Blundell's School
Encyclopedia
Blundell's School is a co-educational day and boarding independent school
located in the town of Tiverton in the county of Devon
, England
. The school was founded in 1604 by the will of Peter Blundell
, one of the richest men in England at the time, and relocated to its present location on the outskirts of the town in May 1882.
Whilst the annual full boarding fees are around £27,120 per year, the school offers a range of scholarships and bursaries, and provides flexi-boarding. The school has 350 boys and 225 girls, including 107 boys and 65 girls in the Sixth Form, and is a member of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference
.
The Good Schools Guide says "distinguished rural school of ancient lineage."
, one of the wealthiest merchants of Elizabethan England, died in 1601 having made his fortune principally in the cloth industry. His will set aside considerable money and land to establish a school in his home town “to maintain sound learning and true religion”. Blundell asked his friend Sir John Popham, the Lord Chief Justice of England, to carry out his wishes, and appointed a number of local merchants and gentry as his first trustees (known as feoffees). The position of feoffee is no longer hereditary, but a number of notable local families have held the position for a considerable period: the first ancestor of the current Chairman of the Governors to hold that position was elected more than 250 years ago, and the Heathcoat-Amory
family have a long tradition of service on the Governing Body, since Sir John Heathcoat-Amory was appointed in 1865.
The Old Blundell's School was built to be much larger and grander than any other in the West Country, with room for 150 scholars and accommodation for a master and an usher. The Grade 1 listed building is now in the care of the National Trust
and the forecourt is usually open to visitors. One ex-Blundell's boy was the writer R. D. Blackmore
—in Lorna Doone
he used the Blundell's triangular lawn as the stage for a fight between John Ridd and Robin Snell.
Peter Blundell's executors established links with Balliol College, Oxford
, and with Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge
, and large sums were settled to provide for scholarships for pupils of the school to attend those colleges. The first Sidney Sussex scholar was nominated in 1610 and the first Blundell's Balliol scholar in 1615. The links with these colleges still continue today, although without the closed scholarships.
In 1645 Fairfax
used the School for his headquarters during the siege of Tiverton Castle
.
William Hogarth
engraved the Letterhead for the School in 1725 and the Ticket for Tiverton School Feast in 1740 (image of print courtesy of Antiqueprints.com).
of Exeter, and built in red Halberton stone, the foundation stone was laid by the Earl of Devon
, chairman of the governors, in June 1880.
Sir Reginald Blomfield
, the architect and garden designer, was responsible for the 1901 additions to the school.
The School's War Memorial is a replica of the Celtic Cross in Eyam churchyard
, but with the missing part intact.
The clocktower contains a statue by Alain John
, a pupil of the School and aspiring sculptor, who joined the RAF
as a navigator and was killed during the Second World War. The statue was subsequently re-cast at the commission of Neville Gorton
, then Bishop of Coventry
, and stands in the ruins of the old Coventry Cathedral
as a memorial to those who lost their lives in the war.
In recent years Blundell’s has undergone some quite dramatic reorganisation and development.
In 1989 Ondaatje Hall was opened, following a donation by OB Sir Christopher Ondaatje
for its construction. Among its many facilities is a 150 seat professional theatre, which as well as putting on in-house productions is also used for public performances.
Girls were admitted at 13 in 1993 making the school fully co-ed, and to make room for them the boys boarding house North Close (NC) was converted into a girls house.
In 1997 School House (SH) became a junior house for pupils aged 11–13.
The prep school St Aubyn’s was moved to the Blundell’s campus in 2000, taking over the dayboy house Milestones (M) and the Sanatorium, and was renamed Blundell’s Prep School, it currently has about 300 pupils from two and a half years to eleven. The current Headmaster is Nick Folland
.
A change to the way the U6 boarders are housed took place when the old Westlake (W) was sold off and the new Westlake was built on the site of the CCF
parade ground. Opened in 2004, the new Westlake houses all boys and girls who are in their final year.
The two latest developments to have been completed were the extension to the Music school, and the building of the Popham Academic Centre, which houses the new Economics and Business School department, the new server for the school intranet and a dedicated IT teaching area.
The first OB to gain International Honours was R.S. Kindersley for England in 1884 and on 1 January 1908 Thomas Kelly
captained England
to a 19-0 victory over France
.
The strongest years for Blundell’s were the two decades post WW2, when R.C.C.(Clem) Thomas
gained 26 caps for Wales 1949-59 (Captain 1958-9), R.A.W. Sharp (Richard)
won 14 caps for England 1960-67 (Captain 1963 & 1967) and D.J. Shepherd
won 5 caps for Australia 1964- 66. Both Thomas and Sharp played in two tests for Britain in South Africa.
Also of note was Charles Kent
who played for Rosslyn Park
and England
, having previously won four Blues playing for Oxford
including one as captain in 1974.
Blundell's won the Rosslyn Park National Sevens title in 1981 and won the second ever Open Final 28-0 against Dulwich College, in 1940. The Blundell’s XVs continue to compete at the highest level amongst the public schools of the South West, with Bryanston, Millfield, Cheltenham College and Clifton College among their regular opponents.
OBs Dave Lewis (Gloucester Rugby) and Matt Kvesic
(Worcester Warriors) are currently playing in the Aviva Premiership.
. It was first run in 1887, and 2009 saw the 129th run. The Russell has changed over the years with different courses introduced to accommodate the different ages and sexes of pupils at the school. The current senior course is 4.85 miles.
, the only time cricket has featured in the Olympics. Great Britain was represented by an unofficial touring club team, the Devon & Somerset Wanderers Cricket Club (formed by William Donne
in 1894 and made up from Old Blundellians and members of Castle Cary Cricket Club).
