James Kyle Dall was the first headmaster of Elmfield College, Heworth, York (Booth 1990:29). Born at Preston in Lancashire, the son of John Dall, he entered Trinity College Dublin in October 1845[1] at the age of 21, and graduated BA in 1850. He had been a schoolmaster in Leeds before moving to Elmfield, where he worked closely with John Petty, its first Governor.