Prepared by Geoffrey Lamacraft and revised by Berl Eldridge and Dr. Joseph M. Marshall.

Unfortunately comparatively little is known about the early years of the school’s history as the historical records, along with those of Warwick Parish Vestry, were lost at sea in 1929. Mr. James Firth, who had possession of the records, was the purser of the vessel Fort Victoria that was rammed and sunk off New York harbour when the ship was making a regular run to Bermuda.

There seems to be little doubt, however, that the first buildings were on land donated by the Riche Family (Earls of Warwick). Richard Norwood, an outstanding mathematician and navigator, was the first headmaster but only for a very short time as there seem to have been difficulties in agreement over salary, and about 1659 the Rev. Jonathan Burr took over.

Burr undertook to “teach, writing, ciphering (arithmetic) and Latin for nothing, and navigation for a fee” but did not succeed and once again Norwood returned. However, there were still financial problems owing to lack of support and Norwood could not agree with his ushers or assistants.

The Company made an enquiry at this time and informed the Governors that a learned schoolmaster was one of the greatest needs of the colony, as at least one-third of the men could not even write their own names and those who had had some instruction were educated only to the most elementary level.

It was originally suggested that ‘an inoffensive man’ should be found for tutoring in each parish but the Company, realising that funds for schools would not run to one in each parish, decided to have one in the Chapel in the ‘over plus’ (the land left over as common land after Norwood’s division of the islands into shares) and another at the Warwick school lands.

The Company sent a letter in November 1663, requiring that the person taking over the Warwick School should build two rooms of stone measuring 14’ by 16’. This was undoubtedly the beginning of Warwick Academy proper. It is more than coincidence that the outline of a building visible in the present school building corresponds to the dimensions of the original building.

Education in the colony in the late seventeenth century and eighteenth century was at very low ebb, being reduced to the levels of reading, writing and arithmetic. When the clergy were urged to help they added a little Latin - to people who were barely literate. At the beginning of Governor Bennett’s term in 1701, members of the House of Assembly were scathingly described as having “privateering principles and a Bermuda education.” The low standard is hardly surprising when the payment of the schoolmaster, who was also the Attorney General, was a meager £4 a year.

It was not until the nineteenth century that the situation began to improve and this was somewhat spasmodic, depending on the calibre of the headmasters and the length of time they stayed. One of the most outstanding was Hugh Houston, who was headmaster from 1853 - 1883, and was renowned as a fine scholar and a good teacher. His school was attended by boys from all over the colony, amongst them several who are well remembered: The Reverend Dr. Francis Landy Patton, later to become President of Princeton University; Mr. Walter Thorburn, who became a Judge in the Supreme Court in Calcutta; and Sir James Hodson, who became a surgeon of repute in Edinburgh.

It was not until the twentieth century, however, that the school was embarked on the programme of expansion of physical facilities, which still seems to be in process. One of the earliest benefactors was Mr. James Morgan of Montreal, who owned property in Warwick Parish. His generosity (1918-1928) made possible the extension of buildings round a quadrangle area, which still remains the heart of the school. In addition, there was an assembly hall (now the gymnasium) and a well-equipped science laboratory.

Morgan, Dr. Francis Landy Patton and the Hon. A.B. Smith were also responsible for another action of far-reaching importance for Warwick Academy. They presented a petition to the House of Assembly which brought about the passing of an Act of Parliament - The Warwick Academy Trust Act (1922) from which the school has functioned with its own Board of Governors which first met in January, 1923, and from which date school records are still retained intact. The 1922 Act was rescinded in 1982 and replaced by the Warwick Academy Act 1982.

The headmaster at that time, Mr. R.C. Robertson (1895 - 1928, with a six-year break in Canada) had the pleasure of seeing six of his students awarded the Rhodes Scholarship. During the years 1912 -1918, while Mr. Robertson was in Canada, the school was blessed with another good headmaster, Mr. W. G. Waddington, M.A. His advertisement in the Royal Gazette contained the usual curriculum offered, and “special terms for those coming from Hamilton - hot dinners during the winter months.” Major W. B. Welch (1929-1940) was the first headmaster to enjoy the Headmaster’s House at the Northern end of the school lands overlooking Hamilton Harbour. Many of today’s prominent professional and business people received their education at the Academy at this time.

Academic standard in general, however, were not high and Mr. W. S. Blake, who was headmaster for four years (1943-47), complained at the first Board Meeting that standards were low, facilities seriously lacking, syllabuses non-existent and records incomplete. He introduced student records cards although they were often very sketchily completed.

Mr. George Perkins, headmaster (1947-53), began the academic development of the school, its students numbering 225 in December 1947. Owing to the generosity of Mr. W. S. Purvis, additional classrooms and cloakrooms were added in 1949. By 1950 enrolment had reached 275 and parental interest was marked by a revitalisation of the Warwick Academy Association of parents, old pupils and teachers. This Association began to take an active part in school affairs.

The school curriculum catered for an ‘A’ stream, which took the Cambridge School Certificate, while other students took commercial and business training.

In September 1953, Mr. G. G. Lamacraft became headmaster and was in office for nineteen years. It was during this time that the school’s reputation for high academic standards was firmly established and school enrolment steadily increased. There were many major changes and a great increase in school facilities, especially for the Science Department. In 1962, the 300th anniversary of the founding of the school, the Pheobe Purvis Memorial Hall was built in tribute to the continuing generosity of Mr. Purvis.
Also, 1962 was a celebration year in another direction as the governors decided on an important change of policy. Warwick Academy, traditionally a school for white children, opened it secondary department to all children, the first of the traditionally white schools to do so. Two black children qualified in the entrance examinations but unfortunately neither took up the offer and it was not until 1963 that the first black child attended. The school is now completely integrated.

In 1967, the school regretfully parted with its ‘A’ level Sixth form when the government decided it would be more economical to concentrate all ‘A’ level teaching at a Sixth form centre.

