Shebbear College

Shebbear College
Motto Ad Gloriam Per Spinas
("To Glory Through Thorns")
Established 1829 - Founded as 'Prospect College'
1841 - Re-founded as 'Shebbear College'
Type Independent day and boarding school
Religion Methodist
Head Master Simon Weale
Founder Bible Christian Church
Location Shebbear
Devon
EX21 5HJ
England
Coordinates: 50°51′50″N 4°12′14″W / 50.864°N 4.204°W / 50.864; -4.204
DfE number 878/6031
DfE URN 113605 Tables
Students 342 as of January 2012[1]
Gender Coeducational
Ages 3–18
Houses Way
Thorne
Ruddle
Colours

Red, Gold & Black

              
Former pupils Old Shebbearians
School song Integer Vitae Scelerisque Purus
Website www.shebbearcollege.co.uk

Shebbear College is a co-educational independent school situated in Shebbear, Devon, England.

Founded by the Bible Christian Society in 1829, Shebbear is one of the world's oldest Methodist schools, and belongs to a group of independent boarding schools that form part of the Methodist Church's involvement in education.

History

William O'Bryan, founder of the Bible Christian Church

Bible Christian Church

The Bible Christian Church was one of the denominations that merged in the United Methodist Church, its early preachers appealed solely to the Bible in confirmation of their doctrines. The denomination arose in the agricultural districts and fishing villages of north Cornwall and Devon; a district only slightly influenced by John Wesley and the original Methodist movement. The founder of the movement was William O'Bryan, a Methodist lay preacher of Luxulyan, Cornwall. O’Bryan commenced his labours in north Devon, and in 1815 a small society was formed at Lake Farm, Shebbear.

On O'Bryan’s departure, the first fully recognised minister James Thorne, at whose father’s farm the connexion had started, became its leader. Thorne laid the foundations broadly in evangelism, finance, temperance and education.

Prospect College

Shebbear College began its life in 1829. James Thorne’s two sons, John and Samuel, began a Christian school for 20 boys called Prospect College after the name of the house built to accommodate the school. It was originally formed for the sons of Bible Christians to train for the ministry. The emblem ‘PC’ still remains engraved on the main gates to this day.

Shebbear College

Original college gate with Prospect College emblem

The school saw many changes until it was re-founded by the Bible Christian Church in 1841 as Shebbear College. Edgehill College, founded for Methodist girls in nearby Bideford in 1884, was considered the college's 'sister-college'.

One of the College’s most influential headmaster’s in the 19th century was Thomas Ruddle, who was at Shebbear from 1864 to his death in 1909. Born in 1839, Ruddle studied at the University of London before embarking on an educational career which was to transform Shebbear.

The present school still includes many original buildings and features, as well as buildings erected for the boarders. Shebbear College now offers education for boys and girls aged 3-18, having become co-educational in 1993.

The college is small in size and has attendance of around 342 pupils as of January 2012, from ages three to 18.[1]

Houses

Thomas Ruddle, Headmaster of Shebbear College from 1864-1909

Day Houses

The college is divided into three day houses that compete both academically and in sport; namely:

Boarding Houses

The school is also divided into houses within boarding;

Facilities

The College stands in 85 acres of grounds with a mix of formal gardens, lawns, open fields and woodland. Its facilities include:

An aerial view of the college grounds

Notable former pupils

Former pupils are known as "Old Shebbearians".

Headmasters

References

  1. 1 2 "Establishment: Shebbear College". EduBase. Department for Education. Retrieved 2 March 2013.
  2. ↑ https://archive.org/stream/echo14cali/echo14cali_djvu.txt
  3. ↑ https://archive.org/stream/torontonensis10univ/torontonensis10univ_djvu.txt
  4. ↑ http://www.rafweb.org/Biographies/Earle.htm "Biography"
  5. ↑ http://www.croucherconsult.co.uk/genealogy/Horwill/Herbert1.htm
  6. ↑ http://www.archive.org/stream/torontooldnew00adamuoft/torontooldnew00adamuoft_djvu.txt
  7. ↑ http://www.mybiblechristians.org.uk/content/new-contributions/sam-pollard
  8. ↑ http://www.freemaIsonrysaust.org.au/sjway.html
  9. ↑ http://www.kent.ac.uk/law/spu/Uglow/devonport.htm
  10. ↑ https://archive.org/details/b19974760M1493

External links

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