St Peter's Parish News
Thursday 1 January 1970
Berkhamsted School Founder’s Day
Last Friday, Berkhamsted School held its Founder’s Day services in St Peter’s Church. This annual celebration commemorates the opening of Berkhamsted School in 1541 by John Incent, Dean of St Paul’s Cathedral – known to us as Dean Incent. The recorded act stated:
“The Deane obtained of the King’s Majesty a Licence to purchase £40 in Lands by the year, to found a school with an incorporation at Berkhamsted… whereof the Kings always of this realme should be founders for ever after the decease of the said Deane by the said License, and should name and place the Schoolmaster there as oft as that room should happen to be void.”
The service was led by the School Chaplain, Rev Becky Taylor, with the school choir and brass band. This was the last Founder’s Day for the school principal, Richard Backhouse, who is leaving Berkhamsted School in 2026 after ten years.
Berkhamsted School has a long association with St Peter’s, and until the school chapel opened in 1895, the pupils worshipped regularly in the St John Chantry of St Peter’s (where we now house the choir stalls). You can read more about the history of Berkhamsted School online:
bit.ly 