In 1971, there was a further blow to tradition when government amalgamated several small primary schools and the primary department at Warwick Academy was one of the first to go. Needless to say, with the secondary department expanding first to a three-stream and then to a four-stream entry the space was rapidly taken up and soon the school was once more filled to over-flowing. An ‘infant’ music department, begun at this time, is now flourishing.

When Dr. Joseph M. Marshall was appointed headmaster in 1972, Warwick Academy operated as a typical British grammar school. However, his long experience as an educator in North America led him to believe that a more liberal programme could be introduced without sacrificing academic excellence and changes in this sphere have gradually been taking place.

Expansion, both in the academic and recreational spheres, has been achieved at a steady rate. Two hard surface tennis courts were built in 1974. The building housing the Science laboratories, Food, Nutrition and Needlework rooms was completed in 1975 and is the envy of many schools. In 1981, following extensive fund-raising, a very real need was met when a 25 metre swimming pool was completed. The earth excavated in the pool was utilised to level off an area, which is now an outdoor basketball court. However, it should be pointed out that the indoor gymnasium is substandard in size and safety features.

There have also been valuable additions to the staff room and there can be few schools with a more cosmopolitan make-up. Bermuda, Canada, England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland and the USA, are all represented by members of staff and this helps to provide the students with a well-rounded education.

1985 - Present

The nature of the school changed dramatically in the 1960s and early 1970s. Warwick Academy became a racially integrated school. Changes in the system of public education involved the loss to the school of both its sixth form and its primary department. From then until 1992 Warwick Academy developed as a four form entry, 11 to 16 selective, co-educational secondary school. Student enrollment climbed to nearly 500.

In 1989 the Ministry of Education announced its intention to abolish the secondary school entrance examination and to establish a comprehensive educational system of primary, middle and senior secondary schools. The Board of Governors announced in June 1990, that Warwick Academy would become a private 5 to 16 school from September 1992.

Later, the Board agreed to Government’s demand to delay the priviatisation of the secondary school until September 1995. Meanwhile, a fee-paying primary school was started in 1992, with one class in primary one and one in primary two.

Since becoming private again the school has had two Headteachers, Mr. Bernard Beacroft, who retired in 1997 , Mr. Robert Lennox, who retired in 2008 and Mrs. Margaret McCorkell, currently in post. The school is now solidly established as a successful, happy, integrated establishment maintaining high academic standards in the International General Certificate of Education, the General Certificate of Education and the International Baccalaureate. Additionally the school offers a full range of sporting, musical and other extra-curricular opportunities.

The school opened a new facility in may of 2005, which boasts a fine full-size Sports Hall, new bathrooms, changing rooms and re-vamped swimming pool (now heated) in addition to three new classrooms and an expanded Design & Technology workshop as well as storage for the main hall. The school has ambitious plans to upgrade its existing facilities and to add further ones.

 

Chairman
Mr V Inghams

Deputy Chair
Mrs A Berry

Treasurer
Mr. Carlos Lee

WAPTA Pres.
Ms. Maxanne Anderson

Members
Mrs. J Greig
Mr S Hunter
Mr M Fisher
Mrs Donna Harvey-Maybury
Mr I Hughs
Mr B Sharpe
Mrs J Smatt-Atkins
Mr A Smith
Mr A Whaley
Mr A Wilkinson

 

The Warwick Academy School Badge consists of a Crest with a Motto. the Crest contains two parts of each of which is interesting historically. The Bear and Ragged Staff device has been, from earliest times, incorporated in the heraldic crest of the House of Warwick.

When the Bermuda Trading Company controlled the Islands of Bermuda in the Seventeenth Century the Earl of Warwick was one of the shareholders. The School is established on land, which once formed part of that original share. The device of the Bear with the Ragged Staff which by kind permission of the present Earl, is now used as part of the school badge, has a prominent place in history, for the same device marked the advent of Warwick the Kingmaker, and of Richard of Beauchamp who fought with Henry V. At Crecy in 1346 the same Bear and Ragged Staff adorned the armour of Thomas who led the vanguard into battle.

The shield depicting the wreck of the Sea Venture is taken from the Arms of Bermuda and shows the flagship of Admiral George Somers, who sailed her from England for Virginia in June 1609, with a party of settlers. Storms drove the vessel south of her intended route and on 28th July in the same year she was wrecked close to the shores of Bermuda.

It seems fitting that Warwick Academy, the oldest school in Bermuda, should incorporate in its school badge devices which link an ancient noble house with Bermuda through the Sea Venture.

Added to the crest is the school motto, "Quo Non Ascendam", meaning "To what heights may I not ascend?", which epitomises the ageless spirit of adventure and achievement.

Lamacraft: The development of the Warwick Academy Crest
It is interesting to consider the connections between three sets of crests and mottoes in relation to the present Warwick Academy Badge, which is made of a Crest and a motto.

Firstly the Arms of Warwick School (England)
Warwick school dates possibly from 914 when Ethelfelda, daughter of King Alfred, built the Burgh of Warwick. It was reconstituted in 1545 by Henry VIII as 'the King's New School of Warwick', and received a grant of arms in 1931: Bules, a cross flory, in the first quarter a fleur-de-lys or, a chief of the second three martlets azure. Crest: On a wreath of the colours, upon a portcullis chained or, a bear erect argent, muzzled mules, supporting a ragged staff also argent. Motto: Altoria Peto. "Flory" means "each limb ending in a fleur-de-lys; 'of the second' is 'of the second colour mentioned', in this case, gold; 'martlets' are heraldic swallows, shown without feet. The significance of the shield and crest is as follows. The cross flory and martlets are taken from the shield ascribed to Edward the Confessor. The fleur-de-lys is from the Royal Arms of Henry VIII, which combined the fleur-de-lys of France with the lions of England. The portcullis, a Tudor badge, was granted as part of the crest, and Lady Warwick graciously gave her consent to the use of the crest of the Warwick Family, the Bear and Ragged Staff, for the other part.
It is interesting to note the use of the crest of the Warwick Family, the Bear and Ragged Staff which appears in the present Warwick Academy Badge, and also to not the link between the motto "Altoira Peto" (I seek higher things) of Warwick School, and the motto "Quo Non Ascendam" (To what heights may I not ascend) of Warwick Academy.

