REUNION OF OLD BOYS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19809, 2 December 1927, Page 12

REUNION OF OLD BOYS.

PARNELL GRAMMAR SCHOOL. FUNCTION AT KING'S COLLEGE. A reunion of old boys of the Church of England Grammar School, Parnell, will be held at King's College, Aliddlemore, to-morrow afternoon. A general invitation to attend is issued by the headmaster, Canon H. K. Archall, and the Board of Governors of King's College, at the suggestion of a group of old boys, including Sir James Coates, Canon P. T. Williams, Messrs. H. P. Kissling, N. P. Williams, C. E. Abbott, John. Beale, T. Barstow, H. 0. Nolan, A. R. Brett, G. A. Kissling, David Hay, H. Kinder and Dr. A. C. Purchas.

The history of the old school is an interesting one. In 1842 Bishop Selwyn began his educational effort by founding St. John's Collegiate School, which was located first at Waimate, then at Purewa, and finally at Tamaki. This school was carried on by the St. John's College Trust. In 1855 the Church of England Grammar School was opened in Parnell by the same trust board to provide a school nearer town. The idea was to provide a school of a 1 complementary nature to St. John's Collegiate School, which had then been in existence for 10 years. Dr. Kinder was headmaster at the Parnell school from 1855 to 1872, and was succeeded by Mr. James Adams, B.A. The latter was succeeded by Mr. Hammond in 1880, and in 1883 Mr. Pyecrot't was appointed. About 1883 St. John's College Trust Board, finding x itself in financial difficulties, was no longer able to be responsible officially for either the Colelgiate School at Tamaki or for the Grammar School at Parnell. Thereupon the Rev. T. S. King carried on St. John's School at Tamaki as a private venture,, and Mr. Pvecroft the.school in Parnell under a similar arrangement, which was sanctioned by General Synod in 1889. In 1891 the Rev. P. S. Smallfield. who was an assist-ant-master at Parnell under Mr. Henry Percival, went to St. John's Collegiate School as headmaster, and the Parnell institution was closed. Thus the stream which divided into two in 1855, was reunited in 1891. Later St. John's Collegiate School united with King's College and the whole tradition of St. John's, which included and continued that of Parnell Grammar School, was incorporated in King's,-then located in Ilemuera In 1914 King's ceased to have its private character, and was placed under a board of governors with a constitution. In 1922 the secondary department. of King's was removed to Middlemore, leaving the preparatory school at Remtiera.