John George Gordon and the departure from the Grammar School

So, last week we learned a bit about the reverend John George Gordon, the first headteacher of the Loughborough Grammar School, when it moved to its current location. Since then, the school archivist has been in touch and provided a few more details about the final days of the career of the Rev'd Gordon at the school.

In the spring of 1860, Rev'd Gordon had expelled a young student by the name of Algernon Perse (1) who was from Scotland and who was a boarded at the Grammar School. Upon learning of the expulsion, Algernon's father, Dudley, wrote to the school, as a result of which, Rev'd Gordon was interviewed by the school's trustees, its deputy headteacher, and Gordon's housekeeper, about the reason's behind the boy's expulsion.

Here's what the archivist said:

"During the spring of 1860 he [Gordon] had expelled Algernon Perse, a boarder from Scotland, but it the manner of their final confrontation that was to have repercussions. 

Mr Dudley Perse [father of Algernon] wrote to the trustees expressing dissatisfaction with the conclusion which they had reached with regard to his son. He stated that Dr Gordon had exclaimed to him [Algernon] 'None of your lies, Sir' and had then kicked him.

On 1st June 1860 the trustees interviewed Dr Gordon, his deputy (2), and his housekeeper about the quarrel and the struggle."  

Following this interview, the trustees took the unusual step of interviewing three boys  - William Bolton, James Sweetenham, and William Farmer - who had been witness to the 'quarrel and struggle':

"Clearly unhappy at what they heard, they decided to interview on 13th June, three boys who were eye-witnesses to the incident. William Bolton, a 14-year-old boarder from Dublin, had seen Gordon strike Perse once with the 'whacking cane'. Perse seized the cane after which the headmaster kicked him twice. During the struggle, James Sweetenham, aged 13 from Cumberland entered the room. He heard Perse urge Gordon to 'keep himself cool', but Gordon was 'much excited' and kicked him twice."

Clearly the trustees were shocked by Gordon's behaviour, and as, according to the archivist, they "had been looking for some time to get rid of Gordon - in fact since 1853" (3) and were ready to dismiss him from post, but before they managed to do this, Gordon resigned. Apparently:

"The trustees were unimpressed by the [resignation] letter which was self-pitying and self-serving, blaming his aberrant behaviour on the stress of running a new school in conditions which he had never previously experienced."

So unimpressed were the trsutees that they refused to grant Gordon's request for a pension.

And so, the search for a new headteacher began ...

(1) Algernon Perse, surname variously spelled Perse, Persse, Perces, Pierce, Piersse etc..

(2) The deputy headteacher at the time was Rev'd J. Kitchen

(3) Astonishing since Gordon had only been headteacher since the school opened in its new location in 1852

Posted by lynneaboutloughborough 24 October 2021

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Dyer, Lynne (2021). John George Gordon and the departure from the Grammar School. Available from: https://lynneaboutloughborough.blogspot.com/2021/10/john-george-gordon-and-departure-from.html  [Accessed 24 October 2021]

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