Dulwich College
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Dulwich College is an independent, fee-paying public school in Dulwich, a suburb of south-east London, United Kingdom. It was founded in 1619 by Edward Alleyn, a successful Elizabethan actor, with the original purpose of educating 12 poor scholars. It currently has 1450 boys, making it the largest (in terms of numbers of pupils) public school in the UK. Most of these boys are day boys, but 128 are boarders, based in three boarding houses, "Orchard", "Ivyholme", and "Blew". The latter two are for Sixth Form boys, of whom most are from outside the UK, making up the majority of the boarders. The school owns a boathouse on the Thames, the base for Dulwich College Boat Club.
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[edit] History
Edward Alleyn, who owned the manorial estate of Dulwich, decided to create a foundation dedicated to charity and education. It would educate twelve poor pupils, aged between six and eighteen, who would be taught by qualified graduates of Oxford University. Though Alleyn was a successful actor his fortune was acquired from the more unsavory enterprises of bear-baiting and prostitution, arguably the foundation was formed in part to absolve himself from gaining "immoral" earnings. The foundation was constituted on June 21, 1619, when James I signed the letters patent. One stipulation was that the Master should always be unmarried and descended from Alleyn, which criteria proved difficult to meet.
The school was reconstituted by an Act of Parliament in 1857, when it moved from the old site of Alleyn's College in Dulwich Village, where the chapel still remains, to its present site. The new college buildings were designed in a hybrid of Palladian and Gothic styles in red brick and terracotta, by Charles Barry, Jr. (the eldest son of Sir Charles Barry, who designed the Palace of Westminster).
The reformed school's new master, Carver, was the first master not to share the name of the school's founder "Alleyn" (or latterly "Allen"). Upon the reform the school was split in two, with the "A" stream moving up to the new location, and the "B" stream or lower school staying in the village, where it became "Alleyn's School", which now exists on the other side of Dulwich Village in SE22. There is still great rivalry between the two schools.
During World War II, Dulwich College was evacuated to Betws-y-Coed in Snowdonia and there remains a memorial planting of trees in that village in memory of this period.
[edit] Houses
There are eight houses at Dulwich College, named for famous contempories of Edward Alleyn: Drake (yellow and black), Grenville (green and white), Howard (light blue and black), Jonson (purple and black), Marlowe (black and white), Raleigh (red and white), Sidney (red and black) and Spencer (royal blue and white).
Each boy belongs to a house, either placed there randomly or through family connection, and the houses compete in sporting and cultural competitions (such as music or drama).
[edit] School Song
Pueri Alleynienses, quotquot annos quotquot menses Fertur principum memoria, Vivit Fundatoris nomen, unicae virtutis omen Detur soli Deo Gloria.
by J E C Welldon, Master of Dulwich College 1883-1885
Roughly translated, this means:
Boys of Alleyn, may our forfathers' memory Endure through as many years and as many months as there may be, The Founder's name lives on, a promise of unparalleled virtue to come, Glory be given to God alone.
[edit] Academic Achievement
Dulwich College has a good record for Academic achievement and of the three Foundation Schools, it holds second place in A-level results behind JAGS. With regard to GCSE results, the College's results are generally seen to be lower than they are, as boys take the IGCSE in English and this result is not shown on the league tables.
[edit] Recent developments
Although it has always been a private foundation, for some time in the middle part of the 20th century a large percentage of the pupils were on full scholarships funded by local authorities in and around Greater London. These "assisted places" gradually disappeared and were abolished in 1997.
Alleyn's and JAGS belong to the same foundation, and the college has also founded international schools in Phuket, Shanghai and Beijing. All of the franchise schools are built in the notable red-brick style of the London School, but with modern and oriental twists on the theme. Recently the school's franchise in Phuket ended its association with Dulwich due to disagreements over the curriculum; it was then known as "British Curriculum International School, Phuket" and now simply "British International School, Phuket".
[edit] Collections
[edit] At the College
The school has a very extensive archive, especially of material relating to drama and the arts, thanks to its founder, the actor Edward Alleyn. Included in the archives is a first folio of William Shakespeare and some original poems by John Donne. Other interesting artefacts held by the College include the "James Caird", the lifeboat in which Ernest Shackleton made his intrepid voyage to Elephant Island, as well as other items such as sledges, skis and clothing from Shackleton's famous journey for survival.
Above the fireplace in the "Masters' Library" are two panels depicting Liberty and Fortune bought by Edward Alleyn; they were originally on Elizabeth I's state barge.
Recent teachers at Dulwich College include the novelist Steven Jacobi. Current teachers include the English abstract painter Ken Maycock, who teaches art and history of art.
