SCHOOLS 



Chester that Radley was started by a Wykehamist, William Sewell, on 

 the most extreme high church lines and that Charles Wordsworth was 

 selected as first warden of Glenalmond. From all these causes com- 

 bined the school went down and down, till in 1856 it reached the nadir 

 of 138, 68 commoners only beside the 70 in college. 



The turn of the tide came from an unexpected quarter. The 

 'Ordinary' proved useful, and Eton led the way in reform. In 1852 

 Provost Hodgson, forced on the fellows by the Crown in 1848, threw 

 college at Eton open to competitive examinations for admission, while 

 making great improvements in the accommodation. College filled 

 rapidly, and very soon the Newcastle Scholarship corresponding with 

 ' Goddard ' at Winchester was won by a colleger, who was hailed as a 

 prodigy in consequence. 1 Two years later the Bishop of Winchester, 

 Sumner, ' being on the most intimate terms with Dr. Hawtrey, thought 

 it would be a good thing to introduce it (competition) here.' But it 

 was remarkable that this happy thought only occurred after the Oxford 

 University Commission was appointed. Dr. Moberly candidly admitted 

 to the Public Schools Commission 2 that he had opposed the change at the 

 time, but that it had been ' essentially successful.' There were then on 

 an average 100 candidates for 14 vacancies, and the competition for 

 college had sent up the number of commoners. ' Of old this was 

 really only true of the previous thirty years ' we had a small connection 

 and a considerable narrowness in the system altogether. This open 

 competition brings boys of all abilities, of all families, from all parts of 

 the country, and so spreads our connection very widely.' 



In 1857 Winchester was for the last time dealt with as in the days 

 of Thomas and of Oliver Cromwell, as part of the University of Oxford, 

 the University Commissioners making statutes for Winchester as well as 

 for New College. They abolished at last the rights of founder's kin. 

 They statutably confirmed competition in regard to scholarships at 

 Winchester, and provided that ' the electors may refuse to admit as a 

 candidate any one whom they may deem to be not in need of a scholarship, 

 and all other things being equal, shall have regard to the pecuniary 

 circumstances of a candidate.' 



This rule worked exceedingly well. Although the preference for 

 poverty was only what is technically termed a ceteris paribus preference, 

 it operated, as was intended, to keep out the rich. The University 

 Commissioners gave further impetus to the school by changing the New 

 College scholarships from probationary life-fellowships into bursaries for 

 five years, throwing them open to commoners and fixing the number at 

 six a year. They also provided for twenty competitive exhibitions for 

 commoners at Winchester. 



Under the influences of competitive examination Winchester rose 

 again. When 'Commoners' began to overflow, jDr. Moberly followed 

 the example of the other great public schools, or rather reverted to the 



1 Annals of Eton College, by Wasey Sterry, p. 302 (Methuen, 1 898). 

 1 Minutes of Evidence (1864), iii. 340. 



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