The Cathedral School, Llandaff
Encyclopedia
The Cathedral School, Llandaff is a coeducational Welsh independent
senior, prep and pre-prep day school. It is located in Llandaff
, Cardiff
. The school is part of the Woodard Schools
foundation, as well as having many links to the neighbouring Llandaff Cathedral
.
In 1880 Dean
John Vaughan opened a school on Llandaff Green for the choristers of Llandaff Cathedral
. Unfortunately, when a German bomb hit the cathedral in 1941, the school was found unsuitable for the growing number of pupils. In 1958, restoration work was finished on the Bishop's Palace, which then opened as a school. Since then, the Cathedral School has flourished, now accepting boys and girls aged 2.5–16.5. The school celebrated 50 years on the Bishop's Palace site in September 2008.
Cathedral schools were established to educate the boys who sang treble
in their choirs. There are still almost 40 schools, of which some are preparatory schools, and some are senior independent schools. The Cathedral School, Llandaff
is the only surviving Anglican choir school in Wales
.
Records are incomplete but we do know that a school of some kind has existed in Llandaff since the 9th Century and it carried on through the Middle Ages. In Henry VIII
's reign, a great deal of Church property was disposed of and in 1553 the Manor
of Llandaff
was sold. This included Bryn-y-Gynnen which was the Bishop's Manor House and was situated close to the cathedral. During the reign of Elizabeth I the people of Glamorgan
agreed to fund a teacher at £12 per annum.
The school survived an impoverished time during 1691, when it was called the Free School, and was housed in the Chapter House. Between 1744 and 1746, the present school, designed by John Wood of Bath, was built on the site of Bryn-y-Gynnen. It was known originally as Llandaff Court and was owned by Thomas Mathews
. Admiral Matthews heartily disliked the building, comparing it to a "3 Decker" ship. In 1840 the office of Dean was revived and the Cathedral was restored by John Pritchard. The present School Chapel was designed by Iwan Christian in 1861.
An article in The Guardian
in 1871, which carried an account of the start of a boarding school for choristers in Salisbury
, gave the Reverend Fishbourne the idea for a similar establishment in Llandaff for some 20 boys—all potential choristers. The School was housed in a small house near Llandaff Bridge. Soon after, the Chapter cut down Fishbourne's original scheme—much to his disappointment.
In 1879, when Dr. Vaughan became Dean, he began plans for a school (now demolished) for around 50 boys at The Cathedral Green in Llandaff village and this was opened in 1880. Dean Vaughan had been headmaster at Harrow School
and was a great scholar; the school was opened in the village in 1880 and remained on that site until 1958. Dean Vaughan died in 1897 leaving the school with firm foundations.
A German landmine severely damaged the nave of the cathedral in 1941 and, when restoration work was completed in 1955, the old school building was found to be "unsuitable", causing it to be moved to the present premises three years later, which had until then been used as the Bishop's Palace. The school then became a member of the Nathaniel Woodard Corporation.
In 1958 there were 190 boys in 9 forms. Today there are over 600 pupils in 29 forms, including a nursery. Girls were admitted in 1978 and there are now a considerable number studying there. A thriving group of girl choristers now sing Evensong in the cathedral each Monday and every other Wednesday, as well as singing at charitable events and concerts.
While Roald Dahl
was a pupil at the school, he was involved in the Great Mouse Plot of 1924, which he later described in his autobiography, Boy: Tales of Childhood
. This is the first of numerous occasions in which he outlines in great detail the perceived cruelty of corporal punishment
in schools. The headmaster at this time was Mr T R Coombes.
The most recent independent assessment of this school is the 2005 Estyn report.
at the cathedral but a girls' choir too. Both boy and girl choristers have done prestigious work in the Wales Millennium Centre
, with Welsh National Opera
, Bryn Terfel
and Carlo Rizzi
, respectively. Music in general at the Cathedral School is very strong with numerous pupils at Grade 8 standard. The music department is housed in the impressive state-of-the-art Jubilee building, with a full range of instruments at one's disposal. There are also specialist teachers in 20 different instruments. There are numerous school groups as well, from School Orchestra to Swing Band, from Flute Group to Senior Chamber Choir. The senior chamber choir has recently undertaken works such as Carmina Burana
and the Berlioz Te Deum
.
, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
, The Sound of Music
, Much Ado about Nothing
, The Merchant of Venice
, A Midsummer Night's Dream
and The Wizard of Oz
. Pupils have begun writing their own work for 'gala evenings' and many pupils are on the books of National Youth Theatre
.
, badminton
and squash
.
Independent school
An independent school is a school that is independent in its finances and governance; it is not dependent upon national or local government for financing its operations, nor reliant on taxpayer contributions, and is instead funded by a combination of tuition charges, gifts, and in some cases the...
senior, prep and pre-prep day school. It is located in Llandaff
Llandaff
Llandaff is a district in the north of Cardiff, capital of Wales, having been incorporated into the city in 1922. It is the seat of the Church in Wales Bishop of Llandaff, whose diocese covers the most populous area of South Wales. Much of the district is covered by parkland known as Llandaff...
, Cardiff
Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
. The school is part of the Woodard Schools
Woodard Schools
Woodard Schools is a group of Anglican schools affiliated to the Woodard Corporation which has its origin in the work of Nathaniel Woodard, an Anglo-Catholic clergyman....
foundation, as well as having many links to the neighbouring Llandaff Cathedral
Llandaff Cathedral
Llandaff Cathedral is the seat of the Bishop of Llandaff, head of the Church in Wales Diocese of Llandaff. It is situated in the district of Llandaff in the city of Cardiff, the capital of Wales. The current building was constructed in the 12th century over the site of an earlier church...
.
In 1880 Dean
Dean (religion)
A dean, in a church context, is a cleric holding certain positions of authority within a religious hierarchy. The title is used mainly in the Anglican Communion and the Roman Catholic Church.-Anglican Communion:...
John Vaughan opened a school on Llandaff Green for the choristers of Llandaff Cathedral
Llandaff Cathedral
Llandaff Cathedral is the seat of the Bishop of Llandaff, head of the Church in Wales Diocese of Llandaff. It is situated in the district of Llandaff in the city of Cardiff, the capital of Wales. The current building was constructed in the 12th century over the site of an earlier church...
. Unfortunately, when a German bomb hit the cathedral in 1941, the school was found unsuitable for the growing number of pupils. In 1958, restoration work was finished on the Bishop's Palace, which then opened as a school. Since then, the Cathedral School has flourished, now accepting boys and girls aged 2.5–16.5. The school celebrated 50 years on the Bishop's Palace site in September 2008.
History
Boy soprano
A boy soprano is a young male singer with an unchanged voice in the soprano range. Although a treble, or choirboy, may also be considered to be a boy soprano, the more colloquial term boy soprano is generally only used for boys who sing, perform, or record as soloists, and who may not necessarily...
in their choirs. There are still almost 40 schools, of which some are preparatory schools, and some are senior independent schools. The Cathedral School, Llandaff
Llandaff
Llandaff is a district in the north of Cardiff, capital of Wales, having been incorporated into the city in 1922. It is the seat of the Church in Wales Bishop of Llandaff, whose diocese covers the most populous area of South Wales. Much of the district is covered by parkland known as Llandaff...
is the only surviving Anglican choir school in 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...
.
Records are incomplete but we do know that a school of some kind has existed in Llandaff since the 9th Century and it carried on through the Middle Ages. In Henry VIII
Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...
's reign, a great deal of Church property was disposed of and in 1553 the Manor
Manorialism
Manorialism, an essential element of feudal society, was the organizing principle of rural economy that originated in the villa system of the Late Roman Empire, was widely practiced in medieval western and parts of central Europe, and was slowly replaced by the advent of a money-based market...
of Llandaff
Llandaff
Llandaff is a district in the north of Cardiff, capital of Wales, having been incorporated into the city in 1922. It is the seat of the Church in Wales Bishop of Llandaff, whose diocese covers the most populous area of South Wales. Much of the district is covered by parkland known as Llandaff...
was sold. This included Bryn-y-Gynnen which was the Bishop's Manor House and was situated close to the cathedral. During the reign of Elizabeth I the people of Glamorgan
Glamorgan
Glamorgan or Glamorganshire is one of the thirteen historic counties and a former administrative county of Wales. It was originally an early medieval kingdom of varying boundaries known as Glywysing until taken over by the Normans as a lordship. Glamorgan is latterly represented by the three...
agreed to fund a teacher at £12 per annum.
