Dr Blake Odgers was one of three brothers who gained free places at King Edward's School as Foundation Scholars during the 1850's and 1860's.  All three went on to great distinction.  Blake won the Brodrick Medal for academic excellence and a Leaving Exhibition in 1865, which enabled him to continue his studies at Cambridge.  Having trained as a barrister, he went on to serve successively as Recorder of Winchester, Plymouth and Bristol, before being appointed Professor of Law at Gresham College.

Blake was always grateful for the start in life that had been given to him by King Edward's School.  Throughout his remarkable career, he never lost touch with his old school, eventually becoming a Governor and President of the Old Edwardians' Association.  Blake expressed his gratitude to the School through various acts of generosity.  His most significant one being in 1889 when he sponsored a Leaving Exhibition of £40 a year to enable Arthur Vizard (a Foundation Scholar) to attend Cambrige - in recognition, he said, of the fact that he himself had received a similar one from the School.  Vizard went on to gain a double first with distinction.

Our new society - the Blake Odgers Society - has been named to honour a man who took full advantage of the ladder of opportunity provided by the School and then showed gratitude by giving back to the School in so many ways. 

Although King Edward's School has always been a fee-paying school, there has also been a long tradition of providing bursaries and scholarships for able children from less affluent homes.  This policy has been greatly assisted by the Direct Grant System and the Government Assisted Places Scheme over the years.  Sadly the latter scheme was abolished in 1997 and the School has tried its best to maintain the tradition of offering bursaries and scholarships but without government support.  The School's own financial resources, however, are meagre, thanks to the plundering of our original endowment in the early years of the School's existence.  (For the full story of the lost endowment, see John Wroughton, 450 Years: King Edward's School, Bath, 1552-2002).  The School, therefore, has an urgent need to build up a really substantial Bursary Fund over the coming years to halt the decline in provision. 

The newly-established Blake Odgers Society is the School's way of recognising and thanking those individuals who have stated their intention to include the School in their will.  Old Edwardians and friends of the School who would like to learn more about the Blake Odgers Society and how they can help are invited to contact the Development Office to obtain a brochure.

Development Office tel 01225 820357 or email: claire.davies@kesbath.com