01/10/2025
Then and now! (1865-2025) Staff at Shrewsbury School have had fun recreating a picture from the archives of some of the school's former housemasters. In the picture (then) are some famous names from the school's 473 year history!
· Revd J. Rigg was the first housemaster of Rigg's Hall (opened 1861), serving until 1872. The house was named Rigg’s Hall in his honour, and later when Revd G. T. Hall became housemaster, they chose not to call it “Hall’s Hall” but retained “Rigg’s Hall”.
· Benjamin Hall Kennedy (often “B. H. Kennedy”) was Headmaster of Shrewsbury until 1865. He was a very prominent classical scholar and made various contributions to the School — introducing foreign languages and mathematics into the curriculum, improving evening study and increasing religious instruction. Kennedy Road was named after him in 1936.
· In 'A Guide … through the Town of Shrewsbury by Leighton (~1865)', Greenwood is listed as “Third Master” at Shrewsbury School; Bentley is given as teacher of Modern Languages and Henshaw as teaching Latin Accidence and Writing.
The Bentley Elocution Prize, an annual poetry recitation competition at the school, was founded in 1867 in honour of Thomas Bentley who was known for his love of reading and his voice.
· GW Fisher was instrumental in documenting the history of Shrewsbury School. He co-authored the 'Annals of Shrewsbury School' along with John Spencer Hill and also diligently copied and annotated existing school records to preserve them for posterity!
📷 Current housemaster and housemistresses at Shrewsbury School recreating the same poses as their predecessors in the black and white photograph taken 160 years ago. Though much has changed the role of housemaster and housemistress remains an integral part of school life.
📷 Dr Kennedy with his Staff, 1865. TA Bentley, J Chapman, TN Henshaw (Writing Master), G Preston, J Rigg (second master), T Wolseley-Lewis, BH Kennedy, GW Fisher and H Greenwood.