R. W. Ryde
Encyclopedia
Reverend Robert William Ryde (? – 8 August 1909) was an English
clergyman and member of the Church Missionary Society (CMS). He was Principal of Trinity College
, Kandy
, Sri Lanka
and St. John’s College, Jaffna. The Ryde Gold Medal
, awarded in Trinity College to the best all round boy, and the highest honour that the School can bestow, is named after Rev. Ryde. He was a scholar of Jesus College, Cambridge
, and taught classics at Monkton Combe School
before travelling to Sri Lanka (then Ceylon) with the CMS.
Following his period at Trinity, Rev Ryde took charge of the Sinhalese Women Teachers Vernacular Training School, in Cotta, Colombo
. He was preparing to move his family to the mission house in Anuradhapura
to assume duties at St. Andrews Church when he was taken ill. Rev Ryde died in Colombo in 1909.
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
clergyman and member of the Church Missionary Society (CMS). He was Principal of Trinity College
Trinity College, Kandy
Trinity College, Kandy founded in 1872 by Anglican missionaries, is an Independent elite private boys’ school providing primary and secondary education in Sri Lanka...
, Kandy
Kandy
Kandy is a city in the center of Sri Lanka. It was the last capital of the ancient kings' era of Sri Lanka. The city lies in the midst of hills in the Kandy plateau, which crosses an area of tropical plantations, mainly tea. Kandy is one of the most scenic cities in Sri Lanka; it is both an...
, Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
and St. John’s College, Jaffna. The Ryde Gold Medal
The Ryde Gold Medal
The Ryde Gold Medal is awarded each year to the "best all-round boy" at Trinity College, Kandy, an elite school in Sri Lanka founded in the 19th century and moulded in the British Public School tradition. The Ryde Gold Medal is the highest honour that the School can bestow...
, awarded in Trinity College to the best all round boy, and the highest honour that the School can bestow, is named after Rev. Ryde. He was a scholar of Jesus College, Cambridge
Jesus College, Cambridge
Jesus College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England.The College was founded in 1496 on the site of a Benedictine nunnery by John Alcock, then Bishop of Ely...
, and taught classics at Monkton Combe School
Monkton Combe School
Monkton Combe School is an independent boarding and day school of the British public school tradition, near Bath, England. The Senior School is located in the village of Monkton Combe, while the Prep School, Pre-Prep and Nursery are in Combe Down on the southern outskirts of Bath...
before travelling to Sri Lanka (then Ceylon) with the CMS.
Career in Ceylon
Rev. Ryde took over as Vice Principal of Trinity in 1895. He married Miss E M Loveridge in 1897, and left in 1899 for St John's, Jaffna as Principal, with Rev A.A. Pilson filling his vacancy at Kandy. Upon the resignation of Principal Rev Napier-Clavering in 1900, Ryde returned to Trinity College as Principal. He held this post for a brief 2 years, leaving in 1902, but the impression he left on the boys of the era was a lasting one. His stint in Jaffna was also marked by the latter feature, so much so that he was invited to assume duty as President of the St John's College Old Boys' Association in 1904, and that of the Trinity OBA (Colombo) in 1908.Following his period at Trinity, Rev Ryde took charge of the Sinhalese Women Teachers Vernacular Training School, in Cotta, Colombo
Colombo
Colombo is the largest city of Sri Lanka. It is located on the west coast of the island and adjacent to Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte, the capital of Sri Lanka. Colombo is often referred to as the capital of the country, since Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte is a satellite city of Colombo...
. He was preparing to move his family to the mission house in Anuradhapura
Anuradhapura
Anuradhapura, , is one of the ancient capitals of Sri Lanka, famous for its well-preserved ruins of ancient Lankan civilization.The city, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, lies 205 km north of the current capital Colombo in Sri Lanka's North Central Province, on the banks of the historic...
to assume duties at St. Andrews Church when he was taken ill. Rev Ryde died in Colombo in 1909.
Legacy
His loss was felt deeply in both Trinity and St John's. The Colombo OBA of Trinity College has been honouring his name since by presenting the Ryde Gold Medal. It is also recorded by the St. John's OBA that in 1910 the late Dr. S. V. Vairakiam offered to present annually a medal, in memory of the late Rev. R. W. Ryde, M. A., who was Principal of the College in 1899, to the boy who stood first in order of merit in the College in the Cambridge Senior Local examination. The medal was called the "Ryde Medal" and bore a splendid impress of the likeness of Mr. Ryde.See also
- The Ryde Gold MedalThe Ryde Gold MedalThe Ryde Gold Medal is awarded each year to the "best all-round boy" at Trinity College, Kandy, an elite school in Sri Lanka founded in the 19th century and moulded in the British Public School tradition. The Ryde Gold Medal is the highest honour that the School can bestow...
- Trinity College, KandyTrinity College, KandyTrinity College, Kandy founded in 1872 by Anglican missionaries, is an Independent elite private boys’ school providing primary and secondary education in Sri Lanka...
- St. John’s College, Jaffna