Since its foundation in 1563, Elizabeth College has had 42 principals overseeing the running of the school. The principal was formerly known as the master of the school. Since the appointment of Rev. Dr Charles Stocker as principal in 1824, portraits have been made of every principal of the school, except Rev. George Proctor. These are kept in the Le Marchant library, situated at the very top of the middle spire of the main building.
List of principals
Title Principal Period Notes Reference Dr Adrian Saravia The school's first master, Saravia left the island in 1571, describing the local population as an 'uncivilised race' which 'hates all learning'. He went on to become one of the translators of the King James Bible. Mr William Hart c. 1581 Rev. George Capelin 1589–1591 Mr Martin de Pestere 1599–1606 Rev. Simon Hern 1606–1608 Rev. William West 1608–1609 Mr Amos Horn c. 1610 Mr Jean Ganrey 1613–1614 Mr Thomas Mauger 1622–1626 Mr Joshua Slowley 1627–1628 Mr Arthur Morehead c. 1635 Rev. Isaac Basire c. 1636 Mr Jacob de l'Epine 1639–1644 Mr Thomas Carey 1644–1660 Rev. Gabriel Du Perier 1660–1669 Mr George Dalgarno 1670–1672 Rev. Francis Dubois 1672–1675 Rev. 1675–1678 Rev. William Johnson 1682–1698 Mr Jacob Bouhaut c. 1700 Rev. Lawrence Payne 1708–1714 Payne was dismissed after he was found to have spent eighteen months absent in England while still claiming salary as a master. Mr John Rowe 1714–1718 Rev. John Le Mesurier 1738–1759 Rev. John Hemming 1759–1761 Rev. Elias Crespin 1761–1795 Rev. Nicholas Carey 1795–1824 Rev. Charles Stocker 1824–1829 Stocker was the College's first principal since the re-chartering of the College in 1824. He developed a reputation for 'unmerciful' flogging while applying himself to raise the academic standing of the school, as well as concentrating on the construction of the new main building. Rev. George Proctor 1829–1832 Rev. William Davies 1832–1847 Rev. John Bromby 1847–1855 Rev. Arthur Corfe 1855–1868 Rev. John Oates 1868–1888 Rev. William Penney 1888–1924 Rev. Francis Hardy 1924–1939 Rev. William Milnes 1939–1957 Mr John Day 1957–1971 Day was the first principal of the College not to be an ordained member of the Church of England. Mr Richard Wheadon 1971–1988 Mr John Hubert Farre Doulton 1988–1998 Mr David Toze 1998–2001 Toze appointed the first-ever female headteacher of Beechwood (the associated junior school) in 2000, and oversaw the merging of Acorn House and Beechwood into the Elizabeth College Junior School as well as establishing a link between The Ladies' College and Elizabeth College sixth forms. Dr Nicholas Argent 2001–2009 Argent oversaw the development of the sixth form centre in the basement of the main building, opened in 2008. Mr George Hartley 2009–2017 Mrs Jenny Palmer 2017–Palmer was the first female principal in the school's history, and oversaw the beginning of the transition of Elizabeth College from a boys-only school into a co-educational school.
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