The Sad fatality at Maidstone Grammar School.The Maidstone and Kentish Journal of 8th November 1894 reported the sad accident at Maidstone Grammar School, resulting in the death of a pupil Percy Le Clair Hills, the son of a local councillor Edward Hills. Percy was the oldest of three brothers, who attended the Maidstone Grammar School. Every year, the school held a small firework demonstration in commemoration of the attempt to blow up the Houses of Parliament, at which every boy between the ages of 14 and 15 years were given an allotted number of fireworks. On Monday 5th November 1894, parents, scholars and friends assembled on the school playground and a fire was lit just after seven o’clock in the evening and fireworks followed. Just before eight o’clock, a pupil was seen running around the grounds, shouting, the pupil Percy Hills ran into a wall and the seriousness of his situation, soon realised. The pupil had lighted fireworks playing into his face and neck. The headmaster Rev H A Watson and other masters attended to Percy, and due to the seriousness of his burns, he soon lost unconsciousness. Four doctors Drs Monckton, Hoar, Plumley and Shaw were in attendance and it was soon observed, Percy’s condition was precarious, having sustained severe burns to his chest, throat and neck, and he died, later the same evening.
At the Coroner’s inquest before the Borough Coroner Richard Turner Tatham, the Rev H A Watson proceeded to explain the circumstances of the accident. explaining that it had been a custom for years to have a celebration at the school. Each boy was given a number of fireworks, but there were regulations as to letting them off, one being that none should be discharged before a given signal, by the firing of a rocket, and another that none should be discharged towards the visitors. Witnesses had seen Percy running and shrieking, but had thought he was excited but soon discovered that it was through fear. The boy was caught and a coat thrown over him, when the coat was removed Percy was unconscious. He was taken into the school house, where he was attended by a trained nurse and four doctors. James Charles McVitie, another pupil, said he was present at the school and observed Percy light a Roman candle, which he pinched as if trying to extinguish and then put in his back pocket. He afterwards saw him, run and shriek. Albert Epps, another pupil stated he had seen another pupil running in front of Percy, with a firework and he saw sparks fall on his coat and saw the fireworks alight. Mr Aird had caught Percy and threw his own coat round him, he afterwards discovered there were fireworks burning him and unrolled him. Dr Ground praised the kindness of the headmaster and those who had attended to Percy, and stated nothing more could have been done for him. Percy never regained consciousness and his cause of death was stated as pneumonia and cerebral effusion on the membrane of the brain. Summing up, the Coroner Mr Tatham commented at the sadness of the death and “it was not for him to say, whether it was wise for boys of the deceased age to have fireworks; this was a question they were not there to try. Boys, of course, would be boys, and he supposed they would forever have fireworks, and as long as there were fireworks, there could be accidents. In the present case he thought no one was to blame, not even the poor little chap himself. He (Mr Tatham) knew him very well and was fond of him. He thought there could be no other verdict than that of an accidental one.” The funeral cortege for Percy Le Clair Hills, from his home “Lenworth”, at Ashford Road, consisted of an open car, bearing the coffin, which was covered with floral emblems was followed by five mourning carriages. The first part of the service was conducted at All Saints Church with family, councillors and pupils from the Grammar school in attendance. The grammar school boys then followed the deceased to the cemetery, where the Rev Watson and his former master S Priestly officiated at the graveside. Numerous wreaths were placed on the grave, including a wreath of violet and orange chrysanthemums from the Grammar school, the school colours, with the deceased’s cap in the centre, were placed at the head of the coffin.
Two years prior to his death, in May 1892 Percy Le Clair Hills had been awarded the Old Boys’ scholarship for Modern Languages at the Maidstone Grammar school. Following his death, a fund was raised; subscribed to by the pupils and masters of the school to commemorate his memory , a year later a stained glass window and brass plate were installed in the school hall in the presence of his relatives, masters and pupils. The stained glass window depicted a biblical scene from Samuel, when read “Speak, Lord, for thy servant heareth” The school hall at the school’s  previous Tonbridge Road site, no longer exists.

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