ARCHIVES
POCKLINGTON SCHOOL
CELEBRATES 500 YEARS
SINCE THE FORMAL SEALING
OF ITS FOUNDATION CHARTER
On Friday 3 February 2017, Pocklington School
offered thanks and prayer to its founder John
Dowman, during a service at All Saints Church,
to mark 500 years since he formally sealed his
Foundation Charter for the Guild and the School.
The School’s Foundation Charter, dated 3 February
1517, gives a lengthy recital of the powers granted
to him by Henry VIII in letters dated 24 May 1514,
where John Dowman sets out his provisions
establishing firstly his religious guild in ‘Poklyngton’
and then the ‘grammar school’.
Led by Pastoral Director Lawrence McKell, with
an address from Paul Oatridge, Housemaster of
Wilberforce, the service was attended by pupils and
teachers at the school and the prayer of thanksgiving
was offered by Senior Master, Mike Evans. SHOUT OUT TO THE LADIES
Headmaster Mark Ronan said: “John Dowman was
a visionary who understood the value of education.
By the time he founded the Guild he was a
prominent churchman and lawyer and through this
great act of philanthropy established our school
which has inspired lives for over 500 years. Back row (L-R): Liz Owen (95-04), Sarah
Kenway (née Carlisle, 95-05), Steph Atkin
(98-05), Vicky Giniyatov (née Minns, 97-05),
Emma Nettleton (94-05), Vicky Prescott (98-
05), Jodie Hill (00-06), Lucinda Stephenson
Found in t