History
Proud of its tradition, Stewart's Melville College is continuously evolving to meet the challenges of tomorrow.
Daniel Stewart’s College
Daniel Stewart’s College stemmed from the bequest of Daniel Stewart who was born in Logierait, Perthshire in 1741, the son of a poor farming family. Having moved to Edinburgh he became a wig maker’s apprentice but through careful investment he left, on his death in 1814, a substantial sum of money for the foundation of a school for orphan and destitute boys. He entrusted its “perpetual management” to the Merchant Company of the City of Edinburgh.
Magnificent Buildings
It was not until 1855 that the first 50 boys took up residence in the magnificent buildings designed by David Rhind. By the 1860’s the “Hospital” system of education for destitute children was increasingly unpopular.
The Edinburgh Merchant Company therefore turned the Hospital into a fee-paying day school in which “foundationers” were a small minority.
Daniel Stewart’s Institution
In 1870 the Hospital became Daniel Stewart’s Institution with about 300 boys attending. In 1874 fees were £2 a quarter. Under the leadership of Mr William Wallace Dunlop who was Headmaster from 1882 – 1911the numbers rose to 890 boys by 1890.
Daniel Stewart’s College continued as a Direct Grant school until the government of the time phased these grants out. The decision was therefore made that the school should become independent resulting in fees rising dramatically.
Numbers obviously fell and in 1972 Daniel Stewart’s College combined with Melville College to form Daniel Stewart’s and Melville College.
Melville College
Melville College was founded by the Rev Robert Cunningham in 1832 as the Edinburgh Institution for Mathematics and Language at 59 George Street. The school started with 60 pupils and quickly became a success. The boys wore red blazers as Rev Robert Cunningham was of the opinion that bright colours were better than the dowdy uniforms of most schools of the time. The red blazer remains part of the school uniform for the Head Boy and his deputies as well as for holders of “colours”.
Pioneer in Education
The purpose of the school was to educate boys from 12-15 for a business life. Rev Robert Cunningham was to be hailed as a pioneer in educational thought and he went on to found another school, Blair Lodge in Polmont, as well as becoming a Professor of Ancient Languages in Lafayette College in America. In addition he was one of the leaders of the “disruption” of the Church of Scotland that resulted in the formation of the Free Church of Scotland.
Merger
By 1835 there were 241 boys and the school had moved to new premises on Hill Street. In 1853 a new building, 8 Queen Street, was purchased and the school moved there under the Headship of a Dr Reid. There it stayed until 1920 when it moved once more to Melville Street.
For some time it had been felt that the name “Edinburgh Institution” was not in keeping with the type of school it was, as some said it sounded like a prison! By 1936 the new name of Melville College was chosen. In 1962 Mr Roger Sherriff became the Headmaster and he saw through the merger with Daniel Stewart’s College in 1972.