Cheltenham College

Introduction

Cheltenham College opened in July 1841, in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England. Cheltenham College was the first major public school founded in Queen Victoria's reign (1837-1901). It is known for its strong classical and military tradition. Most pupils are boarders, though there are also many day pupils. The school is now co-educational and maintains a formidable academic reputation. Motto: "Labor Omnia Vincit" (Work overcomes all things)

Former Pupils (Old Cheltonian Hall of Fame)

Distinguished alumni are many, and include:

Lindsay Anderson (film director, shot the 1968 film If.... chiefly at Cheltenham College);

Sir Cecil Maurice Bowra;

A. C. Bradley (Shakespeare critic);

Chris Bryant, Labour MP for Rhondda 2001;

Simon Danielli, Scottish international rugby player;

Field Marshal Sir John Dill;

Sir Charles Eliot, British ambassador to Japan , 1919-25;

Sir John Bagot Glubb, Glubb Pasha, Commander of the Arab legion, 1939-56

Major-General Sir Colin Gubbins;

H.L.A. Hart, lawyer and jurisprudential scholar;

William Edward Hartpole Lecky (Irish historian);

Patrick White (Nobel prizewinning novelist);

E. A. Wilson (polar explorer, died in 1912). A by Wilson is in the Town Museum. A of him is there too.

Victoria Crosses

In total have been won by Old Cheltonians, making the school second only in this regard to the much larger Eton College (22 awards) and Harrow School (15 awards). The alphabetical list of names, with age and rank at the time of the deed which merited the award, is as follows:

BOGLE, Lieutenant Andrew Cathcart (28)

BOOTH, Sergeant Frederick Charles (27)

(17, the youngest)

BOYLE, Lieut. Commander Edward Courtney (32)

CHANNER, Captain George Nicolas (32)

FORBES-ROBERTSON, Lieutenant Colonel James (34)

GRANT, Lieutenant John Duncan (27)

HART, Lieutenant Reginald C. (31)

MELVILL, Lieutenant Teignmouth (37)

McDONELL, Mr. William Fraser (28)

MOOR, Second Lieut. George Raymond Dallas (19)

NEAME, Lieutenant Philip (26)

REYNOLDS, Captain Douglas (32)

RYDER, Commander Robert Edward Dudley (34)

References

• Cheltenham College: The First Hundred Years by Michael C. Morgan [Chalfont St. Giles: Richard Sadler, for the Cheltonian Society, 1968]. A formal history, starting with the meeting on 9 November 1840 of Cheltenham residents (presided over by Major-General George Swiney) who decided to set up a 'Proprietary Grammar School' and appointed a committee to achieve this. ISBN unknown/unavailable.

• Then & Now: An Anniversary Celebration of Cheltenham College 1841-1991 by Tim Pearce, (Cheltonian Society, 1991). The author explains in the Preface that this is "more of a scrap book than a formal history, and like all scrap books it reflects the tastes and interests of its compilers and depends on what in the way of pictures and documents may be available to them". ISBN 085967875X

• Cheltenham College Who's Who, 5th edition ed. John Bowes, (Cheltonian Society, 2003) No ISBN on book.

• Floreat, A collection of photographs of College life from the 1960s and early 1970s compiled by M.F. Miller

External Links

• was one of the first assistant masters at the school.