Thomas Mathews
Thomas Mathews was a British officer of the Royal Navy, who rose to the rank of admiral.Mathews joined the navy in 1690 and saw service on a number of ships, including during the Nine Years' War and the War of the Spanish Succession. He interspersed periods spent commanding ships with time at home...
. Admiral Matthews heartily disliked the building, comparing it to a "3 Decker" ship. In 1840 the office of Dean was revived and the Cathedral was restored by John Pritchard. The present School Chapel was designed by Iwan Christian in 1861.
An article in The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
in 1871, which carried an account of the start of a boarding school for choristers in Salisbury
Salisbury
Salisbury is a cathedral city in Wiltshire, England and the only city in the county. It is the second largest settlement in the county...
, gave the Reverend Fishbourne the idea for a similar establishment in Llandaff for some 20 boys—all potential choristers. The School was housed in a small house near Llandaff Bridge. Soon after, the Chapter cut down Fishbourne's original scheme—much to his disappointment.
In 1879, when Dr. Vaughan became Dean, he began plans for a school (now demolished) for around 50 boys at The Cathedral Green in Llandaff village and this was opened in 1880. Dean Vaughan had been headmaster at Harrow School
Harrow School
Harrow School, commonly known simply as "Harrow", is an English independent school for boys situated in the town of Harrow, in north-west London.. The school is of worldwide renown. There is some evidence that there has been a school on the site since 1243 but the Harrow School we know today was...
and was a great scholar; the school was opened in the village in 1880 and remained on that site until 1958. Dean Vaughan died in 1897 leaving the school with firm foundations.
A German landmine severely damaged the nave of the cathedral in 1941 and, when restoration work was completed in 1955, the old school building was found to be "unsuitable", causing it to be moved to the present premises three years later, which had until then been used as the Bishop's Palace. The school then became a member of the Nathaniel Woodard Corporation.
In 1958 there were 190 boys in 9 forms. Today there are over 600 pupils in 29 forms, including a nursery. Girls were admitted in 1978 and there are now a considerable number studying there. A thriving group of girl choristers now sing Evensong in the cathedral each Monday and every other Wednesday, as well as singing at charitable events and concerts.
While Roald Dahl
Roald Dahl
Roald Dahl was a British novelist, short story writer, fighter pilot and screenwriter.Born in Wales to Norwegian parents, he served in the Royal Air Force during the Second World War, in which he became a flying ace and intelligence agent, rising to the rank of Wing Commander...
was a pupil at the school, he was involved in the Great Mouse Plot of 1924, which he later described in his autobiography, Boy: Tales of Childhood
Boy (book)
Boy: Tales of Childhood is the first autobiographical book by British writer Roald Dahl. It describes his life from birth until leaving school, focusing on living conditions in Britain in the 1920s and 1930s, the public school system at the time, and how his childhood experiences led him to...
. This is the first of numerous occasions in which he outlines in great detail the perceived cruelty of corporal punishment
Corporal punishment
Corporal punishment is a form of physical punishment that involves the deliberate infliction of pain as retribution for an offence, or for the purpose of disciplining or reforming a wrongdoer, or to deter attitudes or behaviour deemed unacceptable...
in schools. The headmaster at this time was Mr T R Coombes.
The most recent independent assessment of this school is the 2005 Estyn report.
Music
The link with the cathedral has held strong and now there is not only a high standard boys' choirChoir
A choir, chorale or chorus is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform.A body of singers who perform together as a group is called a choir or chorus...
at the cathedral but a girls' choir too. Both boy and girl choristers have done prestigious work in the Wales Millennium Centre
Wales Millennium Centre
Wales Millennium Centre is an arts centre located in the Cardiff Bay area of Cardiff, Wales. The site covers a total area of . Phase 1 of the building was opened during the weekend of the 26–28 November 2004 and phase 2 opened on 22 January 2009 with an inaugural concert...
