In the beginning... 1850 to 1900
"You have in Exeter various institutions; you are awakening to the importance of education, and I believe if you only use the advantages you have you may find it will be in your power to establish a very important system of education here which may tell very well indeed on the education of the middle classes. I would impress on Exeter the importance of keeping this subject in view – to make this city, for which I believe it has natural and acquired advantages, a Centre for education in the West ."
Sir Stafford Northcote 1861.
Sir Stafford Northcote, an MP and later Chancellor of the Exchequer, was the driving force behind the establishment of higher education in Exeter. In 1855 he was one of the founders of the School of Art, which had premises over the Lower Market in Milk Street. It existed on a subscription basis, donations from supporters and the possibility of a government grant if it could demonstrate good attendance. Subjects ranged from building construction to freehand drawing. It was a great success and Sir Stafford and his associates opened a parallel School of Science in 1863 in Bedford Circus offering subjects such as animal physiology, inorganic chemistry and geology.
In 1861 a block of land was donated in Queen Street and funds given by well-wishers. The Devon and Exeter Albert Memorial Museum opened in 1868. The Schools of Art and Science moved in in 1870, thus getting better facilities (including a laboratory) which were also rent free. Also in 1870, the city voted to provide an income of £600 a year .
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| Principal and Mrs Clayden |
Sir Stafford died in 1887 leaving Miss Jessie Montgomery, the Secretary of the University Extension Committee, to carry the baton for higher education in the city. In 1893 she put forward an ambitious scheme for a University Extension College together with the expansion of the existing Schools of Art and Science into technical schools (they became independent of the College in 1918 and 1922 respectively). The University of Cambridge generously offered to donate £150 a year for three years towards a Principal's salary if the city would come up with another £200. The city accepted the deal and in 1893 the Cambridge-educated scientist Arthur Clayden became the first Principal of the Exeter Technical and University Extension College.
The College began offering day courses in 1895 by which time it had 27 mostly part-time teaching staff. By 1895 students had formed a Guild and in 1898 the first students' magazine was published. By the end of the century the College had about 900 students with ages ranging from 13 to 30. However, few were doing work of genuine university quality and the College needed to win government funding to develop further.
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