Bishop Cotton Boys' School Explained

Bishop Cotton Boys' School
Motto:Nec Dextrorsum Nec Sinistrorsum (Latin)
Motto Translation:Neither to the right, nor to the left.
Type:Private school
Founder:Samuel Thomas Pettigrew[1]
Principal:Alistair R. A. Freese
Chairman:Rt. Rev. Martin C. Borgai(Bishop-In-Charge)–KCD
Enrollment:approx. 7,000
Affiliation:ICSE, ISC
Campus Size:14acres
Address:St. Mark's Road
City:Bengaluru
State:Karnataka
Country:India
Coordinates:12.9686°N 77.5988°W
Publication:The Cottonian, The Cotton Mill
Houses:Pope, Pettigrew, Elphick, Pakenham Walsh, Thomas
Free Label 1:Former pupils
Free 1:Old Cottonians

Bishop Cotton Boys' School is an all-boys school for boarders and day scholars in Bengaluru, India, founded in the memory of Bishop George Edward Lynch Cotton, Bishop of Calcutta.

The school is bordered by Residency Road, St Mark's Road, Lavelle Road and Vittal Mallya Road, and is spread over 14acres of land in the heart of Bangalore.

School heads in the early days included George Uglow Pope, Herbert Pakenham-Walsh, S. T. Pettigrew, William Elphick, Iowerth Lowell Thomas and A. T. Balraj.

The sister school Bishop Cotton Girls' School is located on the opposite side of St. Mark's Road.[2]

Origins

The school's past extends back to the British Raj and the Victorian era with its beginnings in a house on High Grounds over which now stands the great ITC Windsor Hotel. It was started in 1865 by Rev. S T Pettigrew, the then Chaplain of St. Mark's Cathedral who had a vision of starting a school for the education of children of European and Anglo-Indian families. In his own words, he wanted to "establish a day and boarding School for the Children of Christian residents in the station and its vicinity." The school was named in honour of George Cotton, Bishop of Calcutta, under whose stewardship a scheme of education was organized for the Anglican Churches in India. After India gained independence from the British in 1947, the school began to be, and is still governed by the Church of South India.

In the first five years of the school it had three principals. It was only with the arrival of George Uglow Pope, a distinguished Tamil scholar (who translated the famed Tirukkuṛaḷ into English[3]) that the present site was acquired For Rs 47,500. The boys' school and the girls' school functioned on the same campus but under different heads. Under the stewardship of Pope, the school grew from strength to strength. A collegiate section was started and the school obtained recognition from the University of Madras. He gave the School its motto – 'Nec Dextrorsum Nec Sinistrorsum', meaning 'Neither to the right nor to the Left'.

When Pope left India in 1892 to take up the post of Reader at Oxford University, the standard of the school began to decline. By 1906, closure of the school was contemplated.

Henry Whitehead, Bishop of Madras, the chairman of the board of governors, as a last resort, invited the members of the Brotherhood of Saint Peter to save the school from closure. Herbert Pakenham-Walsh, of the Brotherhood of St. Peter, later to become Bishop, revived the school. The school still celebrates St. Peter's day amongst other traditions such as Guy Fawkes' bonfires. In 1911, the girls' school was moved across the road. William Elphick worked for a quarter of century for the growth of the school.

The last living member of the Brotherhood of St Peter in India, Father David, died of old age. He lived and worked in the school as the school chaplain.[4]

Scouting was officially founded in British India in 1909, first starting at the Bishop Cotton Boys' School in Bangalore by Capt T.H Baker and Major Pakenham Walsh.[5]

General K.S. Thimayya Memorial Trust

The General K.S. Thimayya Memorial Trust pays tribute to the School, in memory of General K. S. Thimayya, Cottonian (1918 to 1922). The Trust organises the annual Thimayya Memorial Lecture, and awards the Thimayya Medal to Cottonians who have demonstrated exemplary public service. The Trust also operates a Benevolent Fund that supports former staff members of the School, monetarily.[6]

Notable alumni

Science

Military

Positions of responsibility

Entrepreneurs

Arts

Sports

Other notable alumni

Notes and References

  1. Web site: About Us | Bishop Cotton Boys' School, Bangalore. 20 January 2020 .
  2. Web site: The School BISHOP COTTON BOYS' SCHOOL . 2024-02-27 . bishopcottonboysschool.edu.in.
  3. Web site: Pope. G U. Drew. W H. Lazarus. John. Ellis. F W. Tirukkural: English Translation and Commentary. Project Madurai. 29 December 2014. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20150223102227/http://www.projectmadurai.org/pm_etexts/tscii/pmtsc0153.html. 23 February 2015.
  4. Web site: History BISHOP COTTON BOYS' SCHOOL . 2024-02-27 . bishopcottonboysschool.edu.in.
  5. Web site: The Bharat Scouts and Guides . 2024-03-08 . scout.ind.in . en.
  6. Web site: Mane . Vedika . 2020-11-11 . Pragmatism, Philosophy and Courage: The 16th General K.S. Thimayya Memorial Lecture . 2024-02-27 . nsoj.in . en.
  7. Web site: Sanyal . Riniki . 2021-02-18 . 'This Is Us' Honours Nasir Ahmed in Ep 8 of Season 5 – Who is He? . 2023-09-09 . TheQuint . en.
  8. Web site: India's Most Eminent Nuclear Physicist. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20120313220218/http://www.vigyanprasar.gov.in/scientists/RRamanna.htm. 2012-03-13.
  9. Web site: Leadership Team - IPF . 2024-03-10 . www.policefoundationindia.org.
  10. Web site: Service . Express News . 2014-07-12 . Alumni Join Cottonians for 150th Anniversary . 2024-02-27 . The New Indian Express . en.
  11. Web site: Iyengar . Vidya . They were once tots too: Famous Bishop Cotton Alumni . 2024-02-28 . Bangalore Mirror . en.
  12. News: 2023-07-31 . Rohan Narayana Murty: Billionaire Narayana Murthy's son, who pioneered his own path to excellence in technology and innovation . 2024-02-27 . The Economic Times . 0013-0389.
  13. News: 2015-12-23 . Old Cottonian steals the show . 2024-02-27 . The Hindu . en-IN . 0971-751X.
  14. Web site: Kumar . Shyama Krishna . 2013-08-27 . Meet the machas with an attitude . 2024-02-27 . The New Indian Express . en.

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