Stewart's Melville College Explained

Stewart's Melville College
Motto:	Never unprepared^[1]
Established:	(Melville College) (Daniel Stewart's College) (merger)
Type:	Private day and boarding school
Head Label:	Principal
Head:	Anthony Simpson
Address:	Queensferry Road
Postcode:	EH4 3EZ
Country:	Scotland
Enrolment:	756^[2]
Enrolment As Of:	2015
Gender:	Male
Lower Age:	11
Upper Age:	18
Colours:	Red, black, and gold
Free Label:	Junior school
Free Text:	1254 students (2015)

Stewart's Melville College (SMC) is a private day and boarding school in Edinburgh, Scotland. Classes are all boys in the 1st to 5th years and co-educational in Sixth (final) year. It has a roll of about 750 pupils.^[3]

Daniel Stewart's College was designed by the architect David Rhind and opened as Daniel Stewart's Hospital in 1848, renamed to Daniel Stewart's College in 1870, and placed under the perpetual management of the Royal Company of Merchants of the City of Edinburgh.^[4] Melville College was known as the Edinburgh Institution for Languages and Mathematics from 1832 to 1936. In 1972, the two colleges merged to become Stewart's Melville College.

The school is twinned with the Mary Erskine School (MES), an all-girls independent school approximately one mile (1.6 km) from Stewart's Melville College. Together the combined Erskine Stewart's Melville Schools (ESMS) have a co-educational Sixth Year and Junior School, the latter of which is split between the two campuses and caters for pupils from 3 to 12 years old. The two schools share a Principal, and most extra-curricular activities, such as performing arts, are run jointly. Both SMC and MES are managed by the Merchant Company of Edinburgh, which is also responsible for the co-educational George Watson's College.

History

Stewart's Melville College originated from the merger of two schools — Daniel Stewart's College and Melville College — in 1972 to become Daniel Stewart's and Melville College. After the merger Melville's bright red trim replaced the dark red trim on the black Daniel Stewart's blazer for general use and the red blazer of Melville College was adopted for those awarded colours (for sporting and other achievements); recently use of the red blazer was limited to the head boy and his deputies, with colours being signified with a particular tie.

Melville College was founded in 1832 by the Rev. Robert Cunningham^[5] in George Street but soon moved to Hill Street in the centre of Edinburgh with a teaching emphasis on modern subjects, such as science, rather than classical subjects – unusual at that time. The school moved a short distance to 8 Queen Street which was purchased in 1853 and then to Melville Street in the city's West End in 1920. Originally named "The Edinburgh Institution for Languages and Mathematics", its name changed to Melville College in 1936 about the same time as the caps and blazers of the boys were changed to bright red.Daniel Stewart's Hospital was opened in 1855 by the Merchant Company of Edinburgh. Daniel Stewart (whose wealth came from India and was Macer to the Court of the Exchequer), upon his death in 1814, left a sum of money and instructions that, once it had reached £40,000 it should be used to create a hospital for needy boys within the city. The hospital was located on the current Queensferry Road campus (designed by David Rhind). The hospital was transformed into "Daniel Stewart's College" in 1870. The school uniform from 1924 onwards was a cap with red and black stripes and a black blazer with red trim.

In 1974, the link with another nearby Merchant Company school, the all-girls Mary Erskine School, was formalised and The Mary Erskine and Stewart's Melville Junior School was formed. Nursery to Primary 3 are housed on the Mary Erskine campus, with Primary 4 to 7 on the Stewart's Melville campus. The sixth (final) form of both senior schools is coeducational.^[6]

In 2013, Stewart's Melville was voted the Scottish Independent School of the year by the Sunday Times newspaper^{[7] [8]} and Mary Erskine School was voted the Scottish Independent School of the year in 2012.^[9] In 2014 the combined Erskine Stewarts Melville school, with over 2,700 pupils,^[10] claimed to be the largest independent school in Europe.^[11]

In 2014, a programme of improvement work on buildings of the junior school was announced,^[12] and as of 2018, work has begun.

In February 2023, it was announced by principal Anthony Simpson that the boarding house would close by July 2025, citing costs and the facility not being compatible with the school's vision for the future. The allocation of resources towards the boarding house was not sustainable, as at the time of the announcement, there were only 19 boarders, accounting for less than 3% of all pupils at the school.