Secondly the Arms of Robert Riche -second Earl of Warwick (1587 - 1658)
Warwick was noted, as a young man, as a decorative courtier; later he devoted his considerable talents to overseas expansion. he became a member of the Bermuda Company in 1620. He got official permission to send privateers to the East Indies; the uninitiated called them pirates. In 1628 he himself sailed with another group of privateers to interrupt Spanish trade with the west; he distinguished himself with great personal courage. After the accession of Charles I he became noticeably puritan and joined the Parliamentary opposition. His condemnation of illegal taxation led to his imprisonment. In the ensuing Civil War he became a Captain-General of the Parliament's Armies and was largely responsible for the Navy declaring against the King. A personal friend of Oliver Cromwell, he died in 1658 much lamented by the Lord Protector.

If the date of establishment of Warwick Academy is accepted as being circa 1662, and the place of establishment as being on one of the Earl's shares of land in Bermuda, then logically the school crest should follow that of this Lord Riche (Robert the Admiral). However, it is recorded that the Riche Family ceased to exist in 1759 with the death of Edward Riche and the Earldom was re-created, in the same year for the Grilles, descendants of the original Earls of Warwick (the Beauchamps), and the present Warwick Academy badge includes the crest of the Beauchamps (Bear and Ragged Staff) with permission from the present Earl of Warwick.

 

Head Teachers of Warwick Academy
The School masters at Warwick Academy from circa 1662 to the present day. As far as can be ascertained, from such records as have been traced to date, there have been thirty Headmasters at Warwick Academy since its establishment. It is a great pity that the historical records of the school that were in the possession of the Secretary to the Trustees in the year 1929, Mr. James Frith, were lost at sea.

Mr. Frith who was also Secretary to the Warwick Parish Vestry, which also suffered the loss of Vestry records, held the post of Purser on the vessel Fort Victoria which was rammed and sunk off the New York Harbour on 18 December just after setting out on a regular voyage to Bermuda. However, it appears that the following Headmasters held appointment at Warwick Academy over the past three hundred years:

1600's
Circa 1662 - Richard Norwood
Circa 1659-1662 - Jonathan Burr -No Information
Circa 1660 - 1662 - Percival Golding
1680 - 1690 Dr. James Hill
1692 - Dr. Peter Albuoy

1700's
1710 - Nathaniel Astwood
Circa 1744 - 48 - James Paul
1748 - Edward Lowe
1779 - 1780 – Reverend John Dalziel
1781 - 1787 Reverend James Muir
1787 – 1819 William Burgess, James Gilbert and a Mr. Clements

1800's
Circa 1830 - William Kimball
1830 - 1836 Reverend Greig
1843 Dr. Robert Hunter
1853 - 1883 Hugh Houston
1883 - 1888 Mr. Nelson and Mr. Dowle
1888 - 1895 Oscar Wood

1900's
1918 - 1928 Mr. R.C. Robertson
1912 - 1918 Mr. W. G. Waddington
1926 - 1929 Mr. E.T. Roberts
1929 - 1940 Major W.B. Welch
1940 - 1941 Mr. Guy E. Mossman
1941 - 1943 Dr. A. Renny
1943 - 1947 Mr. W.S. Blake
1947 - 1953 Mr. George Perkins
1953 - 1972 Mr. Geoffrey G. Lamacraft
1972 - 1987 Dr. Joseph Marshall
1988 – 1996 Bernard Beacroft
1996 –2008 Robert Lennox
Presently - Mrs. Margaret McCorkell

The 1600's
Circa 1662 - Richard Norwood
Richard Norwood was the surveyor who conducted the original survey of the islands in 1616 and was persuaded to turn to teaching in 1652 when he is known to have taught a small group of pupils in a house on free school property in the parish of Devonshire. There was dissatisfaction over the location of the school some six miles from the two main centres of population and the demand for school facilities elsewhere became evident. A letter from the Bermuda Company to Captain Seymour in November 1663 states that “the schoolmaster on the land in Warwick is bound by covenant to erect at his charge, a complete schoolhouse of two rooms.”

Circa 1659-1662 - Jonathan Burr

Circa 1660 - 1662 - Percival Golding
Norwood is known to have returned to his survey work in 1659 and in this year Jonathan Burr, a preacher at both the Paget and the Warwick churches, left his church duties to become a schoolmaster, “to take charge of the school and to teach to any who will repair him in Warwick - writing, ciphering and Latin for nothing and the art of navigation to all who will pay for” as is recorded in a proclamation to the Government on March 3rd, 1660. Thus as Burr replaced Norwood, he must become the second master at the Warwick school which therefore must have existed in 1660. Burr did not prove a popular or successful teacher and Norwood, once again, took over the school and, at the insistence of the Earl of Manchester, had a man, Percival Golding, and his usher and for a short while engaged Burr as well. But funds were short and these three men proved incompatible so Norwood retired to his private school on his own land, leaving Golding, mediocre though he proved to be, in charge of the Warwick school.

1680 - 1690 Dr. James Hill
There is mention of Dr. James Hill as master at Warwick in the decade 1680/90 but little else is recorded about him.

1692 - Dr. Peter Albuoy
Peter Albuoy followed James Hill in 1692. He was a surgeon who, according to Assembly records, was granted the mastership by Governor Isaac Ricier “in recognition of his great and charitable pains in the attendance of his profession.” Albuoy was granted all that share of common land in Warwick, some 25 acres, at a rent of 34 per annum and he pledged himself to keep the schoolhouse in good repair and to erect one room at his own expense.

