Rugby School

Press, Volume LXXII, Issue 21908, 8 October 1936, Page 2 (Supplement)

Rugby School

(By G.M.G.I

The great Rugby School in England was founded in 1567 by Lawrence Sheriff, a dealer in spices, who had made a large fortune, But there Is no part of the Elizabethan building standing to-day, for after SOO yeans’ service it gave place to a nobler pile of buildings.

Many of those who visit it to-day are people who are interested for other reasons than its educational status; lor was it not the school of “Tom Brown" in his famous "Schooldays” and does not Rugby football as played ' to-day, owe its origin to tips school? Outside the buildings stands a statue of Judge Hughes, the famous scholar of the school, who created for us. “Toro Brown." The head of the statue is turned towards the school: and on the panels of the cricket pavilion is recorded the name of Tom Hughes, captain of the XJ. in 1811. His hook has been translated into many languages, end TtUl holds pride of place with every boy whortada. Tba school is full of reminders cf that greatest of schoolmasters. Dr. Arnold, whose word was law when Tom Brown fought bullies and gloried in football—

A granite slab in one of the walls bears this inscription:—

“This itune commemorate* the expldf of William Webb sUia, who

with » fine disregard for the rules of football as played in his time, first took the ball in his arms and ran with it, thus originating the distinguishing feature el the Rugby game A.D, 1823.” The chapel of the school is beautiful. At the foot of the Ohanoel Steps is a stone inscribed, “Thomas Arnold"; the great headmaster died in the year following that in which Tom Brown left (1812). There have been other great masters since, but Arnold of Rugby, to a Rugby boy, is someone apart .

An Old English Custom

John Audrey, an English writer, when writing shout old English custom# In 1678, said: “In Scotland, especially among the Highlanders, the women make a curtsy to the new moon; end our English women in this country have a touch of this, some of them sitting astride on a gate or stile the first evening the new moon appears, and saying, 'A toe moon, God bless her!* Th» like Z observed in Herefordshire. ’