List of Principals of Elizabeth College, Guernsey


Since its foundation in 1563, Elizabeth College has had 42 principles overseeing the running of the school. The principal was formerly known as the master of the school. Since the appointment of Rev. Dr Charles Stocker as principal in 1824, portraits have been made of every principal of the school, except Rev. George Proctor. These are kept in the Le Marchant library, situated at the very top of the middle spire of the main building.

List of principals

TitlePrincipalPeriodNotesReference
DrAdrian SaraviaThe school's first master, Saravia left the island in 1571, describing the local population as an 'uncivilised race' which 'hates all learning'. He went on to become one of the translators of the King James Bible.
MrWilliam Hartc. 1581
Rev.George Capelin1589–1591
MrMartin de Pestere1599–1606
Rev.Simon Hern1606–1608
Rev.William West1608–1609
MrAmos Hornc. 1610
MrJean Ganrey1613–1614
MrThomas Mauger1622–1626
MrJoshua Slowley1627–1628
MrArthur Moreheadc. 1635
Rev.Isaac Basirec. 1636
MrJacob de l'Epine1639–1644
MrThomas Carey1644–1660
Rev.Gabriel Du Perier1660–1669
MrGeorge Dalgarno1670–1672
Rev.Francis Dubois1672–1675
Rev.1675–1678
Rev.William Johnson1682–1698
MrJacob Bouhautc. 1700
Rev.Lawrence Payne1708–1714Payne was dismissed after he was found to have spent eighteen months absent in England while still claiming salary as a master.
MrJohn Rowe1714–1718
Rev.John Le Mesurier1738–1759
Rev.John Hemming1759–1761
Rev.Elias Crespin1761–1795
Rev.Nicholas Carey1795–1824
Rev.Charles Stocker1824–1829Stocker was the College's first principal since the re-chartering of the College in 1824. He developed a reputation for 'unmerciful' flogging while applying himself to raise the academic standing of the school, as well as concentrating on the construction of the new main building.
Rev.George Proctor1829–1832
Rev.William Davies1832–1847
Rev.John Bromby1847–1855
Rev.Arthur Corfe1855–1868
Rev.John Oates1868–1888
Rev.William Penney1888–1924
Rev.Francis Hardy1924–1939
Rev.William Milnes1939–1957
MrJohn Day1957–1971Day was the first principal of the College not to be an ordained member of the Church of England.
MrRichard Wheadon1971–1988
MrJohn Doulton1988–1998
MrDavid Toze1998–2001Toze appointed the first-ever female headteacher of Beechwood in 2000, and oversaw the merging of Acorn House and Beechwood into the Elizabeth College Junior School as well as establishing a link between The Ladies' College and Elizabeth College sixth forms.
DrNicholas Argent2001–2009Argent oversaw the development of the sixth form centre in the basement of the main building, opened in 2008.
MrGeorge Hartley2009–2017
MrsJenny Palmer2017–Palmer was the first female principal in the school's history, and oversaw the beginning of the transition of Elizabeth College from a boys-only school into a co-educational school.