The 1700's
1710 - Nathaniel Astwood
The Attorney-General (1710/12), Nathaniel Astwood was for a short time the schoolmaster in Warwick and received £34 a year for his work, but little else is recorded about him.
Circa 1744 - 48 James Paul the son of Reverend James Paul, who was appointed the first pastor of the Warwick Presbyterian church in 1720, was probably the schoolmaster at the Warwick School for a few years before his untimely death, at the age of 24, in 1748.

1748 Edward Lowe
Edward Lowe followed James Paul and then mention is made of James Moir, gentleman, who was given permission by Governor John Pitt to teach school in the place in Warwick in possession of Mrs. Jane Albuoy (widow). This Mrs. Albuoy doubtless being a member of Peter Albuoy's family which apparently still held the lease on this school land.

1779 - 1780 Reverend John Dalziel
The fourth minister at the Warwick church, John Dalziel is mentioned with Edward Lowe as being schoolmasters in Warwick, but whether as assistant teachers or as Masters-in-charge is not clear. In 1780 a petition was presented to the legislature that the share of land in Warwick Parish which had been given to the parishioners for the maintenance of a proper school brought little or no income and that profits had become too inconsiderable a figure to induce a person of abilities equal to the task of keeping a proper school, to apply for the same, and also that several well-disposed persons had offered to rebuild the school on the said piece of land and put the land into a proper state of culture. In the Bermuda Gazette of October 25th 1784, His Majesty was reported as having given consent to an Act establishing a proper school on this land and seven Trustees were to be elected. This Act was very much along the lines of the later Devonshire College Act of 1816, but provided for the establishment of a College in which degrees would be conferred. Unhappily the scheme came to naught but it is intriguing to recollect that Bermuda might have benefited from this beginning of a system of Higher education in 1784 had the scheme materialised.

1781 - 1787 Reverend James Muir
It seems probable that the actual schoolhouse in Warwick had run into a state of bad repair by the 1780s since no less than three ministers are known to have been active in teaching as well as in their ministerial duties at this time. The Reverend James Muir advertised in the local press that he had a school in Warwick; a Reverend Morrison held classes in a house in Southlands in the same parish, and a Reverend Greig, who lived nearby on the Belmont lands, also ran a school during this period. Of them, the Reverend Muir is known to have left Bermuda in 1787 when he took over a church in Virginia and it is recorded that he officiated at the funeral of George Washington as chaplain of the Freemason's Lodge of the town of Alexandria. Muir was a Scot, a graduate in classics of the University of Glasgow (1776) and he continued his studies in Theology at Edinburgh, then in London where he was licensed to preach in 1779.

1787 – 1819 William Burgess, James Gilbert and a Mr. Clements
These men are mentioned briefly as being engaged in school mastering in Warwick at the turn of the century up to the time when in 1819 an Act was passed vesting the school lands and property in the Warwick Parish Vestry “for the purpose of supporting a school thereon for the education of youth.” This return of the school lands to Warwick Parish was made in return for £3300 collected by the parishioners and paid into the Devonshire College fund. The action by the parishioners resulted from a storm of protest by the people of Warwick when the property was vested in Trustees under the Devonshire College Act of 1816 and they determined to have control of their own school lands.

The 1800's
1830 - 1836 Reverend Greig
The Reverend Greig who earlier had taught in his own school at Belmont, took over the Warwick School in addition to his church duties and according to a mention in J.H.S. Frith's book "Reminiscences of an old Bermuda Church", the Reverend Greig "notwithstanding some faults in temper, his success as a teacher was well established."

1843 Dr. Robert Hunter
In 1843, a committee of local gentlemen engaged the services of a Scot - Dr. Robert Hunter - who came to live at Carberry Hill, adjoining the school lands, in the house of Mr. George Patton who, it is believed, named a son after him. A young man, he was only 20 when appointed, he became interested in a botanical study of the islands and took his pupils on many expeditions during the weekends. Mr. J.H.S. Frith mentions that among the scholars in the school under Robert Hunter were three sons of the Attorney-General, Duncan Stewart, a son of Mr. Boyle of Southampton parish and a son of the Receiver-General, Mr. W. B. Smith. Unfortunately Dr. Hunter remained only a few years in Bermuda before returning to Scotland to complete his Divinity studies. Later he went to India as a missionary where, during the mutiny, he lost both his wife and brother. He returned to London and became engaged in mission work in the dock area whilst working on the publication of an English Dictionary. Mr. Frith recalls, in his book of Reminiscences, visiting Robert Hunter at his house in Epping Forest in 1889 and seeing him again 45 years after his departure from Bermuda. Mr. Frith says that "in Bermuda Robert Hunter looked like an overgrown boy with an incipient beard, and now he was a man in advanced years with a full grey beard."
1900's
1918 - 1928 Mr. R.C. Robertson
In 1895 the services of a Scot, Mr. R.C. Robertson were obtained by a Committee of parents of the pupils attending Warwick Academy and he, and his wife, taught until 1912 when he left for Canada. However, at the end of World War I he returned to the Headship and remained until 1926. During this latter period of service he became a friend of one of the schools main benefactors, Mr. James Morgan, a member of the firm of Henry Morgan & Company of Montreal who had acquired a property in Warwick parish.

Mr. Morgan, a man of wealth, took a great personal interest in the school and, indeed, in the affairs of the colony. His generosity to the school made possible the considerable extension of the buildings around the quadrangle area which still remains the heart of the school. Additional classrooms, and Assembly Hall which still retains the name of Morgan Hall, a sell-equipped laboratory in which the pupils received up-to-date instruction in Physics and Chemistry, all resulted from his benefactions and sincere interest in the school. Not only did the physical facilities develop rapidly during the second period of service by Mr. Robertson but the school was put on a firm basis of operation as the result of action by a group of men consisting of James Morgan, Dr. Francis Landy Patton and the Hon. I.B. Smith who, by a petition to the House of Assembly, brought about the passing of an Act of Parliament - the Warwick Academy Trust Act (1922) from which date the school has functioned with its own Board of Governors which first met in January 1923 and from which date school records are still retained intact. it is a tribute to the periods of service of Mr. Robertson that three Rhodes Scholarships were awarded to his pupils during the years 1908 to 1912, including the first such award which sent to his son, Mr. O.K.. Robertson, and three further Rhodes Scholarships during the years 1920 to 1926, the year of his retirement.

