By Sarah Walker
27 July 2026
A 465th anniversary celebration at Prior Pursglove College in Guisborough honoured a former pupil who died during World War II – and brought the community together to learn about their shared history.
Richard Blom, the college’s history lecturer, was instrumental in organising the event – and had the idea to plant a tree within the grounds of the college, recreating an event from 1933 captured in a photograph which was amongst recently discovered and displayed artefacts.
The photograph shows the Duke of Kent, Prince George, planting a tree within Prior Pursglove’s grounds in 1933.
Mr Blom decided to ask a member of the public who was related to a student from 1933 to plant another tree in that student’s honour.
Mr Blom’s research led him to Thomas Vernon Raine, who is listed in the college’s honours board after he sadly died during World War II.
Thomas had been a member of the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve and rose to the rank of Flight Sergeant, serving with No. 159 Squadron RAF.
On 29 December 1944, Flight Sergeant Raine was aboard Liberator KH276 of No. 159 Squadron during an operational mission over Burma, in the area of the Rangoon River estuary.
The aircraft was lost during this operation, and he and his crew did not return. He was just 24.
With no known grave, he is commemorated on the Singapore Memorial, among thousands of Commonwealth servicemen and women whose final resting places are unknown.
Mr Blom said as the college marked 465 years of history, the name of Thomas Vernon Raine reminded us that the history of this college is “not only written in milestones and dates, but in the lives of its students – each one part of a continuing chain linking past, present, and future”.
As his relative Gail Jones helped to plant a tree in his honour, Mr Blom added: “As we plant this tree today, we honour that connection.
“It stands as a living memorial rooted in the same ground where he once learned, and growing forward into the future that generations of students continue to shape.”
Pupils also buried a time capsule containing things like a mobile phone, a current newspaper from the day, a lanyard, a covid face mask and letters from students who had written about their experiences of education in 2026.
Mr Blom said: “It was an absolutely brilliant event – and I was so impressed by the community’s response.
“We were joined by representatives from the Guisborough Priory Project and Guisborough Museum and our local mayor, Julie Hart.
“It was great to see Gail and have a conversation with her about her relative and show her how he was part of our college.”
Gail was able to see Thomas’ name on the college’s honours board, which has a list of all alumni who died in World War I and World War II.
She also joined other visitors looking at a wide range of artefacts from the college’s history.
Mr Blom was able to show her Thomas’ name in a register of his tutor group and tell her things about Thomas that she didn’t know, like what Squadron he was in.
“She was really pleased to have been asked to be involved and has relatives over in Canada who were desperate to get the photos of the event,” Mr Blom said.
“We have had a very good response. People have been very complimentary about the college. Gisborough Priory Group were over the moon with some of the archive material.”
The material viewed by visitors included documentation relating to Robert Pursglove and the land he sold, which provided funding for the college.
Mr Blom reflected on the establishment of Prior Pursglove College against the backdrop of Henry VII’s closure of more than 800 monasteries, priories and convents across England and Wales, including Guisborough Priory in 1539.
The order came after the King broke with the Roman Catholic Church and established the Church of England.
However, this action created huge gaps in the way societies had previously functioned, as monasteries had been much more than places of worship.
They had often provided education for local boys, particularly grammar education and training for the clergy, care for the sick through monastic infirmaries, charity for poor people and travellers, libraries and centres of learning.
They had also provided employment and economic support for local communities.
When these institutions were dissolved, their buildings were confiscated by the Crown, monks were dispersed, and many of these services disappeared almost overnight.
Gisborough Priory had been founded in the 12th century and had served the town and surrounding area for centuries.
Its closure meant that the local area lost one of its principal centres of learning and charity.
After the priory closed, there was a recognised gap in educational provision.
Robert Pursglove, who had been the last Prior of Guisborough before becoming Archdeacon of Nottingham, believed education should continue despite the religious changes.
In 1561, during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, he founded a free grammar school in Guisborough, which became the institution from which Prior Pursglove College traces its origins.
His aim was to ensure that local children – particularly boys who otherwise would have had limited opportunities – could continue to receive a high-quality education after the monastery had disappeared.
“There are very few colleges that have the wealth of history behind them that we have at Prior Pursglove College,” said Mr Blom, who believes it is important to mark the 465th anniversary of Prior Pursglove College, because “to mark it is to make people aware of it”.
“Some people in the local area might not realise just how old an educational establishment Prior Pursglove is and its importance to local history,” he said.
“I think it’s important that the community have the opportunity to find out more about their local heritage.
“The interest and the enthusiasm at the event was infectious and there were discussions with the MP Luke Meyer about how education can be connected to looking at your local history, while the local Priory Group and representatives from Guisborough Museum turned out in numbers.”
Mr Blom is working with history students and other interested parties in the local community to display artefacts relating to the college’s history.
More details are expected to follow in the next academic year.
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