Stewart's Melville College

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Stewart’s Melville College
Crest stewartsmelville.gif
Stewart's Melville College, Edinburgh.JPG
Address
Wikimedia | © OpenStreetMap
Queensferry Road

Edinburgh
,
EH4 3EZ

Scotland
Information
TypeIndependent day and boarding school
MottoNever unprepared[1]
Established1832 (Melville College)
1855 (Daniel Stewart's College)
1972 (merger)
PrincipalMrs Linda Moule
GenderMale
Age11 to 18
Enrolment756[2] (2015)
Colour(s)Red, black, and gold
School fees
  • Day: from £9000 for nursery to £12,423[3] for senior school;
  • Boarding: £24,291–29,162 per annum (2015)[2]
Junior school1254 students (2015)[2]
Websitewww.esms.org.uk

Stewart's Melville College (SMC) is an independent day and boarding school in Edinburgh, Scotland. Classes are all boys in the 1st to 5th years and co-educational in Sixth (final) year. It has a roll of about 750 pupils.[2][4]

The school is twinned with the Mary Erskine School (MES), an all-girls independent school approximately one mile (1.6 km) from Stewart's Melville College. Together the combined Erskine Stewart's Melville Schools (ESMS) have a co-educational Sixth Year and Junior School, the latter of which is split between the two campuses and caters for pupils from 3 to 12 years old. The two schools share a Principal, and most extra-curricular activities, such as performing arts, are run jointly. Both SMC and MES are managed by the Merchant Company of Edinburgh, which is also responsible for the co-educational George Watson's College.

History[]

Front of David Rhind's building of 1855 for Daniel Stewart's Hospital

Stewart's Melville College originated from the merger of two schools — Daniel Stewart's College and Melville College — in 1972 to become Daniel Stewart's and Melville College. After the merger Melville's bright red trim replaced the dark red trim on the black Daniel Stewart's blazer for general use and the red blazer of Melville College was adopted for those awarded colours (for sporting and other achievements);[5] recently use of the red blazer was limited to the head boy and his deputies, with colours being signified with a particular tie.

Melville College was founded in 1832 by the Rev. Robert Cunningham[6][7] in George Street but soon moved to Hill Street in the centre of Edinburgh[8] with a teaching emphasis on modern subjects, such as science, rather than classical subjects – unusual at that time.[9] The school moved a short distance to 8 Queen Street which was purchased in 1853[8] and then to Melville Street in the city's West End in 1920.[10] Originally named "The Edinburgh Institution for Languages and Mathematics", its name changed to Melville College in 1936[9] about the same time as the caps and blazers of the boys were changed to bright red.[5]

Library of Stewart's Melville College

Daniel Stewart's Hospital was opened in 1855 by the Merchant Company of Edinburgh. Daniel Stewart (whose wealth came from India and was Macer to the Court of the Exchequer), upon his death in 1814, left a sum of money and instructions that, once it had reached £40,000 it should be used to create a hospital for needy boys within the city.[11] The hospital was located on the current Queensferry Road campus (designed by David Rhind).[11] The hospital was transformed into "Daniel Stewart's College" in 1870. The school uniform from 1924 onwards was a cap with red and black stripes and a black blazer with red trim.[5]

In 1974 the link with another nearby Merchant Company school, the all-girls Mary Erskine School, was formalised and The Mary Erskine and Stewart's Melville Junior School was formed. Nursery to Primary 3 are housed on the Mary Erskine campus, with Primary 4 to 7 on the Stewart's Melville campus. The sixth (final) form of both senior schools is coeducational.[12]

In 2013, Stewart's Melville was voted the Scottish Independent School of the year by the Sunday Times newspaper[13][14] and Mary Erskine School was voted the Scottish Independent School of the year in 2012.[15] In 2014 the combined Erskine Stewarts Melville school, with over 2,700 pupils,[16] claimed to be the largest independent school in Europe.[17]

In 2014, a programme of improvement work on buildings of the junior school was announced,[18] and as of 2018, work has begun.