Mr. Robertson is remembered as a stern disciplinarian and hard taskmaster but the affection in which he was held by his pupils is shown by his nickname "Buff" and, perhaps less flattering, to his wife, the nickname "Lizard" by which she was known.

A portrait of Mr. Robertson, painted by Humbert (Mrs. T.H. Parker), wife of an old boy of the school, still hang in the school.

1912 - 1918 Mr. W. G. Waddington
During the years between the two periods of service by Mr. Robertson, another Scot, W.G. Waddington, took over the headship. A graduate of Aberdeen and Berlin Universities, Mr. Waddington and his German wife remained in Bermuda during the war years and an indication of his approach to his pupils and of the courses of study available at that time is revealed in the wording of the following advertisement which appeared in the daily newspaper "The Royal & Colonial Gazette" on July 15th, 1914: -

"The Headmaster of Warwick Academy begs to indicate that he will be at home on Thursday afternoons for the enrollment (sic) of new pupils. He will gladly visit parents who find it inconvenient to call.

Warwick Academy offers all the advantages of a high-priced school at moderate rates, good moral training, practical and thorough instruction with due attention to physical culture. In addition to primary education the curriculum comprises Mathematics, Latin, German (conversational method), and Book-keeping. Pupils are prepared for Cambridge locals. Special terms for those coming from Hamilton. Hot dinners during the Winter months. Reduced terms for two or more of a family." W.G. Waddington M.A. Headmaster

1926 - 1929 Mr. E.T. Roberts
Following the retirement of Mr. Robertson in 1929, a Welshman, Mr. Roberts, was appointed and remained for a period of three years. During this time another businessman residing in Bermuda, Mr. William Sterling Purvis, a Canadian, became interested in education, particularly in Warwick Academy and his generosity resulted in plans for the further development of the building by the addition of a second storey containing additional classrooms and cloakrooms. This was to be the first of several generous benefactions by Mr. Purvis.

1929 - 1940 Major W.B. Welch
In 1929, Major W.B. Welch, a graduate of St. Andrews University, became Headmaster and, at first resided in the Western wing of the school building constructed as a result of the generosity of Mr. Morgan, and later moved into a newly built Headmaster's House at the Northern end of the school lands overlooking Hamilton Harbour and the school's waterfront area. During the years of service by major Welch many of today's permanent professional and business people received their education at the Academy.

In 1932, Warwick Academy suffered the loss to two of its most ardent supporters, James Morgan who died in June at the age of 84 and Dr. Francis Landy Patton who died in December in the same year.

Extracts from the Minutes of the Meetings of the Board of Governors indicate most clearly the high regard in which both these gentlemen were held.

Contained in the Minutes of the Sixty-second meeting held on June 7th, 1932 is the following tribute to James Morgan:-

"The Headmaster (Major W.B. Welch) reported that on the morning of the day of the late Mr. Morgan's funeral, a short service was held in the school, and in the afternoon, a deputation from the school placed a wreath on the grave. the work done by Mr. Morgan for the school was discussed and the following resolution passed to be placed on record:-

Resolved that there be recorded in the Minutes of this meeting our sense of the great loss which Warwick Academy has sustained through the much lamented death of Mr. James Morgan.

We recall with feelings of great gratitude his devoted interest, his untiring efforts and munificent gifts, through which the buildings at Warwick Academy have grown under his personal direction, in the course of the years, from a nucleus of three small classrooms to the spacious and commodious buildings which now occupy the site of the old school. But above all we treasure with feelings of admiration and respect the memory of the philanthropic spirit and far-seeing wisdom which inspired and governed him in the bestowal of his wealth in a way most likely to ensure the greatest benefit to the young of the present and future generations in Bermuda; and we are gratified at the thought that he lived to see his work completed and the school in full promise of increasing usefulness and success as the years go by.

The Governors directed that a copy of this resolution be sent to Mr. Morgan's sons in Montreal. An indication of the high regard in which Dr. Francis L. Patton was held in the community is shown in an account given in the local newspaper at the time of his celebration of his eighty-fourth birthday when his Excellency the Governor, whilst speaking at a Rotary Club meeting in Hamilton aptly described the "Grand old man of Bermuda" in these terms:-

"Dr. Patton was not just a man of learning, a vast store of knowledge; or merely an eminent theologian and philosopher. He was not merely a renowned orator - he was known in the world for greater things. He stood as one of the great men of his time and was known throughout the world not only for what he had done, but for what he is and for what he stands for... It is for himself, his wonderful magnetic personality, his wonderful understanding of human nature and the things beyond the conception of many of us. It is the glow of that great soul of his that we all feel; in his presence we feel we are in the presence of a master-man, the finest product in the world - A great Christian Gentleman."
and the newspaper when reporting His Excellency's words added its own tribute:

"Bermuda is proud of her Grand Old Man and we wish him Many Happy Returns of the Day, sensible of the fact that his distinctions honour us, his great character inspires us, and his great love for mankind uplifts us."

Contained in the Minutes of the Sixty-eighth Meeting of the School Board of Governors held on December 6th, 1932 is a tribute to Dr. Patton at the time of his death:

"The Chairman remarked on the school's loss in the death of the Reverend Dr. Francis Landy Patton and it was resolved that the following be recorded in the Minutes of the meeting: The Governors desire to place on record their deep sense of loss and profound regret at the death of the Reverend Dr. Francis L. Patton, a Governor of this school, who in the early years of the reconstitution of the school under a governing body in 1923, presided at the Governor's meetings. We recall now our sense of the honour which was ours in having at our Board, to help to guide us in our deliberations, one so highly qualified by his gifts of mind, his deep learning and wide experience in the field of education.

