Talk:Elmfield College

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Headmasters and Governors

Initially the Headmaster was responsible for the teaching in the school, while the Governor was responsible for everything else, including the boys' moral welfare.

Governors

• 1864-1868: Rev John Petty (image and biography at [1]): in 1857 Petty undertook a history of the Connexion to be published to mark its Golden Jubilee in 1860. Between 1857 and 1863 he worked in Hull before the Connexion honoured Petty by asking him to assume the Governorship of Elmfield. (At one stage the new college was to have been based in Hull.) The following year it was decided to accept into Elmfield a number of young ministerial candidates and Petty added to his duties those of theological tutor.
• 1868-1879: Rev Thomas Smith (1814-1879) (image and biography at [2])
• 1879-1889: Rev Robert Smith (1815-1897) (image and biography at [3])
• 1889-1890: Rev Robert Harrison (1841-1927 (image and biography at [4])
• 1890-1896: Rev George Seaman (1839-1908)(image and biography at [5])
• 1896-1901: Rev John Gair
• 1901-1904: Rev William Edward Crombie, who married Emily Judith, the daughter of Samuel Antliff
• 1904-1906: Rev George F Fawcett (1875-1934)

After 1906 the management was changed so the Headmaster took on the Governor's responsibilities.

Headmasters

• 1864-1871: James Kyle Dall, LLD
• 1871-1878: William J Russell
• 1878-1879: John Marsden Raby, BA, BSC, LL.D. left Woodhouse Grove in 1875 to become Head Master of Elmfield College, York. Raby, went as a scholar to Woodhouse Grove in 1835, and remained there till 1843, being granted an ... He then became head master of Elmfield College, York; and in 1880 became the principal of Epworth College, Rhyl
• 1879-1886: Thomas Gough, BA, BSc. A graduate of London University (1st Class Hons. in Biology, 2nd Class Hons. in Geology). Subsequently headmaster of King Edward VI School, Retford, Notts., 1886-1919. Born c1854 at Staunton on Arrow, Herefordshire; son of Thomas Gough, builder. Ordained priest in the Church of England, diocese of Southwell, 1889.
• 1886-1891: William Johnson, BA, BSc
• 1892-1906: Rowland George Heys (see above)
• 1907-1929: Stanley Radcliffe Slack (1870- ) was educated in Birmingham at private school and at Mason's Science College. He was Sheriff of York 1924-25 and Headmaster of Elmfield College from 1907-1929. He chaired the York and District Football Association for almost 30 years.
• 1929–1932: Herbert Douglas Anthony, MA (Cantab), BSc, PhD - graduate of Queens' College, Cambridge and author of a book on Isaac Newton

Old Elmfieldians who had entries in Who's Who

“Who Was Who?” includes 12 Old Elmfieldians:

• Sir John Tweedy ...1849; m 1885, Mary y d of Richard Hilhouse, Finsbury Place; two s one d . ; University College, London.
• Rev. Edwin W. Smith ...Church; m 1899, Julia, d of James Fitch of Peasenhall, Suffolk; one d . . Work: Served in Africa as a Missionary of the Primitive Methodist Church, 1898–1915
• HARRISON, Rev. Robert ...Selby, Market Rasen, Gainsborough, Hornsea, Hull, Grimsby, Driffield, Sunderland; was Governor of Elmfield College, York, and Chairman of the Primitive Methodist Insurance Company and Chapel Aid Association.
• HERBERT-SMITH, His Hon. Charles ...York, 1862; s of Thomas Smith; m Ella, d of Rev. J. Mostyn; one s three d . ; London University. Work: Barrister-at-Law; joined Gray's Inn, 1885; winner of a First...
• GUTTERY, Sir Norman (Arthur) ...Rev. A. T. Guttery, DD, Methodist Minister; m 1920, Elsie Crankshaw, MA; two d . ; King's College, London. Work: Joined Civil Service, 1910; served in Ministries of...
• MAYNARD, Charles Gordon ... m 1920, Irene Constance, d of I. Stevenson, Londonderry; one s two d ... Work: Formerly Governing Director: C. Gordon Ltd; Arnold Perfections Ltd; Black...
• PORTER, Dr John Fletcher ... m 1901, Ida Mary, 2nd d of late Rev. T. H. Richards; two d . ; Yorkshire College, Leeds (Victoria University); London Hospital; London University. ...
• Sir Jack Croft Baker C.B.E. Knighted 15 July 1958 for services to fishing. ... m 1914, Doris Ann, d of late Harry Beales; two s two d . Educ: Clee Grammar School (now Matthew Humberstone School); Elmfield College, York. Work: Vice-Pres., British Trawlers Federation, 1940–44, President, 1944-57. Elected...

