Artist: Percy Robertson (English, 1868–1934)
Title: Winchester College, from the Meadows
Medium: Original etching on wove paper.
Signature: Signed in the plate, lower left
Dimensions: Image size 6 1/4 x 9 1/4 inches
Framed Dimensions: Approximately 15 x 18 inches.
Framing: This piece has been professionally matted and framed using all new materials.
Winchester College is a public school in Winchester, Hampshire. It has existed in its present location for over 600 years. It is the oldest of nine renowned schools considered by the Clarendon Commission, seven of which were subsequently regulated by the Public Schools Act 1868. Winchester College was founded in 1382 by William of Wykeham, Bishop of Winchester and Chancellor to both Edward III and Richard II, and the first 70 poor scholars entered the school in 1394. In the early 15th century the specific requirement was that scholars come from families where the income was less than five marks sterling (£3 6s 8d) per annum; in comparison, the contemporary reasonable living for a yeoman was £5 per annum. It was founded in conjunction with New College, Oxford, for which it was designed to act as a feeder: the buildings of both colleges were designed by master mason William Wynford. This double foundation was the model for Eton College and King’s College, Cambridge, some 50 years later. At first only a small number of pupils other than scholars were admitted; by the 15th century the school had around 100 pupils in total, nominally the 70 scholars, 16 choirboys known as “quiristers”, and the rest “commoners”. Demand for places for commoners was high, and though at first restricted, numbers gradually rose. From the 1860s, ten boarding houses, each for up to sixty pupils, were added, greatly increasing the school’s capacity. By 2020, the number of pupils had risen to 690.