St Francis Roman Catholic Grammar School
For the school of the same name in Quetta, Pakistan, see St Francis Grammar School.
| Motto |
Cervus ad Fontes (Latin for The Hart to the Font) |
|---|---|
| Established | 1956 |
| Closed | 1973 |
| Religion | Roman Catholic |
| Founder | Father Francis Dunne |
| Location |
Hartlepool County Durham England |
| Gender | Boys |
| Houses | 4 houses |
| Final Headmaster | Canon Bell |
| Diocese | Hexham and Newcastle |
St Francis RC Grammar School, also known as St Francis Xavier Grammar School,[1] was a Catholic grammar school for boys, in Hartlepool, County Durham, England. It opened on 17 September 1956[2] and was subsumed into The English Martyrs School and Sixth Form College along with St Joseph's Convent School and four more local Catholic schools in 1973.[3] It was run by the Xaverian Brothers.[3]
Head Teachers
| Headteacher | Start year | End year |
|---|---|---|
| Brother Anselm BA[4][2] | 1956 | undated |
| Canon John "Dickie" Bell.[3] | undated | 1973 |
Teachers and Brothers
| Teacher | Subject(s) | Additional notes |
|---|---|---|
| Father John Bell[3] | Latin | Became a Canon and Headmaster of both St Francis and later The English Martyrs School and Sixth Form College. |
| Brother Aiden[4] | RK | |
| Brother Ambrose[4] | Latin | |
| Brother Brendan[2] | unknown | |
| Brother Chrysostum[3] | unknown | |
| Brother Cuthbert[4] | Maths and Football | |
| Brother Francis[4] | French | |
| Brother Osmund[3] | Geography | |
| Brother Oswald[4] | unknown | |
| Brother Plunkett[4] | unknown | |
| Mrs Shirley Corcoran[3] | Biology | First full-time female teacher at the school. Many pupils considered her an inspirational teacher. |
| Mr Wm. Lanford BSc[2] | unknown | |
| Mr Chris Lawton[4] | Chemistry and Geography | |
| Mr Gilles Legal[3] | Russian | There were rumours of aristocratic ancestry - ie that he was a Count. |
| Mr Patrick (Paddy) Alley. | Maths | An ex. Irish hurling player who would slam your desk lid on your hands if you were slow getting a book out - and would hit you with the rotating black board (shins first and then your back when you bent to rub your shins) - an all round decent fellow who left under a cloud. |
| Mr Ian Bewick | Art | |
| Mr David Hudson | Chemistry | |
| Father Fred Martin | unknown | |
| Mr Jack McCabe[4] | P.E., English & History | For many pupils the most influential teacher in the school's history for others he was a sadist who enjoyed power over the young |
| Father Frank McCabe | Latin | Brother of Jack and held 20 question tests every week where for every question you got wrong he would whack you over the knuckles with the edge of a ruler - many were whacked multiple times since he couldn't teach and was not willing to answer questions - the welts took a day to subside |
| Mr Derek Mylroi[3] | History | Had a false leg - which did not prevent him from playing in goal for the annual teacher-student football match. Many pupils considered Derek an inspiration. |
| Mr Patrick Naughton | English | |
| Mr Vin Shanley[5] | History | Later became Headmaster at St Michael's Roman Catholic School in Billingham as well as publishing several books containing "hilarious stories". |
| Mr David Turley | Maths | |
| Mrs Bell[4] | Dinner Lady |
Houses
There were four houses within the school: Percy, Swalwell, Errington, and Thirkeld. In the same way as the later English Martyrs School and Sixth Form College would name its houses after the English Martyrs, the houses of St Francis Grammar School were named after the following:
Percy
- Thomas Percy, the 7th Earl of Northumberland who was executed in York in 1572.
Swalwell
- John Swalwell, who can be found on the list of abbots of Monkwearmouth-Jarrow Abbey as Master of Wearmouth in 1526 and Master of Jarrow in 1531.
Errington
- Roman Catholic churchman, George Errington (martyr), executed at York in 1596.
Thirkeld
- Roman Catholic priest, Richard Thirkeld, also executed at York in 1583.
Sites
Woodlands
- Wooler Road, the main site.[6]
Normanhurst
- Grange Road. Now a pub known as 'The White House'.[7]
Notable Alumni
- John Darwin.[1]
- Philip Middlemiss.[7]
- Jez Lowe.[8]
- Malcolm Todd, archaeologist and historian.
Reunion Groups
- Over 150 members plus photos: http://www.schoolfriends.com.au/School.page/St_Francis_Xavier/10822/Details
- Over 100 members: http://www.friendsreunited.com/School.page/St_Francis_Grammar_School/411118/Details
References
- 1 2 (2008).Canoe woman Anne Darwin 'one of the greatest actresses in the world'.The Telegraph.
- 1 2 3 4 The Catholic Church in Hartlepool and West Hartlepool, 1834-1964, A Souvenir of Progress. Glasgow: John S. Burns & Sons. 1965.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Hall,G.(2005).Saints and sinners.The Hartlepool Mail.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 (2007).Will you be mentioned?.The Hartlepool Mail.
- ↑ (2000).BIG LAUGHS DUE TO SMALL TALK .The Hartlepool Mail.
- ↑ ST FRANCIS GRAMMAR SCHOOL.Museum of Hartlepool.
- 1 2 (2011).The White House, Hartlepool.The Telegraph.
- ↑ (2010).Wherever I go in the world, people tell me how impressed they are when they visit Durham, and I feel the same way..The Free Library.
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