Ruabon Grammar School
Encyclopedia
The Ruabon Grammar School was situated in Ruabon
, Denbighshire
in north-east Wales
. It provided a grammar school
education to boys in the parishes of Ruabon and Erbistock
.
Ruabon Grammar School for Boys became a Denbighshire County secondary school in 1894 and new buildings, including classrooms and laboratories were added in 1896, with further major building works taking place in the 1920s and 1940s.
The school's Latin motto was Absque Labore Nihil (Nothing Without Labour).
Pupils were divided into four houses: Madog; Cynwrig; Rhuddallt and Wynnstay.
, where the records were being kept at the time. Today a date of 1618 is thought to be more accurate.
Records show that Thomas Ednyfed (or Nevitt), a Welshman who had made his fortune as a draper
in London
, England
became one of the first benefactors of the school. The school developed as a boys' boarding school
. The school originally stood at the top of Ysgoldy Hill, opposite the church, but in 1858 moved to a new site on the Penycae road between Mill Farm and Offa's Dyke
. This new building had classrooms and a kitchen downstairs with dormitories upstairs.
Famous ex-pupils of Ruabon Boys' Grammar School include:
The school's Welsh motto was Gorau Trysor Enw Da (The Best Treasure is a Good Name).
In 1967 the Ruabon Boys' Grammar School and the Ruabon Girls' Grammar School amalgamated to form the present comprehensive school
, Ysgol Rhiwabon
. This school is now housed in the buildings of the former girls' grammar school. The site of the former boys' grammar school has been redeveloped for housing with some of the original buildings being conserved.
Ruabon
Ruabon is a village and community in the county borough of Wrexham in Wales.More than 80% of the population of 2,400 were born in Wales with 13.6% speaking Welsh....
, Denbighshire
Denbighshire (historic)
Historic Denbighshire is one of thirteen traditional counties in Wales, a vice-county and a former administrative county, which covers an area in north east Wales...
in north-east Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
. It provided a grammar school
Grammar school
A grammar school is one of several different types of school in the history of education in the United Kingdom and some other English-speaking countries, originally a school teaching classical languages but more recently an academically-oriented secondary school.The original purpose of mediaeval...
education to boys in the parishes of Ruabon and Erbistock
Erbistock
Erbistock is a village and a local government community, the lowest tier of local government, part of Wrexham County Borough in Wales. The village lies on the banks of the River Dee....
.
Ruabon Grammar School for Boys became a Denbighshire County secondary school in 1894 and new buildings, including classrooms and laboratories were added in 1896, with further major building works taking place in the 1920s and 1940s.
The school's Latin motto was Absque Labore Nihil (Nothing Without Labour).
Pupils were divided into four houses: Madog; Cynwrig; Rhuddallt and Wynnstay.
Founding
It was generally assumed that the school was founded in 1575 as this was the date which appeared on the school badge. However, this date is uncertain, as the early school records were completely destroyed in 1858 during the catastrophic fire which gutted WynnstayWynnstay
Wynnstay was a famous estate in Wales, the family seat of the Wynns. It is located at Ruabon, near Wrexham.During the 17th century, Sir John Wynn, 5th Baronet inherited the Watstay Estate through his marriage to Jane Evans , and renamed it the Wynnstay Estate...
, where the records were being kept at the time. Today a date of 1618 is thought to be more accurate.
Records show that Thomas Ednyfed (or Nevitt), a Welshman who had made his fortune as a draper
Draper
Draper is the now largely obsolete term for a wholesaler, or especially retailer, of cloth, mainly for clothing, or one who works in a draper's shop. A draper may additionally operate as a cloth merchant or a haberdasher. The drapers were an important trade guild...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
became one of the first benefactors of the school. The school developed as a boys' boarding school
Boarding school
A boarding school is a school where some or all pupils study and live during the school year with their fellow students and possibly teachers and/or administrators. The word 'boarding' is used in the sense of "bed and board," i.e., lodging and meals...
. The school originally stood at the top of Ysgoldy Hill, opposite the church, but in 1858 moved to a new site on the Penycae road between Mill Farm and Offa's Dyke
Offa's Dyke
Offa's Dyke is a massive linear earthwork, roughly followed by some of the current border between England and Wales. In places, it is up to wide and high. In the 8th century it formed some kind of delineation between the Anglian kingdom of Mercia and the Welsh kingdom of Powys...
. This new building had classrooms and a kitchen downstairs with dormitories upstairs.
