Kelly College

History

The school was founded in 1877 after Admiral Benedictus Marwood Kelly left the great part of his real and personal estate to Trustees, founding a charity which he directed should be called "The Kelly College", which should be for the education of the "sons of Naval officers and other gentlemen". The school opened in October 1877, under the Headmastership of Robert West Taylor, late fellow of St John's College, Cambridge, with twelve boys on the school roll. It became co-educational in the early 1970s, initially with entrants into the Sixth Form, and in September 1991 welcomed thirty one girls into the First Form, fourteen of whom became Kelly Veterans in 1998.

Houses

The School had six houses;

School house (Girls Year 9-11 boarding/day House) (founded 1877), Courtenay House (Senior Boys House boarding /day) (founded 1901), Newton House (Boys Year 9-11 boarding/day house) (founded 1939), Conway House (Junior house, 1st and 2nd form only) (founded 1975), and Marwood House (Senior Girls House) (founded 1983),

Notable attendees

"Old Kelleians"

• Adedayo Adebayo, rugby player
• Dawn Airey, media executive
• Nicholas Bomford, schoolmaster who served as headmaster of Monmouth, Uppingham and Harrow Schools
• Robin Brew, British Olympic Swimmer
• Claire Cashmore MBE, swimmer
• Sharron Davies MBE, swimmer
• Flora Duffy, Bermudian triathlete
• Femi Fani-Kayode, Nigerian politician
• George Hacker, Bishop of Penrith
• Andy Jameson, BBC Sports commentator & former Olympic swimmer
• Ellen Keane, swimmer
• John Lucas, Archdeacon of Totnes
• Rod Mason, Trad Jazz Vocalist, trumpet and cornet player
• Malcolm Stewart Hannibal McArthur, first British resident in Brunei
• Sir Gordon Minhinnick KCMG CVO, cartoonist
• Hannah Russell MBE, swimmer
• Michael Jones MBE, swimmer
• Gerald Seymour, novelist and former ITN correspondent
• Lauren Steadman, triathlete
• Bishop Mervyn Stockwood, Bishop of Southwark
• Thomas Douglas Victor Swinscow, deputy editor British Medical Journal (1964 - 1977) and founder of British Lichen Society and The Lichenologist.
• Charles Symons CB MC, Chaplain-General to the Forces
• Sir Hugh Thornton KCMG CVO, civil servant
• Air Marshall Sir Richard Gordon Wakeford KCB, LVO, OBE, AFC, RAF officer
• Jakie Wellman, Zambian Olympic Swimmer
• Mike Westbrook OBE, jazz musician

References

References

1. "Bristol Live - latest local news, sport & business from Bristol".
2. (1) Kelly College Chronicle 1997 - 1998
3. (17 November 1996). "Rugby Union:Day of Adebayo arrives".
4. "Dawn Airey to join ITV as Director of Global Content - itvplc".
5. (10 July 2025). "Nicholas Raymond Bomford: obituary". [[Daily Telegraph]].
6. (3 September 2012}}{{Dead link). "Former Kelly College pupil wins silver at Paralympics".
7. . (20 July 2014). ["Meet the Plymouth athletes competing at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Scotland"](http://www.plymouthherald.co.uk/Meet-Plymouth-athletes-competing-2014/story-21663813-detail/story.html).
8. Slowtwitch.com. "The unsinkable Flora Duffy".
9. (28 September 2016). "Femi Fani-Kayode Biography: All There Is To Know About Him - Nigerian Infopedia".
10. "COLSC History & Fame".
11. (15 September 2016). "Paralympic games success for HMC alumni - HMC".
12. [https://www.theguardian.com/music/2017/mar/06/rod-mason-obituary Rod Mason Obituary]''The Guardian''
13. Taonga, New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage Te Manatu. "Minhinnick, Gordon Edward George".
14. (27 September 2016). "Mount Kelly swimmers gain eight medals at Rio".
15. (27 September 2016). "Mount Kelly swimmers gain eight medals at Rio".
16. Archipelago, World. "Gerald Seymour".
17. "Lauren Steadman".
18. (14 January 1995). "Obituaries:The Right Rev Mervyn Stockwood".
19. (1993). "OBITUARY THOMAS DOUGLAS (DOUGAL) VICTOR SWINSCOW 10 July 1917-24 September 1992". The Lichenologist.
20. "Air Marshal Sir Richard Wakeford".