Richmond College (Sri Lanka)

Coordinates: 6°3′10.37″N 80°12′17.01″E / 6.0528806°N 80.2047250°E / 6.0528806; 80.2047250

Richmond College

Crest of Richmond College
Nisi dominus frustra
Latin - ( No amount of human effort will bring success, without the blessings of God)
Information
Type Government Public School
Established The Galle School in 1814 and re-named as Richmond in 1882
Founder Founded by Rev. Benjamin Clough [1]
Principal Mr Sampath Weragoda , SLEAS[2]
Grades Primary to G.C.E. (A/L)
Gender Boys
Age 6 to 19
Enrollment 5000
Colour(s)

Maroon, Cyan, Navy Blue

            
Website http://www.richmond-college.com

Richmond College (Sinhala: රිච්මන්ඩ් විද්‍යාලය) is a primary and secondary school in Galle, Sri Lanka. Richmond College is a well-established institution with a reputation as one of the finest schools in Sri Lanka. It has produced many prominent citizens, including two in the highest political positions, namely a President, and a Prime Minister and regional wise two Governors.

History

Richmond College Main Hall

The founder of Richmond was the Wesleyan Missionary Rev. Benjamin Clough and was founded in 1814 in Doornberg the Summer House belonging to the Gate Mudaliyar Don Balthazar Dias Abeysinghe Siriwardene of Galle who died about six months before the arrival of the Missionaries. The summer house or the Walawwa is the present Dutch House Boutique Hotel, in upper Dickson Road.

The Galle School was moved to Galle Fort with the student population increasing and finally to the former Seymour Hill, the present Richmond Hill.It became a High school in 1876 and named the Galle Boys High School and in 1882 it was renamed Richmond College in 1882 as it was standing on Richmond Hill. Rev. Samuel Langdon[3] was the first Principal of the Galle High School. He is also credited with re-organising the existing Galle Boys High School formerly known as The Galle school. The School began with a staff of 8 who were teaching in the Galle School with 104 pupils on the roll, of which 54 were from the existing school and the balance from the Ja Kortuwa, Megalle School. This opened the door for higher education beyond the 8th standard. The last Principal of the Galle High School was Rev. Samuel Hill who advised the Mission to rename the school to Richmond as it was more prestigious. Six years later in 1882 the school was renamed "Richmond College" and Rev. Samuel Rowse Wilkins became the first Principal of Richmond.

Latin, Mathematics, Science, Arts and Religion were included in the curriculum, and children were trained to sit for British public examinations. A prize giving was held in its very first year, and a library with 500 books was opened in 1878.

The first College magazine was published in 1887. It was only the second occasion that a school in Ceylon had produced a magazine. The same year, the English Literary Union was formed and cricket was started in the school. In 1894, under the principal-ship of Rev. Horatius Hartley, the Richmond College Old Boys' Association was formed. Another important occurrence during that year was the establishment of the College Cadet Corps. Main Hall

Rev. James Horne Darrel[4]l[5] assumed duties as principal in 1896. The school experienced both physical expansion as well as qualitative growth. During his period, Richmond rose to be recognized as one of the best schools in the island. At the local University of Cambridge Examinations of 1905, Richmond earned top position among assisted schools and second place among all schools in Ceylon. The same year, the Richmond-Mahinda Cricket Encounter was played for the first time, with the two Principals, Rev. Darrell of Richmond and Mr. F. L. Woodward of Mahinda College, officiating as umpires. Rev. Darrell sacrificed his life for the college nursing the pupils who were afflicted with 'Typhoid' when there was an outbreak in the country and was buried at the Dadalla Cemetery, Galle. The Rev. W. J. T. Small became principal following the death of Rev. Darrell. Reverends Darrell and Small are the only two Principals of Richmond who have been buried side by side and it is a sad coincidence that both these great Principals met with their deaths under tragic circumstances; former due to Typhoid fever and the latter due to an accident.