The School lent its name to the thirty third steam locomotive
(Engine 932) in the Southern Railway's
Class V
of which there were 40. This Class was also known as the Schools Class because all 40 of the class were named after prominent English public schools. Blundell's, as it was called, was built in 1934. The locomotive bearing the School's name was withdrawn from service in January 1961. In 2009 Hornby produced a model of this particular Schools class locomotive. As the product photograph shows, while the name of this locomotive has been variously quoted as Blundells or Blundell's the apostrophe does actually appear on the nameplate.
Notable former pupils include the following and those on the separate page at Old Blundellians.
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Independent school
An independent school is a school that is independent in its finances and governance; it is not dependent upon national or local government for financing its operations, nor reliant on taxpayer contributions, and is instead funded by a combination of tuition charges, gifts, and in some cases the...
located in the town of Tiverton in the county of Devon
Devon
Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. The school was founded in 1604 by the will of Peter Blundell
Peter Blundell
Peter Blundell was a prosperous clothier, trading between Tiverton and London. He died in April 1601, never having married and with no known issue. On his death, he left over £32,000 cash to fellow clothiers and their families, his employees, created several charitable trusts, and gave £2400 to...
, one of the richest men in England at the time, and relocated to its present location on the outskirts of the town in May 1882.
Whilst the annual full boarding fees are around £27,120 per year, the school offers a range of scholarships and bursaries, and provides flexi-boarding. The school has 350 boys and 225 girls, including 107 boys and 65 girls in the Sixth Form, and is a member of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference
Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference
The Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference is an association of the headmasters or headmistressess of 243 leading day and boarding independent schools in the United Kingdom, Crown Dependencies and the Republic of Ireland...
.
The Good Schools Guide says "distinguished rural school of ancient lineage."
History
Peter BlundellPeter Blundell
Peter Blundell was a prosperous clothier, trading between Tiverton and London. He died in April 1601, never having married and with no known issue. On his death, he left over £32,000 cash to fellow clothiers and their families, his employees, created several charitable trusts, and gave £2400 to...
, one of the wealthiest merchants of Elizabethan England, died in 1601 having made his fortune principally in the cloth industry. His will set aside considerable money and land to establish a school in his home town “to maintain sound learning and true religion”. Blundell asked his friend Sir John Popham, the Lord Chief Justice of England, to carry out his wishes, and appointed a number of local merchants and gentry as his first trustees (known as feoffees). The position of feoffee is no longer hereditary, but a number of notable local families have held the position for a considerable period: the first ancestor of the current Chairman of the Governors to hold that position was elected more than 250 years ago, and the Heathcoat-Amory
Heathcoat-Amory Baronets
The Heathcoat-Amory Baronetcy, of Knightshayes Court in Tiverton in the County of Devon, is a title in the Baronetage of the United Kingdom. It was created on 21 March 1874 for the businessman and Liberal politician John Heathcoat-Amory. Born John Amory, he was the maternal grandson of John...
family have a long tradition of service on the Governing Body, since Sir John Heathcoat-Amory was appointed in 1865.
The Old Blundell's School was built to be much larger and grander than any other in the West Country, with room for 150 scholars and accommodation for a master and an usher. The Grade 1 listed building is now in the care of the National Trust
National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty
The National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, usually known as the National Trust, is a conservation organisation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland...
and the forecourt is usually open to visitors. One ex-Blundell's boy was the writer R. D. Blackmore
R. D. Blackmore
Richard Doddridge Blackmore , referred to most commonly as R. D. Blackmore, was one of the most famous English novelists of the second half of the nineteenth century. Over the course of his career, Blackmore achieved a close following around the world...
—in Lorna Doone
Lorna Doone
Lorna Doone: A Romance of Exmoor is a novel by Richard Doddridge Blackmore. It is a romance based on a group of historical characters and set in the late 17th century in Devon and Somerset, particularly around the East Lyn Valley area of Exmoor....
he used the Blundell's triangular lawn as the stage for a fight between John Ridd and Robin Snell.
Peter Blundell's executors established links with Balliol College, Oxford
Balliol College, Oxford
Balliol College , founded in 1263, is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England but founded by a family with strong Scottish connections....
, and with Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge
Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge
Sidney Sussex College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge in England.The college was founded in 1596 and named after its foundress, Frances Sidney, Countess of Sussex. It was from its inception an avowedly Puritan foundation: some good and godlie moniment for the mainteynance...
, and large sums were settled to provide for scholarships for pupils of the school to attend those colleges. The first Sidney Sussex scholar was nominated in 1610 and the first Blundell's Balliol scholar in 1615. The links with these colleges still continue today, although without the closed scholarships.
In 1645 Fairfax
Thomas Fairfax, 3rd Lord Fairfax of Cameron
Thomas Fairfax, 3rd Lord Fairfax of Cameron was a general and parliamentary commander-in-chief during the English Civil War...
used the School for his headquarters during the siege of Tiverton Castle
Tiverton Castle
Tiverton Castle is the remains of a Castle with a later manor house within its grounds that stands on a cliffside above the banks of the River Exe at Tiverton in Devon, England....
.
William Hogarth
William Hogarth
William Hogarth was an English painter, printmaker, pictorial satirist, social critic and editorial cartoonist who has been credited with pioneering western sequential art. His work ranged from realistic portraiture to comic strip-like series of pictures called "modern moral subjects"...
engraved the Letterhead for the School in 1725 and the Ticket for Tiverton School Feast in 1740 (image of print courtesy of Antiqueprints.com).
Recent history
In 1882 the school moved to the present Horsdon site, one mile from the original location. The new buildings were designed by Hayward & SonJohn Hayward (architect)
John Hayward was a Gothic Revival architect based in Exeter, Devon, who gained the reputation as “the senior architect in the west of England”.-Biography:...
of Exeter, and built in red Halberton stone, the foundation stone was laid by the Earl of Devon
William Courtenay, 11th Earl of Devon
William Reginald Courtenay, 11th Earl of Devon PC , styled Lord Courtenay between 1835 and 1859, was a British politician who served as Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster from 1866 to 1867 and as President of the Poor Law Board from 1867 to 1868.-Background and education:Devon was the eldest son...
