The Philberds was a preparatory school based in a house in

Holyport Holyport (pronounced ''Hollyport'') is a suburban village in the civil parish of Bray (where at the 2011 Census the population was included), about south of Maidenhead town centre in the English county of Berkshire. Etymology The name 'Hol ...

, near

Maidenhead Maidenhead is a market town in the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead in the county of Berkshire, England. It lies on the southwestern bank of the River Thames, which at this point forms the border with Buckinghamshire. In the 2021 Census, ...

Berkshire Berkshire ( ; abbreviated ), officially the Royal County of Berkshire, is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Oxfordshire to the north, Buckinghamshire to the north-east, Greater London ...

, on the site of one which Charles II had given to

Nell Gwyn Eleanor Gwyn (also spelled Gwynn, Gwynne; 2 February 1650 – 14 November 1687) was an English people, English stage actress and celebrity figure of the Stuart Restoration, Restoration period. Praised by Samuel Pepys for her comic performances ...

. The name derives from a family that owned land in the area in medieval times.

School founder Edward Henry Price

Edward Henry Price (1822–1898) was educated at

Rugby School Rugby School is a Public school (United Kingdom), private boarding school for pupils aged 13–18, located in the town of Rugby, Warwickshire in England. Founded in 1567 as a free grammar school for local boys, it is one of the oldest independ ...

under

Thomas Arnold Thomas Arnold (13 June 1795 – 12 June 1842) was an English educator and historian. He was an early supporter of the Broad Church Anglican movement. As headmaster of Rugby School from 1828 to 1841, he introduced several reforms that were widel ...

, arriving in May 1835 at aged 13. He matriculated at

St John's College, Cambridge St John's College, formally the College of St John the Evangelist in the University of Cambridge, is a Colleges of the University of Cambridge, constituent college of the University of Cambridge, founded by the House of Tudor, Tudor matriarch L ...

, in 1841and graduating B.A. in 1845, M.A. in 1863. Ordained deacon in 1845 and priest in 1846, Price spent the years 1845 to 1853 at

Lutterworth Lutterworth is an historic market town and Civil parishes in England, civil parish in the Harborough District, Harborough district of Leicestershire, England. The town is located in southern Leicestershire, close to the borders with Warwicks ...

as a curate. He founded The Philberds in 1862, having previously founded a school at

Tarvin Tarvin is a village in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. It had a population of 2,693 people at the 2001 UK census, rising to 2,728 at the 2011 United Kingdom census, 2011 census, ...

in Cheshire, which he moved to become

Mostyn House School Mostyn House School was a school that was originally opened in Tarvin by Edward Henry Price, and moved to Parkgate, Cheshire, in 1855. From 1862 until it closed in 2010, it was run by the Grenfell family, originally as a boys' boarding school, a ...

in Cheshire in 1855. In 1862 he sold Mostyn House School to Algernon Sydney Grenfell. Price was headmaster of The Philberds from 1862 until 1879. The initial school fee was 80

guinea Guinea, officially the Republic of Guinea, is a coastal country in West Africa. It borders the Atlantic Ocean to the west, Guinea-Bissau to the northwest, Senegal to the north, Mali to the northeast, Côte d'Ivoire to the southeast, and Sier ...

s per annum. He succeeded in building the reputation of Philberds as a preparatory school. He then took the living of Kimbolton.

Later history

Frederick William Stephen Price, one of the sons, took over the school. He later was head of

Ovingdean Hall School Ovingdean Hall School (OHS) now OIC Brighton was a special day and boarding secondary school for the severely and profoundly deaf children and young people including those with additional special needs. It closed in July 2010. The former school ...

. In 1885, the partnership he had with his brother Edward Matthew Price as schoolmasters at The Philberds was dissolved. He left the school in the charge of his brother Edward and another brother, Herbert Johnson Price. In 1898 Frank Watkinson took over the school—an Oxford B.A. in 1892, he had been an assistant master at Mostyn House School. In 1904 Charles R. Lupton moved his school from

Farnborough, Hampshire Farnborough is a town located in the Rushmoor district of Hampshire, England. It has a population of around 57,486 as of the 2011 census and is an important centre of aviation, engineering and technology. The town is probably best known for it ...

, to The Philberds. The school survived until the start of

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

. During the war, the manor building was used as an internment camp for German prisoners of war, and in 1919 it was demolished.

Notable individuals associated with the school

Pupils: * John Challen, cricketer for

Somerset Somerset ( , ), Archaism, archaically Somersetshire ( , , ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by the Bristol Channel, Gloucestershire, and Bristol to the north, Wiltshire to the east ...

and football international for

Wales Wales ( ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by the Irish Sea to the north and west, England to the England–Wales border, east, the Bristol Channel to the south, and the Celtic ...

(played at least two games for the Old Philberdians in 1877) * Major Alexis Charles Doxat VC * William Pasteur, discoverer of

atelectasis Atelectasis is the partial collapse or closure of a lung resulting in reduced or absence in gas exchange. It is usually unilateral, affecting part or all of one lung. It is a condition where the Pulmonary alveolus, alveoli are deflated down to l ...

* Vice-Admiral

Cecil Vivian Usborne Vice-Admiral Cecil Vivian Usborne, CB, CMG (17 May 1880 – 31 January 1951) was a high-ranking officer in the British Royal Navy. He served as the Director of Naval Intelligence between 1930 and 1932. His son Henry Usborne was a Member of P ...

, Director of Naval Intelligence Teachers: *

Charles Henry Major Sir Charles Henry Major (30 October 1860 – 31 August 1933) was a British judge, who served in various colonies around the Caribbean, as well as in Fiji. Biography Born in St Kitts, Major was the son of Charles Henry Major Sr., manager of the ...

, chief justice of

British Guiana British Guiana was a British colony, part of the mainland British West Indies. It was located on the northern coast of South America. Since 1966 it has been known as the independent nation of Guyana. The first known Europeans to encounter Guia ...

(schoolmaster and goalkeeper for the Old Philberdians) *

Graham Wallas Graham Wallas (31 May 1858 – 9 August 1932) was an English socialist, social psychologist, educationalist, a leader of the Fabian Society and a co-founder of the London School of Economics. Biography Born in Monkwearmouth, Sunderland, Walla ...

, political scientist (Latin teacher)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Philberds Defunct schools in England