Shebbear College
Encyclopedia
Shebbear College is a co-educational Methodist public school
(privately-funded and independent) located in Shebbear
, Devon
, 39 miles from the county seat of Exeter
, in the South West region of the United Kingdom
and is one of a group of independent boarding schools that form part of the Methodist Church's involvement in education.
and reformed as 'Shebbear College in 1841. The second-oldest Methodist school in Britain, the College was originally formed for the sons of Bible Christians to train for the ministry. Edgehill College
, founded for Methodist girls in nearby Bideford in 1884, was considered the College's 'sister-college'. The College became co-education in the 1990s. In 1993, the school's closure was announced but the decision was subsequently reversed. Since then the school has gone from strength to strength, with growing pupil numbers and an extensive programme of modernisation.
The College has a number of well-known alumni and a strong academic record, with a number of pupils proceeding to prominent universities.
The College is divided into three Houses that compete both academically and in sport; namely:
The school is also divided into houses within boarding;
Public School (UK)
A public school, in common British usage, is a school that is neither administered nor financed by the state or from taxpayer contributions, and is instead funded by a combination of endowments, tuition fees and charitable contributions, usually existing as a non profit-making charitable trust...
(privately-funded and independent) located in Shebbear
Shebbear
Shebbear is associated with placename articles:* Shebbear, Devon, a village and civil parish in Devon, England* Shebbear, a previous name for Terowie, South AustraliaShebbear is associated with UK schools article:...
, 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...
, 39 miles from the county seat of Exeter
Exeter
Exeter is a historic city in Devon, England. It lies within the ceremonial county of Devon, of which it is the county town as well as the home of Devon County Council. Currently the administrative area has the status of a non-metropolitan district, and is therefore under the administration of the...
, in the South West region of the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and is one of a group of independent boarding schools that form part of the Methodist Church's involvement in education.
History
The College was founded as 'Prospect College' in 1829 by the Bible Christian ChurchBible Christian Church
The Bible Christian Church was a Methodist denomination founded by William O’Bryan, a Wesleyan Methodist local preacher, on 18 October 1815 in North Cornwall, with the first society, just 22 members, meeting at Lake Farm in Shebbear, Devon.-Early history:...
and reformed as 'Shebbear College in 1841. The second-oldest Methodist school in Britain, the College was originally formed for the sons of Bible Christians to train for the ministry. Edgehill College
Edgehill College
Edgehill College was a co-educational independent school situated in Bideford, Devon. Founded in 1884 by the Bible Christian movement, Edgehill was one of a number of independent schools owned by the Methodist Church of Great Britain and was sister-school to nearby Shebbear College. It was...
, founded for Methodist girls in nearby Bideford in 1884, was considered the College's 'sister-college'. The College became co-education in the 1990s. In 1993, the school's closure was announced but the decision was subsequently reversed. Since then the school has gone from strength to strength, with growing pupil numbers and an extensive programme of modernisation.
The College has a number of well-known alumni and a strong academic record, with a number of pupils proceeding to prominent universities.
Headmasters
- Hallifield Cosgayne O'Donnoghue (1840-1842)
- Thomas Ruddle (1864-1909)
- J.Rounsefell(1909-1932)
- Leslie Johnson (1933-1942)
- Jack Morris (1942-1964)
- George Kingsnorth (1964-1983)
- Russell Buley (1983-1997)
- Leslie Clarke (1997-2003)
- Robert Barnes (2003-Present)
Notable former pupils
Former pupils are sometimes known as "Old Shebbearians".- Sir Samuel Way, 1st Baronet QC (1836-1916) - Chief Justice and Lieutenant-Governor of South AustraliaSouth AustraliaSouth Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
- Sir Ivan StedefordIvan StedefordSir Ivan Arthur Rice Stedeford, GBE was a British industrialist and philanthropist.Stedeford was Chairman and Managing Director of Tube Investments and one of Britain's leading 20th-century industrialists....
GBE (b.1897-d.1975) - industrialist and philanthropist - Sir Alfred EarleAlfred EarleAir Chief Marshal Sir Alfred Earle, GBE, CB, RAF was a senior officer in the Royal Air Force during World War II who later became Vice-Chief of Defence Staff.-Military career:...
GBE (1907 - 1990) - RAF Vice Chief of Defence to Lord Mountbatten of BurmaLouis Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of BurmaAdmiral of the Fleet Louis Francis Albert Victor Nicholas George Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma, KG, GCB, OM, GCSI, GCIE, GCVO, DSO, PC, FRS , was a British statesman and naval officer, and an uncle of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh...
; Director General of British Defence Intelligence 1966-1968 - Steve DrowneSteve DrowneSteve Drowne is a professional Flat racing jockey. Growing up, he attended Newmarket Racing School. His father was a Devon farmer.Drowne is one of racing's most respected senior riders. He has a long association with trainer Roger Charlton.- External links :...
- jockey
Houses
The College is consistently small in size and currently averages attendance of around 330 pupils from ages three to 18.The College is divided into three Houses that compete both academically and in sport; namely:
- Ruddle - named after the College's most influential headmaster, Thomas Ruddle.
- Way - named after Sir Samuel WaySamuel WaySir Samuel James Way, 1st Baronet , English-Australian jurist, was a Chief Justice from 18 March 1876 until 8 January 1916 of the Supreme Court of South Australia, which is the highest ranking court in the Australian State of South Australia.Way was born in Portsmouth, England, in 1836...
. - Thorne - named after one of the founders of the College, Samuel Thorne.
The school is also divided into houses within boarding;
- Ruddle - The girls' boarding house - named after the College's most influential headmaster, Thomas Ruddle
- Pollard - The senior boys' boarding house - named after the Methodist missionary and writer, Sam PollardSam Pollard- Sources used : — Dingle describes how Sam Pollard used positioning of vowel marks relative to consonants to indicate tones — Morrison recounts meeting Sam Pollard and his wife at the Bible Christian Mission in 1894 — reports on an article in The Sunday Times describing the...
- Pyke - The junior boys' boarding house
Facilities
- The College stands in 85 acres of grounds with a mix of formal gardens, lawns, open fields and woodland.
- Sports hall.
- Fitness Suite.
- 3 Tennis courts.
- 7 Sports Pitches.
- Floodlit astroturf.
- Climbing Hall.
External links
- Official website
- The "Old Shebbearians Association" official website