Sport

Stewart's Melville College has won the Scottish Rugby Schools Under 18 Cup five times: in 1999 (in their first year of entering), 2006, 2011, 2016 and 2019.^[13] Stewart's Melville RFC, the successor to the Former Pupils Rugby club, play in the Scottish League Championship.^[14]

"Ravelston Sports Club", a large on-site sports centre opened in 2000. The sports centre is mainly used by pupils for physical education lessons and sports training (such as swimming, basketball, badminton, short tennis and table tennis) but is also open to members of the public for a monthly membership fee.^[15] There is also a school shooting range located at the Ravelston campus.^[16] Extensive rugby, cricket, hockey pitches and athletics facilities are also located at the school's sports grounds in Inverleith, two miles north of the school. The main stadium at Inverleith dates back to the 1890s and was the main ground of the Scotland national rugby union team until 1925.^{[17] [18]}

In 2019 Stewart's Melville College won the Mitsubishi U18 cup – played at Murrayfield Stadium – against local rivals George Watson's College.^[19]

Tom Fleming Centre for Performing Arts (Formerly "Performing Arts Centre")

The school's main Victorian assembly hall was converted to the "Performing Arts Centre" between 2005 and 2007. This £3.5 million project,^[20] was paid for in part by donations from the parents of the schools current pupils and former pupils (some of the chairs have names in gold of people who have donated). The centre has 800 seats that fold back into the wall, providing a variety of possible configurations and was officially opened in 2007. It is also available for use by the public and is used as a venue for the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.^[21]

In 2011, actor John Cairney unveiled the new name for the centre, "Tom Fleming Centre for Performing Arts", named after former pupil Tom Fleming, one of Scotland's leading broadcasters.^[22]

Carbisdale Castle

Since 1965, the school organised an outdoor education programme for the boys of SMC and the girls from MES in the third year. It took place in the north of Scotland, based for over forty years at Carbisdale Castle Youth Hostel, Easter Ross, until its closure in 2011 required accommodation to relocate to Aviemore. The camp was also abandoned in 2020 and 2021, due to coronavirus restrictions. It returned in 2022; however later in 2022, Carbisdale Castle was sold and is now a private residence.

Examinations

Pupils at Stewart's Melville mainly sit Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) examinations, including (as of 2013) National 4, National 5, Higher Grade and Advanced Higher Grade levels. The English GCE Advanced Level, examinations can also be sat in art and music. Almost all pupils go on to higher education.^[23]

Former Headmasters

• Herbert James Liddle Robbie (1904–1964) headmaster of Daniel Stewart's from 1946 to 1964

Notable alumni

The school maintains a Former Pupils Club, which organises social events throughout the year. There are branches throughout the UK and abroad.

Academia and science

• Thomas David Anderson (1853–1952) – astronomer who discovered many temporary and variable stars (novae)^[24]
• Professor James Barr (1924–2006) – a radical theologian who was professor at Montreal, Edinburgh, Manchester, Oxford, Princeton and Vanderbilt.^[25]
• James Bertram (Carnegie secretary) (1872–1934)
• Erskine Beveridge (1851–1920) – textile manufacturer, historian and antiquary
• Professor Henry Calderwood (1830–1897) – Professor of Moral Philosophy at Edinburgh University and Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh
• James Ireland Craig FRSE CBE (1868–1952) – meteorologist (dux 1885)
• Professor Maurice Ewing CBE, FRCSEd, FRACS (1912–1999) – First professor of surgery at Melbourne University, Australia
• Sir William Tennant Gairdner (1824–1907) – Professor of Medicine at the University of Glasgow and President of the British Medical Association
  • William Aitcheson Haswell FRS (1854–1925) – Scottish-Australian zoologist specialising in crustaceans, winner of the 1915 Clarke Medal Andrew John Herbertson FRGS FRMS (1865–1915) – geographer and Professor in Geography at Oxford University^[26]
• Sir James Charles Inglis (1851–1911) - British civil engineer, President of the Institution of Civil Engineers and General Manager of the Great Western Railway
• Professor Tom W. B. Kibble, CBE FRS (1932–2016) – theoretical physicist, co-discovery of the Higgs mechanism and Higgs boson.
• Professor Arnold Maran (1936–2017) – surgeon, President of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh.
• Sir Peter Redford Scott Lang – Regius Professor of Mathematics at St Andrews University.^[27]
• George McGavin (born 1954) – entomologist^[28]
• John Smith FRSE, PRCSEd, (1825–1910) – dentist who founded the Royal Hospital for Sick Children, Edinburgh and was Surgeon Dentist to Queen Victoria.^[29]
• Sir Fraser Stoddart FRS FRSE FRSC (born 1942) – chemist, Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2016,^[30] Professor of chemistry at Northwestern University, USA (supramolecular chemistry and nanotechnology), awarded Albert Einstein World Award of Science.^[31]
• Sir John Thomson-Walker, OBE, DL, FRCS, (1871–1937) – Hunterian Professor of Surgery at the Royal College of Surgeons of England and leading surgeon in the field of urology^[32]
• Ramsay Traquair FRSE FRS (1840–1912) – naturalist and palaeontologist, leading expert on fossil fish, awarded the Royal Medal by the Royal Society and the Lyell Medal

