A PGS Schoolboy Who Changed the Way History Is Taught - Albert (Bertie) Pollard

Among the many distinguished former pupils of The Portsmouth Grammar School (PGS), few have had a greater influence on the study and teaching of history than Professor Albert Frederick Pollard. A leading Tudor historian, university professor, and founder of the Historical Association, Pollard helped shape history into the academic discipline we recognise today. Pollard helped transform the study of history in Britain and founded organisations that still inspire teachers and students more than a century later.

Born in Ryde on the Isle of Wight in 1869, Pollard, together with his brother, attended The Portsmouth Grammar School in the early 1880s where he won prizes for mathematics and spiritual knowledge. In 1884 Pollard distinguished himself in the Oxford Local Examinations, winning one of only three scholarships open nationally to Junior candidates. The award enabled him to continue his education at Felsted School, prompting The Portsmouth Grammar School magazine to note with pride, though not without regret, that his success "necessitates [his] departure from the School.” Pollard noted in a letter home from Felsted, “I do not think on the whole that the school is much superior to the PGS in the scholastic line”. His brother remained at PGS to complete his education, went on to also achieve a first at Oxford and became a lecturer in biology and anatomy at Charing Cross Hospital.

Pollard continued to Jesus College, Oxford, where he graduated with first-class honours in Modern History. In 1893, after University, he was appointed to the editorial staff of the Dictionary of National Biography, to which he contributed about 500 entries, mainly on figures in the Tudor period. In 1903, he was elected to the Chair of Constitutional History at University College, London, and held that position until his retirement in 1931.

At a time when history was often seen as little more than a collection of dates and kings, Pollard believed it should be a rigorous academic discipline.

In 1906, Pollard co-founded the Historical Association, an organisation dedicated to promoting the study and teaching of history. More than 120 years later, it remains one of Britain's leading organisations for history education.

Pollard also played a key role in establishing the Institute of Historical Research in 1921, creating a national centre for historical scholarship, which is still thriving today.  He remained as Director of the Institute for the years 1921-1939.

As a writer, Pollard became one of the foremost authorities on British history writing dozens of books, principally on Tudor England and constitutional history. Although more recent historians have challenged his views, his books shaped historical understanding for much of the twentieth century.

Although Pollard is no longer a widely recognised figure, his influence on the study and teaching of history was considerable. As a historian, educator and founder of the Historical Association, he played an important role in promoting the rigorous study of the subject in schools and universities.