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1870s ~ 1880s ~ 1890s ~ 1900s ~ 1910s ~ 1920s ~ 1930s ~ 1940s ~ 1950s ~ 1960s ~ 1970s ~ 1980s ~ 1990s ~ 2000s ~
1865
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The first crest was designed, together with the motto Ex Oriente Salus (meaning Safety or Health from the East), by Mark Anthony Lower, antiquarian, of Lewes, some two years before the official foundation of the College. The stag's head is derived from the Cavendish arms and the red rose from those of the Gilbert family, prominent local landowners in the 19th century |
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Dr Charles Hayman, an Eastbourne medical practitioner and member of the town's first Council, together with other local luminaries, decided that an independent school 'for the education of the sons of noblemen and gentlefolk' should be established and the support of the seventh Duke of Devonshire was sought |
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The seventh Duke supported the venture and made some 12 acres of land available at a modest purchase price or annual rent. He was also Chancellor of Cambridge University and the robes he is wearing in this portrait are those of the Chancellor |
1867
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Ellesmere Villas (now Spencer Court), the College's first home, a large three-storey villa in Spencer Road, was occupied from August 1867 until 1869. Initially there were just three staff and 14 pupils |
1867–9
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Rev James Wood, the first headmaster, resigned after two years and opened Trinity College on the sea front. He was succeeded in 1869 by the Rev Thompson Podmore who served for 17 years, a period of quiet growth and consolidation |
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Larkfield House, an 1835 flint-built villa, was given by the Duke. It became the nucleus of College House (later School House) and remains today as the housemistress's home |
1870
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Here may be seen the embryonic school, with College House in the foreground and farmland stretching all the way to Meads and beyond
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The Foundation Stone of College House was laid by Lady Edward Cavendish, the wife of Lord Edward Cavendish, the seventh Duke's son, on 30 June 1870 |
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College House, now School House, was designed by Henry Currey, the Duke's architect, and built in 1870 |
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Currey was a distinguished architect, notable for the design of St Thomas' Hospital, the Devonshire Park Theatre and Winter Gardens in Eastbourne, as well as works in London, Buxton and elsewhere |
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College House with sheep sharing College Field with a game of cricket
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1873
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Blackwater House, built by the Rev GR Green as a boys' boarding house, was demolished and rebuilt as a girls' day house in 1995/6. Green was later headmaster in 1887/8 |
1874
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A single aisle Chapel, built to seat 150. Architect: Henry Currey |
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The original gym. It cost £120 to build, plus £20 for equipment |
c.1875
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The view from Devonshire Park, showing Larkfield, College House and the Chapel with Blackwater House in the background |
1878
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The new gym |
1888
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George Ambrose Wallis, the Duke's agent and Eastbourne's first mayor. He negotiated the postponement of rent payments by the impoverished school |
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The Rev Dr Charles Crowden, known to the boys as 'Tubby', came as headmaster from Cranbrook with 90 boys, raising the roll to 150 and so saved the school from financial disaster |
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Wargrave House was opened at 52 Blackwater Road by Mr Heylyn Matheson. In 1946 it was combined with the next door Crosby House |
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The Football XI. Previously a form of Harrow Football was played with between 12 and 15 players to a side |
1889
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The Octagon, the original Cavendish Library, was designed by Henry Currey |
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The Chancel and transept were added to the Chapel |
1895
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The Rev Matthew Bayfield came as headmaster from Christ College, Brecon, and brought with him four distinguished schoolmasters: George Peacock, Shum Tuckett, 'Jack' Smart and Cecil Horsburgh. Gordon Carey rated him the most distinguished scholar of the school's first eleven headmasters |
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The Old Eastbournian Association was founded. This is the original committee |
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The School in front of the Indian Pavilion in Devonshire Park on the occasion of Dr Crowden's retirement |
1896
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The Cadet Corps, later the OTC, the JTC and the CCF, was founded with Captain Shum Tuckett (third left) its first commanding officer |
1897
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Gymkhana on College Field. This was first held to celebrate Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee and became an annual event which was later incorporated into Speech Day |
1898
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A cadet camp |
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Old Eastbournian Henry Singleton Pennell won the Victoria Cross on the Dargai Heights on the North West Frontier for rescuing a brother officer 'under a perfect hail of bullets'. Pennell later served in the South African War, was twice mentioned in despatches and was wounded. He lost his life on the Cresta toboggan run at St Moritz in 1907 |