Media and arts

• Ian Stuart Black (1915–1997) – novelist, playwright and screenwriter
• Michael Boyd (director) (born 1955) – Artistic Director of the Royal Shakespeare Company.
• Tom Fleming CVO, OBE, FRSAMD (1927–2010) – actor and television commentator.^[33]
• Sir William Russell Flint (1880–1969) – watercolour painter and president of the Royal Society of Painters in Watercolours^[34]
• Stuart Henry (1942–1995) – popular radio disc jockey of the 1960s and 70s.^[35]
• Kheredine Idessane (born 1969) – sports broadcaster.^[36]
• Philip Kerr (1956–2018) – writer.^[37]
• Alexander Moffat (born 1943) – artist, Head of Painting, Glasgow School of Art.^[38]

Law and politics

• Lord Brailsford (S. Neil Brailsford) (born 1954) – Senator of the College of Justice and Supreme Courts Judge
• Sir Martin Chamberlain (born 1973), a High Court Judge of England and Wales
• Sir William Young Darling MC, CBE, DL (1885–1962) – Member of Parliament for South Edinburgh and Lord Provost of Edinburgh^[39]
• Sir Andrew Henderson Leith Fraser KCSI (1848–1919) – Lieutenant Governor of Bengal between 1903 and 1908
• Sir James Gibson, 1st Baronet (1849–1912) Lord Provost of Edinburgh and Member of Parliament for Edinburgh East
• Adam Gifford, Lord Gifford FRSE (1820–1887) – Scottish Advocate and Judge
• Robert McIntyre (1913–1998) – politician, leader of the Scottish National Party (SNP) and the SNP's first elected Member of Parliament.
• J P Mackintosh (1929–1978) – academic and British Labour politician of the 1960s and 70s. Leading advocate of Scottish devolution.
• Sir Thomas Brash Morison (1868–1945) – Liberal Member of Parliament for Inverness, Solicitor General for Scotland, Privy Counsellor and Lord Advocate
• Sir George Touche 1st Baronet (1861–1935) – Conservative Member of Parliament and founder of one of the firms that created Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu
• Sir James Wilson (1849–1929) New Zealand Politician
• Paul Wheelhouse (born 1970) – SNP MSP for South Scotland, Minister for Business, Innovation and Energy in the Scottish Government
• Daniel Johnson (born 1977) – Entrepreneur and Labour MSP for Edinburgh Southern.

Sports

• Finlay Calder OBE (born 1957) – international rugby player and British and Irish Lions captain who played 34 times for Scotland.^{[40] [41]}
• Jim Calder (born 1957) – Scottish and British Lions Rugby Player who played 27 times for Scotland
• Grant Forrest (born 1993) – European Tour Professional Golfer and Member of the 2015 Walker Cup Team.
• David Florence (born 1982) – Olympic canoeing silver medallist and world champion.^[42]
• Dario Franchitti MBE (born 1973) – professional racing-car driver who won the Indianapolis 500 race three times.^[33]
• William Laidlaw (1912–1992) – international cricketer for Scotland and Durham
• John Lisle Hall MacFarlane (1851–1874) – international rugby player and surgeon. He played for Scotland in the first international rugby match in 1871.
• Donald MacGregor (born 1939) – Olympic marathon runner.
• Finlay Mickel (born 1977) – Olympic skier, his result at the 2005 World Championships was the best result by a British man in the history of the skiing World Championships.^[43]
• Arthur Plowright (1913–1992) – first-class cricketer
• Charles Scobie (1895–1965) – first-class cricketer
• Jamie Stevenson (born 1975) – world champion orienteer.
• William Turnbull (1879–1959) – first-class cricketer
• Grant Weatherstone (1931–2020) – international rugby player who was played 16 times for Scotland.^[44]
• Doddie Weir OBE (1970–2022) – Scottish and British Lions international rugby player who played 61 times for Scotland. Charity fundraiser for MND research.^[45]
• Jake Wightman (born 1994) – International athlete. Gold medallist 1500 metres 2022 World Athletics Championships.^[46]
• David Wilkie MBE (1954–2024) – only person to have been swimming champion at British, American, Commonwealth, European, World and Olympic levels at the same time^[47]