, chairman of the governors, in June 1880.
Sir Reginald Blomfield
Reginald Blomfield
Sir Reginald Theodore Blomfield was a prolific British architect, garden designer and author of the Victorian and Edwardian period.- Early life and career :...
, the architect and garden designer, was responsible for the 1901 additions to the school.
The School's War Memorial is a replica of the Celtic Cross in Eyam churchyard
Eyam
Eyam is a small village in Derbyshire, England. The village is best known for being the "plague village" that chose to isolate itself when the plague was discovered there in August 1665, rather than let the infection spread...
, but with the missing part intact.
The clocktower contains a statue by Alain John
Alain John
Alain John, was an aspiring sculptor who joined the RAF as a navigator, and was killed during the Second World War.John was educated at Blundell's School in Tiverton and had passed the entrance to Kings College in 1938 and was told he could travel abroad until term started...
, a pupil of the School and aspiring sculptor, who joined the RAF
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
as a navigator and was killed during the Second World War. The statue was subsequently re-cast at the commission of Neville Gorton
Neville Vincent Gorton
Neville Gorton was the 4th bishop of the restored see of Coventry in the modern era. He was born on 1 March 1888, the son of an Anglican Canon and educated at Marlborough College and Balliol College, Oxford, where he was an exhibitioner and Aubrey Moore student...
, then Bishop of Coventry
Bishop of Coventry
The Bishop of Coventry is the Ordinary of the England Diocese of Coventry in the Province of Canterbury. In the Middle Ages, the Bishop of Coventry was a title used by the bishops known today as the Bishop of Lichfield....
, and stands in the ruins of the old Coventry Cathedral
Coventry Cathedral
Coventry Cathedral, also known as St Michael's Cathedral, is the seat of the Bishop of Coventry and the Diocese of Coventry, in Coventry, West Midlands, England. The current bishop is the Right Revd Christopher Cocksworth....
as a memorial to those who lost their lives in the war.
In recent years Blundell’s has undergone some quite dramatic reorganisation and development.
In 1989 Ondaatje Hall was opened, following a donation by OB Sir Christopher Ondaatje
Christopher Ondaatje
Sir Philip Christopher Ondaatje, OC, CBE is a Sri Lankan-Canadian businessman, philanthropist, adventurer, writer and Olympian. He lives in the United Kingdom.-Overview:...
for its construction. Among its many facilities is a 150 seat professional theatre, which as well as putting on in-house productions is also used for public performances.
Girls were admitted at 13 in 1993 making the school fully co-ed, and to make room for them the boys boarding house North Close (NC) was converted into a girls house.
In 1997 School House (SH) became a junior house for pupils aged 11–13.
The prep school St Aubyn’s was moved to the Blundell’s campus in 2000, taking over the dayboy house Milestones (M) and the Sanatorium, and was renamed Blundell’s Prep School, it currently has about 300 pupils from two and a half years to eleven. The current Headmaster is Nick Folland
Nick Folland
Nicholas Arthur Folland is a former first-class cricketer, who represented Somerset County Cricket Club between 1992 and 1994....
.
A change to the way the U6 boarders are housed took place when the old Westlake (W) was sold off and the new Westlake was built on the site of the CCF
Combined Cadet Force
The Combined Cadet Force is a Ministry of Defence sponsored youth organisation in the United Kingdom. Its aim is to "provide a disciplined organisation in a school so that pupils may develop powers of leadership by means of training to promote the qualities of responsibility, self reliance,...
parade ground. Opened in 2004, the new Westlake houses all boys and girls who are in their final year.
The two latest developments to have been completed were the extension to the Music school, and the building of the Popham Academic Centre, which houses the new Economics and Business School department, the new server for the school intranet and a dedicated IT teaching area.
Rugby
Rugby is the main sport played at Blundell's in the Autumn and Spring terms. The earliest mention of ‘football’ in the Blundellian was in 1861 and the first recorded ‘rugger’ match played by boys at Blundell’s was in 1868 against Tiverton RFC, making the school one of the oldest anywhere to formally play the game. The Blundell’s crest still proudly hangs in the main room at Twickenham in recognition of this.The first OB to gain International Honours was R.S. Kindersley for England in 1884 and on 1 January 1908 Thomas Kelly
Thomas Kelly (rugby player)
Thomas Kelly was a rugby union international who represented England from 1906 to 1908. He also captained his country to a 19-0 victory over France at the Stade Colombes in Paris on 1 January 1908.-Early life:...
captained England
England national rugby union team
The England national rugby union team represents England in rugby union. They compete in the annual Six Nations Championship with France, Ireland, Scotland, Italy, and Wales. They have won this championship on 26 occasions, 12 times winning the Grand Slam, making them the most successful team in...
to a 19-0 victory over France
France national rugby union team
The France national rugby union team represents France in rugby union. They compete annually against England, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales in the Six Nations Championship. They have won the championship outright sixteen times, shared it a further eight times, and have completed nine grand slams...
.
The strongest years for Blundell’s were the two decades post WW2, when R.C.C.(Clem) Thomas
Clem Thomas
Richard Clement Charles "Clem" Thomas was a international rugby union player. A flanker, he represented Cambridge University R.U.F.C. in the Varsity Match in 1949 and played for Brynamman, Swansea, London Welsh and Harlequins. He earned 26 caps for Wales, between 1949 and 1959 and captained Wales...
gained 26 caps for Wales 1949-59 (Captain 1958-9), R.A.W. Sharp (Richard)
Richard Sharp
Richard Adrian William Sharp from Cornwall, was educated at Blundell's School and at Balliol College, University of Oxford. He was a former Cornish rugby player at Redruth R.F.C., Wasps FC, Bristol FC and England rugby union fly-half and captain. He played for England while at Oxford and led...
won 14 caps for England 1960-67 (Captain 1963 & 1967) and D.J. Shepherd
David Shepherd (rugby union)
David John Shepherd was an advertising executive and one of the few Englishmen to play for the Australia national rugby union team....
won 5 caps for Australia 1964- 66. Both Thomas and Sharp played in two tests for Britain in South Africa.