We felt that his counsel was given not only because of a deep interest in the cause of education in his native isle, but that this interest was, in his association with this Board, intensified by personal memories of love for the school in which he received his earliest education in Bermuda.

So now as we think of him laid to rest, after a long life spent in such splendid service in the cause of education and the spiritual uplift of the people of a great country, we cherish with pride the memory of this great man, with whom it was our privilege to be associated, and gain some confidence in the thought that Warwick Academy held a high place in his favour."

1940 - 1941 Mr. Guy E. Mossman
Following the resignation of Major Welch, the Reverend Guy Mossman was appointed to the Headmastership and he arrived from England with his wife and three young children, in September 1940. His appointment was mad e subject to the provision that he did not perform any ministerial duties for pay during his tenure of office. Guy Mossman set about his work with great energy and the number of pupils, which had dropped to less than 100, began to increase steadily, reaching 111 by the end of the Summer term in 1941. However, Guy Mossman and his family did not find Bermuda life to their liking and he resigned his appointment after only one year leaving the Board of Governors to face the difficult task of seeking a suitable replacement during the years of World War II. The Board decided to recall a former Assistant Master, Dr. A. Renny, who had returned to Canada and he accepted the appointment of Headmaster.

1941 - 1943 Dr. A. Renny
Dr. Renny, accompanied by his mother and his aunt, arrived from Canada and took up residence in the newly built Headmaster's House at the Northern end of the School grounds. School matters proceeded smoothly, enrollment continued to increase, reaching 148 by the end of 1941. Dr. Renny set about establishing a sound curriculum leading to the Junior and Senior Cambridge School Certificate examinations. Unhappily, one of the teachers of the Infant children, Miss Russell, who was highly regarded by the parents, resigned her post after a difference of opinion with Dr. Renny as to the extent of her duties. A parent protest to the Board was followed by strong verbal criticism of Dr. Renny's loyalty, presumably a reflection of his lack of war service, by a member of the Board which led to written objections, a majority vote of confidence in Dr. Renny and a demand for an apology from the Board member concerned. Events did not then go smoothly for Dr. Renny and in June 1942, two of the teachers, Messrs. MacLeod and Knowlton, resigned. they were, apparently, unqualified teachers and reported as ineffectual by the Headmaster, and they openly criticised the Head's own qualifications and abilities.

An indication of Dr. Renny's attitude towards his duties is found in his report read at Prize Day on January 14th, 1943 which recalls a remark, made to him by the Principal of Upper Canada College prior to Dr. Renny's departure for Bermuda, that he (Dr. Renny) "had been translated to more exasperating levels of duty". He said that he had suffered a sad blow to find Warwick Academy as it was in 1941, - partly an inefficient Kindergarten with the rest of the school two years below the correct age standards - and added that he had been under a terrific strain, both mental and physical, to establish a satisfactory grading and standard throughout the school but that he "was beginning to see shafts of sunlight" and thought all could look forward to a brighter future for the Academy.

Dr. Renny found cause to express dissatisfaction with the provisions made in the Headmaster's House and indicated that, if he was to stay, he sought a substantial increase in his salary, matters which the Board of Governors discussed at length and attempted to ease by granting a raise of salary by £50 per annum and by reducing the amount of rental paid. Dr. Renny refused to state whether or not he was willing to continue his services and not having any specific contract the Governors had to rely on the "Gentleman's agreement" made at the time of his appointment.

It seems clear that Dr. Renny had no intention of remaining as Headmaster for very long as he felt that "the stress and insistence brought to bear upon him to sign a contract led him to believe that he was faced with insecurity of tenure should he not do so" and he informed the Governors that he had decided to accept a post in Canada. One of the Board members made the offer of a personal contribution of £100 per annum to Dr. Renny if he would reconsider and decide to stay but the majority of the Board felt that the resignation, as offered and accepted, should stand. After prolonged bickering about costs of shipping furniture and deductions from salary for rent, Dr. Renny left the colony in August 1943.

1943 - 1947 Mr. W.S. Blake
Following advertisement of the Headmastership in Canada and in Bermuda, fourteen applications were received by the Board of Governors, one from a local Bermudian teacher, and the others from teachers in Canada. The Chairman of the Board, Mr. William S. Purvis, himself a Canadian, agreed to interview selected candidates in Toronto and recommended Mr. W.S. Blake as the most suitable.

Mr. Blake took up his appointment in September 1943 and, at the first Board Meeting of tenure of office, expressed his impressions of the school and his programme for the future. He said that the found standards low, facilities seriously lacking, syllabuses non-existent and records incomplete and intended to improve the entire school organisation as soon as possible.

Mr. Blake's efforts, in so far as school Records are concerned, bore fruit and the Record cards he evolved from part of the existing records of pupils, although it must be added they were more often than not only sketchily completed.
Mr. Blake submitted extensive Monthly Reports to the Board of Governors and extended the curriculum to include a Commercial course.

In 1944, Mr. William S. Purvis, Chairman of the Board of Governors, proposed that he establish a Trust to administer "a fairly large sum of money for the specific purposes for the benefit of Warwick Academy". Mr. Purvis stated, "my wife and I feel that if the Bermuda boys and girls, through this Trust, will receive a bored secondary education, and perhaps a University training, will acquire also a knowledge of Bermuda's needs, and a sense of their obligations to advance her moral and spiritual welfare - we will feel doubly repaid".

The amount proposed was £25,000 and the Board of Governors unanimously approved - "This Board is deeply moved by the magnificent contribution Mr. & Mrs. Purvis propose to make towards the furtherance of education in the community and by their generosity the opening of unbounded possibilities for Warwick Academy as an educational institution".