, with Welsh National Opera
Welsh National Opera
Welsh National Opera is an opera company founded in Cardiff, Wales in 1943. The WNO tours Wales, the United Kingdom and the rest of the world extensively. Annually, it gives more than 120 performances of eight main stage operas to a combined audience of around 150,000 people...
, Bryn Terfel
Bryn Terfel
Bryn Terfel Jones CBE is a Welsh bass-baritone opera and concert singer. Terfel was initially associated with the roles of Mozart, particularly Figaro and Leporello, but has subsequently shifted his attention to heavier roles, especially those by Wagner....
and Carlo Rizzi
Carlo Rizzi (conductor)
Carlo Rizzi is an Italian conductor.Rizzi studied music at the Milan Conservatory. He later was a conducting student of Vladimir Delman, in Bologna, and with Franco Ferrara in Siena. His opera conducting debut was in 1982, with Donizetti's L'ajo nell'imbarazzo...
, respectively. Music in general at the Cathedral School is very strong with numerous pupils at Grade 8 standard. The music department is housed in the impressive state-of-the-art Jubilee building, with a full range of instruments at one's disposal. There are also specialist teachers in 20 different instruments. There are numerous school groups as well, from School Orchestra to Swing Band, from Flute Group to Senior Chamber Choir. The senior chamber choir has recently undertaken works such as Carmina Burana
Carmina Burana (Orff)
Carmina Burana is a scenic cantata composed by Carl Orff in 1935 and 1936. It is based on 24 of the poems found in the medieval collection Carmina Burana...
and the Berlioz Te Deum
Te Deum (Berlioz)
The Te Deum by Hector Berlioz was completed in 1849. It, like the earlier and more famous Grande Messe des Morts, is one of Berlioz's "architectural" works...
.
Drama
Drama has thrived only recently in the Cathedral School but is rapidly expanding. Recent performances include Me and My GirlMe and My Girl
Me and My Girl is a musical with book and lyrics by Douglas Furber and L. Arthur Rose and music by Noel Gay. It takes place in the late 1930s in Hampshire, Mayfair, and Lambeth....
, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat is an Andrew Lloyd Webber musical with lyrics by Tim Rice. The story is based on the "coat of many colors" story of Joseph from the Hebrew Bible's Book of Genesis. This was the first Lloyd Webber and Rice musical to be performed publicly...
, The Sound of Music
The Sound of Music
The Sound of Music is a musical by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II and a book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse. It is based on the memoir of Maria von Trapp, The Story of the Trapp Family Singers...
, Much Ado about Nothing
Much Ado About Nothing
Much Ado About Nothing is a comedy written by William Shakespeare about two pairs of lovers, Benedick and Beatrice, and Claudio and Hero....
, The Merchant of Venice
The Merchant of Venice
The Merchant of Venice is a tragic comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1596 and 1598. Though classified as a comedy in the First Folio and sharing certain aspects with Shakespeare's other romantic comedies, the play is perhaps most remembered for its dramatic...
, A Midsummer Night's Dream
A Midsummer Night's Dream
A Midsummer Night's Dream is a play that was written by William Shakespeare. It is believed to have been written between 1590 and 1596. It portrays the events surrounding the marriage of the Duke of Athens, Theseus, and the Queen of the Amazons, Hippolyta...
and The Wizard of Oz
The Wizard of Oz (adaptations)
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is a 1900 novel by L. Frank Baum, which has been adapted into several different works, the most famous being the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz, starring Judy Garland...
. Pupils have begun writing their own work for 'gala evenings' and many pupils are on the books of National Youth Theatre
National Youth Theatre
The National Youth Theatre is a registered charity in London, Great Britain, committed to creative, personal and social development of young people through the medium of creative arts....
.
Sport
There are over twenty different sports played at the Cathedral School, with pupils at international level in cricketCricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
, badminton
Badminton
Badminton is a racquet sport played by either two opposing players or two opposing pairs , who take positions on opposite halves of a rectangular court that is divided by a net. Players score points by striking a shuttlecock with their racquet so that it passes over the net and lands in their...
and squash
Squash (sport)
Squash is a high-speed racquet sport played by two players in a four-walled court with a small, hollow rubber ball...
