Friars School, Bangor
Encyclopedia
Ysgol Friars is a comprehensive school
in Bangor, Gwynedd
, and one of the oldest schools in Wales
.
and had followed a career in law
in London
.
A friary had been established in Bangor by the Dominican Order
, or Black Friars, in the 13th century. At the Dissolution of the Monasteries
, the friary was wound up in 1538. Geoffrey Glyn bought the site with a view to establishing a Grammar School
. In his will
dated 8 July 1557, he left the property and endowments
towards establishing the school.
The will had left the property to his brother William Glyn
, Bishop of Bangor
and Maurice Griffith
, Bishop of Rochester
to execute his wishes. Unfortunately both of these were to die in the following year, but they further transferred the will to Sir William Petre
, a former Secretary of State
, Sir William Garrard
, a former Lord Mayor of London
and Simon Lowe, a London merchant, who were able to execute Geoffrey Glyn's intentions.
Although a school had been meeting in the city before this date, the new school was only formally established when it received letters patent from Elizabeth I
in 1561. The school was to be known as The free grammar school of Geoffrey Glyn, Doctor of Laws, but because of the connection with the Black Friars, quickly became known as "Friars School". The letters patent established the Dean
and Chapter of Bangor Cathedral
as the corporation to govern the school. In 1568, statutes were adopted to regulate the schools, based closely on the statutes of Bury St. Edmunds School
in Suffolk
, founded a few years earlier.
The school has been established to provide a free grammar school education for the boys of the poor. This comprised a classical education
, in Latin
and Greek
only. The children who benefited were not the most poor, but the middle class preparing for a career in the ministry or the law like Geoffrey Glyn himself.
The school was maintained from income on the endowments left by Geoffrey Glyn and later benefactors, mainly rents on land in Southwark
and Oswestry
.
The school continued in the old friary, close to the banks of the River Adda for over two centuries.
, Bishop of Bangor
– a colourful and controversial character – the school was transferred to a better site, a little further from the river. This was financed partly by closing the school in 1786, an accumulating the money saved from the endowment for a building fund. The new school was built for £2,076 12s 5½d, and opened in 1789 on a site closer to the High Street and the present Glynne Road.
The curriculum slowly developed to include mathematics, writing and other subject more familiar to today’s school students.
The school’s fortunes were varied. The move boosted the school. But by the middle of the 19th century, under the headship of Totton, the schools’ reputation suffered, and ultimately lost so many pupils that it was forced to close in 1861. It re-opened in 1866 and a new headmaster, Lewis Lloyd
appointed in 1872, when a new secular governing body was introduced in place of the Dean and Chapter.
In 1881, an epidemic
of typhoid
in Bangor caused the school to move to Penmaenmawr
to avoid the disease. The bottom of the valley, especially close to the river, was unhygienic, and this episode engendered consideration of moving away to a fresh site.
At this time, too, the Welsh Intermediate Education Act introduced a state system of secondary education in Wales. Some charity and private schools were exempted from its provisions and there had been advocates for Friars, too, to be exempted, but ultimately this brought Friars School into the state system, under Caernarfonshire
County Council
.
With contributions from Caernarfonshire County Council, the proceeds of selling the old site, together with a public appeal for funds, a new school was built on Ffriddoedd Road for a cost of £11,600. The architect was John Douglas of Douglas & Minishull, and builders Messrs. James Hamilton & son of Altrincham
. A foundation stone was laid by Watkin Herbert Williams
, Bishop of Bangor
on 12 April 1899, and the building was opened in December 1900.
In moving to the Ffriddoedd site, the intention had been to move out to the countryside. After the typhoid outbreak, and with the unsanitary condition of the lower Adda valley, Ffriddoedd was seen as a healthy rural alternative. However, the development of the city was to catch up. In order to preserve a little of that rural idyll as the area developed, Dr. R. L. Archer, a former Chairman of the Governors, in 1955 bequeathed to the school a small plot of land. Known as "Dr. Archer’s plot", this was to be planted with flowers and kept for ever green.
In 1957 there several events commemorated the fourth centenary of the school. A new stained glass window was installed in the building to mark the event.
A significant reorganisation in 1971 combined three schools – Friars School, the Bangor County School for Girls (also a grammar school), and Deiniol School, a mixed Secondary modern school
. The three schools brought together formed a new comprehensive school
, under the Friars name, but on three sites. The former girls’ school became the Tryfan site, a Welsh language
medium for the lower years, while the Ffriddoedd building was the location of the English language
medium lower years. The senior years came together at a new building, built for £300,000 on a new site at Eithinog.
A further reorganisation in 1978 split the school in two: Ysgol Tryfan
was formed as an 11-18 Welsh medium school on the Tryfan site. Friars School became a mainly English-medium school on Ffriddoedd and Eithinog sites.