Mr. Blake continued his efforts to expand the school's curriculum and in October 1944 proposed to the Board of Governors that the Purvis Trust could form the foundation of development of the school three departments - Academic, Commercial and Technical stating that the school already had an Academic course, that a Commercial course was developing and that a Technical course could be included in a separate building on the school land. The plan was agreed in principle by the Board and the views and opinions of members of the Chamber of Commerce and employers of technically trained persons were sought. During 1944/45 the school enrollment increased to 170 and two additional teachers were employed.

The proposed concentration on development of a Commercial course within a newly formed Commercial Department of the school was stressed by Mr. Blake and a lengthy memorandum on the subject was submitted to the Governors in January 1946 and agreed in principle subject to financial support from the business community. Difficulties arose in finding teachers of suitable qualifications and experience and Mr. Blake made special efforts to recruit staff from Ontario through his previous association with the Educational authorities in that province. Matters between the Governors and Mr. Blake did not go smoothly and in March 1947 the Governors decided that it would be in the best interests of all concerned if the Headmaster resigned his appointment when the present period of his contract expired. Reasons for such a decision are not clear and are not included in the Minutes of Board meetings but in April the Headmaster submitted a letter of resignation which the Board accepted.

1947 - 1953 Mr. George Perkins
Mr. George Perkins, who had qualified as a teacher at St. Lukes College, Exeter, England and who had during the war years served in a responsible position with the Censorship control authority in Bermuda, accepted appointment as Headmaster and attended a special meeting of the Board of Governors on April 25th, 1947. Mr. Perkins, due to age, agreed to serve for a period of not less than two years and the school entered upon a successful period of development marked by lack of dispute between the Headmaster and the Governors and a happier atmosphere.

School enrolment rose to 225 in December 1947. The school buildings had been giving trouble for some years, mainly due to continuing leaks in the roof over the single storey structure and the Governors met with representatives of the Purvis Trust with a view to using the money controlled by the Trust for improvements to the school building. Extensions were agreed and were finally opened by His Excellency the Governor on March 17th, 1949 in the presence of the Chairman of the Board of Education (Mr. Hereward T. Watlington, M.C.P.), and Members of the Board of Governors and tribute was paid to Mr. & Mrs. William Purvis whose generosity had made the new building possible. "By the generosity of Mr. & Mrs. Purvis, a torch has been lighted for all who came after them" said Mr. Watlington in his address to the gathering of parents, pupils and friends of the school. Mr. Purvis, in his reply, noted that the architect - Mr. James Couper - had been responsible for the design of the buildings on the property and "he has seen them grow in beauty and stature from his plans". Mr. Purvis attributed the building as a monument to "the genius of our Headmaster, and the patience and skill of his staff".

By 1950 enrolment had reached 275 and parental interest was marked by a revitalisation of the Warwick Academy Association of parents, old pupils and teachers which began to take a more active part in school affairs.
The school curriculum was, by this time, beginning to develop on academic lines and the Cambridge School Certificate became the scholastic objective of the 'A' or Academic stream, whilst other courses centered around Commercial and Business training which began to flourish and began to attract pupils wishing to prepare for Royal Society of Arts examinations in Typing, Shorthand & Bookkeeping. The developing school with steadily strengthening reputation in Bermuda began to attract teachers of good calibre from other, perhaps less successful, schools in the colony and a staff of fully qualified and trained teachers began to be established in an effort to raise scholastic standards.

Mr. Perkins, who was 56 years of age on his appointment, was due to retire on reaching the maximum age of 65 and, in view of the fact that it would be impossible for him to complete a full term of 10 years of ten years of teaching in Bermuda in order to qualify for a pension from Government, the Board of Governors, recognising his fine contribution to the development of the school, succeeded in having a special Act passed in the House of Assembly granting him a pension at 65 after his nine years of service. Mr. Perkins retired in 1953 leaving the school at a stage when it was beginning to enjoy recognition as an 'up and coming' school within the local education system.

1953 - 1972 Mr. G. G. Lamacraft
In September 1953, Mr. G. G. Lamacraft was appointed Headmaster and took over his duties at Warwick Academy after service with H.M. Colonial Education Service in the Leeward Islands, war service with the Army during World War II and a period of three years as Headmaster of another Bermuda School, the St. George's Grammar School. With the rapidly growing population in the colony putting considerable pressure on the educational system it became apparent
that all schools would have to be expanded and Warwick Academy began a 10-year plan of development which went ahead rapidly with both full support by Government and, as a result of continuing benefactions, from Mr. William Purvis, whose interest in the school remained undiminished.

During the summer of 1956, May Ashworth Jones, widow of Stanley Ashworth Jones, died at here residence, Breezie Brae, Paget leaving her property to Warwick Academy for the provision of scholarships and the Board of Governors, in August of that year, agreed that they wished to held the property bequeathed to the Academy in kind. For three years the property, which consisted of three houses and quite extensive land, was rented so that the income could be applied to the award of scholarships to worthy pupils attending the school - to be known as Jones 'Junior' and Jones 'Advanced' scholarships as well as annual awards at University level. Upkeep of this property proved costly and the Board eventually decided to sell and to invest the revenue in a Trust Fund, interest from which would allow the continuation of the scholarships whilst retaining sizeable capital as a Jones Trust.
Many pupils benefited, and are still benefiting, from this generous endowment from the late Mr. & Mrs. Ashworth Jones.

In 1957, additional rooms were added to provide larger facilities for the practical Sciences and the introduction of an Arts & Crafts course. The Science programme was extended to include the three Pure Sciences, Biology, Chemistry and Physics as well as a General Science course, and the school developed a full curriculum along the traditional lines of the British Grammar Schools.