.
Rugby
The Cathedral School has enjoyed great success in rugby in recent years including the following successes:- 2010 - Runners Up - The National Schools 7'sThe National Schools 7'sThe National Schools Sevens is an English rugby union sevens tournament, held in association with Rosslyn Park F.C., that has evolved into the world's largest rugby tournament with some 7,000 boys and girls aged 13 - 19 competing annually...
Rosslyn Park Juniors 7-a-side - 2010 - U13 Cardiff Schools Cup Winners
- 2010 - U13 Welsh Schools Rugby League Runners Up
- 2009 - U12 Cardiff Schools Cup Winners
- 2009 - U12 Welsh Schools Rugby League Runners Up
- 2008 - U11 Cardiff Schools Cup Winners
- 2007 - Runners Up - The National Schools 7'sThe National Schools 7'sThe National Schools Sevens is an English rugby union sevens tournament, held in association with Rosslyn Park F.C., that has evolved into the world's largest rugby tournament with some 7,000 boys and girls aged 13 - 19 competing annually...
Rosslyn Park Prep Schools 7-a-side
Cricket
- 2010 - U13 Ladies British Runners Up (Lady Taverners)
- 2010 - U13 Ladies Welsh Schools Champions (Lady Taverners)
Notable Old Llandavians
Former students of The Cathedral School, Llandaff are referred to as Old Llandavians.- Roald DahlRoald DahlRoald Dahl was a British novelist, short story writer, fighter pilot and screenwriter.Born in Wales to Norwegian parents, he served in the Royal Air Force during the Second World War, in which he became a flying ace and intelligence agent, rising to the rank of Wing Commander...
, Author - Simon HughesSimon HughesSimon Henry Ward Hughes is a British politician and Deputy Leader of the Liberal Democrats. He is Member of Parliament for the constituency of Bermondsey and Old Southwark. Until 2008 he was President of the Liberal Democrats...
, MPMember of ParliamentA Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,... - David Rowe-Beddoe, Baron Rowe-BeddoeDavid Rowe-Beddoe, Baron Rowe-BeddoeDavid Sydney Rowe-Beddoe, Baron Rowe-Beddoe is a British politician, a life peer and a crossbench member of the House of Lords.-Early life:David Rowe-Beddoe is the son of Sydney Rowe-Beddoe and Dolan Evans....
, Chairman of the Wales Millennium CentreWales Millennium CentreWales Millennium Centre is an arts centre located in the Cardiff Bay area of Cardiff, Wales. The site covers a total area of . Phase 1 of the building was opened during the weekend of the 26–28 November 2004 and phase 2 opened on 22 January 2009 with an inaugural concert... - T. C. WorsleyT. C. WorsleyThomas Cuthbert Worsley , who wrote as T. C. Worsley, was a British teacher, writer, editor, and theatre and television critic. He is best-remembered for his autobiographical Flannelled Fool: A Slice of a Life in the Thirties.-Biography:...
, Theatre & television critic - Basil John Douglas GuyBasil John Douglas GuyCommander Basil John Douglas Guy VC, DSO was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces....
, (Victoria CrossVictoria CrossThe Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
, Distinguished Service OrderDistinguished Service OrderThe Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
) - [David Mahoney], Member of Only Men Aloud
- David BevanDavid BevanDavid Bevan , is a footballer currently playing for Conference North side Hinckley United , where he plays as a goalkeeper.He has represented the Republic of Ireland at various youth levels.-Aston Villa:...
(Bevan David Sang in the choir at Westminster Abbey for the Queen's Coronation (1953) - received Coronation Medal for 'Personal Service to the Sovereign" - Dean's Scholar and Captain of Rugby in 1954) - Donald BoxDonald BoxDonald Stewart Box was a Welsh stockbroker and Conservative Party politician.-Early and military career:...
, MPMember of ParliamentA Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,... - Charlotte ChurchCharlotte ChurchCharlotte Maria Church is a Welsh singer-songwriter, actress and television presenter. She rose to fame in childhood as a classical singer before branching into pop music in 2005. By 2007, she had sold more than 10 million records worldwide including over 5 million in the United States...