Shoddy building practices of the 1960s meant that the Eithinog building had to be almost completely rebuilt over the following few decades. These were gradually replaced and expanded, until the whole school was able to relocate to Eithinog in 1999. The final contract for completing the school was valued at £5.4 million.
In that year, the former Friars building at Ffriddoedd was sold to further education college Coleg Menai
and continues in educational use.
in April 2007 to mark 450 years of Friars School.
It is a comprehensive school for the 11-18 age group, and draws pupils from a wide area around Bangor. The current headteacher is Neil Foden.
The school is also a competitor in the F1 In Schools
competition since 2007. The 1st team reached the national final after winning the regional in Bangor University
.
The letters patent granted by Elizabeth I
are on display in Bangor Cathedral
.
The Ffriddoedd building has lasted well and is now a Grade II Listed building. It is well used by Coleg Menai
.
For a considerable period of Friars School’s history, its running costs were supported by rents on land in Southwark
. A primary school now stands on part of those lands – and records the connection in its name of "Friars Primary School".
The coat of arms is a double-headed black eagle on a yellow shield. This was taken from the arms of the Glyn family of Glynllifon, in the mistaken impression that these were the arms of Geoffrey Glyn. Despite this error (Geoffrey Glyn’s arms having been three saddles), the double-headed eagle survived.
The Latin
motto, Foedere Fraterno - “On with the brotherhood" – again recall the Black Friars.
These symbols, which once graced the caps and blazers of grammar school boys, are today seen on polo shirts and sweatshirts of the modern school.
This is the current logo.
The school's Air Training Corps
squadron was granted the number '1557' in recognition of the school's year of foundation. The Air Cadets squadron, which is still located within the school ground is officially known as '1557 (Friars) Squadron'.
Comprehensive school
A comprehensive school is a state school that does not select its intake on the basis of academic achievement or aptitude. This is in contrast to the selective school system, where admission is restricted on the basis of a selection criteria. The term is commonly used in relation to the United...
in Bangor, Gwynedd
Bangor, Gwynedd
Bangor is a city in Gwynedd, north west Wales, and one of the smallest cities in Britain. It is a university city with a population of 13,725 at the 2001 census, not including around 10,000 students at Bangor University. Including nearby Menai Bridge on Anglesey, which does not however form part of...
, and one of the oldest schools in Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
.
1557 Establishment
The school was founded by Geoffrey Glyn, Doctor of Laws, who had been brought up in AngleseyAnglesey
Anglesey , also known by its Welsh name Ynys Môn , is an island and, as Isle of Anglesey, a county off the north west coast of Wales...
and had followed a career in law
Law
Law is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior, wherever possible. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a social mediator of relations between people. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
.
Dominican Order
The Order of Preachers , after the 15th century more commonly known as the Dominican Order or Dominicans, is a Catholic religious order founded by Saint Dominic and approved by Pope Honorius III on 22 December 1216 in France...
, or Black Friars, in the 13th century. At the Dissolution of the Monasteries
Dissolution of the Monasteries
The Dissolution of the Monasteries, sometimes referred to as the Suppression of the Monasteries, was the set of administrative and legal processes between 1536 and 1541 by which Henry VIII disbanded monasteries, priories, convents and friaries in England, Wales and Ireland; appropriated their...
, the friary was wound up in 1538. Geoffrey Glyn bought the site with a view to establishing a Grammar School
Grammar school
A grammar school is one of several different types of school in the history of education in the United Kingdom and some other English-speaking countries, originally a school teaching classical languages but more recently an academically-oriented secondary school.The original purpose of mediaeval...
. In his will
Will (law)
A will or testament is a legal declaration by which a person, the testator, names one or more persons to manage his/her estate and provides for the transfer of his/her property at death...
dated 8 July 1557, he left the property and endowments
Financial endowment
A financial endowment is a transfer of money or property donated to an institution. The total value of an institution's investments is often referred to as the institution's endowment and is typically organized as a public charity, private foundation, or trust....
towards establishing the school.
The will had left the property to his brother William Glyn
William Glyn (1504-1558)
William Glyn , also known as William Glynn or William Glynne, was the Bishop of Bangor from 1555 until his death....
, Bishop of Bangor
Bishop of Bangor
The Bishop of Bangor is the Ordinary of the Church in Wales Diocese of Bangor.The diocese covers the counties of Anglesey, most of Caernarfonshire and Merionethshire and a small part of Montgomeryshire...
and Maurice Griffith
Maurice Griffith
Maurice Griffith was a Welshman who became Bishop of Rochester.Little is known of his birth but it is thought to have been in the Caernarfon area around 1507. He was a friar at Blackfriars, Oxford and in 1535 was appointed by John Hilsey, then Bishop of Rochester, to be his Vicar-General...