Sport[]

Stewart's Melville College has won the Brewin Dolphin Scottish Schools Cup Under-18 rugby championships five times: in 1999 (in their first year of entering), 2006, 2011, 2016 and 2019.[19] The Former Pupils Rugby club also play in Division 1 of the Scottish National Premier League.[20]

"Ravelston Sports Club", a large on-site sports centre opened in 2000. The sports centre is mainly used by pupils for physical education lessons and sports training (such as swimming, basketball, badminton, short tennis and table tennis) but is also open to members of the public for a monthly membership fee.[21] Extensive rugby pitches, cricket pitches, athletics facilities and hockey pitches are also located at the school's sports grounds in Inverleith, two miles north of the school.There is also a school shooting range located at the Ravelston campus.[22]

Most recently Stewart's Melville College won the Mitsubishi U18 cup - played at Murrayfield Stadium - against local rivals George Watson's.

Tom Fleming Centre for Performing Arts (Formerly "Performing Arts Centre")[]

Tom Fleming Centre for Performing Arts in 2015

The school's main Victorian assembly hall was converted to the "Performing Arts Centre" between 2005 and 2007. This £3.5 million project,[23] was paid for in part by donations from the parents of the schools current pupils and former pupils. The Centre has 800 seats that fold back into the wall, providing a variety of possible configurations and was officially opened in 2007. It is also available for use by the public and is used as a venue for the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.[24]

In 2011 actor John Cairney unveiled the new name for the centre, "Tom Fleming Centre for Performing Arts", named after former pupil Tom Fleming, one of Scotland's leading broadcasters.[25]

Carbisdale[]

Since 1965, the school has organised an outdoor education programme for the boys of SMC and the girls from MES in the third year. It takes place in the north of Scotland, based for over forty years at Carbisdale Castle Youth Hostel, Easter Ross, until its closure in 2011 required accommodation to relocate to Aviemore.[26]

Examinations[]

Pupils at Stewart's Melville mainly sit Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) examinations, including (as of 2013) National 4, National 5, Higher Grade and Advanced Higher Grade levels. The English GCE Advanced Level examinations can also be sat in art and music. Almost all pupils go on to higher education.[27]

Controversy over Viscount Melville and the abolition movement[]

On June 7, 2020, during a Black Lives Matter protest, the 1st (Henry Dundas) and 2nd (Robert Dundas) Viscount Melville Monuments were graffitied. Demonstrators believed Viscount Melville had caused a 15-year-delay in Parliament voting to abolish the slave trade.[28]

The leading proponent of the movement to denounce Viscount Melville is Sir Geoff Palmer, a human rights and SNP activist and retired science professor at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh. He argues that because Viscount Melville proposed an amendment to a motion before the House of Commons in 1792 to achieve abolition immediately and gradually, he delayed abolition of the slave trade by 15 years.[29]

Palmer's interpretation of events is contested by at least three historians - Tom Devine Brian Young of Oxford University and Michael Fry, biographer of Henry Dundas. They note that the motion to abolish slavery was heading for certain defeat in the House of Commons until Dundas proposed the amendment for gradual abolition, to be achieved by 1800, but that after the successful vote in the House of Commons the House of Lords declined to consider the matter. In August 2020 Edinburgh World Heritage and Essential Edinburgh applied for planning to erect a plaque on the Pillar. Descendant of Henry Dundas slams this as ‘biased’, ‘defamatory’ and ‘historically inaccurate’.[30][31]

Former Headmasters[]

  • Herbert James Liddle Robbie (1904–1964) headmaster of Daniel Stewart's from 1946 to 1964

Notable former pupils[]

See also: Category:People educated at Stewart's Melville College

The school maintains a Former Pupils Club, which organises social events throughout the year. There are branches throughout the UK and abroad.

War Memorial in the College grounds

Academia and science

Media and arts

Law and politics

Sports

  • Finlay Calder OBE (born 1957) - international rugby player and British and Irish Lions captain who played 34 times for Scotland.[41][49]
  • Jim Calder (born 1957) - Scottish and British Lions Rugby Player who played 27 times for Scotland[49]
  • Grant Forrest (born 1993) - European Tour Professional Golfer and Member of the 2015 Walker Cup Team.
  • David Florence (born 1982) - Olympic canoeing silver medallist and world champion.[50]
  • Dario Franchitti MBE (born 1973) - professional racing-car driver who won the Indianapolis 500 race three times.[42]
  • William Laidlaw (cricketer) (1912–1992) - international cricketer for Scotland and Durham
  • John Lisle Hall MacFarlane (1851–1874) - international rugby player and surgeon. He played for Scotland in the first international rugby match in 1871.
  • Donald MacGregor (born 1939) - Olympic marathon runner.
  • Finlay Mickel (born 1977) - Olympic skier, his result at the 2005 World Championships was the best result by a British man in the history of the skiing World Championships,.[51]
  • Grant Weatherstone (1931–2020) - international rugby player who was played 16 times for Scotland.[52]
  • Doddie Weir (born 1970) - Scottish and British Lions international rugby player who played 61 times for Scotland.[53]
  • David Wilkie MBE (born 1954) - only person to have been swimming champion at British, American, Commonwealth, European, World and Olympic levels at the same time[54]

