Tudor Shrewsbury its Famous School and New University - Part 17

This video (Part 17 "The Story of Shrewsbury") is about the fascinating period of Tudor Shrewsbury, when its Famous School (Shrewsbury school was started, and how Shrewsbury now at last has its own, new University. Finally, this video also lists famous past pupils of the Shrewsbury School.

Watch the video below, but don't forget to come back here, after watching the video SCROLL ON DOWN THIS PAGE and tell us what you think, by commenting!

   

Much of the old Shrewsbury we know today, grew out of the wealth of the Tudor period. As we showed in the last video, Shrewsbury flourished for over a century and a half of peace and prosperity.

It was also during this period that the importance of education was realised. A petition in 1542 to Henry VIII from the townspeople of Shrewsbury for a free grammar school, led to the founding of Shrewsbury's best known school. In 1552 Shrewsbury School was founded by the fifteen-year-old King Edward VI.

At first it occupied a house not far from the Castle. Then in the 1590s and 1630s, it gradually expanded into the handsome stone buildings, which are now used as the Library, in Castle Gates, on the road from the station into the town centre.

It was not until many years later, in 1882, that "Shrewsbury School", by then badly in need of larger premises, moved to its present commanding heights, above the southern banks of the River Severn, opposite the park known as the Quarry.

Shrewsbury School is one of the, so called "original seven public schools", as defined by an Act in 1868, and 5 years before that the Clarendon Commission called it one of the 'great' nine schools. Pupils are admitted at the age of 13 by selective examination.

It was originally a boarding school for boys. Girls have been admitted into the Sixth Form since 2008. Since 2014 Shrewsbury School has been fully co-educational. Shrewsbury School's "new site" of 150 acres (61 ha) in Kingsland, is where many famous "Old Salopians" were educated.

These include; The Right Honourable The Lord Heseltine CH PC (born 1933), politician. Michael Palin CBE (born 1943), actor and TV presenter. Nick Owen (born 1947), TV presenter.

Richard Ingrams (born 1937), journalist, founder of Private Eye. Going Back! More Shrewsbury education history!

The Tudor period also saw the transition from wooden-framed buildings to brick and stone. William Rowley built the imposing Rowley's Mansion in 1618. It is said to have been the first brick building in the town. William who was a draper dealing in Welsh cloth, certainly created a lasting landmark for the town, and would no doubt have been proud of its new role.

Moving forward to today.

Rowley's Mansion has become one of the sites housing Shrewsbury's new university.

There are seminar spaces, postgraduate and general teaching spaces, and a University Centre help desk, all in the 16th century building.

Yes! After so many years, the town no longer lacks a university.

Shrewsbury is still not yet officially a "CITY"- Shouldn't it be called a city? 

Your comments are welcome! 

But, for any viewers who have not recently visited, we can confirm that Shrewsbury is now a University town!

Historical text based upon: The Story of Shrewsbury, by Richard Graves, Hardwick House, Ellesmere 1993.

Now Watch Part 18: The horrors of the English Civil Wars...

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The Era of the Beautiful Black-and-White Buildings of Shrewsbury - Part 16 - The Story Of Shrewsbury

During the 160 peaceful years, which began 1485, when Henry Tudor took control, Shrewsbury became a beautiful town.

It was during this period that the many successful cloth-merchants and wool-merchants, lived their prosperous lives. They built wonderful wood-frame buildings many of which survive to this day.

These were people like the Owens and the Irelands.

They built the wealth of black-and-white buildings for which Shrewsbury is now famous.

Watch our video to see these lovely old Shrewsbury merchants buildings, but when done, please do come back here, and scroll down to read more and comment on what you thought about our video:

The finest of these timber-framed houses is Ireland's Mansion, as seen here. (Ireland Mansion, Shrewsbury. A view up the High Street from Pride Hill.)

An imposing building, four stories high and finished with gables, dates from the 1570s.

On the left opposite the market square is another large half-timbered house.

The old market-hall of 1595 in the Square, remains another notable feature of the town, with its open arcades and an upper floor where, until not so long ago, the town's magistrates sat.

