| Description | ED/GR6S/A58/1 Log Books (1881 - 1991)
ED/GR6S/A58/2 Admission Registers and Class Lists (1864 - 1994)
ED/GR6S/A58/3 School Magazines 2005 - 2015
ED/GR6S/A58/4 Items Relating to Lord Byron n.d.
ED/GR6S/A58/5 Prospectuses 1907 - 1908, 1923 - 1936
ED/GR6S/A58/6 Prize Lists 1862 - 1863
ED/GR6S/A58/7 Brochures 1992
ED/GR6S/A58/8 Former Pupils Clubs Records 1920 - 1952
ED/GR6S/A58/9 Class Lists 1881 - 1884
ED/GR6S/A58/10 Library Records 1820
ED/GR6S/A58/11 Records of Lantern Slides 1901
ED/GR6S/A58/12 War Memorial Committee Records 1918 - 1926
ED/GR6S/A58/13 Records of Sports Clubs 1864 - 1920
ED/GR6S/A58/14 Ink Blocks of Masters n.d.
ED/GR6S/A58/15 Marischal College Graduation Certificates 1844
ED/GR6S/A58/16 Photographs 19th Century
ED/GR6S/A58/17 Examination Papers 1855 - 1879
ED/GR6S/A58/18 Abstract of Fees 1865 - 1868
ED/GR6S/A58/19 Town Council Minutes Extracts Regarding the School 1863 - 1869
ED/GR6S/A58/20 Bursary Lists 1863 - 1881
ED/GR6S/A58/22 Deed of Mortification c.1800 - 1880
ED/GR6S/A58/23 Class Lists and Registers 1853 - 1868
ED/GR6S/A58/24 Bursary Receipt Books 1854 - 1880
ED/GR6S/A58/25 Photographs of Rectors 19th century
ED/GR6S/A58/26 Records of Class Reunions 1802 - 1814
ED/GR6S/A58/27 Lists of James Dun's Pupils 1732 - 1778
ED/GR6S/A58/28 Photographs of Portraits of Grammar School Pupils 19th - 20th century
ED/GR6S/A58/29 Catalogues of Pupils 1826 - 1866
ED/GR6S/A58/30 Catalogue of Books c.1863
ED/GR6S/A58/31 Natural History Minute Book 1906 - 1909
ED/GR6S/A58/32 Attendance Registers 1861 - 1865
ED/GR6S/A58/33 Meteorological Observations 1829 - 1839
ED/GR6S/A58/34 Arithmetic and Mathematics Class Log Books 1876 - 1877
ED/GR6S/A58/35 Rules of the Annual Supper Club of Old Boys 1814 - 1846
ED/GR6S/A58/36 Rector's Reports 1881 - 1892
ED/GR6S/A58/37 Lists of Pupils 1821 - 1822
ED/GR6S/A58/38 Registers of Marks Awarded to Pupils 1882 - 1920
ED/GR6S/A58/39 Attendance Registers 1883 - 1892
ED/GR6S/A58/40 Prize Lists 1884 - 1885
ED/GR6S/A58/41 Papers Concerning the Fire at the School 1986 - 1992
ED/GR6S/A58/42 Correspondence Relating to the Fire at the School 1983 - 1987
ED/GR6S/A58/43 Papers Concerning the Rebuilding of the Grammar School and Arrangements for Pupils 1990
ED/GR6S/A58/44 Correspondence Files Concerning General School Matters 1983-1987
ED/GR6S/A58/53 Fees Books 1879 - 1900
ED/GR6S/A58/54 Mark Books 1925 - 1933
ED/GR6S/A58/55 Mark Registers 1903 - 1971
ED/GR6S/A58/58 Photographs of Rugby Teams 1899 - 1935
ED/GR6S/A58/59 Photographs of Scottish School Football Association Teams and Officials 1923 - 1930
ED/GR6S/A58/60 Photographs of Staff c.1934 - 1959
ED/GR6S/A58/61 Photographs of Name Boards c.1960
ED/GR6S/A58/62 Photographs Showing Aspects of the Site of the Old Grammar School in Schoolhill c.1930
ED/GR6S/A58/63 Photographs of School Sports and Cultural Activities c.1938-1949
ED/GR6S/A58/64 Photographs of Rectors 20th century
ED/GR6S/A58/65 Portraits of Former Pupils 19th century
ED/GR6S/A58/66 Portrait of Dr Patrick Dun and Unidentified Portrait
ED/GR6S/A58/67 Photographs of Unknown School Pupils 19th century
ED/GR6S/A58/68 Photographs of Prefects 1928 - 1971
ED/GR6S/A58/69 Playground Rules 1875
ED/GR6S/A58/70 Scrap Book 1895 - 1943
ED/GR6S/A58/71 Lists of Distinguished Former Pupils 1895
ED/GR6S/A58/73 Photograph of Byron Statue in Front of the School 1923
ED/GR6S/A58/74 Photographs of Byron's House c.1920
ED/GR6S/A58/75 Newspaper Cuttings 1949
ED/GR6S/A58/76 Framed Commemoration Page for Thanksgiving Week 1945
ED/GR6S/A58/77 Lefts Registers 1999 - 2008
RECORDS WITH INFORMATION ABOUT PUPILS
A copy of Theodore Watt's "Aberdeen Grammar School Roll of Pupils 1795 - 1919", published by the Grammar School Former Pupils Club in 1923, is available in the searchroom at Old Aberdeen House and online here: https://hdl.handle.net/2027/mdp.39015030523727.
