The record-union., 1891-03-27
AT OLD RUGBY.
One of the Historic Towns in the
Heart of England.
Where ssTom Browne Spent His School
Days-The Place Made Famous by
DIR. Arnold-Richest Non-Sectarian
Boys School in the World.
Especial correspondence of the REcoRD-UNIoN
Copyright. 1911


closely surrounded by scenes Of the most
romantic and historic interest, stands the
fine old town of Rugby. Roche-berie,
from roche, rock or stone-quarry, and
berie, court or habitation of note, you
will see it called in King Williams
Domesday Book; but in the Dictionaire
CeItique its photography became Rokeby,
from rue, river, and bye, town; that
is a river town, or town near or by a
stream, which name prevailed for many
centuries.
Outside of the fortuitous fame given
Rugby town and school by tom
Browns Schooldays,' the present great
importance of the school as an educa
tional factor in England had its origin in
almost an accident, and its grandest de-
velopment in an equally fortunate incl
dent. Its founder was as faratical an old
pudge as ever lived in England. His
name was Laurence Sheriff. He was
born of lowly parentage at Rugby, and
became an ordinary nimble-fisted green
grocer of the time in London, frequenting
the Rose Tavern and exciting religious
brawlS when in his cups. On one Of
these occasions an equally Anticipated
haberdasher, whom Sheriff had incenSed
with his maudlin harangues about him.
-afterward Queen Bess-had the audicity
TO call Princess Elizabeth "a JILL" On
this monstrous oilense being given Sher-
if ran away as fast as his dumpy legs
could carry him, had an information"
laid against the haberdasher before the
Bishop of London, for which the witless
purveyor Of ancient furbeiows "got flap
with fox-tal" and Sheriff got his lu
minous name in ''FoX's Book of Mar
tyrs."
THE VILLAGE OF RUGBY.
This valiant grocer died in London in
1867, bequeathing a mite of property in
and near Rugby, and originally $50 in
that time not exceeding G400-for the
purpose of building "a fayre and con-
venient school-house" in the then village
of Rugby. The master was, ''if it con-
veniently might be, to be ever "A Master
of Arts.'' There was also to be lodging
for four almsmen. Out of this muniticent
bequest the Trustees were enabled, about
100 years later, 1858, to solemnly decree u
payment to the school-maSter Of salary
of 93 per quarter. According to green
grocer Laurence Sheriff's will and in
tent Rugby School would have re-
manned to this day precisely this manner
of a ha'penny charity. At the last mo-
ment the wary old miSer repented of
wasting so much money on grammar
scholars and almsmen, and, by codicil,
substituted in lieu of the grant OF ESQ
One-third of twenty-four then valueless
acres of land belonging to him in Mid
dleseX. The field was an unsightly
waste in the Conduit Close of Gray's Inn
Fields. After many years mighty Lon
don overran the spot; Conduit Fields be-
came one of its most aristocratic districts;
the present income from the p perty
must exceed 920, 900 per annum and this
Is how Rugby School became one of the
most splendid and undoubtedly the rich
est non-Sectarian boys school in the
world.
But better than it's accidental wealth
was Rugby's incidental transformation
from the old system of hammering and
bullying to one guided by intelligence
and humanity. In 1928 along came de-
mure and kindly-faced man, whom the
world now knows as the famous DR..
Arnold. He was quiet, unassuming
man, who, while he happened to embrace
Christianity and become great scholar,
seemed not to have forgotten that por-
ton of his life had been passed in boy
hood and youth-time. He fought great
though silent battle at Rugby with the
old feudal forms of Sneering dignity,
lofty exclusiVeneSs and relentlessness on
the part OF under-masters, and with the
defenders Of the bludgeon generally. lie
got together men who would teach lam
guages and mathematics Sin hours" and
practice morality outside of them. He
took the boarding-halls away from venal
wretches, and put them in charge of
under-maSters themselves, whom he
compelled to make homes of the halls or
resign. Then he turned his attention to
the boys. He told them plainly that their
days Of flogging like wild beasts We're
past. He insisted that they Were gentle
men, and should be treated by every one
connected with the Rugby School as
such He became one of them, and made
In in ltc-,N-
lutte. 'If you say it is so, your word is
quite enough" was his invariahle answer
to the most preposterouS School-boy ro-
nance. 1t soon became positive crime
at Rugby to lie to DIR. Arnold, and it
meant ostracism, or worse, from his COM
rades to the lad that thus insulted the
whole school.
GOVERNMENT OF THE SCHOOL.
DR.. Arnold also practically turned over
the government of the school in all petty
matters TO the boys themselves, appoint
ing praepostors from among the cleVerest
and most manly, bestowing upon them
privileges and reward, and eXacting GER
tain duties as well as the strictest ac-
countability. This abolished bullying
and the lawless tyranny of brute strength
in the everyday life of the scholars
School traditions We're not interfered with.
"Fagging' was retained; but by making it
the exclusive right of THE Sixth Form"
IL became InOTc anu DedraDie. lie
encouraged every manly sport by genu-
inc sympathy and personal attention and
oversight. Better than all, he got down
among the boys, and, without cant,
preached such sermons to the student as
appealed to their intelligence and the
practical necessities of their everyday
life. Never but once did he speak testify
60 a scholar at Rugby. On this occasion
he lost patience with dullard. ''Why
do you speak angry, sir? l am doing the
best l can !" the boy retorted. In relat-
ing the incident DIR. Arnold asserted that
he had never felt so ashamed in his life.
From this really great mans labors
Rugby schooling became the synonym of
all manly requirement. Because his sue
cessors have followed closely the lines
laid down. the educational system of all
England has been immeasurably i'm
proved by this one magnificent model.
Near the market square. along these
by-streets are many curious old nests of
houses; little stone pens with tiny win
dows, heavy overhanging gables. CHM
neys a fourth as large as the houses,
strange carved easements, low and mar
row doors strong enough to withstand q
siege, all covered by masses of ivy so
packed and dense that they seem like
habltatlonS cut out of the yerdure-matted
rock. Everywhere are giant old syca-
mores and elms; and you irresistibly fol-
low one OF these streets out on its Lon
downward way, to catch with ''Tom
Brown'sneyes the glimpses which thrilled
his boyish heart. when he came that
autumn morning on that memorable
tourney from Islington with old blow
hard" the guard, for companion, and
drank in, with innocent intoxication the
desperate and lawless tales of the brave
Rugby lads and their destructive pea
shooters. Very QUITO -the-way, sir.n
observed "Blowhard" to Tom, in his
r-af % 6pScTirN-in,a n