Page 12 - Percy Currey - Derby School Architect

performed, conducted by the lord (suffragen) bishop of Derby (Rt. Rev. E A Were DD) where Miss Clark very kindly laid the foundation stone.” (It should be remembered that since 1884 Derby had been incorporated in the see of Southwell until 1927, when All Saints church became a cathedral and Derby became a diocese in its own right.) Of Miss Clark’s participation, a later edition reported: “She was handed a silver trowel with which she placed the mortar under the stone, and the spirit level having been applied, she tapped the stone with a mallet and pronounced the words of blessing. The words of dedication were then uttered by the bishop and the service concluded with a few prayers and the blessing. Previous to Miss Clark’s departure, at the close of the ceremony, the Head Master presented to her the trowel, in memory of the noble event. The trowel, which was exceedingly handsome, was enclosed in a neat leather case lined with the School colours, it having been specially made by Messrs. E Johnson of Derby. It is interesting to know that the spirit level used at the ceremony was the same which Her Majesty the Queen used when laying the foundation stone of the Royal Infirmary in May last, and was kindly lent, together with the ivory mallet, by Messrs. Johnson.
Afterwards, Sir William Evans (chairman of the governors) presided over a large gathering in the Schoolroom, where amongst those present were Lord Denman, Lord Scarsdale, Sir Alfred Haslam, Sir John Smith, Mr T H Harrison, the Mayor of Derby” and many more listed clergy and worthies of the town. Mr Sterndale- Bennett addressed the gathering and said: “that at the beginning of the year he had lain before the governors a scheme for some new buildings which would be exceedingly nice for them to have, but they were almost a necessity now on account of the increasing number of boys. (Applause) He was grateful to say that the governors met his proposals with the greatest possible encouragement and that behind the tent used for the foundation stone laying, they had already commenced to lay out the ground for building a new laboratory, and a sanatorium, and which would be entirely apart from the other buildings, but would be close by and in every respect very convenient. There would be some other rooms which might be used either as classrooms or libraries, or even for masters’ lodgings and they would at any rate relieve the great pressure for space which was felt at the present time throughout the schoolhouse. (Hear, hear .)
These buildings, designed by the School architect, Mr. Currey, would not only fill up what had hitherto been rather an unsightly corner of the playground, but which would form a little court which he believed would be a very attractive feature of the School surroundings. (Hear, hear.) These buildings were to be erected from the School resources; they were to be built out of the endowment fund. He did not think there would be any better way of laying out the legacy which was left to the School by Sir Joseph Whitworth than in building a new science laboratory. (Applause.)
Page 11 of 20