From the Archives

Elizabeth Wells

School Archivist

I would like to take the chance to highlight some of the exciting new additions to the Archive over the past two years, donated by Old Westminsters, which have enhanced our collection.

Account of the first Westminster v. Charterhouse match in 1863

John Rae by Anthony D’Angour

AMNESTY RETURNS: The Town Boy Ledger and The Football Ledgers

We have an amnesty on the return of items once held at the School that have, for whatever reason, strayed from home. Donations can be dropped off anonymously at the School’s reception or sent to the Archives at the address below. Recently, some significant historic ledgers have been recovered in this way. One OW dropped off the final volume of the series of Town Boy Ledgers which had been stored in his attic. The Ledgers were kept by the pupil elected ‘Head of the Town Boys’ (Princeps Oppidanus or Princeps Oppidanorum). The seven volumes in the School’s possession were conserved thanks to a grant from the National Manuscripts Conservation Trust and are currently being serialised online: townboyledger.westminster. org.uk. Adding the eighth and final volume to the series ensures we have an unbroken account of pupil experiences running from 1815 until 1959. This latest volume also covers the years of Second World War and includes important details about the life of the School during evacuation and the adjustments made upon returning to Westminster in 1945. We are delighted to have it back.

A cache of ledgers was returned to us from the widow of an OW thanks to the kind assistance of Colin Brough (AHH 1959-63). Amongst the collection were Football Ledgers spanning the years 1854-1881. These have already attracted a lot of interest from a number of individuals researching the history of the game. Westminster was instrumental in the formulation of the first Football Association rules in the 1860s and these ledgers will provide important background to this crucial period. It also provided us with Westminster’s description of the first ever Westminster v. Charterhouse match, a now historic fixture. It tallies well with Charterhouse’s account – both agree on the ‘miserable weather’ and the final score, 2-0 to Westminster; the only discrepancy is the date – the Carthusians got it wrong!

JOHN RAE

Our largest acquisition came in the form of an impressive portrait of Head Master John Rae, donated by the artist Anthony D’Angour (WW 1971-75) who painted it whilst he was still a pupil in the School. The gift was perfectly timed to mark the 10th anniversary of Rae’s death on 16th December 2006 as well as the 30th anniversary of his retirement in 1986.

During his time at Westminster, Rae wrote newspaper articles and regularly appeared as a panellist on programmes such as Question Time. He allowed the BBC to film its 1979 documentary about the School, a programme which received a mixed response from both parents and the press. Although many disapproved of his engagement with the media, he was a respected voice in defence of independent schools at a time when they were under much attack. He even received invitations to dinner with the Prime Minister, Harold Wilson, at Downing Street. Controversially, Rae spoke out against ‘assisted places’ stating “you do not deal with a famine by sending a few lucky children to lunch at the Ritz” – an unpopular stance with some other head teachers who were reliant on the scheme.

Rae worked hard to modernise the School and rescue it from its perilous post-war financial position. He improved the School’s science facilities and created a new day house, Dryden’s, in 1976. Rae made a number of changes to the School’s statutes, removing some restrictions on who could apply to be scholars at the School. He will always be remembered as the Head Master who introduced girls to Westminster. He faced criticism for doing so, and for his appointment of a female pupil as Captain of the School in 1986. As always, Rae was able to provide a reasoned and articulate defence of his decisions. The journal he kept whilst Head Master, published after his death as ‘The Old Boys' Network: John Rae's Diaries 1970- 1986’, remains the best insight to the School during that period.

The portrait has been hung in the Markham Room, gazing through the School’s newly created Bentham Room to the Abbey beyond and not far from Rae’s memorial stone in the Cloister below.

DENNY BROCK AT THE BEACHCOMBER RESTAURANT

We are always eager to add photographs to the collection, particularly if the individuals who feature can be identified. In cases where the donor wishes to retain the photograph, we are happy to take a scan to add to our growing digital archive of images. One of the images that captured our imagination is that of Denny Brock being treated to dinner at the Beachcomber Club in Mayfair in 1963. The occasion was a farewell to Brock as Housemaster of Ashburnham – he moved to become Housemaster of Grants in the Play term. The Mahiki of its day, the Beachcomber Club included hula dancers and live crocodiles in its pools.

College by John Croft

Denny Brock at The Beachcomber Restaurant

COLLEGE

Another new painting in the collection depicts College in 1947, still a shell prior to its refurbishment and reopening by King George VI in 1950. Acquired from the artist John Croft (HBB, 1936-39), it now hangs in the newly created Bentham Room.

EXPEDITIONS

Michael Davies (AHH, 1957-63) deposited a number of records relating to his school days at Westminster including scrap books and material relating to the Arctic Norway expedition of 1962.

Are you an Old Westminster author?

The School actively collects fine and first editions of books written by Old Westminsters. If you are a published author, please consider donating a copy of your work to add to the collection. Godfrey Greene (GG, 1902-1907) left his personal collection of works by Old Westminsters to the School on his death in 1956, founding the Greene Collection. The School has continued to add works over the years and we are keen to keep the tradition Greene started alive.

Thanks

The above are only a small sample of the materials we have received. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all OWW who have donated time, money towards conservation, reminiscences and archival material to the School over the past two years. We love adding new things to our collections, which are widely used both within and outside of the School. Please keep the donations coming!

Elizabeth Wells, Archivist archives@westminster.org.uk 020 7963 1110 @WSchoolArchives

Signed cover of the Arctic Norway Expedition diary