, Bishop of Rochester
Bishop of Rochester
The Bishop of Rochester is the ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Rochester in the Province of Canterbury.The diocese covers the west of the county of Kent and is centred in the city of Rochester where the bishop's seat is located at the Cathedral Church of Christ and the Blessed Virgin...
to execute his wishes. Unfortunately both of these were to die in the following year, but they further transferred the will to Sir William Petre
William Petre
Sir William Petre was a secretary of state to Henry VIII, Edward VI, Mary I and Elizabeth I.Educated as a lawyer at Oxford, he became a public servant, probably through the influence of the Boleyns, one of whom, George, he had tutored at Oxford and another of whom, Anne, was married to the king...
, a former Secretary of State
Secretary of State (United Kingdom)
In the United Kingdom, a Secretary of State is a Cabinet Minister in charge of a Government Department ....
, Sir William Garrard
William Garrard
Sir William Garrard was a merchant of London and a royal financier.-Early life:Garrard was born in 1518, the son of John Garrard, a grocer and descendant of Sir Simon Attegare; Attegare being origin of the surname Garrard. He grew up in the parish of St. Magnus the Martyr near London Bridge...
, a former Lord Mayor of London
Lord Mayor of London
The Right Honourable Lord Mayor of London is the legal title for the Mayor of the City of London Corporation. The Lord Mayor of London is to be distinguished from the Mayor of London; the former is an officer only of the City of London, while the Mayor of London is the Mayor of Greater London and...
and Simon Lowe, a London merchant, who were able to execute Geoffrey Glyn's intentions.
Although a school had been meeting in the city before this date, the new school was only formally established when it received letters patent from Elizabeth I
Elizabeth I of England
Elizabeth I was queen regnant of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death. Sometimes called The Virgin Queen, Gloriana, or Good Queen Bess, Elizabeth was the fifth and last monarch of the Tudor dynasty...
in 1561. The school was to be known as The free grammar school of Geoffrey Glyn, Doctor of Laws, but because of the connection with the Black Friars, quickly became known as "Friars School". The letters patent established the Dean
Dean (religion)
A dean, in a church context, is a cleric holding certain positions of authority within a religious hierarchy. The title is used mainly in the Anglican Communion and the Roman Catholic Church.-Anglican Communion:...
and Chapter of Bangor Cathedral
Bangor Cathedral
Bangor Cathedral is an ancient place of Christian worship situated in Bangor, Gwynedd, north-west Wales. It is dedicated to its founder, Saint Deiniol....
as the corporation to govern the school. In 1568, statutes were adopted to regulate the schools, based closely on the statutes of Bury St. Edmunds School
King Edward Grammar School
King Edward VI School is a co-educational comprehensive secondary school in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, England. It was previously known as King Edward VI Grammar School....
in Suffolk
Suffolk
Suffolk is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in East Anglia, England. It has borders with Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south. The North Sea lies to the east...
, founded a few years earlier.
The school has been established to provide a free grammar school education for the boys of the poor. This comprised a classical education
Classics
Classics is the branch of the Humanities comprising the languages, literature, philosophy, history, art, archaeology and other culture of the ancient Mediterranean world ; especially Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome during Classical Antiquity Classics (sometimes encompassing Classical Studies or...
, in Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
and Greek
Ancient Greek
Ancient Greek is the stage of the Greek language in the periods spanning the times c. 9th–6th centuries BC, , c. 5th–4th centuries BC , and the c. 3rd century BC – 6th century AD of ancient Greece and the ancient world; being predated in the 2nd millennium BC by Mycenaean Greek...
only. The children who benefited were not the most poor, but the middle class preparing for a career in the ministry or the law like Geoffrey Glyn himself.
The school was maintained from income on the endowments left by Geoffrey Glyn and later benefactors, mainly rents on land in Southwark
Southwark
Southwark is a district of south London, England, and the administrative headquarters of the London Borough of Southwark. Situated east of Charing Cross, it forms one of the oldest parts of London and fronts the River Thames to the north...
and Oswestry
Oswestry
Oswestry is a town and civil parish in Shropshire, England, close to the Welsh border. It is at the junction of the A5, A483, and A495 roads....
.
The school continued in the old friary, close to the banks of the River Adda for over two centuries.
The second building, 1789
Under the patronage of John WarrenJohn Warren (bishop)
John Warren was Bishop of St David's 1779-1783, and Bishop of Bangor from 1783 until his death.Before his promotion to bishop, Warren was Archdeacon of Worcester. During the bishop's time at Bangor, he was involved in two major controversies...
, Bishop of Bangor
Bishop of Bangor
The Bishop of Bangor is the Ordinary of the Church in Wales Diocese of Bangor.The diocese covers the counties of Anglesey, most of Caernarfonshire and Merionethshire and a small part of Montgomeryshire...
