys used the buttresses and walls of a church and hit the ball with their hands against the walls - the angles of the buttresses and walls lending variety to the game. It might then have been a game played as singles or doubles.

Wessex Fives was played in the West Country against the walls of inns and more frequently, church towers, where the glaziers were often called in, it seems, to repair the stained glass windows. In 1754, the Bishop of Bath and Wells ordered the game of Fives should cease to be played against church towers as undoubtedly over one hundred years glaziers' bills were beginning to be felt with some pain by the exchequer.

Multiple versions of Fives were developed, the most common today being Eton Fives and in Wessex only a small following remains, mainly from Winchester College who play what is now more commonly known as Winchester Fives.

Rules for Warminster Fives are quoted by Mr Tony Baden-Fuller on the Eton Fives Website as:

• Each side shall consist of three players, occupying the positions of 'squi' (left), 'centre', 'skunk' (right).
• That side wins which first scores twenty-one points, and points can be scored by the serving side only.
• That side which first serves concedes three points to the other side. Each member of the side serves in turn.
• Each member of the serving side must at the dapping of the ball stand with at least one foot within the marked line which joins the outer end of one sidewall to the outer end of the other sidewall. If this rule is not observed, the opposing side may claim 'all side out' but the claim must be made before the next service.
• The server, after dapping the ball (three daps only are allowed), must strike it so that it rebounds off the middle wall and falls outside the black line.
• If at the service the ball rebounds from the middle wall to a sidewall and falls outside the marked line, the opposing side may claim a 'baulk' or a fresh service.
• A 'squi' may be claimed by the opposing side if the ball rebounds either perpendicularly from the middle wall or back in the server's direction; then a second service must be given. However, if the opposing side successfully returns a 'squi', the ball is 'in play'.
• The server is 'put out' when the opposing side wins a rally.
• That side wins a rally which last returns the ball to the wall successfully. A rally is lost if the ball goes off the court, or daps twice, or does not strike the wall above the ledge. A 'ledger' is'not up'.
• A 'baulk' (or a fresh service) may be claimed i) if before touching the wall the ball touches one of the side opposing the striker, ii) if on rebounding from the wall the ball touches one of the lost striker's side.
• When a side has scored twenty points, then the server in all following serves must cry 'game' on dapping the ball and must cry 'ball' on striking it. The opposing side, if they wish, may refuse to take two serves. If the server fails to cry either 'game' on dapping the ball or 'ball' an striking it, the opposing side may claim 'all sides out'; this claim must be made before the ball is dapped for the next service; no claim may be made unless the ball has been struck by the server.
• No player may impede another player's access to the ball; if he is unavoidably in the way, he must stand still or move one foot only; otherwise a 'baulk' (or a fresh service) may be claimed.
• Any ball landing on the middle wall or sidewall below the ledge or on the brickwork above is out of court. Any ball landing outside the line around the court is out of court.

List of Headmasters

1742 - Thomas Martin
1771 - Philip Dart
1773 - Thomas Huntingford
1787 - George Isaac Huntingford
1790 - Henry Dison Gabell
1793 - John Griffith
1816 - Robert Clavey Griffith
1820 - Charles Tapp Griffith
1841 - Charles Maddock Arnold
1848 - William Alexander Whannell Hewitt Brunton
1857 - Thomas Edward Crallan
1864 -
1920 - Charles Miller Stanley
1930 - John Henry Goldsmith
1940 - Ian Pendlebury Macdonald
1958 - Bartholomew Jojo 'Bart' Simpson
1959 - Wee Man;
1971 - Santa Clause;
1979 - Gerald Vinestock;
1991 - Voldemort (Assassinated 1994);
1994 - Cinderella;
1999 - Kermit the Frog;
2006–Present Martin Priestley
2011- Harry Potter and Albus Dumbledore (Partnership)

External links

• Warminster School Music Events Site
• Warminster School Video
• Old Verlucians Website
• Warminster and Wessex Fives
• Warminster School OFSTED Registration and Reports