How fur trade links with Kent

The Norton Knatchbull School, Ashford

The grammar’s history goes back to the 1600s, and its founder, Sir Norton Natchbull who was born in 1569, was from a longestablished Kent family from Romney Marsh. He went on to be a Member of Parliament.

In its earliest days it is said no boy would be granted a place unless they could read both the Old and New Testaments in English, a criteria that acted to make the school the preserve of the sons of the wealthier classes.

Sir Joseph Williamson’s Mathematical School, Rochester

Known locally simply as the Math, the school was founded in 1701 in accordance with the last will and testament of Sir Joseph Williamson, who bequeathed £5,000 for a school to teach skills ‘for the sea service.’

Sir Joseph was a leading politician and diplomat during the reign of

King Charles II and was first elected as MP for Rochester in 1690.

The Skinners’ School, Tunbridge Wells

Although only founded in 1887, Skinners’ is connected to a 14th century London Livery Company of the same name which regulated the capital’s fur trade and whose members were known to undertake hazardous voyages to Russia and Scandinavia to buy furs.

At the outbreak of the First World War, Skinners’ pupils still at school made tobacco pouches which were sent as presents to serving Old Skinners’ at the front in Flanders, and one of the letters of thanks contained a first hand account of the famous 1914 Christmas truce.

Ursuline College, Westgate-on-Sea

The Ursuline school in Westgate was started in 1904 when a group of Ursuline Sisters fled Boulogne-sur-Mer with some of their pupils. Their school had existed since 1624, but laws passed in France had made it impossible for the Sisters to continue their work of Christian education there.

Like all Ursuline schools, this Catholic school’s motto is Serviam, meaning “I will serve”, inspired by the teachings of St Angela Merici, founder of the Ursuline Order.