– a colourful and controversial character – the school was transferred to a better site, a little further from the river. This was financed partly by closing the school in 1786, an accumulating the money saved from the endowment for a building fund. The new school was built for £2,076 12s 5½d, and opened in 1789 on a site closer to the High Street and the present Glynne Road.
The curriculum slowly developed to include mathematics, writing and other subject more familiar to today’s school students.
The school’s fortunes were varied. The move boosted the school. But by the middle of the 19th century, under the headship of Totton, the schools’ reputation suffered, and ultimately lost so many pupils that it was forced to close in 1861. It re-opened in 1866 and a new headmaster, Lewis Lloyd
Daniel Lewis Lloyd
Daniel Lewis Lloyd was a schoolteacher and cleric.Born in Llanarth, Ceredigion, Wales, Lloyd was educated at Lampeter College School and Jesus College, Oxford. He was, successively, the headmaster at Dolgelley Grammar School , Friars School, Bangor and Christ College, Brecon...
appointed in 1872, when a new secular governing body was introduced in place of the Dean and Chapter.
In 1881, an epidemic
Epidemic
In epidemiology, an epidemic , occurs when new cases of a certain disease, in a given human population, and during a given period, substantially exceed what is expected based on recent experience...
of typhoid
Typhoid fever
Typhoid fever, also known as Typhoid, is a common worldwide bacterial disease, transmitted by the ingestion of food or water contaminated with the feces of an infected person, which contain the bacterium Salmonella enterica, serovar Typhi...
in Bangor caused the school to move to Penmaenmawr
Penmaenmawr
PenmaenmawrConwyPenmaenmawr is a town in the parish of Dwygyfylchi, in Conwy County Borough, Wales. The population was 3857 in 2001. It is a quarrying town, though the latter is no longer a major employer, on the North Wales coast between Conwy and Llanfairfechan.The town was bypassed by the A55...
to avoid the disease. The bottom of the valley, especially close to the river, was unhygienic, and this episode engendered consideration of moving away to a fresh site.
At this time, too, the Welsh Intermediate Education Act introduced a state system of secondary education in Wales. Some charity and private schools were exempted from its provisions and there had been advocates for Friars, too, to be exempted, but ultimately this brought Friars School into the state system, under Caernarfonshire
Caernarfonshire
Caernarfonshire , historically spelled as Caernarvonshire or Carnarvonshire in English during its existence, was one of the thirteen historic counties, a vice-county and a former administrative county of Wales....
County Council
County council
A county council is the elected administrative body governing an area known as a county. This term has slightly different meanings in different countries.-United Kingdom:...
.
The third building, 1900
Altrincham
Altrincham is a market town within the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford, in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on flat ground south of the River Mersey about southwest of Manchester city centre, south-southwest of Sale and east of Warrington...
. A foundation stone was laid by Watkin Herbert Williams
Watkin Herbert Williams
Watkin Herbert Williams was Dean of St Asaph from 1892 to 1899. and Bishop of Bangor from 1899 to 1925.Williams was educated at Westminster School and Christ Church, Oxford and ordained in 1871. He was vicar of Bodelwyddan from 1872 to 1892 and Archdeacon of St Asaph from 1889 to 1892.-References:...
, Bishop of Bangor
Bishop of Bangor
The Bishop of Bangor is the Ordinary of the Church in Wales Diocese of Bangor.The diocese covers the counties of Anglesey, most of Caernarfonshire and Merionethshire and a small part of Montgomeryshire...
on 12 April 1899, and the building was opened in December 1900.
In moving to the Ffriddoedd site, the intention had been to move out to the countryside. After the typhoid outbreak, and with the unsanitary condition of the lower Adda valley, Ffriddoedd was seen as a healthy rural alternative. However, the development of the city was to catch up. In order to preserve a little of that rural idyll as the area developed, Dr. R. L. Archer, a former Chairman of the Governors, in 1955 bequeathed to the school a small plot of land. Known as "Dr. Archer’s plot", this was to be planted with flowers and kept for ever green.
In 1957 there several events commemorated the fourth centenary of the school. A new stained glass window was installed in the building to mark the event.
1971 Reorganisation
Up to 1971, Friars had been a grammar school for boys. As a grammar school, education was selective, boys having to pass the eleven plus exam to gain admission.A significant reorganisation in 1971 combined three schools – Friars School, the Bangor County School for Girls (also a grammar school), and Deiniol School, a mixed Secondary modern school
Secondary modern school
A secondary modern school is a type of secondary school that existed in most of the United Kingdom from 1944 until the early 1970s, under the Tripartite System, and was designed for the majority of pupils - those who do not achieve scores in the top 25% of the eleven plus examination...