[edit] Dulwich Picture Gallery
Alleyn's College was also bequeathed a large collection of paintings by Francis Bourgeois in 1811, which had originally been intended to form the nucleus of the Polish King's collection. Following the partitions of Poland the paintings were left to the College, which set up the Dulwich Picture Gallery under a trusteeship in a building designed by Sir John Soane, which became Britain's first public art gallery. The Gallery is now run under the auspices of the board of the estate's governors, which now acts as the foundation's overseer.
[edit] Painting of the College
The College appears in an 1871 painting by Camille Pissaro.
[edit] Use of the College in films
Because of its proximity to Central London and its combination of impressive architecture and partly "rural" look it has been a popular location for filming and photography for feature films, docu-dramas and adverts. It is actively advertised as a location by "Dulwich College Enterprises", the for-profit business side of the school.
Recently, Dulwich College was used as part of the film set for the Tomb Raider film, and Legally Blonde. In Tomb Raider, Lara Croft can be seen in the College Great Hall during the auction at the beginning of the film. The graduation ceremony at the end of Legally Blonde was also filmed in the Great Hall, because Reese Witherspoon was in the UK for the filming of The Importance of Being Earnest.
Recently it was used in a "docu-drama" about the young "Rockstar" life of Tony Blair.
It was used in Channel Four's "Star Stories". The opening scene of "Watch Without Predjudice" (George Michael) takes place outside of the lunch hall!
[edit] Renowned alumni
Years of birth and death (when listed) are given in full. Years at the college are given last, using two digits if unambiguous. Alumni are known as "Old Alleynians".
[edit] Arts and Entertainment
- Peter Bazalgette, television producer: 64-71
- Rob Bonnett, TV sports journalist: 64-71
- Clive Bull, (born 1959) broadcaster, narrator; 1970-1977
- Raymond Chandler writer (1888-1959): 1900-1905
- Rodney Clarke opera singer: 89-96
- Jeremy Deller artist
- Chiwetel Ejiofor (born 1976) film actor: 90-95
- Stephen Finer artist
- C.S. Forester writer (1899-1966): 15-16
- Denis Goodwin script writer 41(?)-44(?)
- Nigel Harman TV actor
- Gordon Jacob (1895-1984) composer
- Phil Manzanera musician: 60-69
- Bob Monkhouse comedian: 42-45 (expelled)
- Michael Ondaatje (born 1943) writer
- Anthony Payne (born 1936) composer, "elaborated" the sketches of Elgar's 3rd symphony
- Rupert Penry-Jones (born 1970) actor: 82-89
- Michael Powell film director
- John Ryan TV producer
- Ed Simons one half of the Chemical Brothers
- Graham Swift (born 1949) writer
- P. G. Wodehouse (1881-1975) writer: 1894-1900
- Martin Young, TV Reporter turned media trainer
[edit] Sport
- Trevor Bailey (born 1923) cricketer: 37-42
- Nick Easter*[1] (born: 1977) Professional rugby Player for Premier League Harlequins
- Arthur Gilligan (1894-1976) England cricket captain: 06-14
- Roger Knight (born 1946) cricketer and Secretary of the Marylebone Cricket Club
- Peter Oosterthuis, Golfer
- Andrew Sheridan (born 1979), rugby player: 90-
- Keiran West Olympic oarsman: 86-95
[edit] Politics
- Chris Mole Member of Parliament: 69-76
- Philip Hollobone Member of Parliament: 76-83
- Peter Lilley (born 1943) Member of Parliament: 83-
- His Excellency Anand Panyarachun (born 1932) Prime Minister of Thailand
- Hartley Shawcross (1902-2003) lawyer and Labour politician, lead British prosecutor at the Nuremberg Trials
- John Silkin (1923-1987), Member of Parliament, brother of the below
- Samuel Silkin, Baron Silkin of Dulwich (1918-1988) former Member of Parliament
- John Spellar Member of Parliament: 58-65
- David Ford Leader of the Northern Irish Alliance Party and Member of the Northern Ireland Assembly
- Nigel Farage Leader of the United Kingdom Independence Party and Member of the European Parliament
[edit] Other occupations
- Edward George (born 1938) Governor of the Bank of England: 89-97
- Raymond Dennis Keene, OBE Chess Grandmaster, Born 1948: 59-66
- John Lewis philosopher (1889-1976)
- K. B. McFarlane historian (1903-1966)
- G.E. Moore philosopher (1873-1958)
- Ernest Shackleton (1874-1922) explorer: 1887-90
- Peter Twinn mathematician/cryptographer
- Sir John Ritblat, property tycoon, principal donator towards the John Ritblat Gallery of the British Library
- Lionel Barber, Financial Times editor
- Berthold Wells Key , Major General during Second World War
