A HISTORY OF RUTLAND resisted, much to the dissatisfaction of some of his colleagues.** With the rapid growth of the school a chapel"" and an assembly hall of adequate size became absolutely necessary. The old schoolroom was abandoned in 1858, and the halls of the boarding- houses were made to serve as class-rooms. Subse- quently the old schoolroom was used as a carpen- ter's shop and afterwards became the studio. The new schoolroom was first ready, being opened on 18 June 1863 ; the chapel, 1 00 ft. long and 30 ft. in breadth, in the early decorated style, with an open roof of Memel timber, and magni- ficent carved wooden furniture, was begun in 1861, but was not finished till 1865, the open- ing ceremony taking place on 27 April. The staff made large contributions towards the cost in each case — Witts subscribing as much as
- {^i,ooo for the chapel. Both buildings were pre-
sented by the masters to the foundation. A gallery was added at the west end of the chapel in 1868, and a transept on the north side to accommodate the organ in 1880. The apparatus and arrangements requisite for the working of the rest of the scheme came into existence quite as rapidly. On 24 November 1859 the gymnasium, the first possessed by an English Public School, was opened and placed in the charge of a proper instructor. The first music master, Herr SchSfer, was appointed as early as 1855. It was a sign of Thring's genius that, although physically incapable of appreciating music, ' the perceptive organ for which, a musi- cal ear, nature had absolutely denied him,' he first made it an integral part of the life and work of a Public School. He assisted its development at Uppingham, not only by enthusiastic patronage, but by composing school songs of very high poetic merit, words worthy of the music which was to ' follow them.' Here, as elsewhere, he aimed at providing the best of its kind — Uppingham music reached such a standard that some distinguished composers and even the greatest performers were glad to assist in its development. The music staff came to consist of a director with six or seven assistants ; the school choir passed the cen- tury ; and in some years quite one-third of the school has received instruction in instrumental music. Needless to say, here as in other spheres Uppingham initiative has set the norm for other schools. Drawing was first successfully started " This account of the opening of the various houses is based on the list in The Uppingham School Roll ; Parkin, op. cit. ; Early Days, &c., and R. Pitcairn, Uppingham School, have also been used. "" In early days the school had attended the ordi- nary Sunday services at the parish church, occupy- ing part of the gallery in the south aisle. Thring, soon after his arrival, obtained the use of the church for a special morning service for the school, the even- ing service being conducted in the school hall. Later still two special services were held in the church. in 1856 by Herr Reimers, the second music master. Chemistry and German were introduced in the same year, both subjects being first taught by Dr. Benguerel. In 1862 manual instruction, in the shape of carpentry, to which metal work was later added, was welcomed. In 1863 a School Magazine was started." A school cricket pavilion was erected by subscription among the boys. In 1869 a sanatorium was built. On 27 February 1 87 1 school gardens were allotted for the first time, subsequently adorned with an aviary and aquarium. A swimming bath was built in 1882. In 1881 and 1882 the walls of the new schoolroom were decorated by the art master, Mr. Rossiter, and in 1884 the old school- room was similarly treated. In earlier days the school walls had been hung with photographs and later with autotypes. In 1884, in an appeal made to old scholars and others on the occasion of the school tercentenary, Thring wrote : ' In the last 30 years a sum of
- ^9 1,000 has been expended, almost entirely by
the masters, in order to carry out their concep- tion of what a school ought to be ' ; *' and in a memorial notice of Thring which appeared in The Spectator on 29 October 1887, ;r25,000 is suggested as the value of school property, in addition, which he secured for the Trust." The first missionary effort of the school dates back to 1869. A missionary curate was sup- ported, first in North Woolwich, under Dr. Boyd, now principal of Hertford College, Oxford, and later in connexion with St. Saviour's, Poplar. For many years an annual sum of about ;^I50 was provided."" Here again Uppingham was the pioneer, initiating the settlement movement. A home for destitute lads in the Regent's Park district was assisted for more than twenty years, and in 1 88 1 a scholarship of ^30 a year to the College for the Blind, at Worcester, was estab- lished. A helping hand was also extended to missionary enterprise in more distant parts — in India, Canada, and Australia. In 1879 a league for mutual assistance in good works was formed among old boys. Friendly help to its more im- mediate dependants in the town of Uppingham was the earnest of reconciliation after the com- mon calamity which fell upon both school and town in 1873-5. In this work again Thring showed his practical grasp of the situation : ' The most religious thing that can be done now is to provide good amusements for the poor, and to educate them to use them.' The Mutual Im- provement Society had been in existence for some time when Thring became its president in 1877; but under him it underwent a vigorous extension. " An earlier magazine, The Hospitaller, was canieJ on from 1849 to 1853. '° Parkin, op. cit. ii, 150. " H. D. Rawnsley, op. cit. 91-2. "' The School Mission is now associated with the Mersey Mission to Seamen. 292