. The three schools brought together formed a new comprehensive school
Comprehensive school
A comprehensive school is a state school that does not select its intake on the basis of academic achievement or aptitude. This is in contrast to the selective school system, where admission is restricted on the basis of a selection criteria. The term is commonly used in relation to the United...
, under the Friars name, but on three sites. The former girls’ school became the Tryfan site, a Welsh language
Welsh language
Welsh is a member of the Brythonic branch of the Celtic languages spoken natively in Wales, by some along the Welsh border in England, and in Y Wladfa...
medium for the lower years, while the Ffriddoedd building was the location of the English language
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
medium lower years. The senior years came together at a new building, built for £300,000 on a new site at Eithinog.
A further reorganisation in 1978 split the school in two: Ysgol Tryfan
Ysgol Tryfan
Ysgol Tryfan is a small bilingual, comprehensive school in Bangor, Gwynedd with around 430 pupils. The school was formed in 1978 by demerging the Welsh language medium from Ysgol Friars....
was formed as an 11-18 Welsh medium school on the Tryfan site. Friars School became a mainly English-medium school on Ffriddoedd and Eithinog sites.
Shoddy building practices of the 1960s meant that the Eithinog building had to be almost completely rebuilt over the following few decades. These were gradually replaced and expanded, until the whole school was able to relocate to Eithinog in 1999. The final contract for completing the school was valued at £5.4 million.
In that year, the former Friars building at Ffriddoedd was sold to further education college Coleg Menai
Coleg Menai
Coleg Menai is a further education college located in Bangor, Gwynedd, Wales. The college also has campuses in Llangefni and Caernarfon...
and continues in educational use.
Celebrating 450 years
A Service of Commemoration and Thanksgiving was held in Bangor CathedralBangor Cathedral
Bangor Cathedral is an ancient place of Christian worship situated in Bangor, Gwynedd, north-west Wales. It is dedicated to its founder, Saint Deiniol....
in April 2007 to mark 450 years of Friars School.
The modern school
Since 1999, the present school has been united on the Eithinog site.It is a comprehensive school for the 11-18 age group, and draws pupils from a wide area around Bangor. The current headteacher is Neil Foden.
The school is also a competitor in the F1 In Schools
F1 In Schools
F1 in Schools is an international competition for school children , in which groups of 3 - 6 children have to design and manufacture a miniature "car" out of balsa wood using CAD/CAM design tools. The cars are powered by CO2 cartridges and are attached to a track by a thin wire...
competition since 2007. The 1st team reached the national final after winning the regional in Bangor University
Bangor University
Bangor University is a university based in the city of Bangor in the county of Gwynedd in North Wales-United Kingdom.It was officially known for most of its history as the University College of North Wales...
.
Remains and artefacts
Traces of the older sites are seen in names of streets: Friars Avenue, Glynne Road, and building: Friars Terrace, Glyn House. A plaque on houses in Glynne Road records the site of the 1789 buildings.The letters patent granted by Elizabeth I
Elizabeth I of England
Elizabeth I was queen regnant of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death. Sometimes called The Virgin Queen, Gloriana, or Good Queen Bess, Elizabeth was the fifth and last monarch of the Tudor dynasty...
are on display in Bangor Cathedral
Bangor Cathedral
Bangor Cathedral is an ancient place of Christian worship situated in Bangor, Gwynedd, north-west Wales. It is dedicated to its founder, Saint Deiniol....
.
The Ffriddoedd building has lasted well and is now a Grade II Listed building. It is well used by Coleg Menai
Coleg Menai
Coleg Menai is a further education college located in Bangor, Gwynedd, Wales. The college also has campuses in Llangefni and Caernarfon...
.
For a considerable period of Friars School’s history, its running costs were supported by rents on land in Southwark
Southwark
Southwark is a district of south London, England, and the administrative headquarters of the London Borough of Southwark. Situated east of Charing Cross, it forms one of the oldest parts of London and fronts the River Thames to the north...
. A primary school now stands on part of those lands – and records the connection in its name of "Friars Primary School".
Symbols
The school colours are black and yellow, the black deriving from the dress of the Black Friars.The coat of arms is a double-headed black eagle on a yellow shield. This was taken from the arms of the Glyn family of Glynllifon, in the mistaken impression that these were the arms of Geoffrey Glyn. Despite this error (Geoffrey Glyn’s arms having been three saddles), the double-headed eagle survived.
The Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
motto, Foedere Fraterno - “On with the brotherhood" – again recall the Black Friars.
These symbols, which once graced the caps and blazers of grammar school boys, are today seen on polo shirts and sweatshirts of the modern school.
This is the current logo.