Military

  • Lieutenant General Sir James Hills-Johnes VC, GCB (1833–1919) - was awarded the Victoria Cross for action in Delhi in the Indian mutiny in 1847
  • John Alexander Cruickshank VC (born 1920) - recipient of the Victoria Cross in the Second World War.
  • Major-General Mungo Melvin CB OBE (born 1955)

Religion

Other

  • Sir Ivison Macadam KCVO, CBE, FRSE (1894–1974) - Director General of the Royal Institute of International Affairs (Chatham House) and founding president of the National Union of Students
  • Sir Robert Hogg Matthew OBE, FRIBA (1906–1975) - acclaimed architect and a leading proponent of modernism

References[]

  1. ^ "Top private school expels four teenage boys caught with cannabis". The Scotsman. 10 September 2010. Retrieved 17 February 2017.
  2. ^ Jump up to: a b c d Miller, Nikki (Editor) (2014) "School Guide Edinburgh & The Lothians, 2015 Annual Issue", Select Publishing Ltd.
  3. ^ ESMS
  4. ^ "SCIS – Stewart's Melville College". 2010. Archived from the original on 22 November 2009. Retrieved 9 July 2010.
  5. ^ Jump up to: a b c Roberts (2009, p. 55)
  6. ^ Roberts (2009, p. 92)
  7. ^ Tobin, Patrick (December 2015). "The Rev. Robert Cunningham, Founder of the Edinburgh Institution (later Melville College)". Daniel Stewarts and Melville College Former Pupils Club - FP News 2015. p. 12. Retrieved 24 February 2017.
  8. ^ Jump up to: a b Sutherland (2003, p. 2)
  9. ^ Jump up to: a b Roberts (2009, p. 39)
  10. ^ Sutherland (2003, p. 4)
  11. ^ Jump up to: a b Roberts (2009, p. 42)
  12. ^ "Structure of the Schools". Archived from the original on 5 March 2010. Retrieved 9 July 2010.
  13. ^ Macaskill, Mark (17 November 2013) Giffnock school is top of the class The Sunday Times (requires subscription), Retrieved 8 March 2014
  14. ^ Leonard, Sue (2013) Success is Catching in and out of the Classroom The Sunday Times, Retrieved 8 March 2014
  15. ^ Allardyce, Jason (17 November 2012) Mary Erskine and Boroughmuir top our schools guide The Sunday Times (requires subscription), Retrieved 8 March 2014
  16. ^ (2014) Erskine Stewarts Melville Schools Scotland's Boarding Schools, Scottish Council of Independent Schools, Retrieved 8 March 2014
  17. ^ (2014) Erskine Stewart's Melville School Archived 8 March 2014 at the Wayback Machine The Tatler Schools Guide 2014, retrieved 8 March 2014
  18. ^ Holden, John-Paul (17 April 2014). "Erskine Stewart's Melville to revamp classrooms". Edinburgh Evening News. Retrieved 8 May 2016.
  19. ^ "Stewart's Melville – School Team of the Month". Rugby World. Time Inc (UK) Ltd. 3 April 2013. Retrieved 26 September 2015.
  20. ^ "Club History". Stewart's Melville R. F. C. website. Retrieved 26 September 2015.
  21. ^ "ESMS Sports Centre – Ravelston Sports Club". ESMS. Retrieved 26 September 2015.
  22. ^ "Stewart's Melville College – Appointment of Teacher of Physical Education" (PDF). Stewart's Melville College. Erskine Stewart's Melville Governing Council. 8 May 2013. Retrieved 26 September 2015.
  23. ^ "Performing Arts Centre".
  24. ^ "Shows at Performing Arts Centre Stewart's Melville College". Broadway Baby. 2015. Retrieved 20 July 2015.
  25. ^ "Distinguished Former Pupils" (PDF). Stewart's Melville College Former Pupils Club. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 September 2015. Retrieved 26 September 2015.
  26. ^ Roberts (1972, p. 161)
  27. ^ "Academic Results & Leavers' Destinations". 2008–2009. Archived from the original on 6 March 2010. Retrieved 9 July 2010.
  28. ^ BBC News (8 June 2020). "George Floyd protests: The statues being defaced". BBC. Retrieved 6 July 2020.
  29. ^ Euro News (11 June 2020). "Sir Geoff Palmer: 'Don't take down statues – take down racism'".
  30. ^ BBC News for Edinburgh, Fife and East (14 June 2020). "Henry Dundas descendant defends ancestor's record". BBC News. Retrieved 6 July 2020.