1899
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EC Arnold, known as 'Og', joined the staff and introduced rugby and ornithology, initiated carved panels in Big School, and became headmaster from 1924–29. He led the Memorial Building Appeal, giving generously of his own funds. He also gave the College Og's Wood, the Mere at Hampden Park, land near Littlington, the 'Cuckmere Bounty' and his collection of 300 stuffed birds. The north wing of the Memorial Building bears his name |
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The cadet force provided a Guard of Honour for the Prince of Wales, later King Edward VII, at Eastbourne Station |
1900
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The first rugby team contained a future England international (Douglas Lambert), a Cambridge blue (Jack Young) and a Victoria Cross holder (Lionel Rees) |
1903
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A new castellated front was added to School House, designed by architect W Hay Murray |
1909
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Big School, built as the school's assembly hall, and designed by W Hay Murray, was built by James Longley & Co at a cost of £10,000 and financed by the Duke of Devonshire and Old Eastbournians |
c.1910
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The New Buildings, Labs, Fives Courts and Big School seen from Grange Road
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1912
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Old Eastbournian Dr Theodore Pennell, a Christian medical missionary on the Afghan Frontier, who habitually dressed as a Pathan, and had founded a school and hospital at Bannu, died of blood poisoning. The British Army commander in the region stated that Pennell was worth several battalions of infantry |
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After 23 years in College Road and Blackwater Road, Gonville House was opened in Carlisle Road under Old Eastbournian housemaster Hugh Jameson |
1913
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Frederick Snowden, Old Eastbournian and father of three OEs, funded the building of the original cricket pavilion on College Field. It has since twice been extended |
1916
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Old Eastbournian Lionel Rees, Royal Flying Corps, was awarded the Victoria Cross. He single handedly attacked a group of ten enemy aircraft, and damaged or accounted for three. In the action, he was wounded in the thigh, which hospitalised him for some months. He enjoyed a distinguished career in the RAF until his retirement in 1931, when he presented his medals to the school. He rejoined the RAF in the Second World War and served, aged 52, in north Africa. He later sailed the Atlantic single handed and built a home in the Bahamas, where he married and raised three children |
1920
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Pennell House, formerly Eastbourne Ladies' College, opened in Grassington Road under the Rev Truman Tanqueray. It closed in 1986, when it was sold for development |
1920s
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A new crest was adopted in the 1920s and survives to this day |
1921
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Old Eastbournian Frederick Soddy, distinguished scientist who worked with Rutherford and originated the word 'isotopes', was awarded the Nobel Prize for his work on radioactivity |
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The Soddy Blue Plaque was mounted by the Institute of Physics on the wall of the D&T Building in 1998 |
1924
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Old Eastbournian Christopher Mackintosh (seated centre, behind cup) with fellow athletes at University College Oxford. He played rugby for Scotland, represented Great Britain in the long jump in the 1924 'Chariots of Fire' Olympics, was British ski champion and a member of the GB team which won the World Bobsleigh Championship |
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The Thomson Gates were erected by the Arnold Embellishers in memory of headmaster Harry Thomson 1900–6 |
1924–8
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The First World War Memorial Building was erected, using funds subscribed by Old Eastbournians and headmaster EC Arnold. It was built at a cost of £48,000 over a period of four to five years as funds became available |
1927
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Old Eastbournian Lt Col FFR Minchin CBE DSO MC & Bar, died in an attempted transatlantic flight. Minchin had served with distinction with the Royal Flying Corps in France, north Africa and Macedonia during the First World War. In 1919 he resigned from the RAF and entered civil aviation, flying for Imperial Airways. Always eager for a challenge, he, with two companions, took off from RAF Uphavon on 31 August 1927. After a sighting in mid-Atlantic they were not seen again |
1929
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Old Eastbournian Gordon Carey became headmaster. Carey had been head boy under Arnold, and a Stag for four seasons. A chorister at King's, scholar of Caius, Cambridge, he was a rugby blue for two years and later played for the Barbarians. He served with distinction with the Rifle Brigade in the First World War and with the RAF as a staff officer in the Second World War. A reforming headmaster, he promoted music and the arts into mainstream activities |
1930
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The Minchin memorial window and plaque was erected by the Arnold Embellishers on the north wall of the New Building (now the D&T Building) |
1931
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The Prince of Wales, later King Edward VIII, visited the College (seen here with Gordon Carey) |
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Powell House was given to the College by Stanley Powell, Governor and Eastbourne resident. The first day boy house |
1932
