The Rev. Knight-Clarke, Founder and Headmaster of the Quilmes Grammar School, today, St. Alban's College, was born at Aylsham in Norfolk, England, on 11th August 1869.
Doyen
of the clergy of the Anglican Diocese of Argentina and Eastern South America,
he held the Bishop's license for many years. He was educated at Christ's
Hospital, and, later, became an Associate of King's College, London.
He was ordained deacon by the Bishop of Gloucester and Bristol and in 1897, priest, by the Bishop of London. He was
curate of St. Matthias-on-Weir, Bristol, during 1896 and 1897, and of St.
Matthias, Stoke Newington, from 1897 to 1899.
He
then went out to the Malay Peninsula as
Chaplain and undertook missionary
work at Selangor for two years, after which he was chaplain at Sarawak 1901-02 and at Labaun 1902-06. In 1900 he was acting-headmaster of the Victoria
Institution, the Government School, at Kuala Lumpur. During his stay in the
East he was in charge of Singapore
Cathedral for six months.
In
1906 Mr. Knight-Clarke came to this country as chaplain of All Saints' Church, Quilmes, where he remained until
1922. It was in Calle Alvear in that suburb he founded the Quilmes Grammar School on 15th January 1907. The next
move was to Quinta Badaraca, vicarage of All Saints' Quilmes and then in 1917
the school moved to Los Cedros, Quilmes, until the end of 1922 when it finally moved to Lomas de Zamora and became known
as St. Alban's College, beginning the scholastic year on 1st February
1923, at Avda. Almirante Brown near the corner of Calle Cerrito.
The removal to its present premises, at Ramón
Falcon 250, Lomas de Zamora, took place in 1938. In 1922 Mr. Knight-Clarke gave
up his chaplaincy to devote himself entirely to scholastic work, though
licensed by Bishop E. F. Every to officiate within the diocese.
Possessed
of a very strong character indeed it was he who laid down the ethical, moral, academic and sporting bases which has
made St. Alban's such a positive" influence in Argentine Education
through the years, moulded the School into what it is today, and imbued his
successors (who fortunately have all been Philomathians) so completely with his
spirit that the same ethos is still pursued and imposed at present in the everyday life at St. Alban's
College.
The
Rev. Knight-Clarke will always be remembered for his keen sense of justice and good humour. As an enthusiastic bridge player of note. He was a great
schoolmaster and mathematician and it was always a source of great
happiness to him to be surrounded by his pupils.
The
high esteem and affection in which he was held, and the tremendous influence he
had moulding the characters of his pupils, was shown by the many Old Boys and friends who expressed their sorrow when he
died on 27th April 1944.