  31. ^ https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/rewording-of-henry-dundas-plaque-bad-history-says-sir-tom-devine-2bc5f3jw8
  32. ^ Macpherson, Hector (July 1954) Thomas David Anderson, "Watcher of the Skies" Publications of the Astronomical Society of Edinburgh No. 2, Retrieved 28 September 2014
  33. ^ Williamson, HGm (8 November 2006) James Barr, Radical academic whose incisive critiques challenged the orthodoxies of biblical theology The Guardian, Retrieved 23 September 2014
  34. ^ Elizabeth Baigent (2004). "Herbertson, Andrew John (1865–1915), geographer". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/40187. ISBN 9780198614128. Retrieved 29 July 2015. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
  35. ^ "Sir Peter Redford Scott Lang (Obituary)". The Scotsman. Edinburgh, Scotland. 7 July 1926. Retrieved 29 July 2015.
  36. ^ "Biological Sciences – Alumni – George McGavin". The University of Edinburgh. 13 August 2015.
  37. ^ John Smith Archived 25 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine The Royal College of Surgeons, Retrieved 3 October 2014
  38. ^ Bodkin, Henry (16 October 2016). "Another British scientist wins Nobel prize - but why do they all work in America?". The Telegraph. Retrieved 6 October 2016.
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  40. ^ (27 November 2013) Thomson-Walker, Sir John William (1871–1937) The Royal College of Surgeons, Retrieved 30 September 2014
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  42. ^ Jump up to: a b "Home of the Daily and Sunday Express | UK News :: Drugs shame of four boys thrown out of top school". Express.co.uk. 11 September 2010. Retrieved 3 March 2012.
  43. ^ "sirrussellflint.net – Sir William Russell Flint Biography". Retrieved 25 June 2013.
  44. ^ "Edinphoto – Daniel Stewart's College". 16 August 2009. Archived from the original on 1 November 2011. Retrieved 9 July 2010.
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  46. ^ Smith, Aidan (29 February 2008). "Natural born thriller: Philip Kerr interview". The Scotsman. Retrieved 6 January 2015.
  47. ^ "Painted into a corner FACE TO FACE: Sandy Moffat As he prepares to retire after 25 years at Glasgow School of Art, Sandy Moffat explains why he believes art education is being stifled by the pressures of bureaucracy". HeraldScotland. Retrieved 2 September 2018.
  48. ^ Waterson, C.D. and Shearer, A Macmillan (July 2006) Former Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh 1783–2002 Published by The Royal Society of Edinburgh, ISBN 0 902 198 84 X
  49. ^ Jump up to: a b The Scotsman (11 September 2010). "Top private school expels four teenage boys caught with cannabis". Retrieved 3 October 2010.
  50. ^ "David Florence – Education". Retrieved 9 July 2010.
  51. ^ "International Ski Federation (FIS) Biography – Finlay Mickel". Retrieved 9 July 2010.
  52. ^ Davidson, Jack (1 February 2020). "Obituary: Grant Weatherstone, rugby international who was capped 16 times for Scotland". The Scotsman. Retrieved 1 February 2020.
  53. ^ "Rugby in Asia – Doddie Weir". Archived from the original on 2 March 2011. Retrieved 9 July 2010.
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  55. ^ (2014) The Right Reverend James A. Whyte MA LLD Mayfield Salisbury Parish Church, Retrieved 23 September 2014

External links[]

  • Roberts, Alasdair (2009). Ties that Bind. Steve Savage Publishers. ISBN 978-1-904246-29-9.
  • Sutherland, Kenneth, ed. (2003). Edinburgh Institution and Melville College 1932–1973, A History and School Register. Edinburgh, U.K.: The Melville College Trust. ASIN B004N6JLDY. OL 22817176M.

Coordinates: 55°57′N 3°13′W / 55.950°N 3.217°W / 55.950; -3.217

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