History Eton College

statue of founder henry vi in school yard



eton college in 1690, in engraving david loggan

eton college founded king henry vi charity school provide free education 70 poor boys go on king s college, cambridge, founded same king in 1441. henry took winchester college model, visiting on many occasions, borrowing statutes , removing headmaster , of scholars start new school.

when henry vi founded school, granted large number of endowments, including valuable land. group of feoffees appointed king receive forfeited lands of alien priories endowment of eton follows:

archbishop chichele
bishop stafford
bishop lowe
bishop ayscough
william de la pole, 1st marquess of suffolk (1396–1450) (later duke of suffolk)
john somerset (d. 1454), chancellor of exchequer , king s doctor
thomas beckington (c. 1390–1465), archdeacon of buckingham, king s secretary , later keeper of privy seal
richard andrew (d. 1477), first warden of souls college, oxford, later king s secretary
adam moleyns (d. 1450), clerk of council
john hampton (d. 1472) of kniver, staffordshire, esquire of body
james fiennes, member of royal household
william tresham, member of royal household

it intended have formidable buildings (henry intended nave of college chapel longest in europe) , several religious relics, supposedly including part of true cross , crown of thorns. persuaded pope, eugene iv, grant him privilege unparalleled anywhere in england: right grant indulgences penitents on feast of assumption. school came possession of 1 of england s apocalypse manuscripts.

eton college chapel

however, when henry deposed king edward iv in 1461, new king annulled grants school , removed of assets , treasures st george s chapel, windsor, on other side of river thames. legend has edward s mistress, jane shore, intervened on school s behalf. able save part of school, although royal bequest , number of staff reduced.

construction of chapel, intended on twice long, eighteen—or possibly seventeen—bays (there 8 today) stopped when henry vi deposed. quire of intended building completed. eton s first headmaster, william waynflete, founder of magdalen college, oxford , head master of winchester college, built ante-chapel finishes chapel today. important wall paintings in chapel , brick north range of present school yard date 1480s; lower storeys of cloister, including college hall, had been built between 1441 , 1460.

as school suffered reduced income while still under construction, completion , further development of school has since depended extent on wealthy benefactors. building resumed when roger lupton provost, around 1517. name borne big gate-house in west range of cloisters, fronting school yard, perhaps famous image of school. range includes important interiors of parlour, election hall, , election chamber, of 18th century leaving portraits kept.

after lupton s time nothing important built until 1670, when provost allestree gave range close west side of school yard between lower school , chapel . remodelled later , completed 1694 matthew bankes, master carpenter of royal works. last important addition central college buildings college library, in south range of cloister, 1725–29, thomas rowland. has important collection of books , manuscripts.

in 19th century, architect john shaw jr (1803–1870) became surveyor eton. designed new buildings (1844–46), provost francis hodgson s addition provide better accommodation collegers, until had lived in long chamber, long first floor room conditions inhumane.

following complaints finances, buildings , management of eton, clarendon commission set in 1861 royal commission investigate state of 9 schools in england, including eton. questioned commission in 1862, head master edward balston came under attack view in classroom little time spared subjects other classical studies.

an eton college classroom in 19th century

the duke of wellington incorrectly quoted saying battle of waterloo won on playing-fields of eton . wellington @ eton 1781 1784 , send sons there. according nevill (citing historian sir edward creasy), wellington said, while passing eton cricket match many decades later, was, there grows stuff won waterloo , remark nevill construes reference manly character induced games , sport among english youth generally, not comment eton specifically. in 1889, sir william fraser conflated uncorroborated remark 1 attributed him count charles de montalembert s c est ici qu été gagné la bataille de waterloo ( here battle of waterloo won ).

as other public schools, scheme devised towards end of 19th century familiarize privileged schoolboys social conditions in deprived areas. project of establishing eton mission in crowded district of hackney wick in east london started @ beginning of 1880, , lasted until 1971 when decided more local project (at dorney) more realistic. on years money raised eton mission, fine church g. f. bodley erected, many etonians visited, , stimulated among other things eton manor boys club, notable rowing club has survived mission itself, , 59 club motorcyclists.

students @ eton dressed fourth of june celebrations in 1932

the large , ornate school hall , school library (by l. k. hall) erected in 1906–08 across road upper school school s memorial etonians had died in boer war. many tablets in cloisters , chapel commemorate large number of dead etonians of great war. bomb destroyed part of upper school in world war ii , blew out many windows in chapel. college commissioned replacements evie hone (1949–52) , john piper , patrick reyntiens (1959 onward).

among headmasters of 20th century cyril alington, robert birley , anthony chenevix-trench. m. r. james provost.

in 1959, college constructed nuclear bunker house college s provost , fellows. facility used storage.

in 2005, school 1 of fifty of country s leading independent schools found have breached competition act (see below under controversy ).

in 2011, plans attack eton found on body of senior al-qaeda leader shot dead in somalia.

olympic rowing

in 2006, 6 years before london 2012 summer olympic games , london 2012 summer paralympic games, eton completed construction of dorney lake, permanent, eight-lane, 2,200 metre course (about 1.4 miles) in 400-acre park. eton financed construction own funds. officially known throughout games eton dorney, dorney lake provided training facilities olympic , paralympic competitors, , during games, hosted olympic , paralympic rowing competitions olympic canoe sprint event. attracted on 400,000 visitors during games period (around 30,000 per day), , voted best 2012 olympic venue spectators. thirty medal events held on dorney lake, during team gb won total of 12 medals, making lake 1 of successful venues team gb. fisa president, denis oswald, described best-ever olympic rowing venue . in june 2013, hosted world rowing cup. access parkland around lake provided members of public, free of charge, year round.