Excerpt from the book “Cross of Gold” the history of St George’s Grammar School

Mr ACTofts (Headmaster 1890 - 1897)

 

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A turn for the better came in 1890, when Mr AC Tofts MA (St John’s College, Cambridge) was appointed headmaster. At the time there were only 45 boys on the roll. A bachelor, Mr Tofts was a keen cricketer who played for the Western Provence Club’s 1st XI. A contemporary press report probably dated January 1892 states:

 

A Good School… A change in the management of St George’s Grammar School has been made, so as to… secure the services of an additional master. Mr AC Tofts… has made such satisfactory progress during the last two years, both in relation to work and also with regard to the increase in the number of pupils that it has been found necessary to further develop the institution. This is a matter for congratulation. And affords a pleasing contrast to the somewhat disorganised state of affairs which previously existed. It is just possible that many people are under the erroneous impression that this school is for the exclusive benefit od boys who are trained for the choir of St George’s Cathedral. Such is not the case, and to quote from the prospectus: ‘The design of the school is to provide the sons of English churchmen and other, with a sound commercial education, combined with a definite religious instruction.

The fees are £2 5c and £3 per session; the school hours are from 9.15am to 12.30pm, and from 1.00pm to 2.30pm. The Committee of Management consists of the Very Rev the Dean, WS Darter, E Mellish, FY St Leger, G Smart, GH Walton, and JW Wathes.

 

A glimpse of Tofts’s character is revealed by the late WK Dose whose article ‘How I become a grammar school boy’ appeared in The Georgian of 1926:

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On the first day of term my mother set off to take me to my new school which had not yet been selected. I believe it was intended that I should go to SACS… On the way up the Avenue my mother was attracted by the boys playing in the grammar school grounds.

I was left for a few moments in the Avenue while she went into St George’s to interview the headmaster and get an impression of the school. The impression he made on her must have been a very favourable one… the fact that the lunch interval was long enough to make it possible for me to go home for the midday meal proved the deciding factor and I there and then entered the school.

 

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WK Dose goes on to mention that Tofts and his two assistant teachers, Mr Bain and Mr Wheatly, were well liked. Each teacher had charge of two forms totalling about 15 boys. The bigger boys had as their playground the area between the school building and Wale Street, while the smaller boys used that between school and the South African Library. In the short while Tofts was at St George’s the enrolment increased to 76.

In July 1897, a number of momentous changes took place. There existed in Roeland Street, almost opposite St Mary’s Cathedral, a school called the Educational Institute.

 

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It was run by a French gentleman’ of very distinguished appearance and bearing’, OD Douallier, who now found it necessary to retire ‘owing to advancing age’. It was decided that the two schools should amalgamate, and the boys of the Institute were transferred en bloc to St Georgians, where they slightly outnumbered the St Georgians. At this traumatic time, Mr Tofts retired. Who would be his successor?

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Part of an email from Tom Neal, while doing research on his family

 

I am researching the history of football (soccer) in my hometown of Redcar, North East England. Arthur Charles Tofts, headmaster of the school between 1890 and 1897, was from nearby Darlington. He was educated at St John's College, Cambridge, moving to my area to work as a Second Master at Coatham Grammar School.

 

He was a keen sportsman; a talented lawn tennis player and cricketer, he also helped to form the prestigious and historic Cleveland Golf Club. In footballing terms, he helped Redcar reach the quarter finals of the FA Cup, the most prestigious club football tournament in the country (and maybe even the world...!), and also played for Darlington alongside Arthur Wharton, the world's first black professional footballer.