Engraving in the bank, Beamish Museum, Co.Durham.
The Royal Masonic School for Boys was an English private school for boys at Bushey in Hertfordshire.The origins of the school lie in the charities established in the late 18th century to clothe and educate the sons of Freemasons near their homes. These charities amalgamated in 1852 and established a boys’ school at Wood Green in North London in 1857. The foundation stone for a new school in Bushey was laid by the Duke of Connaught and Strathearn. It was designed by Gordon & Gunton and completed in 1903. A Junior School was added on the other side of The Avenue in 1929 and by 1939 there were 800 boys at the school.
Following a decline in pupil numbers the junior school closed in 1970, with the senior school closing in 1977. The site of the junior school is now occupied by The Grange Academy. The Royal Masonic School for Girls, based at Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire, was unaffected by the closure.
The site was acquired by Comer Homes in 1998; the buildings were rented out to the United States International University (Europe) (later Alliant International University) until 2009 when Comer Homes began redeveloping the site as Royal Connaught Park.