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The College of Heralds granted the third, official, version of the College arms. |
1936
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In 1936–40 and 1945–48 Bishop Walter Carey was appointed College Chaplain. Carey had been a quadruple Oxford rugby blue and a member of the first ever GB touring team (nowadays The Lions) which visited South Africa. Notoriously outspoken in the pulpit and on the BBC, he was greatly loved by the boys |
1938
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John Nugee became headmaster. Educated at Radley and Magdalen College, Oxford, after a distinguished war record in which he won the MC, Nugee was Sub-Warden at Radley. He is best known for taking the College into wartime exile at Radley and, with a small team of devoted staff, bringing it safely back to Eastbourne in 1945 |
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Speech Day on the lawns behind the Memorial Building |
1940
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Evacuation to Radley 1940–45. Angus McPhail, Warden of Radley, and headmaster Charlie Bush unveil a plaque to commemorate the happy collaboration of the two schools between 1940 and 1945 |
1940–5
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During the Second World War HMS Marlborough, a torpedo school, occupied the College buildings |
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The Grange Road gate to HMS Marlborough |
1940–5 and later
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Old Eastbournian Wing Cmmdr Roland 'Bee' Beamont CBE DSO* DFC*, outstanding fighter pilot and, later, test pilot who fought in the Battle for France, the Battle of Britain, against the doodle-bug scourge and on D-Day. The first Briton to exceed the speed of sound and author of nine books on aviation |
1945
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Memorial Field, the playing field of the former St Cyprian's prep school, was given by Old Eastbournians as a Second World War Memorial. The picture shows St Cyprian's as it once was |
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Originally Reeves House, the gift of Old Eastbournian Herbert Reeves, a solicitor, now Craig House, a day boy house, named after 'Teddy' Craig, a much-loved housemaster of Powell |
1946
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Ascham, the College Preparatory School, opened in the former Ascham St Vincent’s buildings in Carlisle Road and closed in 1977. The First World War Memorial Gate survives |
1948
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Speech Day: Field Marshall Montgomery (seen with headmaster John Nugee) presented the prizes and inspected a Guard of Honour |
1951
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Old Eastbournian Stanley Sears gave land, Sears' Piece, to the College. This formed the site of a newly-built CCF Building |
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Old Eastbournian Sir Hugh Casson, later President of the Royal Academy, was Chief Architect for the Festival of Britain. He was knighted for this achievement |
1956–70
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Michael Birley was a reforming headmaster who steered the College through the 'swinging sixties', a period when many traditional patterns of behaviour were being superseded by a more liberal approach. He abolished fagging and corporal punishment, tolerated long hair and introduced girls into the College |
1956
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The Carey Pillars in Old Wish Road, in honour of Old Eastbournian headmaster Gordon Carey, were erected by the Arnold Embellishers |
1957
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The Link (Science) Building, largely financed by Old Eastbournians, was opened by Lord Kilmuir, Lord Chancellor |
1958
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The new gym was built in The Wish |
1966
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Visit of the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh on the eve of the College's centenary |
1967
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Centenary of the College. On Speech Day, the Rt Hon Harold Macmillan MP met Ann and Michael Birley, with the Duke of Devonshire in the background |
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Ex Oriente Salus, a history of the College’s first hundred years by member of staff Vin Allom, was published in time for the centenary |
1970–73
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John Kendall Carpenter, headmaster of Cranbrook School in Kent, was appointed to follow Michael Birley in 1970. After three years and following a period of ill health he moved on to become headmaster of Wellington School in Somerset. As a young man he played rugby 23 times for England (1949–54) and later became President of the RFU |
1973–80
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Simon Langdale came to the College having been a housemaster and master in charge of cricket at Radley. He re-established our strong links with Radley after the College’s evacuation to that school in the Second World War. It was his first headship and he set about his tasks with gusto, creating a business-like atmosphere, initiating developments in facilities, and instilling self belief and ambition in the pupils. In 1980 he moved on to become headmaster of Shrewsbury School |
1976
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The swimming pool was opened by Michael Birley, headmaster 1956–70 |
1980
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The new Art School was opened by Old Eastbournian Sir Hugh Casson, President of the Royal Academy, in March 1980. OE Admiral Sir Derek Empson, Chairman of Council, stands behind him |
1981–92
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Christopher Saunders took over as headmaster in January 1981, leaving Bradfield where he had been a popular housemaster. His charisma soon became apparent and he attracted prep school headmasters and parents, raising school numbers to 560, at that stage the largest in its history. At the outset of his tenure he had to cope with the tragedy of the fire in Big School, but this provided an opportunity for his optimism and there arose a phoenix from the ashes in the shape of a modern theatre. After 11 years he moved on to his old school Lancing for his second headship. |
