Timeline of BGS history

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The table below sets out the timeline of key events that have occurred over the lifetime of the school.

Year Event
1329 First written reference to a Grammar School in Boston: Robert of Muston first recorded master.
1555 School charter granted by Philip and Mary
1567/8 Big School constructed
1635 Boston Latin School founded, and modelled on BGS. It is currently the oldest existing school in the United States.
1707 Laughton bequest
1827 Number One South End built (no longer used by the school)
1835 Robert Evelyn Roy attended the school. He later wrote the earliest available account of school life from the point of view of a pupil
1838 John Francis Bazlinton, longest serving master, arrived at the school
1850 North end lobby of Big School opened
George Edwin Pattenden, longest serving headmaster, arrived at the school
1856 South end classroom of Big School opened.
The History and Antiquities of Boston authored by Pishey Thompson.
1862 Stained glass panels installed in the north windows of Big School, depicting key figures from the Tudor period
1866 North end classroom of Big School opened.
First five verses of school song, Floreat Bostona, written.
Earliest record of a BGS cricket match against another school: The King's School, Grantham.
1871 Number One South End extended to accommodate more boarders.
First Fives Court opened (demolished in 1904).
1875 Parry Gold Medal instituted (first recipient: Frederick Pattenden)
1887 Sixth verse of Floreat Bostona written to commemorate Queen Victoria's golden jubilee year
George Edwin Pattenden, longest serving headmaster, left the school
1895 Thomas F. Bayard, United States Ambassador to the United Kingdom, was the guest of honour at Speech Day
1898 John Francis Bazlinton, longest serving master, died while still in service to the school
1900 Old Bostonian Association formed. Originally called the 'Old Bostonian Club'.
1904 First science block opened.
Second Fives Court opened (demolished around 2000).
1915 Margaret Anne Tamlyn, believed to be the first female member of staff, employed from February to April 1915
1920 First issue of the Bostonian magazine published.
House system 're-introduced' with three houses: Hill's, Cox's and Briggs'.
1921 Boston High School founded
1923 First World War memorial unveiled
1926 Main Quadrangle Block opened
Houses renamed to those we know today: Parry, Gannock and Muston.
1936 Laughton formed as a fourth house to meet a growth in student numbers
1938 Sports Field came into use
1939 Air Raid Shelters built (demolished in 1958 and 1968)
1941 CCF formed, initially as the Air Training Corps
1949 Second World War memorial unveiled.
First Dining Hall opened (demolished in 1984).
First edition of The Quintian published.
1953 Ormiston House, 27 Rowley Road built (sold in 1980).
1954 The first three girls to join the school entered the sixth form: Janice Bellamy, Carolyn Greetham, Pat Jackson
1955 400th anniversary (quater-centenary) of school charter being granted.
First Charter Day service held.
Ten stained glass panels conceived for bay window of Big School. These were installed in 1956.
Boston Grammar School - A Short History authored by Hubert Turpin.
1958 Assembly Hall opened.
Second science block opened (demolished in 2002).
1959 Gold piping / braid on blazers began to be phased out.
Blazer badge changed from 'BGS' monogram to three crowns.
1960 Pavilion opened.
Staff Room opened
Specific ties and lapel badges introduced for prefects.
1961 Big School renovated and converted for use as school library
1965 Swimming pool opened (in use until 1981)
1966 Junior Common Room opened.
Boston Grammar School - A Short History updated.
1968 Mobiles introduced (all removed by 2003).
Stained glass panels installed in the Library, depicting the four historical figures after whom the Houses are named.
1976 Sports Hall opened
BGS Parents' Association (BGSA) formed
1980 Fiesta held to celebrate the 425th anniversary of the granting of the school charter
CCF disbanded
1984 Second Dining Hall opened
1985 Design and Technology Block opened.
Floreat Bostona, a comprehensive history of BGS, authored by alumnus George Bagley.
1988 Link Block opened
1992 First issue of the Grammar Gazette published.
1993 Sixth Form Block opened
circa 1993 Sixth Form became co-educational
1996 Library refurbished
1997 Art and Music Block opened
2000 Centennial Anthology published to commemorate the centenary of the OBA
2002 Third science block opened
OBA museum opened at the north end of the Library.
2005 Small clocktower built to commemorate the 450th anniversary of the granting of school charter
First female recipient of the Parry Gold Medal: Sunita R Deshmukh
2007 Federation with Boston High School began.
2013 BGS acquired Academy status, ending the federation with Boston High School.
School suffered flood damage due to tidal surge.
2018 First floor extension to Sixth Form Block opened

Similar timeline-based views can be found on this Wiki in relation to Boston Grammar School Staff, Prizes and Buildings.