In Elizabethan times, the corn-market was held at ground level.

Built to replace an older building on the same site, it seems to be an early example of pre-fabrication, as it was reputedly built quite rapidly.

The stone-work and timber-framing was set up in less than four months.

Here is a selection of Shrewsbury's other black and white buildings...

These lovely buildings are just some of the remaining examples. There would have been many more in those days, before the 1960s.

Text based upon "The Story of Shrewsbury", by Richard Graves, Hardwick House, Ellesmere 1993.

Bye for now, but watch out for Part 17: Shrewsbury School starts and handsome Stone Buildings!

The Rope Flying Cadman, St. Mary's Church Shrewsbury and His Horrible Death

An eccentric showman associated with Shrewsbury was the daring Cadman. Read on to find out how he came to a horrible end.
This is a true story, from long ago where facts often seem stranger than fiction.

If you need proof you can find it beside a Shrewsbury church doorway.

Yes. Look on the outside of the west end of St. Mary's Church, which is opposite the Post Office at the top of the town, and you will see a set of verses commemorating his fatal accident in the year 1739.

Watch our video below, about this first and then scroll down and please give us your comment on the event, and on our video:

Robert Cadman, was the man responsible for a sort of early circus act that went horribly, horribly wrong. Mr Cadman was a sort of Evel Knievel of the eighteenth century, a daredevil and an entertainer. He was steeplejack by trade, who performed feats of daring at various places across the country by sliding or "flying" down a rope.

It is recorded, for example, that he "amused the people of Dover, by flying across the harbour from the highest point of the cliff, towards the lower extremity of Snargate Street.

Thousands of people would assemble to watch these events.

Cadman's assumed rope position during his ill-fated "flight".

Anyway, on February 2, 1739, as part of Shrewsbury's celebrations of 'The Great Frost' that year, Mr Cadman was ready to attempt 'flying' from the spire of St Mary's across the River Severn and into the Gay Meadow.

In those days the Gay Meadow was just a meadow of course, and not a football ground!

Before beginning his epic rope-slide, he entertained the crowd below with a variety of rope stunts. But, tragically the rope snapped.

According to most accounts, one end of a rope had been fixed to the top of the spire of St. Mary's, and the other end to a point on the other side of the River Severn. Cadman, either balancing himself on a wooden box on wheels or holding a breast plate which ran along on the rope, he attempted to glide all the way down the rope.

But, suddenly, when Cadman was half-way across, the rope snapped, and he fell to his death. 

Some accounts say that his wife was so busy gathering money from the huge crowd of onlookers that it was several minutes before she realised what had happened...

Text for this article and the video from “The Story of Shrewsbury”, by Richard Graves plus additional information from Phil Gillam’s article in the Chronicle (newspaper), 11 January 2018 edition, and the Wikipedia, Robert Cadman page.

If you would like a video made for you similar to the one above, email steve@ippts.info and ask for details.

The Story of Clive of India in Shropshire and how 3 Shrewsbury, Streets Were Named.

The story of Clive of India and how three Shrewsbury, Shropshire Streets came to be named.

Clive of India is a figure Shrewsbury residents are unsure whether to honour or to ignore. This is due to his chequered early life, and involvement with the East India Company, culminating in his taking his own life in suicide.

Robert Clive - Wikipedia

Major-General Robert Clive, 1st Baron Clive, KB, FRS (29 September 1725 – 22 November 1774), also known as Clive of India, Commander-in-Chief of British India, was a British officer and privateer who established the military and political supremacy of the East India Company in Bengal.

He is credited with securing a large swath of South Asia (Bangladesh, India, Pakistan) and the wealth that followed, for the British East India Company.

In the process, he also turned himself into a multi-millionaire. Together with Warren Hastings he was one of the key early figures setting in motion what would later become British India.

Blocking impending French mastery of India, and eventual British expulsion from the continent, Clive improvised a military expedition that ultimately enabled the East India Company to adopt the French strategy of indirect rule via puppet government.