He was on the board of Consolidated Fisheries. When he retired he said "It has become more and more obvious that the work entailed in my functions as President of the British Trawlers Federation and of the Grimsby Trawler Owners Association requires the full-time services of anyone undertaking these responsibilities. I intend, therefore, to give the whole of my time to furthering the interests of the British fishing industry." Mr. Baker had become vice-president of the British Trawlers Federation in 1940 and elected president in 1944, succeeding the late Sir John Marsden. Mr. Baker was also the Chairman of the Grimsby Exchange Ltd.

• CHANCELLOR, Henry George ...Ashcott; m 1885, Mary Dyer Surl ( d 1942), Newent, Gloucester; one s three d ... Work: Entered business of C. Chancellor & Co. 1883; managing partner and...
• JOHNSON, Thomas ...Rev. W. Rowe, formerly of Toronto; one s (elder son died on active service) one d . ; Royal College of Science, London. Work: Demonstrator of Botany, 1885–90, Professor of Professor of Botany at University College, Dublin from 1890 to 1926.
• STODDART-SCOTT, Colonel Sir Malcolm ... o d of late B. Parkinson, JP, Creskeld Hall, Arthington, nr Leeds; one s one d . ; Ashville College, Harrogate; University of Leeds. Work: On Medical Staff of Leeds...
• STAFFORD, Rev. John T. Wardle ...Methodist minister; m Edith, 2nd d of late J. Hardcastle, York; one s one d . ; London University. Work: Master in Classics and English Literature at Grove Park...

