Minerva's Diary - A History of Jarvis Collegiate Institute

gymnasium. This was probably the first use of the term in North
America.
CHAPTER 3
Another of John Strachan's assistants in "Old Blue", Rev.
Samuel Armour, became headmaster in 1822. The Scotsman
seems to have been remembered as much for his love of hunting
as for his ability to teach. Students recall that he was extremely
distracted from his lessons whenever a flock of passenger
pigeons flew overhead, to the accompanying sounds of popping
guns. *1 His aversion to "cribbing" was equally apparent. Upon
receipt of the only available copy of the classics text, Eutropius,
he stitched up the English translation at the back of the book to
deny the pupils any assistance.
For some undetermined reason, his class once chose to
bar his entry to the school by piling cordwood against the door
from within. The master had to effect his not-too-graceful
entrance via a side window. The castigation resulting from the
caper is unknown, but it is one historical event that was never
repeated.*2 After his resignation in 1825, Rev. Armour moved to
Cavan township where he was a schoolmaster until his death.
That year the Home District Grammar School became
the Royal Grammar School under the kindly direction of Rev. Dr.
Thomas Phillips, a Cambridge graduate recently arrived from
England. He was a highly respected scholar who introduced
many of the Eton traditions to the school. In appearance he
resembled an English country parson with his shovel-hat, closelybuttoned
frock coat, prescribed leggings and powdered hair. He
replaced the Latin text, Ruddiman's Rudiments, with the Eton
Latin Grammar. The use of the Eton Greek Grammar was also
initiated, but the selections from it, as well as the master's notes,
were translated into Latin, not English. *3
Dr. Phillips added a large, rough "lean-to" across the
entire west side of the schoolhouse to provide his students with a
play area during inclement weather. A few bars and poles were
included, and the master instructed everyone to refer to it as the
Rev. Dr. Thomas Phillips was headmaster from 1825 to 1830. Beneath his
frock coat were the prescribed leggings;-his powdered hair was enhanced
with a shovel-hat.
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