Truro Cathedral School was a Church of England school for boys in Truro, Cornwall. An ancient school refounded in 1549 as the Truro Grammar School, after the establishment of Truro Cathedral in the last quarter of the 19th century it was responsible for educating the cathedral's choristers and became known as the Cathedral School.
The school closed in July 1982 and the education of choristers was transferred to Polwhele House Preparatory School.
History An ancient foundation, the school existed before the Reformation as the chantry school of St Mary's Church, Truro. In 1549, following Edward VI's Dissolution of Colleges Act 1547 which suppressed all chantries, the school was refounded and took on a new identity as Truro Grammar School."Truro Cathedral School traces its descent from a chantry school attached to St. Mary's Church. After the suppression of the chantries it became known as Truro Grammar School, having been refounded in 1549."--Brian Gardner, The Public Schools: an historical survey (1973) However, as reported by Nicholas Carlisle in his survey of 1818, "The Grammar School at Truro owes its origin and endowment to some benevolent person, whose name is now not known."Nicholas Carlisle, A Concise Description of the Endowed Grammar Schools in England, vol. 1 (1818), pp. 144–145 The best evidence of the refounding of the school is an entry in the Journal of the House of Commons dated 21 May 1689, which refers to the grammar school being founded by a deed, since lost, of the third year of King Edward VI.'Truro Free Grammar School' in Schools Inquiry Commission (1868), p. 447
In 1767, the Rev. St John Eliot, a former Rector of Truro, founded two Exhibitions tenable only at Exeter College, Oxford, worth £30 a year each, with preference to be given to boys from the school.Schools Inquiry Commission, Vol. XIV South-Western Division (Eyre & Spottiswoode for H. M. Stationery Office, 1868), p. 446 In 1818 Carlisle reported that over the previous ten years the number of scholars had been about fifty and that
In the early 19th century an "anniversary school meeting" took place on every second Thursday in September, being a gathering of the school's former pupils.Polwhele, Richard (1816), p. 68 Cyrus Redding, in his An Illustrated Itinerary of the County of Cornwall (1842) called Truro Grammar School "the most celebrated school in the county".
With the creation of the Diocese of Truro in 1876 from the Cornish part of the old Diocese of Exeter, the 16th-century parish church of St Mary's was designated as a cathedral. The church was then partly demolished and partly incorporated into the new neo-Gothic Truro Cathedral, built on the same site.Oliver Berry, Belinda Dixon, Devon, Cornwall & Southwest England (2008), p. 263: "TRURO CATHEDRAL Plonked like a neo-Gothic supertanker in the heart of town, ... Built on the site of the 16th-century parish church of St Mary's (part of which now forms the cathedral's South Transept..." The pupils of the old grammar school had worshipped at St Mary's and became responsible for providing the new cathedral's choristers. It thus began to be known as the "Cathedral School".R. E. Davidson, The History of Truro Grammar and Cathedral School (Mevagissey: Kingston Publications, 1970), pp. 7–9
In 1906 the school was established as Truro Cathedral School by the Dean and Chapter as a Church of England public school.Cornish Church Guide (1925) Truro: Blackford; pp. 326–27 By the early 20th century the school was a private school and had a boarding house called Trewinnard Court. The buildings were designed by the cathedral architect F. L. Pearson and built in the precincts of the cathedral. In 1925 the headmaster resided at Trewinnard Court. At that time choristers paid no tuition fees and there were two Bray scholarships open to choristers worth £30 p.a. The Hawkins scholarship worth £80 p.a. was open to former pupils studying at a university and tenable for three years. By the 1920s the cathedral school's reputation had significantly increased.Ian Gillman, Kernow (2007), p. 96
During the Second World War, the school took the junior boys evacuated from St Paul's, London, some of whom joined the Truro Cathedral choir.Of Choristers – ancient and modern : St Paul’s Cathedral School, London , at ofchoristers.net, accessed 8 April 2012
In 1949, the school was occupying Copeland Court, Kenwyn, formerly the bishop's palace known as 'Lis Escop'.Claude Berry, Portrait of Cornwall (1949) "And at Truro, too, in the chapel of Lis Escop, formerly the Bishop's Palace and now Truro Cathedral School, set among the pleasant greenery of Kenwyn on the northern outskirts of the city..."Copeland Court, Truro at britishlistedbuildings.co.uk, accessed 9 April 2012 Until 1960, the school had a large building in the Cathedral Close. In 1968 the school's age range was from seven to eighteen. There were 212 day boys and 109 boarders. Of these, twenty-two were cathedral choristers.The Public and Preparatory Schools Year Book, vol. 78 (1968): "Truro Cathedral School, Cornwall. Telephone, 2735. Founded in 1549, then Truro Grammar School. It is an independent school age range 7–18, with 22 Choristers – 18-day and 6 Boarders and 194 Day and 103 Boarder non-Choristers".
In 1974 the school was teaching Cornish wrestling as part of its physical education programme and was the only school in Cornwall to do so.Peter Berresford Ellis, The Cornish Language and its Literature (1974), p. 199 In 1979 it was reported to provide "continuous education for boys from 7–18 either as boarders or as day boys".Schools 1979 (Truman & Knightley Educational Trust, 1979), p. 347: "Truro Cathedral School, Truro, Cornwall... Headmaster: JC Wolters, MA, Member of Society of Headmasters of independent schools. Truro Cathedral School is an Independent Church of England School, providing continuous education for boys from 7–18 either as boarders or as day boys."