Also of note was Charles Kent
Charles Kent (rugby player)
Charles Phillip Kent played rugby union for Rosslyn Park and England.Charles Kent was born in Bridgwater in Somerset and educated at Blundell's School in Tiverton and studied medicine between 1972-75 at Worcester College, Oxford...
who played for Rosslyn Park
Rosslyn Park F.C.
Rosslyn Park Football Club is a rugby union team. Founded in 1879, the club became the first club based in England to play rugby internationally when it faced Stade Francais in Paris on 18 April 1892. In 1912, the club played in Prague, Budapest and Vienna in the first rugby matches ever played in...
and England
England national rugby union team
The England national rugby union team represents England in rugby union. They compete in the annual Six Nations Championship with France, Ireland, Scotland, Italy, and Wales. They have won this championship on 26 occasions, 12 times winning the Grand Slam, making them the most successful team in...
, having previously won four Blues playing for Oxford
Oxford University RFC
The Oxford University Rugby Football Club is the rugby union club of the University of Oxford. The club contests The Varsity Match every year against Cambridge University at Twickenham.-History:...
including one as captain in 1974.
Blundell's won the Rosslyn Park National Sevens title in 1981 and won the second ever Open Final 28-0 against Dulwich College, in 1940. The Blundell’s XVs continue to compete at the highest level amongst the public schools of the South West, with Bryanston, Millfield, Cheltenham College and Clifton College among their regular opponents.
OBs Dave Lewis (Gloucester Rugby) and Matt Kvesic
Matt Kvesic
Matt Kvesic is an English rugby union player for Worcester Warriors in the Aviva Premiership. He has played for England U16, captained the U18 team, and is a current member of the U20 team....
(Worcester Warriors) are currently playing in the Aviva Premiership.
The Russell
One annual tradition is the school's cross country run known as the Russell, named after OB Jack RussellJack Russell (dog breeder)
John "Jack" Russell , known as "The Sporting Parson", was an enthusiastic hunter and dog breeder as well as an ordained cleric....
. It was first run in 1887, and 2009 saw the 129th run. The Russell has changed over the years with different courses introduced to accommodate the different ages and sexes of pupils at the school. The current senior course is 4.85 miles.
Cricket at the 1900 Olympics
Four Old Blundellians played in the gold medal winning Great Britain cricket team at the 1900 Summer Olympics1900 Summer Olympics
The 1900 Summer Olympics, today officially known as the Games of the II Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1900 in Paris, France. No opening or closing ceremonies were held; competitions began on May 14 and ended on October 28. The Games were held as part of...
, the only time cricket has featured in the Olympics. Great Britain was represented by an unofficial touring club team, the Devon & Somerset Wanderers Cricket Club (formed by William Donne
William Donne
William Stephens Donne was an English cricket player, and former president of the Rugby Football Union.-Cricket career:...
in 1894 and made up from Old Blundellians and members of Castle Cary Cricket Club).
Southern Railway Schools Class
Locomotive
A locomotive is a railway vehicle that provides the motive power for a train. The word originates from the Latin loco – "from a place", ablative of locus, "place" + Medieval Latin motivus, "causing motion", and is a shortened form of the term locomotive engine, first used in the early 19th...
(Engine 932) in the Southern Railway's
Southern Railway (Great Britain)
The Southern Railway was a British railway company established in the 1923 Grouping. It linked London with the Channel ports, South West England, South coast resorts and Kent...
Class V
SR Class V
The SR V class, more commonly known as the Schools class, is a class of steam locomotive designed by Richard Maunsell for the Southern Railway. The class was a cut down version of his Lord Nelson class but also incorporated components from Urie and Maunsell's LSWR/SR King Arthur class...
of which there were 40. This Class was also known as the Schools Class because all 40 of the class were named after prominent English public schools. Blundell's, as it was called, was built in 1934. The locomotive bearing the School's name was withdrawn from service in January 1961. In 2009 Hornby produced a model of this particular Schools class locomotive. As the product photograph shows, while the name of this locomotive has been variously quoted as Blundells or Blundell's the apostrophe does actually appear on the nameplate.
Old Blundellians
The first known society of former pupils, known as Old Blundellians (OBs), was established as early as 1725.Notable former pupils include the following and those on the separate page at Old Blundellians.
- Brigadier Sir Robert ArundellRobert ArundellBrigadier Sir Robert Arundell, KCMG, OBE was a British diplomat who became Governor and Commander in Chief of the Windward Islands and later Governor of Barbados and acting Governor-General of the West Indies.-Education:...
, Governor of the Windward Islands and Barbados - Vernon BartlettVernon BartlettCharles Vernon Oldfield Bartlett CBE was an English journalist, politician and author who served as a Member of Parliament from 1938 to 1950.-Life:...
, journalist and politician - Edward BellewEdward Donald BellewEdward Donald Bellew , Captain of the 7th Bn British Columbia Regiment, CEF was a Canadian recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.Bellew began his education at Blundell's...
, drainage inspector and winner of the Victoria CrossVictoria CrossThe Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories.... - R. D. BlackmoreR. D. BlackmoreRichard Doddridge Blackmore , referred to most commonly as R. D. Blackmore, was one of the most famous English novelists of the second half of the nineteenth century. Over the course of his career, Blackmore achieved a close following around the world...
