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King William's College is an independent school for ages 3 to 18, situated near Castletown on the Isle of Man. The College, fondly known as "KWC" and to other locals as "King Bill's", widened entry from boys-only to co-educational in the 1980s. It was founded with financing from the Bishop Barrow Trust set up in 1668, but the College did not open its doors until 1833, with only 46 boys. Today there are roughly 500 pupils. The College was named after King William IV who is said to have offered the founders "my most valuable possession, my name" when asked for a financial contribution. King William's College attracts a high number of international students, and offers the International Baccalaureate to Sixth Formers. The College is located on two sites in Castletown; the main estate which takes pride of place on the shore of Castletown Bay, and The Buchan School which is the College's junior school, located in the Westhill part of Castletown, some two miles from the main campus. The school runs an ancient praefectoral system, with the Principal appointing members of the Upper Sixth Form to the role of Præpositors - a post known only to the College. The head Praepositor is also the Head of School.
The Crest of King William's College. The coat of arms in the centre is that of Bishop Isaac Barrow who in 1668 set up a trust to fund education in the Isle of Man which was later used to found the College. On the left can be seen St. Brigida holding a church, while below can be seen the Three Legs of Mann. The mitre on top represents Bishop Barrow. The latin motto is Assiduitate Non Desidia - By Constant Practice, Not Laziness.
King William's College is called Coolish Ree Illiam in Manx.
General Knowledge Paper (GKP)
Since 1904, the College has set an annual general knowledge test, known as the General Knowledge Paper (GKP). The pupils sit the test twice; once unseen on the day before the Christmas holidays, and again when they return to school in the New Year, after having spent the holiday researching the answers. However, the test is now voluntary. It is well-known to be highly difficult, a common score being just two correct answers from the list of several hundred. The best scores are 40-50 for the unseen test and about 270 of 360 for the second sitting. Traditionally, the best scorers were given a free half pint of bitter, while anyone doing particularly badly was given a detention.
The quiz is always introduced with the following Latin motto: "Scire ubi aliquid invenire possis, ea demum maxima pars eruditionis est", which translates as: "To know where to find anything is, after all, the greatest part of education."
The quiz is popular with non-pupils, and has been published in The Guardian since 1951.
The current quizmaster is Dr. Pat Cullen, a retired GP, who has been setting the quiz since 1997. He reports that he now checks questions by typing them into Google and changing them if necessary to make sure the answers cannot be found immediately.
Today the GKP is sent home to parents, there being a prize of £100 for the winning family.
Præpositors
A Præpositor is an equivalent of a Prefect; a member of the Upper Sixth Form who has considerable responsibility within the school. The title Head of School is the title given to the most senior Præpositor. The Head of School can either be male or female. Depending on the gender of the Head of School their subordinate colleague will be known as either the Head Boy or the Head Girl. The Head of School is a long-established post, with the first recorded appointment in 1846.
Noted alumni
Former pupils, staff and governors of King William's College may place the letters OKW after their name.
- Sir William H. Bragg OM, KBE, FRS, CBE, Nobel Prize winner.
- T.E. Brown, poet and writer.
- Major Robert Henry Cain VC, Hero of the Second World War.
- Joseph George Cumming, MA Cantab., geologist and archaeologist.
- The Rev. John Ellerton, hymn writer and hymnologist. "The day Thou gavest, Lord, is ended."
- The Venerable, Dean Dean Farrar, FRS, DD Cantab., writer.
- Major Robert Johnston VC, recipient of the VC - South African War.
- The Rev. James Maurice Wilson, theologian and astronomer.
- Lt. Gov., Field Marshal Sir George Stuart White VC, CB, KCB, GCB, OM, GCSI, GCMG, GCIE, GCIO, LLD Cantab., DCL Oxon., LLD Dublin, "The Hero of Ladysmith".
- Sir William Arthur White, British diplomat in Eastern Europe and Turkey
- David Cannan MHK, former Speaker of the House of Keys and current MHK for Michael
- John Rimmington MHK, Minister of Local Govenment and the Environment and MHK for Rushen
- Mike Southall MBE, awarded MBE for services to Scouting
Old Lithograph Print
See also
The Buchan School, Castletown, Isle of Man
The International Baccalaureate Organisation
External links
- The College's website
- The test on the College website (PDF)
- The Buchan School's website
- The International Baccalaureate's Website
- The Website of the Isle of Man Government
- I like to irritate Interview in the Guardian with the current quizmaster.
- This Year's Quiz in The Guardian
Educational institutions established in 1833 | Isle of Man | Schools with Combined Cadet Forces
"King William's College"