In 1962, which date coincided with the 300th Anniversary of the founding of the school and in tribute to the continuing generosity of Mr. Purvis, a Phoebe Purvis Memorial Hall was built and so named in memory of the late Mrs. Purvis and incorporated with this Hall extra link classrooms and two Practical rooms for Home Economics and Manual & Craft training were added. Of some importance to the well being of the school a large water tank was constructed beneath the extensive Hall and this with the installation of a piping system connected to a natural well discovered by boring on the school land, the water supply required for the rapidly growing school was assured. It will be realised by those familiar with Bermuda's unique system of water supply that the customary system of collecting rainwater from the roofs of buildings and storage in a basement tank was unlikely to provide a sufficient supply for a large school and these extra provisions were practical and most valuable. An important change of policy was decided by the Board of Governors in this celebration year and Warwick Academy, traditionally school for white children, irrespective of place of origin, race or religion was the first of the traditionally white schools to make this change. At this time admissions were based on entrance examinations set by the school and in this first year of the new policy, two black applicants qualified and were offered places.

Unfortunately neither took up the offer and it was not until the following year, 1963, that the first black child attended. In 1965 an amendment to the Education Act of 1954 made it mandatory that in all Bermuda schools, including aided schools such as Warwick Academy, no admission procedures could bar entry on grounds of origin, race or religion and thus Warwick Academy's action was followed by Government three years after it had been voluntarily implemented by the School's Board of Governors. Until this time, schools such as Warwick Academy, with powers of control vested in Boards of Governors, were free to charge fees to all pupils, but the new Amendment Act now made all Primary education 'free' and also to all children who gained admission to a Secondary school suited to their age, aptitude and ability, as long as they were within the age range of compulsory education, which at that time was from 5 years to 14 years but which had, in stages, now been extended to 16 years. The main effect of these changes in official policy have been a steady increase in the proportion of black pupils to white pupils in the school and the necessary adjustment of attitudes by both the pupils and the teachers, not to mention the parents concerned. It is, I (GGL) feel, fair to say that the fact that all pupils admitted on the basis of selection, based on assessment of scholastic suitability for the academic course, which form the backbone of the school curriculum, have adapted with little or no problems of discipline as, by and large, they are children of better than average intelligence, scholastically ambitious and able.

On December 4th 1968, the school suffered the loss of one of its most generous benefactors - Mr. William Sterling Purvis, C.B.E. who died at the age of 87.

Mr. Purvis, who was born at Amherst, Nova Scotia, came to Bermuda in 1903 with his father who was chaplain of the Wesleyan Church at the Bermuda Naval Dockyard. William Purvis attended Mr. Allison University as a young man and returned to Bermuda in 1913 and became a successful businessman as a commission merchant and was Chairman of the Board of management of Purvis Ltd., which he founded in 1920, up to the time of his death. His benefactions to Warwick Academy, in addition to his long service as Member and Chairman of the Governing body, made possible the construction of the second storey of the main building and the provision of numerous scholarships at both the Secondary level and University level for many pupils under a Purvis Trust which he liberally endowed, and he generously assisted in the financing of the Phoebe Purvis Memorial Hall which the school named, with his ready concurrence, in memory of his first wife, Phoebe.

He was an extremely generous person and supported Government as well as community projects, Warwick Academy and another school which took the name of the Purvis School in recognition of his great interest and financial help, and just before his death he gave a large sum of money to provide low-cost housing for elderly people of limited means.
A plaque, at the entrance to the Phoebe Purvis Hall, describes him as a

"GENEROUS BENEFACTOR, WISE COUNSELOR, AND GOVERNOR FOR TWENTY-SEVEN YEARS".

To provide for the still increasing population of the colony, Warwick Academy, along with other old-established schools, as well as through a very extensive school building programme initiated by Government, continued its physical extension and a complete and separate Primary School was built during 1968/69 allowing the former premises to be adapted to take a 3-form entry of Secondary pupils alongside a 1-form entry at the Primary level. Numbers naturally increased rapidly and in 1970 have reached 550 pupils with a forecast of a maximum of 690 by 1973.

The school adopted the GCE examinations of London University in 1959 instead of the previously taken Cambridge School and Higher School Certificate and since then has built up a creditable record of examination successes. It was a blow to the school when in 1967 it was decided by Government to establish a Sixth Form Centre for the colony to replace the admittedly small and economically costly Sixth Forms being operated in three of the Aided schools, since this change came at a time when Warwick Academy Sixth Form had reached a high standard of popularity and academic success. Thus, in 1967, the school had to adapt to concentration on a curriculum to 'O' level only and, at the same time, in response to the obvious demand for pre-vocational education, it instituted courses of this type for both girls and boys alongside the academic courses.

The present-day (1970) Warwick Academy functions in two parts, a Primary school incorporating Infant classes to which pupils are admitted during the year in which they reach the age of five years, and which operates on a one-form entry basis, restricted by law to the children of the Western zone of the colony. After two years o infant and five years of Primary education, pupils move on to the Secondary Department in the age range of 11 years 8 months to 12 years 8 months and are joined by other pupils, from all parts of the Colony, there being no application of the 'zoning' restriction at the Secondary level. The Secondary Department functions on a three-form entry basis and admission, up to the present, has been based on parental preference, results of tests of attainment carried out in all the Primary schools of the colony by the Department of Education and on the personal records and reports submitted by the Head Teachers of the Primary schools. Applications for admission, at both the point of entry to Infant education and to Secondary education, regularly far exceed the number of places available.

With growing opposition to any form of selection and a trend in policy towards similar curricula in all secondary schools, the academic bias, which has traditionally been part of the education policy at Warwick Academy, seems likely to undergo radical changes in the very near future. However, at present, i.e. in 1970, the Secondary courses are still academic in type, covering a full range of Sciences, Languages both modern and ancient, Mathematics both traditional and "new", with English Language and Literature; History both English and American, Geography, Religion and Art, together with recently developed practical and prevocational courses in Home Economics, Woodwork and Hotel Technology, all of which are followed through to, at least, the examination levels demanded by the General Certificate of Education which is taken by all pupils at the end of their secondary course.