, author of Lorna DooneLorna DooneLorna Doone: A Romance of Exmoor is a novel by Richard Doddridge Blackmore. It is a romance based on a group of historical characters and set in the late 17th century in Devon and Somerset, particularly around the East Lyn Valley area of Exmoor.... - Professor Richard BowringRichard BowringProfessor Richard John Bowring PhD, Litt.D is Master of Selwyn College, Cambridge, Professor of Japanese Studies at the University of Cambridge and an Honorary Fellow of Downing College.-Education:*1960-64 Blundell's School...
, Master of Selwyn College, CambridgeSelwyn College, CambridgeSelwyn College is a constituent college in the University of Cambridge in England, United Kingdom.The college was founded by the Selwyn Memorial Committee in memory of the Rt Reverend George Selwyn , who rowed on the Cambridge crew in the first Varsity Boat Race in 1829, and went on to become the... - William BucklandWilliam BucklandThe Very Rev. Dr William Buckland DD FRS was an English geologist, palaeontologist and Dean of Westminster, who wrote the first full account of a fossil dinosaur, which he named Megalosaurus...
, geologist - George BullGeorge BullGeorge Bull was an English theologian and Bishop of St David's.-Life:He was born, 25 March 1634, in the parish of St. Cuthbert, Wells, and educated in the grammar school at Wells, and then at Blundell's School in Tiverton under Samuel Butler. Before he was fourteen years old he went into...
, theologian and bishop - Sir Giles BullardGiles BullardSir Giles Bullard, KCVO CMG , was a British diplomat. His appointments included British Ambassador to Bulgaria and High Commissioner to the West Indies at the time of the American invasion of Grenada.-Early life:...
, High Commissioner to the West Indies - Bampfylde Moore CarewBampfylde Moore CarewBampfylde Moore Carew was an English rogue, vagabond and impostor, who claimed to be King of the Beggars.He was the son of Reverend Theodore Carew, rector of Bickleigh. The Carews were a well-established Devonshire family. Although they had a reputation for adventurousness, Bampfylde Moore Carew...
, rogue and imposter - Dom Aelred CarlyleAelred CarlyleAelred Carlyle, O.S.B. founded, around 1895, the first Anglican Benedictine community of monks.Born Benjamin Fearnley Carlyle, he was educated at Blundell's School. In 1892, he commenced medical training at St. Bartholomew's Hospital, London. He did not complete his medical training...
, missionary and monk - John ConybeareJohn ConybeareJohn Conybeare DD was Bishop of Bristol and one of the most notable theologians of the 18th century.Conybeare was born at Pinhoe, where his father was vicar, and educated at Blundell's School and Exeter College, Oxford. He was elected a Probationary Fellow of Exeter College in 1710, took his B.A...
, Bishop of BristolBishop of BristolThe Bishop of Bristol heads the Church of England Diocese of Bristol in the Province of Canterbury, in England.The present diocese covers parts of the counties of Somerset and Gloucestershire together with a small area of Wiltshire...
and notable 18th century theologian - Charles Cornwallis ChesneyCharles Cornwallis ChesneyCharles Cornwallis Chesney , British soldier and military writer, the third son of Charles Cornwallis Chesney, captain on the retired list of the Bengal Artillery, and nephew of Francis Rawdon Chesney, was born in County Down, Ireland.Educated at Blundell's School, Tiverton, and afterwards at the...
, soldier and military writer - Sir George Tomkyns ChesneyGeorge Tomkyns ChesneySir George Tomkyns Chesney, KCB, CSI, CIE , British Army general, brother of Colonel Charles Cornwallis Chesney.-Biography:...
, soldier and novelist - Ben Collins, Formula 3 racing driver and the infamous StigThe StigThe Stig is a character in the British motoring television show Top Gear. The character plays on the anonymity of racing drivers' full-face helmets, with the running joke that nobody knows who, or indeed what, is inside the character's racing suit. The character was the creation of presenter Jeremy...
- John DavisJohn Davis (cricketer)Francis John Davis is a former Welsh cricketer. Davis was a right-handed batsman who bowled slow left-arm orthodox. He was born in Cardiff, Glamorgan....
, Welsh cricketer - John EbdonJohn EbdonJohn Ebdon was a British author, broadcaster, Graecophile and director of the London Planetarium, who was born on December 22, 1923 , educated at Blundell's School and died in March 2005...
, writer - Sir John Eliot, English statesman
- Charles Rossiter ForwoodCharles Rossiter ForwoodCharles Rossiter Forwood was an English-born Australian lawyer and Attorney General of Fiji from 1872 to 1873.-Early life:...
, lawyer and Attorney General of FijiAttorney-General (Fiji)Fiji's chief governmental legal officer is the Attorney General. According to the Constitution of Fiji, the Attorney-General is required to be a qualified lawyer and sits in the Cabinet. The office of the Attorney-General is the oldest surviving executive office in Fiji, having been established... - Francis FulfordFrancis Fulford (bishop)Francis Fulford, DD was an Anglo-Catholic bishop of Montreal.-Early years:Fulford, second son of Baldwin Fulford of Fulford Magna, Devonshire, by Anna Maria, eldest daughter of William Adams, M.P. for Totnes, was born at Sidmouth 3 June 1803, and baptised at Dunsford, 14 October 1804...
, Anglo-Catholic bishop of Montreal - John GayJohn Gay (philosopher)John Gay , a cousin of the poet John Gay, was an English philosopher, biblical scholar and Church of England clergyman. The greatest happiness principle, Gay supposed, represented a middle ground between the egoism of Hobbes and Hutcheson's moral sense theory.-Education:Gay was educated at...
, philosopher - Michael Gilbert, writer of fictional mysteries and thrillers
- General Sir Douglas Gracey, Commander in Chief Pakistan Army 1948-51
- Thomas HayterThomas HayterThomas Hayter was an English divine, who served as a Church of England bishop for 13 years.He was born in Chagdord, Devon , officially the son of George Hayter. It has often been claimed that Lancelot Blackburne was his father, but there is no conclusive evidence either way...
