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RICHARD CORLESS
(Note: When Richard Corless was in the School there was a system which has not been explained but must have operated along the following lines. Boys went into Forms for administrative purposes. Education across a wide curriculum was arranged in Divisions, roughly aligned to their Forms but not necessarily. A pupil could be in Division B for one subject and A or C for another. They did not always progress from Form to Form. Such as ‘Mathematical Order’ was the position of each pupil in the School based on his internal examination results. When Brooks succeeded Beavan as Head Master in 1898 the School was reorganised - the Divisions may have disappeared - and the annual reports ceased to provide detailed lists of boys, Forms, Divisions, individual marks in subjects and, in effect, the same information presented in three variations. The detail provided up to 1898 is not possible thereafter.)
Corless, Richard Date of Birth …………….
There is no record of him in 1895-1896 and, therefore, he entered the School in 1896-1897. The examination was on 22nd July 1897. There were 50 boys in the School. Subjects in which papers were set were Scripture, English Grammar, Shakespeare, English History, Geography, Latin, Greek, French, Book-keeping, Mathematics (Arithmetic, Algebra, Euclid, Trigonometry, Mechanics, Conic Sections). Good sound work had been done in every Division, not at the top of the school only but down to the lowest. The examiner for the Examinations Syndicate of Cambridge University was T J Sanderson, MA, Late Fellow of Clare College. Names deserving honourable mention - Corless was second in Division D, Arithmetic; topped Division D, Euclid. Individual markings gave him second in Arithmetic, 13 marks ahead in Algebra, 18 marks ahead in Euclid, total was 51 marks ahead out of 300. There were two lower Divisions and at a guess Division F would be the 8-year olds. Latin, top of Division E. Was absent from the Division C Divinity examination. Fourth in Division C English - top in Grammar, C Division did not take Shakespeare, absent from History, top in Geography; if he had been in 12th place for History he would have been top overall in Division C. Topped Division D French. He is shown as being in the First Form of 14 boys, was First in the Form and won the Form Prize and Mathematical Prize, Division D 1897.
For some inexplicable reason (possibly not far removed from the Head Master’s attempt to justify something) there is a School List at Christmas 1897, listing 50 pupils but putting symbols alongside names to indicate various scholarships, prizes, examination Certificates. The Captain of the School had accumulated 8 prizes. Corless was positioned second in the Third Form. No other First Former had accompanied him into the Third Form.
At the end of the School Year July 1898, he was 1st in the Fourth Form and had accumulated a Pass, Oxford Locals (Junior) 1897; Fourth Form Prize and French Prize (Division C) 1898.
In the Mathematical order was fourth in Division B. In the English order was fourth in Division B Upper. (“English” is funny.) In the Latin order was top of Division C. In the French order was top in Division C. He obtained a Pass, First Division, in the Cambridge Local Examination (Junior) 1897, recorded 1898. The Examiner appended to his Report a list of those pupils deserving honourable mention:- Corless topped Euclid Division B, third English Grammar Division B, topped Latin Division C. Then a detailed record of marks attained: Divinity, Division B 5th; Mathematics Division B, top marks in Arithmetic, Algebra, Euclid, did not take Trigonometry or Mechanics. French, topped Division C by a margin. In English Division B was entirely 5th Form except Corless. ‘English’ covered History 6th, Grammar top, Geography 6th, Shakespeare 3rd, Chaucer 3rd. In the Latin order he was 12 marks ahead of the next with only 200 maximum available.
In 1898-1899, in H C Brooks’ first Report, 16th October 1899, he spectacularly omitted any conventional remarks about his predecessor. His second paragraph merely pointed out that 83 new boys had been admitted up to the date of the Report, bringing the total up to 103, a figure last reached in 1887. He presumed that the Examination of the Oxford Local Examiners in July 1899 was the first time in the history of the School. The Examiners reported that the circumstances of the School are peculiar: the conditions under which the examination has been taken being very unusual. At the time of the examination the number of pupils had reached 91, meaning 65% of the pupils had been in the School for three terms or less. The authorities of the School may have deemed it inadvisable to proceed with a Local Examination. The results have justified the step taken. It is indeed remarkable the boys should have done so well. And half a page in similar obviously surprised and admiring terms. The list of those deserving honourable mention includes: St Mark, Form V, R Corless; 1 Kings, Form V, R Corless; Latin, Form V, R Corless. The Junior Papers in Mathematics and Natural Science: Corless deserves special mention for his work in Algebra, Euclid, Trigonometry, Mensuration, Mechanics, and Hydrostatics. He should compete successfully for a scholarship after two or three years.
