ÿþ<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN"> <HTML> <HEAD> <meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8"> <title>The College of Richard Collyer - Hidden Horsham</title> <meta name="keywords" content="Collyers Horsham, Market Square, Hidden Horsham, Francis Frith, Horsham photos"> <meta name="description" content="Collyers Horsham. Photos on Hidden Horsham reveal architectural and structural detail that the eye normally misses."> <link rel="icon" href="favicon.ico" type="image/x-icon"> <link rel="shortcut icon" href="http://www.hiddenhorsham.co.uk/favicon.ico" type="image/x-icon"> <link rel="Stylesheet" href="/styles/style.css" type="text/css"> </HEAD> <BODY> <A NAME="TOP"></A> <TABLE class="wideness"><TR><TD> <A HREF="/index.htm"> <IMG SRC="/images/topbanner.jpg" alt="click to go to the home page" border=0> </A> </TD> </TR> <TR><TD><iframe class=head scrolling="no" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" src="/menu/menuhh.htm"></iframe></TD></TR> <TR> <TD> <TABLE ALIGN="right" border=0> <TR> <TD class=strip></TD> <TD VALIGN="TOP" WIDTH="120"> <IFRAME class=menu SCROLLING="no" FRAMEBORDER="0" MARGINHEIGHT="0" MARGINWIDTH="0" SRC="/menu/menu.htm"></IFRAME> </TD> </TR> </TABLE> <H2>Hidden Horsham - Collyers</H2> <TABLE class=thumbs align=left><TR><TD> <A HREF="/images/hh/full/90.jpg" target="_blank"> <IMG class=edge SRC="/images/hh/page/90.jpg" alt="Hidden Horsham, Collyer's" width=295 height=157 border=0 align=left></A></TD></TR> <TR><TD><P class=c> Above the main entrance</P> </TD></TR> </TABLE> <P>Collyer's sixth form College is located in Hurst Road. It started out as a boys' school in 1541 in Denne Road, near St Mary's Church in but its history began in 1532</P> <P>The benefactor who funded the original school was Richard Collyer who died in March of 1532 having written his will in January of the same year. Collyer was a wealthy merchant and and Mercer of considerable assets and his will left instructions for a school in Horsham where 60 boys could be educated at no cost</P> <P>...to kepe a Free Scole in Horsham in the Countie of Sussex where I was borne...for threescore poor children</P> <P>In his will Collyer left his money to his two children but they died before reaching adulthood therefore so the school bequest took effect. Following the example of fellow mercers Collyer had put this clause in place to prevent the government from taking his estate should his beneficeries not be able to</P> <iframe align=left src="http://rcm-uk.amazon.co.uk/e/cm?t=hiddhors-21&o=2&p=8&l=as1&asins=B000K0SPRK&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe> <P>Collyer's will requested that a trust be set up by the Mercers Company to build and run the school. The school still uses the Mercer's motto 'Honor Deo' ; honour to God. One of his two large London houses, 'The Sunne in the Parish of Our Lady at Bowe', was to be sold to pay for the school. Another house, 'The Gilden Key' in Cheapside, was given to the Mercers to pay for a foundation to fund the ongoing management</P> <P>Collyer purchased the Key for £100 [2007: £38,644.35] from William Wetendale of Peckham in 1520, it was valued in 1540 at £640 [2007: £260,116.47]. Although burned down by the Fire of London in 1666 the site remains today where Queen Street meet Cheapside</P> <P>In return for this gift the school was required to 'pray for the soules of me Richard Colyer and Kateryn and all Christian soules with De Profundis at the debting of the said scole' but this was not possible until the first school was built in Denne Road in 1540. The money came when the sale of the Sunne realised £8 6s. 8d [2007: £3,386.93]</P> <TABLE BORDER=0 class=thumbs> <TR> <TD><A HREF="http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=RH12+2EJ&g=RH12+1EU&ie=UTF8&ll=51.071198,-0.32404&spn=0.001003,0.001754&t=h&z=191" target="_blank" class="opac" ><IMG SRC="/images/hh/thumbs/90a.jpg" alt="aerial view" border=0></TD> <TD><A HREF="http://maps.live.com/default.aspx?v=2&FORM=LMLTCP&cp=51.071118~-0.323737&style=h&lvl=18&tilt=-90&dir=0&alt=-1000&scene=1915478&phx=0&phy=0&phscl=1&where1=rh12%202ej&encType=1" target="_blank" class="opac" ><IMG