Gilchrist House opened in 1883 and was named after Dr John Borthwick Gilchrist. Upon his death in 1841, his will established the Gilchrist Educational Trust. Recipients of the scholarship were required to attend London University upon leaving Epsom College. Within that first year, a scholarship holder chose to attend Cambridge instead, leading the Gilchrist Trust to withdraw its involvement.
Consequently, the house was swiftly renamed Granville House, in honour of Earl Granville, President of the College at the time. The house was given the Granville family crest: a chapeau or cap, with an ermine lining, historically worn on a helmet before battle, as well as the Granville family motto Frangas non flectes ( “You may break (me), but you will not bend (me)”), symbolising resilience and steadfastness in adversity.
Granville George Leveson-Gower, 2nd Earl Granville, became President of Epsom College in 1865 and remained in the role until his death in 1891. A distinguished figure, he served three times as Foreign Secretary and was a close ally of Prime Minister William Gladstone. As a Cabinet member in successive Liberal ministries from the 1830s onwards, Granville was one of the most prominent political figures of his time.
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