Registers
ED/GR6S/A58/27/2 Copies of various lists of pupils from the 17th and 18th centuries
ED/GR6S/A58/27/1 List of James Dun's Pupils 1732 - 1744
ED/GR6S/A58/26/1 Minutes of Class Reunions with class list of those attending the grammar school, 1802 - 1805.
ED/GR6S/A58/37/1 List of Pupils 1821 - 1822
ED/GR6S/A58/29 Catalogues of Pupils 1826 - 1866
ED/GR6S/A58/23/1, 2/1, 2/3, 9/1 Class Lists and Registers 1853 - 1868, 1864 - 1884, 1868 - 1880, 1881 - 1884
ED/GR6S/A58/32, 39/1 Attendance Registers 1861 - 1865, 1883 - 1892
ED/GR6S/A58/2/2, 4-11 Admission Register 1881 - 1893, 1889 - 1917, 1906 - 1994 and for Kindergarten 1943-1964
ED/GR6S/A58/71 Lists of Distinguished Former Pupils 1895
ED/GR6S/A58/77 Leavers Registers 1999 - 2008
Other records that may contain information about pupils:
ED/GR6S/A58/6 Prize Lists 1862 - 1863
ED/GR6S/A58/8 Former Pupils Clubs 1920 - 1952
ED/GR6S/A58/15 Marischal College Graduation Certificates 1844
ED/GR6S/A58/20/1 Bursary Lists 1863 - 1881
ED/GR6S/A58/24/1 Bursary Receipt Book 1854 - 1880
ED/GR6S/A58/38/1 Registers of Marks Awarded to Pupils 1882 - 1920
ED/GR6S/A58/40/1 Prize Lists 1884 - 1885
ED/GR6S/A58/53 Fees Books 1879 - 1900
ED/GR6S/A58/54 Mark Books 1925 - 1933
ED/GR6S/A58/55 Mark Registers 1903 - 1971
Photographs
ED/GR6S/A58/16 Photographs of classes and school sports teams. 19th Century
ED/GR6S/A58/28 Photographs of Portraits of Grammar School Pupils 19th - 20th century
ED/GR6S/A58/58 Photographs of Rugby Teams 1899 - 1935
ED/GR6S/A58/59 Photographs of Scottish School Football Association Teams and Officials 1923 - 1930
ED/GR6S/A58/63 Photographs of School Sports and Cultural Activities c.1938 - 1949
ED/GR6S/A58/65 Portraits of Former Pupils 19th century
ED/GR6S/A58/67 Photographs of Unknown School Pupils 19th century
ED/GR6S/A58/68 Photographs of Prefects 1928 - 1971 |
| Administrative History | The school was reputedly founded prior to 1262, and there are references in the 1256 statutes to a grammar school. There is a reference to a John Homyll being appointed as master of a grammar school in St Nicholas parish in 1418, succeeding Andrew de Syves. Until 1873 the school was overseen by the Burgh Council. The school was originally on Schoolhill, moving to its present site on Skene Street in 1863.
In 1873 the Aberdeen School Board took over responsibility for the Grammar School, with the school funded by a local rate.
In 1884 a coat of arms was adopted by the school, based on the union of the arms of the town and those of Dr Patrick Dun who in 1631 bequeathed the lands of Ferryhill along with 600 merks to the school. The motto adopted is 'Ratio conformatioque doctrince' taken from Cicero's Pro Archia' [from log book ED/GR6S/A58/1/1, p. 11].
The School has a Former Pupil's Club, founded in 1893, with headquarters at 86 Queens Road. The Club contributed towards the cost of the purchase of the Rubislaw Field playing fields for the School, which opened in 1916. A school magazine was first produced in 1885 by the School's Literary Club and Debating Society. In 1907 the former pupil's club became involved in the production of the magazine.
In 1906 a celebration of the 650th year of the recorded history of the school was held [from log book ED/GR6S/A58/1/1, p. 417].
A pond (swimming pool) was opened in October 1963, after first being proposed in the 1930s.
The school was briefly renamed as Rubislaw Academy in 1970/1 it returned to its original name in January 1977 (from GRC Education Committee minutes). Girls were admitted to the School for the first time at the beginning of session 1973/74.
In 1986 the school was badly damaged by fire, with many of the school's records lost.
Aberdeen Grammar School is now (as of 2018) a six-year comprehensive school serving the central west-end area of Aberdeen.
Rectors:-
James Milne
James Dunn, 1744 - 1798 (died aged 90)
James Melvin LlD, 1826 - 1853 (died)
William D Geddes, 1853 - 1855
Thomas Wallor Eyre Evans (from Royal Belfast Institution), 1855 - 1859 (dismissed)
Rev William Barrack MA (formerly Rector of Old Aberdeen Grammar School - sent to Dollar Academy), 1860 - 1868
Alexander Martin MS (formerly classical master at Grammar School), 1869 - 1881
James Moir MA, LlD, DLitt, 1881 - 1893 (Co-Rector, 1893 - 1899)
Henry Fife Morland Simpson MA, FSA (Scot), 1893 - 1920
John Mackay Thomson 1920 - 1921 (appointed as School Inspector)
Douglas G. Miller 1921 - 1923
David M. Andrew 1924-1942
Sir James J. Robertson 1942-1959
John V Skinner, MA, BLitt, DipEd, 1959 - 1972/75
Robert D Gill, MA, 1972/75 - 1986
William Johnston, MA (from Culloden Academy, Inverness), 1987 - 2004
Graham Legge 2004 -2015
Alison Murison 2015 - present [2021] |