Commerce was introduced as a subject in 1912. This was also the year in which Football was started at Richmond. In 1915, the 2nd Galle (Richmond) Scouts Group was established. Scouting at Richmond College enjoyed remarkable success from the beginning. The first two King's Scouts in the island were produced by Richmond. In 1916, Ceylon's first Cub Pack was started at Richmond College. A notable event during the Rev. Small's period was the formation of the National Association at Richmond in 1915. It was in effect a forum within the school for the emerging nationalist movement.

In 1922, Rev. Alec Sneath took over the reins of Richmond College. He was responsible for many measures which brought refinement and qualitative development to the school. In 1926, a well-equipped library was established in a new building. The Science Society was started the same year. In 1931, the Sinhala Literary Union came into being.

In 1940, the last of the missionary principals left, leaving the school in the hands of local graduates. Mr. E. R. de Silva,[6] an old boy (alumni) of the school, had the distinction of becoming the first Ceylonese principal of Richmond College. This was a period which saw major changes in the educational structure of Ceylon. The Free Education Scheme which was devised by Mr. C. W. W. Kannangara, an illustrious old boy of Richmond College, was being implemented, and the school had to be geared to suit the changes. The history of Richmond are from original Mission Records held in the Methodist Mission Library, in Colombo and in England.

In 1962, Richmond College, which was owned by the Methodist Mission, was vested in the government with no compensation to the Mission. Mr. D. G. Welikala, the first head of Richmond College under state management, was also its first Buddhist principal. With the takeover, the Methodist Vernacular School on Richmond Hill was amalgamated with Richmond. This school was referred to as the "Kaha Iskole ( කහ ඉස්කෝලේ )" by some and "Pin Iskole (පිං ඉස්කෝලෙ )" meaning Charity school by others has been in existence from the time the Missionaries established a learning seat on Richmond Hill in 1858.

During this period, considerable expansion and change had to take place to cater to the new situation. Richmond College faced the challenge of transition so successfully that the then Minister of Education commended Richmond on several occasions, describing it as a model institution among nationalised schools[citation needed].

Richmond College was one of the first schools in the island to start the teaching of Agriculture as a subject. In 1969, it became the first school in the country to start an Agricultural stream for the Advanced Level.

In 1976, the College celebrated its centenary of upgrading.[7] In terms of the provisions of the White Paper on Education, Richmond College was named as a National School in 1986. Richmond College Old Boys' Association was incorporated in 1998 by Act #04 of Parliament of Sri Lanka.

Past superintendents and principals

The following are the heads of the school from 1814, to-date.[8] The Founder

The Galle School (1814)

The Galle School (1817 – 1859) including the branch schools

Richmond Institution/Richmond Hill Anglo-vernacular School (1859)

Principals - Galle High School (1876 to 1882)

Principals - Richmond College (1882 to 1962)

Principals since vesting with the government (1962 to date)

Battle of the Lovers

Richmond – Mahinda annual cricket encounter played between Richmond College and Mahinda College is known as Battle of the Lovers

Notable alumni

[9]

Presidents, Prime Ministers, Cabinet Ministers and Legislators

Judiciary

Only superior court judges names are given here

Prominent educationists

Prominent civil servants

Prominent Aviators, Naval, Police and Armed Services Personnel

Prominent musicians, dramatists and cinematographers

Prominent sportsmen and sports administrators

Medicine

References

  1. ↑ http://www.richmond-college.com
  2. ↑ http://www.sip-piyasa.com/profile.php
  3. ↑ "Rev.Samuel Langdon". The Richmond College Website.
  4. ↑ "The Forgotten History of Richmond College – pages 295 - 298" State Literary Award Winner 2015
  5. ↑ "Rev.James Horne Darrell". The Richmond College Website of.
  6. ↑ "The London Gazette" (PDF). The Fourth Supplement to The London Gazette of Friday 28th December 1951.
  7. ↑ Richmond College Old Boys' Association. Richmond Centenary Magazine. 01st May 1976.
  8. ↑ Forgotten History of Richmond College - a Documentary survey – State Literary Award 2015
  9. ↑ http://www.richmond-college.com/famous_alumni.html

External links

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