HISTORY OF ILLUMINĀ

Today is the last day of Short Half and in a tradition going back over 160 years, the school will celebrate Illuminā.

Until the first boarding house was opened (Furley’s, in 1859), all Commoners were housed in New Commoners.  This had been built between 1838 and 1842 under the Headmaster Dr Moberly to replace the inadequate Old Commoners.  New Commoners occupied approximately the space that now forms the Flint Court classrooms and the west side of Moberly Court.

Between 1859 and 1869 Commoners dispersed into boarding houses and during this period the wall enclosing Grass Court was demolished, allowing Commoners access to the much larger exercise area of Meads.  The map, derived from an 1848 sketch map, shows the location of Grass Court and its enclosing wall, which ran between Walford’s and Meads Wall.  It is obvious how restricted Commoners had been before the wall came down. 

Walford’s housed the school’s Mathmā department, a library for the College prefects, and a room for Fourth Book. 

This photograph from the 1860s shows Walford’s before it was demolished.

After the removal of Grass Court Wall in 1862, the Commoners celebrated on the last Sunday of Short Half by putting lighted candles in niches in Meads Wall, the only wall that had enclosed Grass Court to survive.  The celebration has continued annually, and after 1869, when all Commoners had moved to boarding houses, Collegemen took over. 

By 1880, Illuminā was held on the last night of Short Half. The younger Collegemen would gather tolly-ends (the stubs of candles collected during Short Half) and light them in temples (niches) all round Meads Wall.  A bonfire would be lit on Ball Court and the school would gather to sing Domum, both of which we hope will happen today.