SRC="/images/hh/thumbs/90b.jpg" alt="aerial view" border=0></TD> <TD><A HREF="/images/hh/full/90c.jpg" target="_blank" class="opac" ><IMG SRC="/images/hh/thumbs/90c.jpg" alt="the crests at the front" border=0></A></TD> <TD><A HREF="/images/hh/full/90d.jpg" target="_blank" class="opac" ><IMG SRC="/images/hh/thumbs/90d.jpg" alt="the bust at the front" border=0></A></TD> </TR><TR> <TD><A HREF="/images/hh/full/90e.jpg" target="_blank" class="opac" ><IMG SRC="/images/hh/thumbs/90e.jpg" alt="the foundation stone" border=0></A></TD> <TD><A HREF="/images/hh/full/90f.jpg" target="_blank" class="opac" ><IMG SRC="/images/hh/thumbs/90f.jpg" alt="Learning Resource Centre" border=0></A></TD> <TD><A HREF="/images/hh/full/90g.jpg" target="_blank" class="opac" ><IMG SRC="/images/hh/thumbs/90g.jpg" alt="old and new entrances" border=0></A></TD> <TD><A HREF="/images/hh/full/90h.jpg" target="_blank" class="opac" ><IMG SRC="/images/hh/thumbs/90h.jpg" alt="new signage" border=0></A></TD> </TR></TABLE> <P>Perhaps one of the more notable employees of the school was William Pirie. He was the the headmaster between 1822 and 1868 who was said to have been paid a salary of £100 [2007: £8,237.07]. Pirie invested in a row of 14 Victorian terraced cottages on the site of Piries Place and is remembered today in the <A HREF="/84/sculptures.htm">sculpture</A> featuring him in his cart pulled by a donkey</P> <TABLE class=thumbs align=center width=602><TR><TD> <A HREF="/images/hh/hd/collyers.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="/images/hh/hd/hd_page/collyers.jpg" alt="Horsham, Collyers in Denne Road" border=0 align="center" width=600 height=366></A> </TD></TR> <TR><TD><P class=c> The Denne Road school house as drawn by <A HREF="/58/howarddudley01.htm">Howard Dudley</A> in 1836. There are other images of the school by Miss Augusta Hurst (1840) and in The Stranger's Guide to Horsham (1890)</P> </TD></TR> </TABLE> <P>In 1892 the school moved to its current premises. The new building has an engraved stone above the main entrance door with Collyers name mispelled: 'Grammar School, founded by Richard Collier, AD 1532'. Local builders Joseph Potter was paid £5,795 [2007:£451,564.33] and the school opened to 48 pupils on the 2<SUP>nd</SUP> of May, 1893. Around the left hand side of the building is the foundation stone with the inscription:</P> <TABLE CLASS=nairn width=200 align=left><TR><TD><P> 'Further along COLLYERS SCHOOL, founded in 1532, moved here from Denne Road in 1892. Neither the C19 buildings (<I>Arthur Vernon</I>)' nor the 1961 additions (<I>Godman & Kay</I>) are much fun.<BR> <A HREF="/88/nairn.htm">Ian Nairn 1965</P> </TD></TR></TABLE> <P class=c>This foundation stone<BR> was laid<BR> 25<SUP>th</SUP> July 1892<BR> by Ralph Charlton Palmer esq,<BR> Master of the Mercers Comp<SUP>y</SUP><BR> Charles J. Robinson <SUB>Vicar</SUB> Chairman<BR> Arthur Vernon. Architect</P> <P>The house system in was established in the Spring term of 1923 by the headmaster Rev. W M Peacock and is still in place today: Denne has changed to Collyers and have the colour light blue, Mercers are Oxford blue, Hurst are red and St Leonards are green. Peacock also initiated the Founder's Day celebration with the first one taking place on the 24<SUP>th</SUP> of June 1924. Prize giving and events involving former pupils took place</P> <TABLE class=thumbs align=center width=602><TR><TD> <A HREF="/images/hh/full/90i.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="/images/hh/page/90i.jpg" alt="Horsham, Collyers in Hurst Road" border=0 align="center" width=600 height=386></A> </TD></TR> <TR><TD><P class=c> The Hurst Road school house in a Valentine Postcard (1906)</P> </TD></TR> </TABLE> <P>Former students from the school are known as Old Collyerians and include Simon Nye and Harry Enfield in their number. In 1945 the estate of a Old Collyerian's was left to the school. Dr William West Duckering's estate was used to build Duckering Hall in 1963</P> <P>A wealth of information about the school can be found in <A HREF="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B000K0SPRK?ie=UTF8&tag=hiddhors-21&linkCode=xm2&camp=1634&creativeASIN=B000K0SPRK target="_blank" title="Collyers">A history of Collyer's School 1532-1964 by A N Willson</A> whose entire teaching career was at Collyers; this book being written as he approached retirement</P> <TABLE width=602> <TR><TD VALIGN=TOP> <!