The school's Air Training Corps
Air Training Corps
The Air Training Corps , commonly known as the Air Cadets, is a cadet organisation based in the United Kingdom. It is a voluntary youth group which is part of the Air Cadet Organisation and the Royal Air Force . It is supported by the Ministry of Defence, with a regular RAF Officer, currently Air...
squadron was granted the number '1557' in recognition of the school's year of foundation. The Air Cadets squadron, which is still located within the school ground is officially known as '1557 (Friars) Squadron'.
Notable former pupils
- Gwenan EdwardsGwenan EdwardsGwenan Edwards is a Welsh journalist, television presenter and trained musician.Born in Bangor, Gwynedd, she was educated at Ysgol Friars. She trained as a musician, playing the piano and flute...
– television presenter - Dewi Llwyd - BBC journalist and broadcaster
- Angus McDermid - BBC journalist and broadcaster.
Grammar school
- Colonel W Alexander, Professor of Civil Engineering from 1906-20 at University College Cork
- William Ambrose (Emrys)William Ambrose (Emrys)William Ambrose , bardic name Emrys, was a 19th-century Welsh language poet born at Bangor, Caernarfonshire , north Wales. -References:...
- nonconformist minister and poet - Ivor Arnold, Professor of Old French Language and Literature from 1938-52 at the University of LeedsUniversity of LeedsThe University of Leeds is a British Redbrick university located in the city of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England...
- James Atkin, Baron AtkinJames Atkin, Baron AtkinJames Richard Atkin, Baron Atkin was a lawyer and judge of Australian-Welsh origin, who practised in England and Wales...
- lawyer and judge - Dr Anthony Barrell CB, President from 1993-4 of the Institution of Chemical EngineersInstitution of Chemical EngineersThe Institution of Chemical Engineers is a global professional engineering institution with over 33,000 members in over 120 countries worldwide, founded in 1922, and awarded a Royal Charter in 1957.-Structure:...
(IChemE) - Dewi BebbDewi BebbDewi Iorwerth Ellis Bebb was a Welsh rugby union player who won thirty four caps for Wales as a wing.Dewi Bebb was the son of the Welsh historian Ambrose Bebb. Educated at Friars School, Bangor, he later studied at Trinity College, Carmarthen, and Cardiff Teacher Training College. He made his...
– Rugby international. - Rt Rev Arthur Butler MBE, Bishop of Tuam, Killala and AchonryBishop of Tuam, Killala and AchonryThe Bishop of Tuam, Killala and Achonry is the Church of Ireland Ordinary of the united Diocese of Tuam, Killala and Achonry in the Province of Armagh. The present incumbent is the Right Reverend Patrick Rooke....
from 1957–69, and Bishop of ConnorBishop of ConnorThe Bishop of Connor is an episcopal title which takes its name after the village of Connor in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. The title is currently used by the Church of Ireland, but in the Roman Catholic Church it has been united with another bishopric....
from 1969-81# - Dr Herbert Cole CMG, Controller, Fisheries Research and Development from 1972-4 at the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and FoodMinistry of Agriculture, Fisheries and FoodThe Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food was a United Kingdom government department created by the Board of Agriculture Act 1889 and at that time called the Board of Agriculture, and then from 1903 the Board of Agriculture and Fisheries, and from 1919 the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries...
- Hugh DavidHugh DavidHugh David was an actor turned television director. David was born in Aberystwyth, Wales. His directorial credits include Compact, Z-Cars, The Pallisers and Doctor Who, for which he directed two stories in the Patrick Troughton era...
– actor and television director - Ednyfed Hudson Davies, Chairman since 1991 of the Lincs FM GroupLincs FM GroupThe Lincs FM Group based in Lincolnshire, in the UK is the parent company of several Independent Local Radio stations.-History:The Lincs FM group started with just Lincs FM in Lincolnshire, UK but has won and acquired licences to operate other local radio stations across the UK's Midlands and...
, and Labour MP from 1966-70 for ConwyConwy (UK Parliament constituency)Conwy was an electoral constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It returned one Member of Parliament by the single-member district plurality system of voting....
, and from 1979-83 for CaerphillyCaerphilly (UK Parliament constituency)Caerphilly is a county constituency centred on the town of Caerphilly in South Wales. It returns one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the first past the post voting system.The constituency has always elected Labour MPs.- Boundaries... - John Edward DanielJohn Edward DanielJohn Edward Daniel was a Welsh theologian and college lecturer who became chairman of the Welsh political party Plaid Cymru.-Life:...
- academic and politician - David Ffrangcon DaviesDavid Ffrangcon DaviesDavid Ffrangcon-Davies, M.A. was a Welsh operatic baritone.-Early life and education:David Thomas Davies was born in Bethesda, Gwynedd. He later adapted the name Ffrangcon, an early variant spelling of the nearby valley Nant Ffrancon, as part of his new surname...