Military

• Sir Robert Neil Campbell KCMG CB CIE (1854–1928), a physician who commanded the Bengal Medical Service^[48]
• Lieutenant General Sir James Hills-Johnes VC, GCB (1833–1919) – was awarded the Victoria Cross for action in Delhi in the Indian mutiny in 1857
• John Alexander Cruickshank VC (born 1920) – recipient of the Victoria Cross in the Second World War.
• Major-General Mungo Melvin CB OBE (born 1955)

Religion

• The Right Reverend James A. Whyte, LLD, (1920–2005) – leading theologian, Professor at St. Andrews University and Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland^[49]
• The Right Reverend Ronnie Selby Wright CVO TD JP FRSE FSAScot (1908–1995) – chaplain to the Queen, Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland

Other

• Sir Ivison Macadam KCVO, CBE, FRSE (1894–1974) – Director General of the Royal Institute of International Affairs (Chatham House) and founding president of the National Union of Students
• Sir Robert Hogg Matthew OBE, FRIBA (1906–1975) – acclaimed architect and a leading proponent of modernism

External links

• Book: Roberts, Alasdair . Ties that Bind . 2009 . 978-1-904246-29-9 . Steve Savage Publishers . registration .
• Book: Sutherland. Kenneth. 2003. Edinburgh Institution and Melville College 1932–1973, A History and School Register. Edinburgh, U.K.. The Melville College Trust. B004N6JLDY . 22817176M.

• The Erskine Stewart's Melville Schools Website
• Profile on the ISC website
• Stewart's Melville College page on Scottish Schools Online

