From: GALLERY : A PICTORIAL BACKGROUND TO THE LIFE & TIMES OF WILLIAM ROWBOTTOM, circa 1757 - 1830

Henshaw's Blue Coat School, Oldham.

When Thomas Henshaw died in 1810, amongst a number of legacies, he left the sum of £40,000 for the endowment of the Blue Coat School in Oldham.

His will was contested and the estate was tied up in litigation for several years. However, the will was eventually upheld. As his will had contained no provision for the cost of building the school itself or for the land on which it would be situated, a public meeting was held in Oldham in September 1825 to appeal for an offer of suitable land. An offer was forthcoming and was accepted. In addition, a public appeal was launched to provide the funds for building the school.

The architect was Richard Lane, and the foundation stone was laid in 1829. The school was finally opened in 1834.