- baritone - Gruffydd Evans, Baron Evans of ClaughtonGruffydd Evans, Baron Evans of ClaughtonDavid Thomas Gruffydd Evans, Baron Evans of Claughton DL , was a British solicitor and politician.Lord Evans was educated at Birkenhead School and held the office of Deputy Lieutenant of Merseyside....
, President of the Liberal Party (UK)President of the Liberal Party (UK)This is a list of people who served as President of the British Liberal Party. The Liberal Party merged into the Liberal Democrats in 1988.The post was established in 1877 as President of the National Liberal Federation...
from 1977-8 - Ifan Freeman CMG, Registrar from 1965-72 of the University of MalawiUniversity of MalawiThe University of Malawi is an educational institution established in 1964 and composed of five constituent colleges located in Zomba, Blantyre, and Lilongwe. Of the five colleges, the largest is Chancellor College in Zomba. The name of the school is abbreviated to UNIMA. It is part of the...
- William R. P. George - lawyer, poet and politician
- James Gray - mathematician and physicist, and Cargill Professor of Applied Physics from 1920-34 at the University of GlasgowUniversity of GlasgowThe University of Glasgow is the fourth-oldest university in the English-speaking world and one of Scotland's four ancient universities. Located in Glasgow, the university was founded in 1451 and is presently one of seventeen British higher education institutions ranked amongst the top 100 of the...
- Tony GrayTony Gray (rugby coach)Anthony John "Tony" Gray , is a former Wales international rugby union player and former Head Coach of the Wales national rugby union team. A flanker, he played his club rugby for Newbridge and London Welsh....
– Rugby international and coach. - George GuestGeorge GuestGeorge Guest was a Welsh organist and choral conductor.- Birth and early life :George Guest was born in Bangor, Wales. His father was an organist, and George assisted him by acting as organ blower. He became a chorister at Bangor Cathedral, and subsequently at Chester Cathedral, where he...
CBE - organist and choirmaster - Frederick Jacob, entomologist, Director for 1968-77 of the Pest Infestation Control Laboratory of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and FoodMinistry of Agriculture, Fisheries and FoodThe Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food was a United Kingdom government department created by the Board of Agriculture Act 1889 and at that time called the Board of Agriculture, and then from 1903 the Board of Agriculture and Fisheries, and from 1919 the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries...
, and President from 1976-7 of the Association of Applied Biologists - Humphrey JonesHumphrey JonesHumphrey Jones was a Welsh footballer. He began his career with Friars School before joining Bangor. This was followed by a spell at Swifts F.C., before he moved to Scotland to represent Queen's Park and East Stirlingshire...
- international footballer - Maurice JonesMaurice JonesMaurice Jones was a priest and university educator.Born on 21 June 1863 at Trawsfynydd, Meirionnydd, he was educated at local school then, with scholarships, proceeded to Friars School, Bangor and Christ College, Brecon, and then Jesus College, Oxford, where he gained a first class degree in...
- priest and educator - Harold King CBE, chemist
- Reuben LevyReuben LevyReuben Levy was Professor of Persian at the University of Cambridge, who wrote on Persian literature and Islamic history.-Life:...
, Persian scholar, Professor of Persian at the University of CambridgeUniversity of CambridgeThe University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally... - Frederick Llewellyn-JonesFrederick Llewellyn-JonesFrederick Llewellyn-Jones was a Welsh solicitor who became Coroner for the county of Flintshire and a Liberal, later Liberal National politician.-Family and education:...
, Liberal MP from 1929-35 for FlintshireFlintshire (UK Parliament constituency)Flintshire was a parliamentary constituency in North-East Wales which returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1542 until it was abolished for the 1950 general election.- Boundaries :... - Iwan Llwyd - poet
- George Osborne MorganGeorge Osborne MorganSir George Osborne Morgan, 1st Baronet PC, QC, was a Welsh lawyer and Liberal politician.Born at Gothenburg, Sweden, he was educated at Friars School, Bangor, Shrewsbury School and Balliol College, Oxford, and was a scholar of Worcester College, Oxford from 1847.He became a barrister of Lincoln's...
- politician - John Morris-JonesJohn Morris-JonesSir John Morris-Jones was a Welsh grammarian, academic and poet.He was born at Llandrygarn, Anglesey and educated at Friars School, Bangor. Whilst at Jesus College, Oxford, Morris-Jones co-founded the Cymdeithas Dafydd ap Gwilym...
– scholar and poet - Michael Mullinar - 1895-1973 Pianist, composer, teacher. Dedicatee Ralph Vaughan WilliamsRalph Vaughan WilliamsRalph Vaughan Williams OM was an English composer of symphonies, chamber music, opera, choral music, and film scores. He was also a collector of English folk music and song: this activity both influenced his editorial approach to the English Hymnal, beginning in 1904, in which he included many...