1981
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19 November 1981 – Big School burnt down |
1983
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The Big School theatre was opened in the shell of the old building, built with funds of £650,000 raised by Old Eastbournians and friends of the College under the enthusiastic leadership of David Winn, Chairman of the Old Eastbournian Association |
1986
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New Pennell House was opened at the corner of Blackwater and College Roads |
1991
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Watt House was opened by Old Eastbournian Ian Watt, College Governor and a distinguished forensic accountant |
1992
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Old Eastbournian 'Beefy' Howell, Cambridge rugby blue, housemaster of Powell and Gonville Houses and rugby coach 1925–53, died. Treasurer, Chairman and President of the OEA |
1993–2005
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Charlie Bush brought incredible energy and enthusiasm to the role of headmaster and knew every one of his 600 pupils by name. He will be remembered for steering the College through an ambitious programme of new building – the Science Centre, the D&T Building, the Cavendish LRC, the Beresford Astroturf and the Nugent extension |
1994
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The Howell Memorial Pavilion, an enlargement of the original Snowden pavilion, was opened. It commemorates the life and work of 'Beefy' Howell and includes on its first floor a fascinating Long Room |
1994–5
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The Beresford Astroturf pitch was opened on the site of the former Beresford House School in Paradise Drive/Summerdown Road |
1995
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The College became fully co-educational
(This picture shows Nugent leavers in 2006) |
1996
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'New' Blackwater, a girls' day house, was opened on the site of old Blackwater. A time capsule was planted in the presence of Virginia Bottomley MP and present and previous housemasters |
1997
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The Cavendish Learning Resources Centre (LRC) was opened, incorporating the Memorial Building Cavendish Library for which Mrs Eila Carey had provided the oak panelling in 1931. The LRC is well-stocked and always staffed. Pupils can study here during the day or in prep time, accessing computing resources alongside multimedia items and the printed word |
2002
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The Science Centre, built at a cost of nearly £3.75 million and opened by Baroness Greenfield, herself a notable scientist, provided the College with an exceptional resource for the teaching of the sciences, without rival in the independent schools sector |
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For most of its life the College’s growth and development has been underpinned by a long series of generous donations by OEs and others. The Memorial Building, Big School, Nugent House, Reeves House, the Rule Centre and the Howell Memorial Pavilion are but six of the many additions to the College campus that were funded in this way. In 2002 the decision was taken to centralise and formalise fund raising under the banner of the Eastbourne College Foundation. Its directors have been Forbes Wastie (left) and Kim Deshayes (right); the current incumbent is David Stewart (centre) |
2005
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The new Design and Technology (D&T) Building was opened in the shell of the old Science Building by Old Eastbournian and College Governor Sir Charles Masefield |
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World War Two Memorial Panels in the Memorial Arch, which commemorate the 164 boys killed in that war, and five more who lost their lives in other conflicts between and after the wars, were dedicated. They had been planned and erected by the Arnold Embellishers |
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Current headmaster Simon Davies joined the College in September 2005 from Bedford School where he was Vice Master and Usher (Deputy Head). Here he is seen with two school prefects in Old Wish Road |
2006
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The Nugent House extension was opened. Nugent was originally acquired as the gift of Old Eastbournian Arthur Nugent in 1957 |
2007
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The College celebrated its 140th anniversary |
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A part of the 140th year celebrations was the publication of the book Eastbourne College: A Celebration, which sought to record those first 140 years with reminiscences, anecdotes and photographs from and of Old Eastbournians of all ages |
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22 September 2007 – The plaque at Spencer Court, the College’s first home in 1867, was unveiled. Pictured are Robert Beatson (right), great-grandson of the first headmaster, with current headmaster Simon Davies |
2008
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In October, Old Eastbournian General Sir David Richards KCB CBE DSO, Commander in Chief British Land Forces, was appointed the new Chief of the General Staff with effect from August 2009 |
2009
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On 27 November 2009 College Council agreed to proceed with the building of the Birley Centre, which will have an auditorium for up to 300 and a state-of-the-art music school |
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College Council also authorised the amalgamation of the Eastbourne College charity with that of St Andrew’s Prep School in Meads, to create one over-arching charity in control of both schools |
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