, bishop of Norwich 1749-61, bishop of London 1761-62 - Abraham HaywardAbraham HaywardAbraham Hayward was an English man of letters.-Life:He was son of Joseph Hayward, and was born in Wilton, near Salisbury, Wiltshire....
, man of letters - Archibald HillArchibald HillArchibald Vivian Hill CH OBE FRS was an English physiologist, one of the founders of the diverse disciplines of biophysics and operations research...
, Nobel Prize winner - David Gordon HinesDavid Gordon HinesDavid Gordon Hines had national responsibility for the development of co-operatives in Tanganyika and later in Uganda, improving the living standards of farmers in their transition from subsistence farming to cash crops...
, developer of co-operatives in Tanganyika and Uganda - Walter Farquhar HookWalter Farquhar HookWalter Farquhar Hook , was an eminent Victorian churchman.-Background:He was the Vicar of Leeds responsible for the construction of the current Leeds Parish Church and for many ecclesiastical and social improvements to the city in the mid-nineteenth century...
, Tractarian vicar of LeedsLeedsLeeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial... - James Amiraux JeremieJames Amiraux JeremieJames Amiraux Jeremie was Professor of Classical Literature at The East India Company College 1830-50, Regius Professor of Divinity at the University of Cambridge from 1850, and Dean of Lincoln....
, academic and churchman - Sir John JeremieJohn JeremieSir John Jeremie was a British judge and diplomat, Chief Justice of Saint Lucia and Governor of Sierra Leone. He was given an award in 1836 for advancing "negro freedom" after accusing the judges in Mauritius of bias...
, governor of Sierra LeoneSierra LeoneSierra Leone , officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Guinea to the north and east, Liberia to the southeast, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west and southwest. Sierra Leone covers a total area of and has an estimated population between 5.4 and 6.4... - C. E. M. JoadC. E. M. JoadCyril Edwin Mitchinson Joad was an English philosopher and broadcasting personality. He is most famous for his appearance on The Brains Trust, an extremely popular BBC Radio wartime discussion programme...
, intellectual, broadcasting personality and fare dodger - Geoffrey LampeGeoffrey Hugo LampeGeoffrey William Hugo Lampe MC was a British theologian and Anglican Priest who dedicated his life to theological teaching and research and was Ely Professor of Divinity at the University of Cambridge from 1960 to 1970 and Regius Professor from 1970 until his retirement in 1979...
, theologian and winner of the Military Cross - Sir Wilfrid Edward Le Gros ClarkWilfrid Le Gros ClarkSir Wilfrid Edward Le Gros Clark was a British anatomist surgeon, primatologist and palaeoanthropologist, today best remembered for his contribution to the study of human evolution....
, surgeon, primatologist and paleoanthropologist who disproved Piltdown ManPiltdown ManThe Piltdown Man was a hoax in which bone fragments were presented as the fossilised remains of a previously unknown early human. These fragments consisted of parts of a skull and jawbone, said to have been collected in 1912 from a gravel pit at Piltdown, East Sussex, England... - Jeremy LloydsJeremy LloydsJeremy William Lloyds is an English cricket umpire.-Early life:Lloyds was educated at Blundell's School.Lloyds in the late 1970s, while playing county cricket in Somerset, played rugby union for Taunton R.F.C...
, Test Cricket umpire - General Sir George MalcolmGeorge Malcolm (army officer)General Sir George Malcolm CB KCB GCB was an officer in the Bombay Army and British East India Company.-Early life:...
, army officer - Thomas MantonThomas MantonThomas Manton was an English Puritan clergyman.-Life:Thomas Manton was baptized March 31, 1620 at Lydeard St Lawrence, Somerset, a remote southwestern portion of England. His grammar school education was possibly at Blundell's School, in Tiverton, Devon...
, Puritan clergyman - Sir John MargetsonJohn MargetsonSir John Margetson, KCMG is a former British Ambassador to Vietnam, the United Nations, and the Netherlands.-Early life:...
, former British Ambassador to Vietnam, the United Nations, and the Netherlands. - Vic MarksVic MarksVic Marks is a former Somerset and England cricketer, who played in six Tests and thirty four ODIs....
, Somerset and England cricketer - Claire MarshallClaire MarshallClaire Victoria Marshall is a British journalist who works for BBC News.Graduating from Blundell's School, Devon in 1993, she began studying for a law degree at Balliol College, Oxford after which she went to the Cardiff University to undertake a post-graduate diploma in broadcast journalism...
, journalist - Rt Hon Michael MatesMichael MatesMichael John Mates is a Conservative Party politician who was the Member of Parliament for the constituency of East Hampshire from 1974 to 2010.He has been a member of the Privy Council since February 2004.-Education:...
, former MPMember of ParliamentA Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
(constituency of East HampshireEast HampshireEast Hampshire is a local government district in Hampshire, England. Its council is based in Petersfield. Other towns are Alton, Horndean and Whitehill-Bordon....
) - Hugh MorrisHugh MorrisHugh Morris is the current managing director of England cricket, and a former Welsh cricketer, who played in three Tests for England in 1991...
, England cricketer and current Managing Director of the England and Wales Cricket BoardEngland and Wales Cricket BoardThe England and Wales Cricket Board is the governing body of cricket in England and Wales. It was created on 1 January 1997 combining the roles of the Test and County Cricket Board, the National Cricket Association and the Cricket Council... - Sir Gordon NewtonGordon NewtonSir Gordon Newton was a journalist and editor of the Financial Times for 22 years, from 1950 until 1972. He is generally considered to be one of the most successful British newspaper editors of the post-Second World War era....
, Editor of the Financial TimesFinancial TimesThe Financial Times is an international business newspaper. It is a morning daily newspaper published in London and printed in 24 cities around the world. Its primary rival is the Wall Street Journal, published in New York City.... - Sir (Cecil) Rex Niven, Lieutenant-Governor of Nigeria
- Sir Christopher OndaatjeChristopher OndaatjeSir Philip Christopher Ondaatje, OC, CBE is a Sri Lankan-Canadian businessman, philanthropist, adventurer, writer and Olympian. He lives in the United Kingdom.-Overview:...