Another compilation

• R W Frank (at Elmfield 1878-1880) played cricket for Yorkshire Cricket Club from 1889–1903, including one first-class century, and captained Yorkshire 2nd XI from 1900 to 1919
• J H Iles (at Elmfield 1882-1886) played for Gloucestershire Cricket Club in 1890 and 1891, in the same team as W G Grace
• A E Peatfield (at Elmfield 1886-1890) made one first-clqss appearance in 1906, when he played for an England XI against the West Indies at Blackpool, scoring 2 and 16 not out. He was a prolific scorer and played for Glamorgan Cricket Club before it became a first-class county
• Michael Clark (physician)
• Thomas Johnson (1863–1954), botanist - studied at Elmfield College
• Edward Thaddeus Barleycorn Barber (1865–1948) was a student from Santa Isabel/Malabo in Equatorial Guinea who went to Elmfield College ca. 1886/87 before attending Edinburgh University. He was one of the first black people in York and is presumably linked with William N Barleycorn, the first native Primitive Methodist Minister in Fernando Po. Other leading Creole families in Fernando Po (now Bioko) around this time included the Barber family, as well as Davis, Barleycorn, Vivour, Kinson, Dougan, Balboa, Knox,Coker and Collins,[6] although a link has been suggested with Frank Barber, Samuel Johnson's man-servant.
• The MP Henry George Chancellor
• "W. Johnson, Esq., BA, Elmfield Cottage, York", who wrote several books on education [7]. He was born in Retford and was Headmaster at Elmfield 1886-91, after which he was Headmaster at Archbishop Holgate's School in York (1895–1914), and Rector of Wath-on-Swale (1914–41). He featured in the Elmfield return on the 1881 census.
• Lewis Henry Leadley (pseud. "An Old Boy") who wrote "The Story of Elmfield College 1864-1914".
• Dyson Mallinson (Elmfield's "father Bountiful") - see Booth (1990:39)
• James Calvert Spence (1892–1954), the originator of social paediatrics
• John Petty
• Ben Spoor
• Sir John Tweedy (1849–1924) [8]
• R.G.Heys, who later went to Leeds University, and became a member of the York School Board. In January 1892 he returned to Elmfield to become headmaster. (See A.J.Peacock (c.1960, p. 95), York 1900-1914 ISBN 0-9519229-0-4.)
• Sir Robert Newbald Kay - around 1929 he became a Governor of Elmfield College and was instrumental in closing the college down during the depression. He then bought the college estate. The college was then demolished, and the estate was sold off as building plots.
• Samuel Heath [9]
• the chemist William Thomas Newton Spivey (1868-1901 - see T.B.W. (1902) Obituary notice: William Thomas Newton Spivey. J. Chem. Soc., Trans. 81:625-636). Born on the last day of 1868, he attended Elmfield and then from 1887-1889 he was a sub-sizar at Trinity College, Cambridge. In 1896 he went to Epsom College as Science Master "where he at once showed himself to be a successful teacher". However, before the year's end he returned to Cambridge at the invitation of Professor Dewar to become Jacksonian Demonstrator. He carried out research on terpene and Indian hemp. On October 9, 1901 one of his experiments exploded and he was severely burned and two weeks later he died, "one of the most promising and popular members of the chemical school, adding one more name to the roll of those who have lost their lives in the pursuit of science".
• Dr Ronald Vincent Spivey was at Elmfield 1919-1924 and became Head Boy. Later, while he was minister at Wesley's Chapel, City Road in London (of which he authored the Pitkin monograph), he officiated at the marriage of Denis Thatcher to Margaret Hilda Roberts (later Mrs Thatcher). He also baptised the Thatcher children.
• The Africanist Edwin W. Smith
• The conservative politician Malcolm Stoddart-Scott (1901–1973) who was also an Elmfield master. He was MP for Pudsey and Otley from 1945 to 1950, and after that constituency was abolished in boundary changes in 1950, he was MP for Ripon until his death in 1973.
• The Liberal politician W. G. Greenwood who stood for parliament (and came last) at the Ashton-under-Lyne by-election, 1928, which is notable for having an 89% turnout - the highest of any Parliamentary by-election in Great Britain. He and his younger brother H. T. Greenwood came last in the next four elections in that constituency too.
• Quotes from dispatches: "Lieutenant GILBERT GREENWOOD, eldest son of Councillor H.T. GREENWOOD, of Harwood, Mossley Rd. Ashton, has been wounded whilst serving in France with the Ashton Territorials. The fibula of his left leg fractured during a night attack. Lieutenant GREENWOOD is now at the Bathurst House Hospital, Belgrave-Square, London, and is making good progress. Lieutenant GREENWOOD joined the Reserve Battalion of the Ashton Territorials on its formation soon after the outbreak of the war, and was given a commission. He was educated at Elmfield College, York, and until the war was in business with his father, being the manager of the Stockport branch. He was a good athlete, gaining distinction at school in all sports, and captained the cricket and football teams. Lieut. GREENWOOD has seen active service on three fronts, the Dardanelles, Egypt and France. He was invalided home from Gallipoli with enteric fever."
• The brother of Kenneth Wolstenholme (see photos)
• Thomas Ferens (1847–1930) left a bequest of £500 to Elmfield for a scholarship.
• The Times, Saturday, May 10, 1930; pg. 14; Issue 45509; col B

References

Elmfield College Archives

The Elmfield College Archives are currently housed at www.aa42.com and at Ashville College, Harrogate, the college with which Elmfield merged in 1931.