St Francis Roman Catholic Grammar School
For the school of the same name in Quetta, Pakistan, see St Francis Grammar School.
| St Francis RC Grammar School | |
|---|---|
| Location | |
| , | |
| Information | |
| Motto | Cervus ad Fontes (Latin for The Hart to the Font) |
| Religious affiliation(s) | Roman Catholic |
| Established | 1956 |
| Founder | Father Francis Dunne |
| Closed | 1973 |
| 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. |
| Mr Wm. Lanford BSc[2] | unknown | |
| Mr Chris Lawton[4] | Chemistry and Geography | |
| Mr Gilles Legal[3] | French & Russian | |
| Mr Patrick (Paddy) Alley. | Maths and Rugby | |
| Mr Ian Bewick | Art | |
| Mr David Hudson | Chemistry | |
| Father Fred Martin | English | |
| Mr Jack McCabe[4] | P.E. | |
| Father Frank McCabe | Latin | |
| Mr Derek Mylroi[3] | Geography | |
| 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
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
- (2008).Canoe woman Anne Darwin 'one of the greatest actresses in the world'.The Telegraph.
- The Catholic Church in Hartlepool and West Hartlepool, 1834-1964, A Souvenir of Progress. Glasgow: John S. Burns & Sons. 1965.
- Hall,G.(2005).Saints and sinners.The Hartlepool Mail.
- (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.
- (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.