Brighton College

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Coordinates: 50°49′14″N, 0°07′20″W

Brighton College is an independent co-educational public school in Brighton, United Kingdom. The current headmaster is Mr Richard J. Cairns.

Contents 1 History 2 Location 3 Buildings 4 Notable developments 5 Victorian school culture 6 Charitable tax status: campaigns to change the law 7 Additional information 8 Principals and Headmasters 9 Notable Alumni 10 References 11 External links 12 References and notes

[edit] History

Founded in 1845 by William Aldwin Soames, who collected a group of like-minded local citizens to join him in the task (especially Edward Cornford, a solicitor), Brighton College was the first of the public schools to be founded in Sussex.

[edit] Location

The school occupies a large site in the east of the city, facing south onto Eastern Road. It is immediately to the east of the site of the former Kemptown railway station, across Sutherland Road.

[edit] Buildings

The school's principal buildings are in the gothic revival style by Sir George Gilbert Scott RA (flint with Caen stone dressings, 1848–66). Later buildings were designed by his pupil and former student at the College Sir Thomas Graham Jackson RA (brick and flint with cream and pink terracotta dressings, 1883–87; flint with clipsham stone dressings 1922–23).

[edit] Notable developments

The school occupied a significant niche in the development of English secondary education during the nineteenth century. Notable accomplishments include:

• The use of individual classrooms for teaching small groups
• Being an early pioneer in teaching both modern languages and science
• Inventing the school magazine (1852)
• Building the first school gymnasium (1859)
• Erecting the first purpose-built science laboratory (1871).

[edit] Victorian school culture

The school's own evolution also questions the "traditional" account of how the Victorian public schools developed at Brighton. For example the school initially had a ban on the use of corporal punishment — until 1851. The school captain was elected by universal suffrage among the entire pupil body until 1878, when a prefectorial system was also introduced. Sporting games remained voluntary until 1902 (and team members had chosen their own captain and awarded colours to their outstanding players until 1878).

[edit] Charitable tax status: campaigns to change the law

Brighton College was involved in fighting legal battles to secure the charitable tax status currently enjoyed by certain non profit-making educational organisations. A legal case between the school and Inland Revenue from 1916-26 produced a series of changes to tax law in the 1918 Income Tax Act, the 1921 and 1922 Finance Acts and, above all, section 24 of the 1927 Finance Act. The case (Brighton College v Marriott) went to the High Court (June 1924, 40 T.L.R. 763-5), the Court of Appeal (November 1924, 1 KB 312) and ultimately the House of Lords (November 1925, AC 192-204).

[edit] Additional information

The school is unique among English public schools in having a Greek motto: ΤΟ Δ’ΕΥ ΝΙΚΑΤΩ. From Aeschylus' Agamemnon, it means "Let Right Prevail". The only other HMC school with a motto in Greek is Edinburgh Academy, founded in 1824.

The chapel is unusual amongst British school chapels because George Bell, Bishop of Chichester created the school grounds as an ecclesiastical district outside the parish of St. Matthew's, and the school chapel holds an episcopal licence to perform weddings for its residents, after banns; no archiepiscopal licence is required.

The school's Combined Cadet Force (CCF) is among the tiny handful to carry colours — both a regimental and a king's colour. Both were presented by Sir Berry Cusack-Smith in the 1920s.

Current fees stand at £23,000 p.a for full time boarders.

[edit] Principals and Headmasters

• Rev. William Sinclair (1845)
• Rev. Arthur Macleane (1846)
• Rev. Henry Cotterill (1851)
• Rev. Dr. John Griffith (1856)
• Rev. Dr. Charles Bigg (1871)
• Rev. Thomas Hayes Belcher (1881)
• Rev. Robert Chambers (1892)
• Rev. Arthur Titherington (1895)
• Rev. Canon William Dawson (1906)
• Rev. Arthur Belcher (1933)
• Christopher Scott (1937)
• Walter Hett (1939)
• Arthur Stuart-Clark (1944)
• Roland Lester (1950) (acting)
• William Stewart (1950)
• Henry Christie (1963)
• William Blackshaw (1971)
• John Leach (1987)
• Dr. Anthony Seldon (1997)
• Simon Smith (2005) (acting)
• Richard Cairns (2006)

The title of Principal was changed to Headmaster in December 1885.^[1]. The requirement of a clerical headmaster was removed in 1909.^[2]

[edit] Notable Alumni

• • List of notable Old Brightonians

[edit] References

• G. P. Burstow, "Documents relating to the Early History of Brighton College", The Sussex County Magazine, October 1951 and August 1952.
• G. P. Burstow & M. B. Whittaker (ed. Sir Sydney Roberts), "A History of Brighton College." (Brighton, 1957).
• Martin D. W. Jones, "A Short History of Brighton College." (Brighton College, 1986).
• Martin D. W. Jones, "Brighton College 1845-1995." (Phillimore, Chichester, 1995) [ISBN 0-85033-978-2].
• Martin D. W. Jones, "Brighton College v Marriott: Schools, charity law and taxation.", History of Education, 12 no.2 (1983).
• Martin D. W. Jones, "Gothic Enriched: Thomas Jackson's Mural Tablets at Brighton College Chapel.", Church Monuments, VI (1991).
• Martin D. W. Jones, "Edmund Scott & Brighton College Chapel: a lost work rediscovered.", Sussex Archaeological Collections, 135 (1997).
• H. J. Mathews (ed.), "Brighton College Register, Part 1, 1847-1863." (Farncombe, Brighton, 1886).
• E. K. Milliken (ed.), "Brighton College Register 1847-1922." (Brighton, 1922).
• Anon., "Brighton College War Record 1914-1919." (Farncombe, Brighton, 1920). Compiled by Walter Hett.

[edit] External links

• Official website
• Alumni website
• Brighton College's own list of alumni
• College makes Mandarin compulsory

[edit] References and notes