6th Symphony. - Goronwy OwenGoronwy Owen (poet)Goronwy Owen was one of the 18th century's greatest Welsh poets. He mastered the traditional bardic metres and, although forced by circumstances to be an exile, played an important role in the literary and antiquarian movement in Wales often described as the Welsh Eighteenth Century Renaissance...
– poet - Lt-Col David Price-WhiteDavid Price-WhiteLieutenant-Colonel David Archibald Price-White, TD was a Welsh solicitor and Conservative Party politician. He served as the Member of Parliament for Caernarvon Boroughs from 1945 to 1950.- Early life :...
- politician, Conservative MP from 1945-50 for Caernarvon BoroughsCaernarfon (UK Parliament constituency)Caernarfon was a parliamentary constituency centred on the town of Caernarfon in Wales. It elected one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system.... - Rt Rev Eric RobertsEric Roberts (bishop)The Rt Rev Eric Matthias Roberts was a Bishop of St David's during the last quarter of the 20th century. Born on 18 February 1914 and educated at Friars School, Bangor and St Edmund Hall, Oxford he was ordained in 1939. After a curacy at Penmaenmawr, he was Sub-Warden of St. Michael's College,...
, Bishop of St David'sBishop of St David'sThe Bishop of St David's is the ordinary of the Church in Wales Diocese of St David's.The succession of bishops stretches back to Saint David who in the 6th century established his seat in what is today the city of St David's in Pembrokeshire, founding St David's Cathedral. The current Bishop of St...
from 1971–82 - Meirion Thomas, Professor of Botany from 1946-60 at King's College, Newcastle upon Tyne
- Thomas John Thomas - international footballer
- Sir Hugh Corbet VincentHugh VincentSir Hugh Corbet Vincent was a Welsh rugby union and association football player. He played club rugby for Bangor RFC and club football for Bangor City F.C. as well as a single international for the Wales national rugby union team...
- Rugby player once capped for Wales, unsuccessful parliamentary candidate and prominent solicitor - Prof John Vallance-Owen, Professor of Medicine from 1966-82 at Queen's University Belfast
- Sir Huw WheldonHuw WheldonSir Huw Pyrs Wheldon OBE MC was a BBC broadcaster and executive.Wheldon was born in Prestatyn, Wales and educated at Friars School, Bangor. His father, Sir Wynn Wheldon, was a prominent educationalist, who had been awarded the DSO for gallantry in the First World War...
OBE MC, broadcaster, Managing Director from 1968-75 of BBC TV, and President from 1979-85 of the Royal Television SocietyRoyal Television SocietyThe Royal Television Society is a British-based educational charity for the discussion, and analysis of television in all its forms, past, present and future. It is the oldest television society in the world...
(RTS) - Sir Wyn Powell Wheldon DSO, Registrar from 1920-33 of the University College of North Wales, and father of Huw
- Very Rev John Williams, Dean of LlandaffDean of LlandaffDean of Llandaff is the title given to the head of the chapter of Llandaff Cathedral, which is located in Llandaff, Cardiff, Wales. It is not an ancient office – the head of the chapter was historically the Archdeacon who appears in this role in the Liber Landavensis and in the Chapter Acts...
from 1971-7 - Very Rev Carlyle Witton-DaviesCarlyle Witton-DaviesThe Very Rev Carlyle Witton-Davies was an eminent Anglican priest and scholar. He was born on 10 June 1913 and educated at Friars School, Bangor, University College of North Wales, Bangor, Exeter College, Oxford and Ripon College Cuddesdon. He was ordained in 1938 and began his ecclesiastical...
- Theo Shields ArtistArtistAn artist is a person engaged in one or more of any of a broad spectrum of activities related to creating art, practicing the arts and/or demonstrating an art. The common usage in both everyday speech and academic discourse is a practitioner in the visual arts only...
General
- Barber, H. & Lewis, H. (1901) The History of Friars School, Jarvis & Foster
- Clarke, M. L. (1955) The Elizabethan Statutes of Friars School, Bangor, Transactions of Caernarfonshire Historical Society, Volume 16, pp. 25–28
- Davies, Gareth Alban (2007), Maurice Griffin (?-1558), Esgob Rochester, Transactions of Caernarfonshire Historical Society, 68, pp. 13–50
- Griffith, W. P. (1988), Some Passing Thoughts on the Early History of Friars School, Bangor, Transactions of Caernarfonshire Historical Society, 49, pp. 117–150
- Jones, Clifford M. (ed.) (2007), Friars School, Bangor 1557-2007: The Effect of the Reformation on Education in North Wales Mostly reprinting earlier articles referred to above, but with some new material.
- Jones, E. W. & Haworth, J. (eds.) (1957) The Dominican, Friars School