1899-1900 The examiners were impressed by the standard attained, following on from their comments the previous year. No lists are published but they noted several deserving honourable mention, including: Composition, R Corless, first named; English Author (Shakespeare) R Corless second; Mathematics and Natural Sciences - Corless showed up some good work and good work also on the Practical Chemistry Papers.
The 1900-1901 examinations by the Oxford University Delegacy, marks were passed to the Head Master but not listed in the Examiners’ Report. Pupils who deserved honourable mention: St Matthew - Corless second; Acts - Corless second; English Grammar - Corless first; Latin - Corless first. (The Scriptures held a dominant position in the examinations over a long period of time.) The Senior papers in Mathematics and Science were take by 5th and 6th Forms, Corless was well ahead in all his papers.
1901-1902 In the year ended Midsummer 1901 there were six Grammar School Scholarships of £10 each awarded, Richard Corless was one of them. The Head Master’s Report was 20 lines! R Corless was placed 1st in 2nd Class Senior Honours 1st Division; distinguished in Mathematics being placed 5th on the list; distinguished in Religious knowledge, being placed 54th on the list; qualified in Responsions. (Note: These positions are apparently on the national lists. There was no unified examination structure, no Joint Examination Boards, and schools selected the examining body which they preferred. The earlier reference by Brooks to that year’s examinations probably being the first by Oxford University in the School’s history may well be taken as an indication that the School had deliberately chosen a higher quality of examination than previously.)
The examinations in 1902-1903 were conducted by the Oxford University Delegacy on 10th July 1903. The quality of work gave ample evidence of the pains and trouble bestowed upon their pupils by the Head Master and his staff. Excellence of writing, in every case perfectly clear and legible, and spelling - no single instance of a bad speller. H T Gerrans, MA, Fellow and Tutor of Worcester College, conducted the Mathematics examinations and his Report has a one sentence introduction followed by: In Corless the School has a mathematician of unusual attainments and high promise. I hope that he may prove to have established a tradition of advanced mathematical work.
Algebra ……the admirable Paper of Corless…. In Trigonometry, Applied Mathematics and Conics Corless was very good. Scholarships and Prize List for the year shows against R Corless: Senior Open Mathematical Scholarship, Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge, £60 pa. Miller Exhibition, £40 for four years. Goodair Scholarship, £30 for four years. Special Prizes: Greek Testament donated by J L Myres. Mathematics, Rev T B Spencer. Form VI Prize, Right Worshipful the Mayor, Alderman Greenwood. Oxford Local Certificates - Seniors - 3rd in Mathematics, Associate in Arts.
In 1903-1904 Richard Corless was shown as being awarded a Grammar School Scholarship (there were four awarded) in the year ended Midsummer 1903, value £10. There is a July 1904 list of University and Other Distinctions which includes - R Corless, Miller and Goodair Exhibitioner, Prize for Mathematics, at Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge.
Richard Corless was one of the 33 Pupils named by Brooks as forming the nucleus of the School when it re-opened in September 1898 under the newly appointed H C Brooks following the resignation of A B Beaven after twentythree years service. During the last 15 years of his Head Mastership the School declined [almost uninterrupted year upon year] from 137 pupils in 1882 to 48. The Committee declined to recommend the Council to award him an honorarium on retirement.
Ever-present in football team season 1898-9. Presumably named as a “Victor”. This was a distinction awarded under Brooks - may pre-date him - to any boy who was an ever-present in a School team during a complete season. They didn’t necessarily have to win!
1902 School Captain. Delivered the Latin oration to the Guild Mayor, 1902. This must be quite an ordeal for any boy at the Guild.
At the conclusion of the Opening of the Guild Court, at 11.30am the procession formed including, preceding the Guild Mayor and Guild Officers, the Masters and Scholars of the Grammar School, the VI Form in their gowns, for the Guild Mayor to go to Church “in state”. Following the Service the procession re-formed to go direct to the Guild Hall (about 150 yards ‘direct’) where the platform party passed between the Masters and Wardens of the Guild Companies, the Masters and Scholars taking up position in front of the Platform with the VI Form Boys ranged in front. The Halberdiers resumed their posts at the Entrance, and the Town Standard was displayed on the Vestibule of the principal floor. The Bellman and Mace Bearers took up position in the Guild Hall, right and left of the Guild Clerk. The Gallery of the Hall had been reserved for the Guild Mayoress (the Countess of Derby) and other Ladies. The Guild Mayor and his distinguished Visitors were conducted by the Guild Stewards on to the Platform of the Guild Hall, where they were also accompanied by the Aldermen, Councillors, Nobility, Magistrates, and other Gentlemen.
