Abingdon is one of the oldest schools in England. There is no surviving date for its foundation but the School grew up alongside Abingdon Abbey, which was first founded in 675 and re-founded in 975.
The earliest definite reference to the school comes in 1256 in the will of the Abbot of Abingdon, John de Blosneville, who left an endowment for the support of 13 poor scholars. In 1375 a legal document located the School in Stert Street, Abingdon.
The School moved to new premises in 1563 the same year John Roysse re-endowed it following the dissolution of Abingdon Abbey, part of the English Reformation. It remained in these premises until 1870 when it moved to the present site.
An Endowed Charity School for much of its history, and a Direct Grant School for some of the 20th Century, Abingdon is now a fully independent day and boarding school.
The searchable archive website which outlines the history of the School and hosts many of its digitised records is in the process of creation.
Our Archives
The Abingdon School archives contain the administrative records of the school together with collections of books, clothing, photographs, artefacts and memorabilia associated with its long history.
The earliest items date back to the sixteenth century but the bulk of the records date from the mid-nineteenth century and from 1879, when the New Scheme of Governance was established, the records are fairly complete.
Archives Open:
Monday to Wednesday 9am to 5.30pm term-time only.
Visitors to the archives are welcome but please contact the archivist, Mrs Sarah Wearne, beforehand: [email protected].
The Abingdonian
The school magazine, The Abingdonian, was first published in December 1890 and has been published every year ever since. It has been digitised and can be word searched online.
