Letter from the Chair, Old Millhillians Club

It feels entirely appropriate in this centenary year that the Old Millhillians Club should commission and publish this tribute to Sir John David McClure, The Maker of Mill Hill. The Club was primarily responsible for providing the funding for McClure’s salary during the initial years of his tenure. Old Millhillians dominated the Court of Governors for most of his 31 years as Head. Old Millhillians shouldered the administrative and financial burdens of running the School, allowing him to devote his time to the educational and pastoral needs of the pupils. Wealthy Old Millhillians such as Herbert Marnham and Lord Winterstoke, inspired by McClure’s vision, helped finance the significant building programme that transformed and enlarged the estate so that it was able to accommodate 300 pupils, most of whom were boarders. With Arthur James Rooker Roberts, a man also of great vision, he made Belmont a reality.

Much has been written about McClure. His daughter, Kathleen Ousey, who married an Old Millhillian, wrote a special tribute ‘McClure of Mill Hill’. Other sources we have used include Roddy Braithwaite’s ‘History of Mill Hill, Strikingly Alive’, Gowen Bewsher’s ‘Nobis, the Story of the Old Millhillians Club’ and Norman Brett-James ‘History of Mill Hill 1807-1923’. The Club’s challenge in publishing this tribute has been to find an original approach to a well-documented story.

What we have set out to do is paint a holistic picture of McClure as portrayed by his interests and relationships. We didn’t want a single view of the great man but a range of perspectives, so we have cajoled specialist contributing authors to do the work: Kevin Kyle, current Director of Music at Mill Hill, has written on McClure and Music; former Chaplain the Reverend Dr Richard Warden on McClure and Religion; former Headmaster William Winfield and current Head Jane Sanchez on McClure as Leader, Head and Educationalist, and Ed Holland (McClure

2017-21) who is currently on the Officer Training programme at Sandhurst, has written on the impact of the Great War. John Hellinikakis (School 1976/ Murray 1977-81), Chair of the Old Millhillians Relations Committee, writes on McClure’s close and enduring relations with the Old Millhillian community, and I pored over 31 years of minutes of meetings of the Court of Governors! Clare Lewis (Ridgeway 1977-79) has worked as editorial consultant on the project, and Laura Turner has provided picture research assistance and vital administrative back-up. Thanks too to David Palmer for his design insights and patience.

The final bonus was discovering what we think is new (to us in any event) material. McClure contributed to the ‘Cambridge Essays in Education’, first published in 1917, edited by Arthur Christopher Benson and republished in 2015 by Creative Media Partners, Scholar’s Choice Edition. This work was selected by scholars ‘as being culturally important, and part of the knowledge base of civilisation as we know it’. We reproduce McClure’s chapter ‘Preparation for Practical Life’ in full as an Appendix.

This supplement has been a one-time opportunity for us all to take an in depth look at McClure’s talents, style, values and, above all, legacy. Each author, quite independently, has drawn uncannily similar conclusions about McClure as a person, and has found in McClure’s Mill Hill his relevance to and impact on the School we know and respect today. My thanks to all contributors for their endeavours and commitment.

Sir John McClure, Headmaster of Mill Hill School 1891-1922: .................................................................... page 7

An introduction by former Headmaster William Winfield

Life and Times: an historical timeline of Mill Hill School and McClure 1807-1971................................................ page 13

The Old Millhillians Club and McClure by Chair of the Old Millhillians Relations Committee, .......................... page 21 John Hellinikakis (School 1976/ Murray 1977-81)

The Court of Governors and McClure by Chair of the Old Millhillians Club, ................................................... page 27 Peter Wakeham (Burton Bank 1960-64)

Religion and McClure by former Mill Hill School Chaplain, the Reverend Dr Richard Warden ..................... page 43

Music and McClure by Mill Hill School Director of Music, Kevin Kyle............................................................... page 55

The War Years by Officer Cadet in Intermediate Term, Edward Holland (McClure 2017-21) ............................ page 65

Sports and McClure: a photographic album and sporting reminiscences from daughter Kathleen Ousey’s book ‘McClure of Mill Hill’ ............................................................................................. page 79

Education:

Walking the footsteps of a giant: William Winfield reflects on his Headmastership, McClure and Mill Hill School; A Living Legacy: current Head of Mill Hill School, Jane Sanchez shares her passion for Mill Hill School and the inspiration she finds in Sir John McClure ................................................................................................. page 83

Appendicies:

Appendix I: 1907 Centenary Appeal by John McClure.............................................................................. page 101

Appendix II: Essay on Education by John McClure....................................................................................page 105