The Sergeant-at-Mace commanded Silence, the Guild Mayor announced that the Head Scholar would deliver a Latin Oration, in accordance with ancient usage, and thereupon called upon the Head Master to introduce the Head Scholar to the Company. The Head Master accordingly introduced Richard Corless, Head Scholar and Captain of the Grammar School in Latin. The Head Scholar then stepped forward and delivered a Latin Oration. (The Oration and translation are given in full, together with the Head Master’s Latin Oration and the reply by the Recorder, also in Latin, in the Official Record of the 1902 Guild Merchant.)
This was then followed by the Guild Mayor, The Earl of Derby, KG, GCB, who addressed the Assemblage as follows:-
I am not going to address you in language so learned or so antique as that of the orations to which we have all, I am sure, listened with much pleasure. With regard to the Captain of the School, who delivered his address - his oration - so well, I think he spoke it with such a knowledge of what he was speaking, and he delivered it with a power and force which one could hardly have expected from one very slightly accustomed to public speaking. I think Richard Corless may rest very well satisfied with today’s work so far as he is concerned..........
(It may, perhaps, be of some interest to know that Lord Derby included in his title …..and of Preston; he and the Countess had long associations with the Town, the family had its Town House for very many years in Church Street, at least one future Lord Derby was educated at the Grammar School. The Derbys did not act as figureheads just for the Guild. They appear to have worked their socks off for the year. Another unusual feature which may need explaining is ‘Mace Bearers’ - Preston having three Maces!)
R Corless was one of only two named on the Honours Board as having been awarded a Goodair Exhibition. Which years later gave rise to some pondering by an Old Boy writing in the magazine as to why this Exhibition had only been awarded twice, or was there some other explanation. Left as an open question.
1910 Corless Richard BA117 Vassall Road Brixton London SW. Member of PGSA in 1910 when first membership list produced and then recorded as having resigned during 1911.
Marriage - Corless, Richard, of Brixton, to Etheline Oatan, of London, on December 28th, 1912.
Awarded OBE 1918 for his work in the Meteorological Office.
Promoted to Assistant Director of the Meteorological Office in 1939
1948 President PGSA London Section.
In 1953 PGSA Membership Number 207, CBE MA (Cantab)21 Wimborne Gardens West Ealing London W 13(….-1903)
Much remains to be excavated from the records which are not yet computerised. It will be quite a slow process.
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Biography of Richard (Dick) Corless C.B.E., M.A.
Richard Corless, born 10 Oct 1885, died on 11 December 1967 after 20 years of retirement.
He was the bright boy of a family of eight children who lived in the village of Goosnargh near Preston.
From the village school he won a scholarship to Preston Grammar School in 1896 and his progress there was marked by a series of Form Prizes - in 1897 for Mathematics, in 1898 for French, in 1901 for Latin, in 1902 for Astronomy and the Study of the Gospels, in 1903 both as School Captain and for English Literature.
In 1902, at the time of the Preston Guild (held every 20 years), he was Head Boy and as such delivered the traditional Latin Oration to the Guild Mayor.
In 1903 he won a Scholarship to Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge and took his B.A. Degree in 1906, proceeding later to M.A. In the Mathematical Tripos , Part I, 1906 he was sixteenth Wrangler and he also obtained a First Class, Natural Sciences Tripos, Part I, 1907.
In October 1907 he joined the Meteorological Office as Special assistant to the Director, Sir Napier Shaw. In this role Richard was one of the first of the highly qualified scientific officers recruited by Sir Napier, doubtless in recognition by the Director of the vital contribution that science must make across the whole spectrum of 20th century technology. In 1913 he became Secretary to the Director, soon to be followed by his appointment as Acting Superintendent of Statistics and, in 1916, as Superintendent of Instruments. The vital role of this work in wartime was recognised by his award of the OBE in 1918.
After the War he was successively Superintendent of the British Climatology Division and British Rainfall Organization (1925), the Forecast Division (1929) and the combined Forecast and Aviation Divisions (1934). He was Secretary of the Royal Meteorological Society from 1924 to 1926 and Vice-President in 1927. He was author, or joint author, of numerous papers published in the Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society.
In January 1939, he was promoted to the rank of Assistant Director, one of only two Assistant Director posts in the Meteorological Office at the time, and in 1953 he was awarded the CBE.
Richard & Ethel Oatan were married in 1912 and settled in Ealing, W London where he also spent his retirement. There they had a son Dorian (b. 1916) and daughter Mary (b. 1921). Mary survives Richard and lives in Somerset.
Richard's extra-curricular interests included music, in retirement becoming a member of the Royal Choral Society in the late 1940’s; playing the piano and pipe organ – indeed, together with one of his brothers, he dismantled and reassembled a small pipe organ in a local church. He was also a pillar of St Stephen's Church in Ealing where he was a Churchwarden and choir member for many years.
With all his exalted career he nevertheless remained a modest man, anxious to maintain connections with his siblings - regularly visiting the Goosnargh area where many of them lived at the time.
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