Singer - DavisDavisDavis may refer to:* Davis , a Welsh surname meaning 'son of David'* Davis Bertans , a Latvian professional basketball player* Davis Bloome, fictional character in Smallville...
(Played Cricket for Glamorgan (1966) ) - Colonel JC Gaskell
- LG Gibson (Played for Penarth Swifts, one of the earliest Association Football Clubs in South Wales (1893) )
- Rear Admiral CG Gladstone (In the Royal Navy (1953). Was a Dean's Scholar in 1915)
- Peter Graper (Sang in the choir at Westminster Abbey for the Queen's Coronation (1953) - received Coronation Medal for 'personal service to the Sovereign". Dean's Scholar and winner of Choir Cup 1953)
- WE Jayne (Played for Penarth Swifts, one of the earliest Association Football Clubs in South Wales (1893) - Captain of Football 1883)
- FC Jones (First Captain of Penarth Swifts, one of the earliest Association Football Clubs in South Wales (1893) )
- Dr Derek Llewellyn OBE
- JG McCormick (Played for Glamorgan v Devonshire at Swansea (7th & 8th July 1893). Captain of Football 1888 and 1889)
- John Morgan (bishop)John Morgan (bishop)John Morgan served as Bishop of Swansea and Brecon and subsequently as Bishop of Llandaff , in which post he was also enthroned on 21 September 1949 as Archbishop of Wales ....
- J Nell (Played for Penarth Swifts, one of the earliest Association Football Clubs in South Wales (1893). Captain of Cricket 1889)
- GL Phillips (Dean of Llandaff (installed 18 June 1968), previously Rector of Bloomsbury and Senior Anglican Chaplain to London University. Also a Dean's Scholar in 1925)
- RL Rhys (Played for Penarth Swifts, one of the earliest Association Football Clubs in South Wales (1893))
- John RobbinsJohn RobbinsJohn Robbins is an American author, who popularized the links among nutrition, environmentalism, and animal rights. He is the author of the 1987 Pulitzer Prize-nominated Diet for a New America, an exposé on connections between diet, physical health, animal cruelty, and environmentalism.Robbins is...
(Cardiff and Wales rugby) - HL Taylor (Played for Penarth Swifts, one of the earliest Association Football Clubs in South Wales (1893))
- Richard William Leslie Wain, Victoria CrossVictoria CrossThe Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
- WB Wilkinson (Queen's Gold Medal on board HMS Conway. (1889) & Liverpool Humane Society's Silver Medal (for jumping in after a comrade fell overboard in a flood-tide) (1889), also first Old Llandavian to have sailed around the world (3rd December 1891 - Calcutta, Liverpool, New York, San Francisco, Queenstown, Hull - May 4th 1894)
- Edward William WilliamsonEdward William WilliamsonEdward William Williamson was the Bishop of Swansea and Brecon in the Church in Wales from 1939 until his death on 23 September 1953.Williamson was born on 22 April 1892...
, BishopBishopA bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the... - Rex WillisRex WillisRex Willis was a Welsh international rugby union scrum-half who played club rugby for Cardiff and invitational rugby for the Barbarians...
, Welsh Rugby player - Peter WingfieldPeter WingfieldPeter Wingfield is a Welsh born television actor, well known for his television roles as Dan Clifford in Holby City, Dr. Robert Helm in Queen of Swords and Inspector Simon Ross in Cold Squad...
, actor
Headmasters
- The Revd C.E. Butler (1880–1883)
- The Revd E. Owen (1883–1889)
- The Revd J.E. Stevenson-More (1889–1905)
- The Revd P.R. Cleave (1905–1912)
- G.L. Robanthan & R. Brice-Smith (1912–1919)
- T.R. Coombes (1919–1946)
- N.L. Westbury-Jones (1946–1957)
- R.J.B. Hulland (1957–1975)
- G.L. Hill (1975–1983)
- J.C. Knapp (1983–1993)
- D.A. Evans (Acting Head) (1993–1994)
- P.L. Gray (1994–2008)
- S. Morris (2008– )