--Image from The Francis Frith Collection --> <a href="http://www.francisfrith.com/pageloader.asp?page=/search/photos/viewphoto.asp&neg=82442&collectionid=10&townid=14223&start=1&action=prevphoto&partner=uk&fpn=6076" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; color: #333333;" "target="_blank"> <img src="/images/frith/82442.jpg" width="300" alt="Horsham, Grammar School 1929. (Neg. 82442) © Copyright The Francis Frith Collection 2006. http://www.francisfrith.com" style="border: 1px solid #999999;"><br /></a> <!--End image from The Francis Frith Collection --> <P>Reproduced courtesy of The Francis Frith Collection. Horsham, Grammar School 1929</P> </TD><TD VALIGN=TOP> <A HREF="/images/hh/full/hh82442.jpg"><IMG SRC="/images/hh/today/hh82442.jpg" alt="Collyers today" width=300 height=225 border=0 target="_blank"></A> </TD></TR> </TABLE> <P>The building was Grade II listed by English Heritage in 1974. As can be seen in the two photographs above the bell tower to the left has been removed between 1929 and the present day</P> <P>Last update: Dec 2010</P> <TABLE BORDER=0 class=info > <TR><TD width=19%><P>Fact File</P></TD><TD width=27%><P>Location: <A HREF="http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=RH12+2EJ&g=RH12+1EU&ie=UTF8&ll=51.071198,-0.32404&spn=0.001003,0.001754&t=h&z=191" target="_blank">RH12 2EJ</A></P></TD><TD width=27%><P> Build Date: 1892</P></TD><TD width=27%><P> Listed: <A HREF="http://www.imagesofengland.org.uk/details/default.aspx?pid=&id=298145" target="_blank">yes</A></P></TD></TR></TABLE> <BR> <TABLE BORDER=0 class=info > <TR><TD><P>External Links:</P> <P><A HREF="http://www.collyers.ac.uk" target="_blank" title="Collyers">Collyer's sixth form College</A></P> <P><A HREF="http://www.oldcollyerians.org.uk" target="_blank" title="Collyers">The Old Collyerian's Association</A></P> <P>Francis Frith: <a href="http://www.francisfrith.com/pageloader.asp?page=/search/photos/viewphoto.asp&neg=82442&collectionid=10&townid=14223&start=1&action=prevphoto&partner=uk&fpn=6076" target="_blank">1929 photo of Collyers</A></P> <P>A N Willson: <A HREF="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B000K0SPRK?ie=UTF8&tag=hiddhors-21&linkCode=xm2&camp=1634&creativeASIN=B000K0SPRK target="_blank" title="Collyers">A history of Collyer's School 1532-1964</A></P> <P>Wiki: <A HREF="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_College_of_Richard_Collyer" target="_blank" title="Collyers">The College of Richard Collyer</A></P> <P>Broomwicks: <A HREF="http://broomwicks.atspace.com/collhist.htm" target="_blank" title="Collyers">A Short History of Collyer's School</A></P> <P>Broomwicks: <A HREF="/files/Broomwicks_ Collyers History.pdf" target="_blank" title="Collyers">A Short History of Collyer's School</A> Local PDF copy for posterity</P> <P><A HREF="http://www.mercers.co.uk" target="_blank" title="Mercers">Mercers</A></P> <P>Streetmap <A HREF="http://www.streetmap.co.uk/newmap.srf?x=532437&y=180896&z=1&sv=queen+street&st=1&tl=Queen+Street,+EC4&searchp=newsearch.srf&mapp=newmap.srf" target="_blank" title="Mercers">Queen Street and Cheapside area - site of the Key</A></P> <P><A HREF="http://measuringworth.com/calculators/ppoweruk/" target="_blank" title="Measuring Worth">Measuring Worth</A></P> </TD></TR> </TABLE> <H3><A HREF="/89/horshamlibrary.htm" class=opac><IMG SRC="/images/back.gif" alt="click for the previous image" border=0></A><A HREF="/91/festival2008.htm" class=opac><IMG SRC="/images/fwd.gif" alt="click for the next image" border=0></A></H3> <HR> <P>Contributions, comments and suggestions are welcomed. 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