Closure and aftermath The Times reported on 19 April 1982 that Viscount Falmouth, the chairman of the school's governing body, had written to parents to break the news that the school would close at the end of that year's Summer term. The stated reason was "deteriorating finances", and Lord Falmouth said in his letter that the decision had been taken "with very great reluctance, after exploring all possible alternatives and after considering professional advice". John Wolters, the headmaster, wrote separately to parents to say that the school would help to find places for its boys in other schools. The other members of staff responded by issuing a statement on 18 April to say they were hoping the school could continue, "if necessary on a reconstituted basis".The Times, issue 61211 dated Monday, 19 April 1982, p. 10
Reasons which have since been suggested for the closure include a lack of modern facilities, the economic downturn of the early 1980s, and the changing priorities of leaders of the Church of England, which owned the school buildings. George Eustice, an old boy of the school, has said he suspects the Church may have wished to close the school to raise funds for repairing the roof of Truro Cathedral.George Eustice, Who killed Truro Cathedral School? dated 28 March 2011, accessed 8 April 2012
A limited liability company called Truro Cathedral School Ltd was incorporated on 21 November 1960 and is still in existence.Truro Cathedral School Ltd at companiesintheuk.co.uk, accessed 8 April 2012 The school's task of providing the cathedral's choristers has been transferred to the neighbouring Polwhele House Preparatory School, and the number of choristers is now eighteen.British Music Education Yearbook (Rhinegold Publishing Limited, 2008), p. 15
The former school building in the Cathedral Close is now called "Old Cathedral School" and is currently an office building; it was used as such by the Cornwall Council unitary authority until the council gave it up. The building is still owned by the cathedral.Old Cathedral School, Cathedral Close at propertypilot.co.uk, accessed 10 April 2012 The Cornwall Record Office holds the school's archives, including "lists of masters, pupils and benefactors" dating between 1612 and 1876 and the governors' cash books from 1882 to 1984.Truro Grammar School at nationalarchives.gov.uk, accessed 16 April 2012
Notable former pupils See also Category:People educated at Truro Cathedral School
Those educated at the school are known as "Old Truronians" and include (in chronological order):
Sir Edmund Prideaux (died 1659), Roundhead, member of parliament for Lyme Regis, and Solicitor GeneralRichard Polwhele, The History of Cornwall, Civil, Military, Religious, Architectural, Agricultural, Commercial, Biographical, and Miscellaneous, vols. 4–7 (Michel & Co., 1816), p. 66 Samuel Enys (1611–1697), Royalist and member of parliament for Penryn Swete Nicholas Archer, High Sheriff of Cornwall, 1757 Admiral Sir Richard Spry (1715–1775), Royal Navy Commander-in-Chief, North America and West Indies Station and Mediterranean Fleet Samuel Foote (1720–1777), actor and playwright Thomas Haweis (1734–1820), clergymanAlan Harding, The Countess of Huntingdon's Connexion: A Sect in Action (2003), p. 54 Thomas Wills (1740–1802), ministerWilliam Prideaux Courtney, “Wills, Thomas” in Dictionary of National Biography, vol. 62 Williamson – Worde (1900) William Macarmick (1742–1815), member of parliament and Lieutenant-Governor of Cape Breton Colony John Vivian (1750–1826), Vice-Warden of the Stannaries of Cornwall Jonathan Hornblower (1753–1815), pioneer of steam powerJonathan Hornblower II at gracesguide.co.uk, accessed 10 April 2012 Colonel John Lemon (1754–1814), Whig member of parliament for Truro Admiral Edward Pellew, 1st Viscount Exmouth (1757–1833), naval commander of the Napoleonic WarsCarlisle (1818), p. 151 Francis Gregor of Trewarthenick (1760–1815), knight of the shire for Cornwall The Rev. Richard Polwhele (1760–1838), poet and topographerRichard Polwhele, Traditions and recollections: domestic, clerical, and literary (1826), p. 26 Pascoe Grenfell (1761–1838), member of parliament Thomas Tregenna Biddulph (1763–1838), clergymanGrayson Carter, "Biddulph, Thomas Tregenna" in Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (Oxford University Press, 2004) and online edition at doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/2364 Lieutenant General Hussey Vivian, 1st Baron Vivian (1775–1842), Peninsular War commander Joseph Batten DD FRS (1778–1837), principal of the East India Company CollegePatricia James, Population Malthus: his life and times (2006), p. 229 Sir Humphry Davy (1778–1829), chemist and inventorRobert Hunt, 'Davy, Sir Humphry (1778–1829), natural philosopher', in Dictionary of National Biography (1888)June Z. Fullmer, Young Humphry Davy: the making of an experimental chemist (2000), p. 17 Henry Martyn (1781–1812), Anglican missionary Fortescue Hichins (1784–1814) poet and historian Thomas Turner (1793–1873), surgeonStella Butler, "Turner, Thomas (1793–1873)" in Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (Oxford University Press, 2004) Nicholas Michell (1807–1880), poetWilliam Henry Kearley Wright, West-country poets: their lives and works (1896) p. 330 Walter Hawken Tregellas (1831–1894), authorThe Academy and literature, vol. 45 (1894), p. 475 Francis Charles Hingeston-Randolph (1833–1910), clergyman and antiquaryHarry Tapley-Soper, "Hingeston-Randolph, Francis Charles" in Dictionary of National Biography (2nd supplement, London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1912) O. W. Tancock (1839–1930), clergyman and authorTANCOCK, Rev. Osborne William, in Who Was Who (A. & C. Black, 1920–2008; online edn, Oxford University Press, December 2007, accessed 8 April 2012) (subscription required) Arthur Williams (1899–1974), Church of England clergyman"WILLIAMS, Ven. Arthur Charles Williams", in Who Was Who (A & C Black, 1920–2008; online edition by Oxford University Press, 2007