Houses of Harrow School
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Harrow School divides its boarders into eleven houses, each of about seventy boys, with one further house, Gayton, used as an overflow. Each house has its own facilities and customs, and each competes in sporting events against the others.
Up until the 1950s there also existed what were known as 'small houses' where only 5-10 boys stayed at one time while they waited for a space in a 'large house' to become available (hence the use of the term large house in this article)
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[edit] Bradbys
Bradbys was founded as a large house under the name of High Street in 1853. In 1919, the name was changed to Bradbys, after its founding House Master Edward Henry Bradby. The House is situated on the High Street. The House was closed during World War II and occupied by Malvern College.
[edit] Druries
Druries was founded in the 1790s, Harrow's first large House. Its current name is from the second and third House Masters, Harry and Ben Drury.
[edit] Notable former members
- Lord Palmerston
- Charles Alcock (1855)
[edit] Elmfield
The current Housemaster is Dr James Holland. He is being replaced by Mark Tremlett in September 2007.
[edit] Notable former members
- James Blunt, singer
- Tom Avery, polar explorer
[edit] The Grove
[edit] The Head Master's
[edit] Notable former members
- George Byron, 6th Baron Byron (1805)
- Stanley Baldwin (1881)
- Sir Winston Churchill (1888)
- Field Marshal Earl Alexander of Tunis (1906)
- Jawaharlal Nehru (1905).
[edit] The Knoll
The Knoll opened as a large House in 1870 under Reginald Bosworth Smith, who remained House Master into the twentieth century. In 1982 the House moved to a purpose-built new site in Football Lane. Its most famous living old boy is Lord Deedes and Old Knollites of more recent vintage include the philosopher and novelist Alain de Botton and the writer Simon Sebag-Montefiore.
[edit] Notable former members
- Lord Deedes
- Alain de Botton
- Simon Sebag-Montefiore
[edit] Moretons
[edit] Notable former members
- Percy Smythe, 8th Viscount Strangford
- TC Baring MP
- Edric Gifford, 3rd Baron Gifford VC
- John Galsworthy (Nobel Prize for Literature 1932)
- King Faisal II of Iraq
[edit] The Park
[edit] Notable former members
- Captain Sir William Peel, VC
- C.S. Calverley, poet
- Robert Bulwer-Lytton, 1st Earl of Lytton, Governor-General of India and author ("Owen Meredith")
- Matthew White Ridley, 1st Viscount Ridley, Home Secretary
- Henry Yates Thompson, philanthropist and scholar who gave Harrow the Art Schools
- Albert Grey, 4th Earl Grey, Governor-General of Canada and social reformer
- Guy Butler, Olympic athlete
- Derek Tangye, author
- Sir Terence Rattigan, playwright
- Dorian Williams, showjumping commentator
- Julian Fane, author
- His Majesty King Hussein of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan
- HRH Prince Hassan of Jordan
- Esme Johnson, Founder of Majestic Wine
- Benedict Cumberbatch, actor
- Rupert ("Pen") Hadow , Polar explorer
[edit] Rendalls
Rendalls, originally known as Grove Hill House was built on the site of a pond by Rev Rendall in 1853; it opened for boys in 1854. The house was known after its housemaster until 1912, when Mr Graham officially named it Rendalls. During the Second World War the house was shut due to falling numbers and it was occupied by Malvern College. It reopened in 1946 as a large house.
[edit] Notable former members
- Bishop Montgomery of Tasmania
- John Addington Symons - Author
- Sir Arthur J. Evans - Archaeologist, excavator of the Place of Minos, Crete
- General Sir Percival Marling VC
- James and Edward Fox - actors
- Richard Curtis - Film director & scriptwriter for TV and cinema
[edit] West Acre
West Acre is the House furthest away from the majority of the Hill. It has won the House Glee competition for 3 out of the last 4 years. The House was originally a private house owned by the Stogdons until it was bought off them by the School. The House was closed during the Second World War (along with many other Houses) and was occupied by the pupils of Malvern. The house burnt to the ground and was re-built.
[edit] Notable former members
[edit] Gayton
Gayton is the overflow house. Boys will stay there usually for just one term before moving back to their own house, and their place being taken by another boy.
[edit] Garlands
This was a small house.
[edit] Notable former members
Dinshaw Bamjee who died in the RAF during World War II.
[edit] Yet to be named
A new house is going to be built on Garlands Lane. The date for its opening is set for 2011. The purpose of this house is to relax the crowding in other houses and allow more room for communal areas.
