Lowbury's secondary education was as a foundation scholar at St Paul's School (London), where he began to specialise in science.

Corbett attended Tonbridge School, before studying history at Cambridge University, where he was a foundation scholar.

He was elected foundation scholar on 16 February 1754, and admitted to a fellowship on 22 June 1756.

By 1955 the school had 35 foundation scholars, selected by open competition, among its 200 boarders and 100 day boys.

He then attended Bromsgrove School, which he entered in 1938 as a foundation scholar.

The foundation scholars of the college continued to receive an education far short of Alleyn's vision, despite further attempts at reform by the Visitor.

(Some schools still keep their foundation scholars in a separate house from other pupils.)

Within a few months he had migrated to Queens' College, where he became a foundation scholar in May 1823.

He became a Wrangler and foundation scholar from Clare College, Cambridge.

As a foundation scholar, he took his degree with a first class in the classical tripos in 1873.