Education

Christ College, Brecon

Christ College, Brecon
Christ College, Brecon
Powys County Archives

Christ College was founded in its modern form in 1853, although the school site had been in occupation since the thirteenth century as a Dominican friary, and then as a prebendal college with a school. When the modern public school was established, the Christ College scheme of 1855 set out that the Headmaster should be a clerk in holy orders. Although this stipulation was changed in 1880, the headmaster at the time of the 1891 census was still an ordained minister, as were all headmasters until 1956:


1891 Census
Christ College, Brecon
Name Position in
household
Marital
status
Age Occupation Place of Birth English/Welsh
speaker
Matthew A Bayfield Head M 38 Clerk in Holy Orders, Headmaster of Christ College Warwickshire Edgebaston English
Helen C Bayfield Wife M 30   Cheltenham English
Edward M Bayfield Son   3   Malvern English
Cyrille H D Bayfield Dau   2   Malvern English
Amy S Young Visitor S 23   Exmouth English

Rev Bayfield left the school in 1895. He was an enthusiastic recruiter of new pupils for the school, and cast his net fairly widely, as can be seen from the census return for the boys boarding there at the time.

Plan of Christ College, Brecon
Plan of Christ College, Brecon
Powys County Archives

As well as Rev Bayfield there were two other teachers who lived at the school in 1891 - one in the college itself and one in the hostel. In addition they had matrons and various servants to assist them.

1891 Census
Christ College
Name Position in
household
Marital
status
Age Occupation Place of Birth English/Welsh
speaker
Cecil M Horsbargh House tutor S 26 Assistant master Ilkeston Derbyshire English
Elizabeth Dowding Matron S 40 Matron of school house Somerset Hensbridge English
Fanny Ogelsby Serv S 33 Cook Staffs Aldridge English
Emily Pritchard Serv S 24 Parlourmaid Hereford Clehonger English
Alice M Dent Serv S 20 Housemaid Worcester Malvern Link English
Margaret Harley Serv S 31 Nurse Worcester Dodford English
Mary Barnes Serv S 20 Kitchenmaid Gloucester Golden Valley English
Edith Parton Serv S 19 Housemaid Staffs Ripton English
Rose Jowell Serv S 17 Housemaid Hereford English
Jenny Sellers Serv S 17 Scullerymaid Brecon English
Thomas Williams Serv S 26 Butler Brecon English
David W Powell Serv S 18 Bootboy Gloucester English
The Hostel
Edwin S Allen Head S 27 Classical Master Southend English
Lucy Hancock Matron S 35 Matron Bucks Penn English
Emily Bradley Serv S 21 Cook Radnor Presteigne English
Emily S Powell Serv S 20 Housemaid Brecon English

Christ College, Brecon: Census