, author and donor to the Labour PartyLabour Party (UK)The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after... - Admiral Sir William PillarWilliam PillarAdmiral Sir William Thomas Pillar GBE KCB was Chief of Naval Support and a member of the Admiralty.-Naval career:...
, Fourth Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Supplies - Sir John de la Pole, 6th BaronetSir John de la Pole, 6th BaronetSir John de la Pole, Bart was the 6th Baronet and Member of Parliament for the rotten borough of West Looe.Sir John de la Pole was educated at Blundell's School in Tiverton and represented the constituency of West Looe from 1790 to 1796...
- Ben RiceBen RiceBen Rice , is a prize-winning British author.Rice was born in Tiverton, Devon, educated at Blundell's School and read English literature at Newcastle University and then Wadham College, Oxford, before studying Creative Writing at the University of East Anglia.His novel Pobby and Dingan was awarded...
, novelist - Jack RussellJack Russell (dog breeder)John "Jack" Russell , known as "The Sporting Parson", was an enthusiastic hunter and dog breeder as well as an ordained cleric....
, Victorian hunting parson, dog breeder - Peter SchidlofPeter SchidlofPeter Schidlof was an Austrian-British violist and co-founder of the Amadeus Quartet.-Life and career:Born in Vienna, Schidlof fled Austria for England following the Nazi Anschluss in 1938. He won a scholarship to Blundell's School in Devon...
, Austrian-British violist and co-founder of the Amadeus QuartetAmadeus QuartetThe Amadeus Quartet was a world famous string quartet founded in 1947.Because of their Jewish origin, violinists Norbert Brainin, Siegmund Nissel and Peter Schidlof were driven out of Vienna after Hitler's Anschluss of 1938... - Edward SeymourEdward Seymour, 16th Duke of SomersetBrigadier-General Edward Hamilton Seymour, 16th Duke of Somerset KBE, CB, CMG was the son of Reverend Francis Payne Seymour and wife Jane Margaret Dallas . He was also a baronet....
, 16th Duke of Somerset - Evelyn SeymourEvelyn Seymour, 17th Duke of SomersetEvelyn Francis Edward Seymour, 17th Duke of Somerset, etc. KStJ DSO OBE was a British Army officer, landowner, peer, and for eight years Lord Lieutenant of Wiltshire. He was also a baronet.-Early life:...
, 17th Duke of Somerset - Percy SeymourPercy Seymour, 18th Duke of Somersetthumb|right|200px|Portrait by [[Allan Warren]]Sir Percy Hamilton Seymour, 18th Duke of Somerset, etc. was the son of Evelyn Seymour, 17th Duke of Somerset and Edith Parker....
, 18th Duke of Somerset - Richard SharpRichard SharpRichard Adrian William Sharp from Cornwall, was educated at Blundell's School and at Balliol College, University of Oxford. He was a former Cornish rugby player at Redruth R.F.C., Wasps FC, Bristol FC and England rugby union fly-half and captain. He played for England while at Oxford and led...
, England Rugby Captain - Sir John SquireJ. C. SquireSir John Collings Squire was a British poet, writer, historian, and influential literary editor of the post-World War I period.- Biography :...
, poet, writer, historian, and influential literary editor - Lord Stokes, industrialist and peer
- Jon SwainJon SwainJon Anketell Brewer Swain is an award-winning British journalist and writer who was portrayed by Julian Sands in the 1984 Oscar-winning film The Killing Fields...
, award winning writer whose memoirs were portrayed in the film The Killing FieldsThe Killing Fields (film)The Killing Fields is a 1984 British drama film about the Khmer Rouge regime in Cambodia, which is based on the experiences of two journalists: Cambodian Dith Pran and American Sydney Schanberg. The film, which won three Academy Awards, was directed by Roland Joffé and stars Sam Waterston as... - Frederick TempleFrederick TempleFrederick Temple was an English academic, teacher, churchman and Archbishop of Canterbury from 1896 until his death.-Early life:...
, Archbishop of Canterbury - Clem ThomasClem ThomasRichard Clement Charles "Clem" Thomas was a international rugby union player. A flanker, he represented Cambridge University R.U.F.C. in the Varsity Match in 1949 and played for Brynamman, Swansea, London Welsh and Harlequins. He earned 26 caps for Wales, between 1949 and 1959 and captained Wales...
, Wales Rugby Captain - Sir Charles Edward TrevelyanSir Charles Trevelyan, 1st BaronetSir Charles Edward Trevelyan, 1st Baronet, KCB was a British civil servant and colonial administrator. As a young man, he worked with the colonial government in Calcutta, India; in the late 1850s and 1860s he served there in senior-level appointments...
, English civil servant, governor of Madras - Henry Hawkins TremayneHenry Hawkins TremayneThe Reverend Henry Hawkins Tremayne was a member of a landed family in the English county of Cornwall, and owner of the Heligan estate near Mevagissey, with significant interests in the Cornish tin mining industry...
, creator of the Lost Gardens of HeliganLost Gardens of HeliganThe Lost Gardens of Heligan, near Mevagissey in Cornwall, are one of the most popular botanical gardens in the UK. The style of the gardens is typical of the nineteenth century Gardenesque style, with areas of different character and in different design styles.The gardens were created by members of... - General Sir Walter Walker, controversial soldier and writer
- Arthur Graeme WestArthur Graeme WestArthur Graeme West was a British writer and war poet. West was born in Norfolk, educated at Blundell's School and Balliol College, Oxford and killed by a sniper in 1917.-Military service:...
, war poet - General Sir John Whiteley, Deputy Chief of the Imperial General Staff l949-53
- Cyril WilkinsonCyril WilkinsonCyril Theodore Anstruther Wilkinson CBE was a British field hockey player who competed in the 1920 Summer Olympics. The team won the gold medal...
, Great Britain hockey player and Olympic Gold Medallist - Geoffrey WillansGeoffrey WillansHerbert Geoffrey Willans , an English author and journalist, is best known as the co-creator, with the illustrator Ronald Searle, of Nigel Molesworth, the "goriller of 3b and curse of St. Custard's"....
, humorist and co-author of Nigel MolesworthNigel MolesworthNigel Molesworth is the supposed author of a series of books , with cartoon illustrations by Ronald Searle....
series - Sir Matthew WoodSir Matthew Wood, 1st BaronetSir Matthew Wood, 1st Baronet was a British Whig politician.-Life:Matthew Wood was the son of William Wood, a serge maker from Exeter and Tiverton, and his wife Catherine Cluse . He was educated briefly at Blundell's School, before being obliged to help his ailing father...
, Lord Mayor of London, MP for the City of London and close friend of Queen CarolineCaroline of BrunswickCaroline of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel was the Queen consort of King George IV of the United Kingdom from 29 January 1820 until her death... - John WyndhamJohn WyndhamJohn Wyndham Parkes Lucas Beynon Harris was an English science fiction writer who usually used the pen name John Wyndham, although he also used other combinations of his names, such as John Beynon and Lucas Parkes...
, author whose work included The Day of the TriffidsThe Day of the TriffidsThe Day of the Triffids is a post-apocalyptic novel published in 1951 by the English science fiction author John Wyndham Parkes Lucas Beynon Harris, under the pen-name John Wyndham. Although Wyndham had already published other novels using other pen-name combinations drawn from his lengthy real...
Headmasters
Notable former masters
Former masters of Blundell’s have included:- Terry BarwellTerry BarwellTerence Ian Barwell was a South African born cricketer who played first-class and List A cricket for Somerset over a 10-season period from 1959 to 1968...
, cricketer - Estcourt J. Clack (known as Jim) sculptor and woodworking teacher.
- Manning ClarkManning ClarkCharles Manning Hope Clark, AC , an Australian historian, was the author of the best-known general history of Australia, his six-volume A History of Australia, published between 1962 and 1987...
, historian - Eric GillEric GillArthur Eric Rowton Gill was a British sculptor, typeface designer, stonecutter and printmaker, who was associated with the Arts and Crafts movement...
, sculptor, typeface designer and printmaker - Neville GortonNeville Vincent GortonNeville Gorton was the 4th bishop of the restored see of Coventry in the modern era. He was born on 1 March 1888, the son of an Anglican Canon and educated at Marlborough College and Balliol College, Oxford, where he was an exhibitioner and Aubrey Moore student...
, Bishop of Coventry - Malcolm MossMalcolm MossMalcolm Douglas Moss is a British Conservative Party politician. He was Member of Parliament for North East Cambridgeshire from 1987 until his retirement at the 2010 general election.-Early life:...
, politician - Grahame ParkerGrahame ParkerGrahame Wilshaw Parker OBE was an English sportsman who played first-class cricket for Gloucestershire and represented the England national rugby union team....
, sportsman - Cyril ParkinsonC. Northcote ParkinsonCyril Northcote Parkinson was a British naval historian and author of some sixty books, the most famous of which was his bestseller Parkinson's Law, which led him to be also considered as an important scholar within the field of public administration.-Early life and education:The youngest son of...
, naval historian and author of the bestselling book Parkinson's LawParkinson's lawParkinson's law is the adage first articulated by Cyril Northcote Parkinson as the first sentence of a humorous essay published in The Economist in 1955:... - Gilbert PhelpsGilbert PhelpsGilbert Phelps was a British educationist and author, best best known for nine distinguished novels that he wrote between 1953 and 1975 and for his literary criticism which embraces several foreign literatures, chiefly Russian and African.-Biography:Gilbert Henry Phelps was born in Gloucester, won...
, writer and broadcaster - Lawrence SailLawrence Sail-Biography:Sail was born in London and brought up in Exeter. He studied French and German at Oxford University and subsequently taught for some years in Kenya, before returning to the UK, where he taught at Blundell's School and, later, Exeter School...
, poet - Willi SoukopWilli SoukopWilli Soukop, RA was a sculptor, member of the Royal Academy and early teacher of Elisabeth Frink.Wilhelm Joseph Soukop was the son of a Moravian shoemaker whose horrific experiences in the First World War led to a mental breakdown and his disappearance immediately following the war’s end.From an...
, sculptor - Sir Stephen SpenderStephen SpenderSir Stephen Harold Spender CBE was an English poet, novelist and essayist who concentrated on themes of social injustice and the class struggle in his work...
, poet and essayist - Mervyn StockwoodMervyn StockwoodArthur Mervyn Stockwood was Anglican Bishop of Southwark from 1959 to 1980.Mervyn Stockwood was born in Bridgend, Wales, to a middle-class family. His solicitor father was killed during the First World War. He was introduced to Anglo-Catholic worship at All Saints' Church, Clifton, which...
, missioner to the School and later Bishop of SouthwarkBishop of Southwark (Anglican)The Bishop of Southwark is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Southwark in the Province of Canterbury.Until 1877, Southwark had been part of the Diocese of Winchester when it was transferred to the Diocese of Rochester... - Samuel Wesley (the Younger)Samuel Wesley (the Younger)Samuel Wesley the Younger was a poet and a Church of England cleric.-Birth:Wesley was the eldest son of the poet Samuel Wesley and of Susanna Annesley Wesley. He was the brother of John Wesley and Charles Wesley. He was born in Spitalfields, London in either 1690 or 1691...
, poet and churchman
External links
- Blundell's School website
- 2001 UK:Independent Schools Inspectorate Report
- Current Information from UK:Independent Schools Council
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