Back to School - Introducing historic School Registers on Familyrelatives.com additional 150,000 New records added to School collection April 2010

New and exclusive to Familyrelatives.com - The most recent additions to our ever expanding collection are the School registers to over 138,000 pupils and masters dating back to 1500.  

The list is comprised of major schools which are among the oldest of independent educational establishments in the United Kingdom, such as Sherborne School which was founded in 710 and re-founded in 1550 by Edward VI. The young King, a keen reformer, took an interest in establishing a system of grammar schools through endowments providing free education for the talented poor. The charitable concept of education for scholars of limited means gradually changed over the centuries to that of education for gentlemen entering the military, church and professions.

The term Public Schools is often confusing especially where Americans consider Public Schools to be government or state sponsored education available to all. The distinction is that the British Public School system was available to anyone who could afford it and was independent of the State.

It became a part of the structure to instill service to the Crown and Empire and provide future rulers for the nation and administrators for the Empire. Although with many detractors, the excellent all-round education provided by the British Public School system is envied by other countries and has been successfully exported across the world.