On the 13th of April 1629, the Foundation Deed for Chigwell School was signed by Samuel Harsnett, then Archbishop of York. The records state that 18 boys were to be selected and taught for free, and others could be accepted for a fee. At the time, the current Swallow Library was the main extent of the site. From this small beginning, then, grew the independent co-educational School of just over 1,000 pupils that we have today.

Chigwell School holds an extensive and fascinating collection of records and artefacts, dating from the 17th Century to the present day. Our Archives are comprised of a range of material, including the original foundation deeds, written on vellum, silver Victorian trophy cups, governors’ minute-books, medals from the First World War, 1920s autograph books, and a variety of photograph albums from the 1880s onwards.