Notes and References

1. News: Top private school expels four teenage boys caught with cannabis. 10 September 2010. The Scotsman. 17 February 2017.
2. Miller, Nikki (Editor) (2014) "School Guide Edinburgh & The Lothians, 2015 Annual Issue", Select Publishing Ltd.
3. Web site: SCIS – Stewart's Melville College . 2010 . 9 July 2010 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20091122133509/http://www.scis.org.uk/schools/details/61/Stewarts-Melville-College . 22 November 2009 .
4. https://www.mcoe.org.uk/our-charities/our-schools/
5. Web site: The Rev. Robert Cunningham, Founder of the Edinburgh Institution (later Melville College). Tobin. Patrick. December 2015. Daniel Stewarts and Melville College Former Pupils Club – FP News 2015. 12. 24 February 2017.
6. Web site: Structure of the Schools . 9 July 2010 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20100305022100/http://www.esms.edin.sch.uk/About-Structure.aspx . 5 March 2010 .
7. Macaskill, Mark (17 November 2013) Giffnock school is top of the class The Sunday Times (requires subscription), Retrieved 8 March 2014
8. Leonard, Sue (2013) Success is Catching in and out of the Classroom The Sunday Times, Retrieved 8 March 2014
9. Allardyce, Jason (17 November 2012) Mary Erskine and Boroughmuir top our schools guide The Sunday Times (requires subscription), Retrieved 8 March 2014
10. (2014) Erskine Stewarts Melville Schools Scotland's Boarding Schools, Scottish Council of Independent Schools, Retrieved 8 March 2014
11. (2014) Erskine Stewart's Melville School The Tatler Schools Guide 2014, retrieved 8 March 2014
12. News: Erskine Stewart's Melville to revamp classrooms . John-Paul . Holden . Edinburgh Evening News . 17 April 2014 . 8 May 2016.
13. News: Stewart's Melville – School Team of the Month. 26 September 2015. Time Inc (UK) Ltd.. Rugby World. 3 April 2013.
14. Web site: Club History. Stewart's Melville R. F. C. website. 26 September 2015.
15. Web site: ESMS Sports Centre – Ravelston Sports Club. ESMS. 26 September 2015.
16. Web site: Stewart's Melville College – Appointment of Teacher of Physical Education. Stewart's Melville College. Erskine Stewart's Melville Governing Council. 8 May 2013. 26 September 2015.
17. http://tims92.blogspot.com/2011/04/stewarts-melville-inverleith-sports.html Stewart's Melville Inverleith Sports Field
18. Web site: Scotland Inverleith: the first purpose-built international rugby ground. Rugbyfootballhistory.com. 7 November 2021.
19. Web site: Barnes . David . 4 December 2019 . Schools U18 Cup Final: Stewart's Melville power past George Watson's . 28 March 2022 . The Offside Line .
20. Web site: Performing Arts Centre .
21. Web site: Shows at Performing Arts Centre Stewart's Melville College . Broadway Baby . 2015 . 20 July 2015.
22. Web site: Distinguished Former Pupils. Stewart's Melville College Former Pupils Club. 26 September 2015. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20150927045028/http://www.smcfpclub.org.uk/smcfpclub/Distinguished%20Former%20Pupils.pdf. 27 September 2015.
23. Web site: Academic Results & Leavers' Destinations . 2008–2009 . 9 July 2010 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20100306222914/http://www.esms.edin.sch.uk/SM-Results.aspx . 6 March 2010 .
24. Macpherson, Hector (July 1954) Thomas David Anderson, "Watcher of the Skies" Publications of the Astronomical Society of Edinburgh No. 2, Retrieved 28 September 2014
25. Williamson, HGm (8 November 2006) James Barr, Radical academic whose incisive critiques challenged the orthodoxies of biblical theology The Guardian, Retrieved 23 September 2014
26. Elizabeth Baigent. Herbertson, Andrew John (1865–1915), geographer. Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Oxford, UK. 2004. 9780198614128 . 10.1093/ref:odnb/40187. 29 July 2015.
27. News: . Sir Peter Redford Scott Lang (Obituary). The Scotsman. Edinburgh, Scotland. 7 July 1926. 29 July 2015.
28. Web site: 13 August 2015. Biological Sciences – Alumni – George McGavin. The University of Edinburgh.
29. http://www.library.rcsed.ac.uk/docs/GD2_Papers_of_John_Smith.pdf John Smith
30. News: Another British scientist wins Nobel prize – but why do they all work in America?. Bodkin. Henry. 16 October 2016. The Telegraph. 6 October 2016.
31. Web site: Prof. Sir Fraser Stoddart. World Cultural Council. 6 October 2016.
32. (27 November 2013) Thomson-Walker, Sir John William (1871–1937) The Royal College of Surgeons, Retrieved 30 September 2014
33. Web site: Home of the Daily and Sunday Express | UK News :: Drugs shame of four boys thrown out of top school . Express.co.uk . 11 September 2010 . 3 March 2012.
34. Web site: sirrussellflint.net – Sir William Russell Flint Biography. 25 June 2013 .
35. Web site: Edinphoto – Daniel Stewart's College . 16 August 2009 . 9 July 2010 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20111101103900/http://edinphoto.org.uk/0_G/0_groups_and_outings_daniel_stewarts_college_4b_1950-51.htm . 1 November 2011 .
36. Web site: BBC Press Office – Kheredine Idessane Biography . August 2009 . 9 July 2010 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20110217073929/http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/biographies/biogs/scotland/kheredine_idessane.shtml . 17 February 2011 .
37. News: Natural born thriller: Philip Kerr interview. The Scotsman. Aidan . Smith. 29 February 2008. 6 January 2015.
38. Web site: Painted into a corner FACE TO FACE: Sandy Moffat As he prepares to retire after 25 years at Glasgow School of Art, Sandy Moffat explains why he believes art education is being stifled by the pressures of bureaucracy. HeraldScotland. 2 September 2018.
39. Waterson, C.D. and Shearer, A Macmillan (July 2006) Former Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh 1783–2002 Published by The Royal Society of Edinburgh,
40. Web site: How charitable status boosted income of private schools . The Herald . 28 February 2008 . 9 July 2010.
41. Web site: Top private school expels four teenage boys caught with cannabis . The Scotsman . 11 September 2010 . 3 October 2010.
42. Web site: David Florence – Education . 9 July 2010.
43. Web site: International Ski Federation (FIS) Biography – Finlay Mickel . 9 July 2010.
44. Web site: Obituary: Grant Weatherstone, rugby international who was capped 16 times for Scotland. Davidson. Jack. 1 February 2020. The Scotsman. 1 February 2020.
45. Web site: Rugby in Asia – Doddie Weir . 9 July 2010 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20110302103221/http://www.rugbyinasia.com/feature/457/doddie-weir-not-so-much-a-name-but-more-a-condition . 2 March 2011 .
46. Web site: 19 July 2020 . World Athletics Championships: Britain's Jake Wightman wins 1500m gold . 20 July 2020 . BBC Sport.
47. (31 July 2012) Coaches; David Wilkie MBE "Coached off the Coach", STV (Scottish Television), Retrieved 27 April 2013
48. "Deaths in the Services: Sir Robert Neil Campbell" in British Medical Journal, Vol. for 1928, p. 474
49. (2014) The Right Reverend James A. Whyte MA LLD Mayfield Salisbury Parish Church, Retrieved 23 September 2014