Famous ex-pupils of Ruabon Boys' Grammar School include:
- Tom Ellis, Member of Parliament (LabourLabour Party (UK)The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
) for Wrexham from 1970 to 1983 (but defected to the SDPSocial Democratic Party (UK)The Social Democratic Party was a political party in the United Kingdom that was created on 26 March 1981 and existed until 1988. It was founded by four senior Labour Party 'moderates', dubbed the 'Gang of Four': Roy Jenkins, David Owen, Bill Rodgers and Shirley Williams...
in 1981) - Frank HarrisFrank HarrisFrank Harris was a Irish-born, naturalized-American author, editor, journalist and publisher, who was friendly with many well-known figures of his day...
, writer - Isaac Daniel HoosonIsaac Daniel HoosonIsaac Daniel Hooson , or I. D. Hooson as he was commonly known, solicitor and poet was born in Victoria House, Market St. in the village of Rhosllannerchrugog, Denbighshire, Wales....
, poet and novelist - Meredith EdwardsMeredith Edwards (actor)Gwilym Meredith Edwards was a Welsh character actor and writer.He was born in Rhosllannerchrugog, Denbighshire, Wales, the son of a collier. He became an actor in 1938, first with the Welsh National Theatre Company, then the Liverpool Playhouse...
, actor - Nigel EdwardsNigel EdwardsNigel Edwards is a Welsh former footballer who played as a full back. He made more than 400 Football League appearances for Chester City and Aldershot.-Playing career:...
, footballer - Brian GriffithsBrian Griffiths (footballer)Brian Griffiths is a former Welsh footballer.-Playing career:Griffiths helped Ruabon Grammar School win the Denbighshire Schools' Championship before going on to spend time with Ruabon Youth Club and Ruabon Athletic. He went on to join Blackpool on amateur terms but he rejected the opportunity to...
, footballer - Arwel HughesArwel HughesArwel Hughes OBE , was a Welsh orchestral conductor and composer.Hughes was born in Rhosllannerchrugog near Wrexham and was educated at Ruabon Grammar School and at the Royal College of Music, where he studied with Ralph Vaughan Williams and C. H. Kitson...
, composer and conductor - David JonesDavid Jones (Welsh politician)David Ian Jones MP , is a British politician. A member of the Conservative Party, he is currently the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Wales, and a Member of Parliament representing the constituency of Clwyd West.-Early life:...
, currently Member of Parliament (ConservativeConservative Party (UK)The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
) for Clwyd WestClwyd West (UK Parliament constituency)Clwyd West is a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom . It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post method of election...
and Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Wales - James Idwal JonesJames Idwal JonesJames Idwal Jones was a British Labour Party politician.He was born in Rhosllannerchrugog, Wrexham, and educated at Ruabon Grammar School and Normal College, Bangor. He became a teacher in 1922 in Holt, but then moved to positions in Glyn Ceiriog and Penycae...
, Member of Parliament (LabourLabour Party (UK)The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
) for Wrexham from 1955 to 1970 - Thomas William Jones (later Lord Maelor), Member of Parliament (LabourLabour Party (UK)The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
) for MerionethshireMerionethshireMerionethshire is one of thirteen historic counties of Wales, a vice county and a former administrative county.The administrative county of Merioneth, created under the Local Government Act 1888, was abolished under the Local Government Act 1972 on April 1, 1974...
from 1951 to 1966 - Llewelyn KenrickLlewelyn KenrickSamuel Llewelyn Kenrick was a Welsh solicitor who became the founder of the Football Association of Wales and organised the first Welsh international football match against Scotland in 1876...
, the 'father' of Welsh football
Girls school
In 1922 a secondary school for girls, later to be known as the Ruabon Grammar School for Girls, was built adjacent to the boys' school. This was housed in temporary wooden buildings and remained so until a new school was opened, opposite the boys' school, in 1962.The school's Welsh motto was Gorau Trysor Enw Da (The Best Treasure is a Good Name).
In 1967 the Ruabon Boys' Grammar School and the Ruabon Girls' Grammar School amalgamated to form the present comprehensive school
Comprehensive school
A comprehensive school is a state school that does not select its intake on the basis of academic achievement or aptitude. This is in contrast to the selective school system, where admission is restricted on the basis of a selection criteria. The term is commonly used in relation to the United...
, Ysgol Rhiwabon
Ysgol Rhiwabon
Ysgol Rhiwabon is a comprehensive school in Ruabon, Wrexham, Wales for 11-18-year-olds. The current headteacher is Mrs Angela Williams. In 2003 the Estyn Report concluded that "Ysgol Rhiwabon provides good opportunities for pupils' academic, personal and social development".In 2009 there were...
. This school is now housed in the buildings of the former girls' grammar school. The site of the former boys' grammar school has been redeveloped for housing with some of the original buildings being conserved.
Sources
- A. N. Palmer, "The History of the Parish of Ruabon"
- T. W. Pritchard, "Remembering Ruabon - Cofio Rhiwabon", 2000
- Dennis W Gilpin, "Ruabon Boys Grammar School - A collection of pictures", 1999