Hired by the company to return a second time to India, Clive conspired to secure the Company's trade interests by overthrowing the locally unpopular heir to the throne of "Bengal," the richest state in India, richer than Britain, at the time. Back in

England, he sat as a Tory Member of Parliament in London.

Clive was one of the most controversial figures in all British military history.

His achievements included establishing control over much of India, and laying the foundation of the entire British Raj (though he worked only as an agent of the East India Company, not the British government).

For his methods and his self aggrandisement he was vilified by his contemporaries in England, and put on trial before Parliament. via Robert Clive - Wikipedia

In the mid-1700's the East India Company has power over commerce on the sub-continent, with the blessings of the British government.

A clerk in the company, Robert Clive, is frustrated by his lack of advancement, and transfers to the military arm of the company, where he excels.

Clive's leadership and gift for manipulation strengthen England's hold over India and lead to personal wealth, which is often threatened by the enemies he makes along the way. via Clive of India (1935) - IMDb

Clive, Robert, baron, 'Clive of India', 1725-1774

Clive, Robert, baron, 'Clive of India', 1725-1774 Born in Shropshire, Robert Clive gained a post as a scribe in the East India Company in 1743, but reached India (1744) deep in debt after a prolonged voyage out to India, after which he tried to shoot himself. 

He quickly transfered to the military branch of the company, which was then engaged in the Carnatic Wars, and rose rapidly through the ranks, reaching captain by 1751. In the same year he was allowed to try out a plan for the capture of Arcot, capitol of the Carnatic, where he was then besieged. 

The defense of Arcot (23 September-14 November 1751) made Clive's name. With just over 200 men, he held off a 10,000 strong attacking army, and once reinforced was able to go on the attack. 

He was absent from India from 1753 to 1755, having returned to England to regain his health. In 1756, the new nabob of Bengal, Suraj Dowlah, broke his treaty with the East India Company, and occupied Calcutta, imprisoning the Company staff he found there in the Black Hole of Calcutta. 

Clive commanded the land forced sent against Suraj Dowlah, and on 23 June 1757 defeated his army at the battle of Plassey, deposing him, and gaining control of Bengal for the East India Company, who appointed him governor of Bengal (1757-1760). via Robert Clive, Baron Clive, 'Clive of India', 1725-1774

Later, after Clive loses his seat in Parliament and all his money in the election campaign, and the doctor tells Margaret that their baby son will die within months, they return to India where madman King Suraj Ud Dowlah of Northern India has killed one hundred and forty-six English subjects by suffocation in the Black Hole of Calcutta.

Clive forges the name of Admiral Charles Watson to a treaty with Suraj Ud Dowlah's uncle, Mir Jaffar, because the timid admiral hasn't the courage to sign, and after receiving encouragement from Margaret, he launches a surprise counterattack with far inferior forces against Suraj Ud Dowlah.

The enemy counters using battle elephants, but Mir Jaffar's forces arrive and destroy Suraj Ud Dowlah's. Mir Jaffar, now king, presents Clive with a gift that allows him to retire to England.

Years later, Governor Pigot calls on Clive to return to India where chaos now reigns due in large part to the flagrant abuses of the East India Company directors via Clive of India (1935) - Overview - TCM.com

In declining health Clive went to England in 1760. He was given an Irish peerage, knighted, and made a member of Parliament. In 1765, when administrative chaos and fiscal disorder brought the company near disaster in Bengal, he returned to Calcutta as governor and commander in chief.

Clive limited the company to Bengal, Bihar, and Orissa, bringing these states under direct company control. He reformed the company's administrative practices, restored financial discipline while abolishing abuses, and reorganised the army. His efforts made the company sovereign ruler of 30 million people who produced an annual revenue of £4 million sterling.

Clive left India in February 1767. Five years later, in the absence of his strong hand in Bengal, the company appealed to the British government to save it from bankruptcy caused by widespread corruption.

Clive's enemies in Parliament claimed that he was responsible for the situation. After a long trial he was exonerated; but continuing attacks on his integrity, together with illness and physical exhaustion, led him to commit suicide in London on Nov. 22, 1774.
via Robert Clive facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia ...