Foundation on a Hill

The Clergy Orphan College (1857). Drawing by L.L. Razé, Lithograph by Day & Son, Canterbury. Of particular interest because it shows the original extent of the School to the left of the Headmaster’s entrance. Although entitled ‘College’, the Clergy Orphan Corporation always objected to this title, rather than ‘School’.

Foundation on a Hill The History of St Edmund’s School Canterbury (and The Clergy Orphan School for Boys)

Jock Asbury-Bailey

Foundation on a Hill

© Jock Asbury-Bailey, 2019 First published 2007 Second Edition 2011 Third Edition 2019 Published by: Parkers Design and Print Canterbury, 01227 766555 team@parkersdesignprint.co.uk Additional copies are available from: St Edmund’s School Office 01227 475600 or www.stedmunds.org,uk Every effort has been made to establish respective copyrights and where known these have been acknowledged.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, electronically or otherwise, without the express permission of the author.

This publication is printed-on-demand on environmentally friendly paper from sustainable resources. It is also printed digitally, which involves no noxious chemicals in the production process.

Foreword St Edmund’s School Canterbury traces its origins back to the middle of the l8th century, when a group of far-sighted and charitable individuals determined that there was a need to establish special educational provision for the orphans of deceased Clergy of the Church of England. This History chronicles the numerous, and sometimes dramatic, changes that have taken place over the ensuing years, during a journey of continuing progress from being a tiny community populated by a small group of boy ‘Foundationers’ to that of a free standing, co-educational public school with close to 600 pupils and over 200 academic and support staff.

During the past 250 years countless people have passed through St Edmund’s and its predecessor the Clergy Orphan School, either as pupils or staff, and sometimes both; probably no one has done more to document the lives of these individuals than Jock Asbury-Bailey. Having first joined the staff in 1953, Jock was for some 20 years largely responsible for editing the St Edmund’s Society Notes, and in 2003 he published a highly detailed and comprehensive Register, containing biographical information on all the former members of the School dating back to the earliest records available. Now, in this History, we have what must surely be his greatest achievement to date.

From the Contents of this volume it is evident that the story being told has been divided into ten chapters, each of which covers a particular period corresponding either to the location of the premises or to the tenure of an individual Headmaster. As might be expected of someone who is both a teacher and an historian, considerable attention has been paid to portraying a perspective of life within the school that contains a clear emphasis on the achievements and fortunes of the pupils, but there is also considerable attention to detail and relevant statistical information. No stone has been left unturned by Jock in his quest to present an account that is not only historically accurate but also highly readable.

Speaking for myself as someone whose association with St Edmund’s, initially as a parent and then as a Governor, spans only about one eighth of the lifetime of the School, I have found this account of its evolution and development absolutely fascinating, almost to the point of being addictive!

I am sure that you will share with me the thrill of discovering ‘our’ past contained within these pages, and wish to join me in congratulating Jock on his achievement in presenting this History in such an attractive and readable way.

John Todd Member of the Clergy Orphan Corporation, 1985-1996; Chairman of Governors, St Edmund’s School Canterbury, 1996-2006.

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Foundation on a Hill

David Birtwhistle’s watercolour which he presented to the School in 1987. © David Birtwhistle.

Acknowledgements I am indebted to many people and organisations for help in researching and producing this book. These include: Dr Robert Palmar and Lambeth Palace Library for allowing me unlimited access to all documents relating to the Clergy Orphan Corporation, which are kept at the Library, and particularly for use of the photograph of Joshua Watson on page 13 (MS 4570; f.162).

David Birtwhistle, for permission to use the watercolour which he painted for, and presented to, the School in 1987.

J Cooper Harding and Thirsk Museum for the photograph of the Georgian building in Castlegate, Thirsk on page 2, now restored, but which was the site of Dr Addison’s School to which the first clergy orphan boys were sent.

Enid Jarvis, Archivist, St Margaret’s School, Bushey, and St Margaret’s School for the photograph on page 10 of the Clergy Orphan Schools building at St John’s Wood, taken in 1894.

Ken Daldry and the MCC Library at Lord’s for the photograph of the 1892 Oxford v Cambridge match, showing the School in the background (on page 14). Also for the 1891 plan of Lord’s, showing exactly where the School was located, on page 11.

Robin Edmonds and The Junior King’s School Archives for the photographs of Cornwall on pages 76, 79 & 81.

Paul Pollak and Peter Henderson, The King’s School Archives.

Harry Winter, who wrote An Informal History of St Edmund’s School Canterbury in 1982 (published privately at the school) and has allowed me to use as much of this as I wished to.

Fifty Years of St Edmund’s School , Canterbury (1855-1905) (Gibbs & Sons, Canterbury, 1905).

Susan Sneddon, Modern Records Manager, Jesus College, Cambridge.

Lord’s 1787-1945, by Sir Pelham Warner (Harrap, 1946).

Andrew Renshaw for providing much information on first-class cricketers.

Alexander Guthe of Silton Hall, near Thirsk.

The COS magazines and St Edmund’s School Chronicles.

Martin Clifford, St Edmund’s School Archives Catharine Davis for many photographs during a period of over 20 years.

My thanks to a team of diligent proof readers, John Todd, Andrew Renshaw, Michael Stewart, Ian Thompson, David Knight and Martin Clifford.

Howard Smith of parkers (printers of Chronicle 1986-2007) for invaluable help over the production and printing of this book.

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Introduction St Edmund’s, and the Clergy Orphan School as it was formerly known, and indeed its former sister school of St Margaret’s, Bushey, has always dated its foundation to the year 1749 when a society was formed “for maintaining and educating poor orphans of clergymen until of age to be put to apprentice” and so it is right that this should be the year that is taken to mark its beginning.

It could be argued however that some other date ought to be taken. No pupil was elected to the foundation until 1751 and there was no school that was owned by the Society at that time. The pupils were sent to be members of a school in Thirsk in North Yorkshire and would have formed only a small minority of the pupils at that school. In 1798 the school moved to premises in the village of Nether Silton, some four miles north-east of Thirsk, and remained there for six years until in the year 1804 a house was purchased in Acton in Middlesex where the first Clergy Orphan School was finally set up.

Although it might seem more logical to take this year as the foundation of the Clergy Orphan School (for Boys) this has never been the case. The school moved again, to a purpose-built site at St John’s Wood in North London in 1812, and finally to another purpose-built site on the outskirts of Canterbury in 1855, ultimately changing its name to St Edmund’s School in 1897.

The aim of this book is to trace the history of the school through the various stages of its development since 1749, trying to look briefly at all aspects of school life and at some of the many people who have made it what it is, either as external benefactors or as staff in control of the school or indeed as pupils within the school.

It is difficult to write at length about a school if there are not adequate records of its past, and sadly this is the case with St Edmund’s. Within the school itself the earliest records to be found are the school magazines, which started under the name of The COS in 1886. The minute books, ledgers and plans of the Clergy Orphan Corporation were passed over to Lambeth Palace Library at various times from 1977, but the Minutes of Quarterly Meetings of the General Court date only from 1795 and the Minutes of Meetings of the Committee from 1787. The records at Lambeth Palace Library and the school magazines therefore form the basis of this book, but I must also convey my gratitude to Harry Winter, who taught in the Junior School from 1976-79 and then wrote ‘An Informal History of St Edmund’s School, Canterbury’, which was produced privately at the School in 1982. He has allowed me to use as much of his history as I wished to, and I have indeed used a considerable amount of what he wrote. I have also used ‘Fifty Years of St Edmund’s School, Canterbury – 1855-1905’, compiled anonymously at the school and printed by Gibbs & Son in Canterbury in 1905, and I have been lucky enough to have permission to use accounts of life at the school written by a number of Old Boys from the 1930s onwards - Peter Grove, John Christopher, Martin Loft, Roderick McVarish and Robin Wright - as well as using earlier memories of those long deceased. Finally, I have been able to let all headmasters from Francis Rawes onwards see what I have written about their time at the school in order to ensure that I have not written anything that they would consider to be factually incorrect.

I hope that I have not dwelt too much on facts and names at the expense of writing something which is readable, but I have tried to produce a balanced account of a history of over 250 years. I estimate that by the end of the current academic year not far short of 7500 boys and girls will have passed through, or still be at, St Edmund’s. Five families have seen three generations at the School – Athorne, Barrett, Haslehust-Smith, Hopper and Terry – and perhaps the Hopper family deserves a special mention. From 1945 to the present day a total of eleven members of the family have been at the School; there has been at least one Hopper at St Edmund’s for all but 18 of the last 66 years.

The second edition was an attempt to bring the history up to date.

This third edition is a final update by me to incorporate the seven years' Headship of the School's first woman Head, Louise Moelwyn-Hughes.

Jock Asbury-Bailey July 2019

iii

Foundation on a Hill

Contents Foreword Acknowledgements Introduction Contents

i ii iii iv

1. Beginnings and North Yorkshire 1749-1804 2. The Clergy Orphan School – and 50 years in London 1804-1855 3. And so to Canterbury – and the rest of the century 1855-1902 4. The Twentieth Century – War, Peace... and War again!

1902-1940 5. Exodus - to Cornwall 1940-1945

1 5 15 43

11. A woman at the Top

77 87 101 107 117 129 145

Appendices A. St Edmund of Abingdon B. The Houses – and their Names

149 149

6. Blood, toil, tears and sweat 1945-1959 7. Out with the old; in with the new 1959-1964 8. A Time to Appeal 1964-1978 9. Just and Gentle Rule 1978-1994 10. Farewell C.O.C. – and into the 21st Century 1994-2011

C. Then and Now – and in between D. Main dates in the history of the School Index

151 154 156

The first C.O.S. Magazine May 1886

The C.O.S. Register 1751 - 1897

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Chapter 1

Beginnings and North Yorkshire 1749-1804

T

here existed in the eighteenth century “The Governors of the Charity for Relief of the poor Widows and Children of Clergymen” (now The Corporation of the Sons of the Clergy) and also the “Stewards of the Feast of the Sons of the Clergy ”, which catered for the needs of widows and elder orphans. But it was felt that more should be done to cater for the needs of younger children of deceased clergy who were too young to be apprenticed, and so it was that in 1749 a Society, an offshoot of the Festival Stewards of the Sons of the Clergy, was formed for “Maintaining and Educating poor Orphans of Clergymen until of age to be put to Apprentice”. Perhaps it should be pointed out that, although many people think of orphans as being children who have lost both parents, the dictionary definition does describe an orphan as ‘a child bereaved of a parent or usually both parents’.

Research by Mr J Cooper Harding of Thirsk Museum has thrown light upon the actual location of Addison’s school. From The History of Thirsk

by J.B.Jefferson (1821) – Page 75: “There was formerly an academy of some note in Thirsk, at which were seldom less than 150 young gentlemen from different parts of the kingdom, under the tuition of the late Rev. D.Addison. The Society for the Education of Clergymen’s Orphan Children were accustomed to place all boys at this school, which has for some years been given up. In the school-house a charity school is at present established, for the education of girls.”

Edward Baines’ Directory of 1823 lists nine ‘Academies, Public and Private’ in Thirsk, one of which is Mary Gooding’s Subscription School in Castle Yard, Westgate, and it would appear very likely that this is the charity school to which Jefferson refers and that it existed in the south-eastern corner of Castle Garth, facing on to Castle Gate. Much of this area stood derelict and vandalised for some years, but has been stripped out and restored in 2004-2006. Addison’s school is very likely to have been the Georgian building in Castle Gate.

So it is that the year 1749 has always been taken

by St Edmund’s School and its Governors as being the date of the foundation of the school. The society formed in that year did not have the funds to build or buy its own school and unfortunately there do not appear to be any papers or minutes of Society meetings that throw any light upon why the decision was taken to send the first elected clergy orphans to a school in Thirsk in North Yorkshire. Until recently, little was known of the actual whereabouts of the school, although it was known that the school was run by The Revd Daniel Addison, who was Vicar of Thirsk (or, more correctly, Perpetual Curate of Thirsk and Sowerby) from 1762 to 1783. Nothing has been found to date which identifies who was Addison’s predecessor in charge of the school.

Possibly it was his predecessor as Vicar of Thirsk, Revd Anthony Routh, who was there from 17471762.

The first School Register – The Register of the Clergy Orphan School for Boys, 1751-1896 – was produced by the Revd M.J.Simmonds in 1897. This reveals that the number of boys elected by the Clergy Orphan Society in the five decades at the end of the 18th century was 32, 36, 32, 45 and 72. Simmonds thought that he had probably failed to find about twenty of the boys elected and these might well be from this period as the records for these years are very limited (I have been unable to find any Clergy Orphan Society records prior to 1

Foundation on a Hill

The recently restored Georgian building in Castlegate, Thirsk, the main part of the site of the school run by Revd Daniel Addison, the elder, in the second half of the 18th century [©Thirsk Museum]

1787). The dates of election are given, but not their years of schooling, so, assuming that they went to Thirsk the term after being elected and that most of them left at 14 to move into apprenticeship, it would be reasonable to surmise that the number of ‘Foundationers’ at the school would have been anything from about 12 to 25. The first boy elected was John Pyrke. His entry in the Register reads:

and was Clerk of the Ordnance in Sir Robert Peel’s Government. On leaving the school others are noted as having gone on to apprenticeships with a glover, apothecary, ironmonger, fishmonger, jeweller, joiner and mahogany turner, cutler, packer, gilt button maker, printer, dyer, silver worker, coachmaker, vellum binder, locksmith, surgeon, baker and watchmaker.

May 30 1751. Pyrke, John John, son of Robert, V. of Lown alias Heath, Derbyshire (Lichfield), born 1742.

Following the death of Addison in 1783, his son, also Daniel Addison, took over the school in Thirsk (and a younger son, James, became a foundationer at the school). Daniel, the younger, was Curate of Sand Hutton and Carlton in Yorkshire and was later to become Minister of Leake, near Thirsk. The Addison family seem to have roots in the parish of Leake. Daniel senior married Elizabeth Browne at Leake in November 1753 and entries in the Leake registers list the Addison family at Silton Hall. Daniel Addison junior held the living at Leake until 1806 or 1807. He married Patience Bissit (or Bisset) in Thirsk in August 1789 and, following his death in 1811, their son, Bisset Addison, also joined the school as a foundationer. Leake was (and is) a deserted mediaeval village, probably following the Black Death, with only the church and adjoining manor house surviving, but the parish included the townships of Borrowby, Knayton and Over Silton

A footnote states that he was ‘apprenticed to Mr Bromwich, paperhanging maker, Ludgate Hill’.

Six of these 18th century pupils are recorded as having died at school. The first pupil recorded as having gone on to university is William Baty, who graduated from Worcester College, Oxford in 1791, although the first name to appear on the School Honours Boards, once to be found in the school in Canterbury, is that of William Spry, who graduated from Christ’s College, Cambridge in 1799. Only six other of the boys at school in Yorkshire seem to have gone on to university and six are noted in Simmonds’ Register as having been ordained. One other pupil of note is Henry George Boldero, who later became M.P. for Chippenham 2

Beginnings and North Yorkshire 1749-1804 Silton Hall still exists and is currently owned by Alexander Guthe. There is clear evidence that the Hall was once used as a school (in those days it had a third storey which has now gone) and indeed the old school bell is still to be seen. It is uncertain when the Hall ceased to be used as a school, but this may have been after the clergy orphans were moved away in 1804 as Mr Addison is recorded in the minutes in 1803 as considering giving up as a schoolmaster (but agreed to carry on when the Society increased their payment to him – not the first time that he had requested, and obtained, such an increase ‘to meet rising costs’). In fact Addison became Rector of Portland in Dorset in 1806 and died there in 1811. When Addison left, Silton Hall was acquired by the Hickes family, later by the Jaques family, then by a Mr Talbot, who was land agent for Alexander Guthe’s grandfather, and then by his son Pat, who married Guthe’s late greataunt, then by a Captain Stephens, also land agent to the Guthes, from about 1930, by Guthe’s parents from 1959, and by Guthe and his wife up to the present time.

and the living was held jointly with the chapelry of Nether Silton, which included Kepwick.

The reports of the Clergy Orphan Society in the eighteenth century are few in number and do not provide much useful information about the school, but considerable confusion about what happened to the school. The minutes of the Society meeting in May 1798 refer to Mr Addison’s wish to remove the school ‘to a very commodious situation in the parish of Leek (of which parish Mr Addison is Vicar) about 4 miles from Thirsk’ and the school duly moved there that year. The minutes for February 1799 refer to ‘Elections to the Boys’ School at Leek’, in February 1800 to ‘Elections to the Boys’ School at Stilton Hall’ and in the following two years to ‘Elections to the Boys’ School at Silton Hall’. There is little wonder then that Simmonds, in his Register, refers to the school moving twice in those years, but equally there can be little doubt, following the information in the previous paragraph and allowing for the two mis-spellings in the Society minutes, that there was in fact only the one move, to Silton Hall in the parish of Leake in 1798.

Silton Hall, near Thirsk, the home of Daniel Addison, the younger, who moved the school here in 1798. Note the old school bell still in position on the right.

3

Foundation on a Hill In 1799 Addison had referred to the ‘high price of Provisions in carrying on the Society’s School’ and the following year he again wrote about ‘high prices’. He was given £100 by the Society, but again in November 1800 he wrote of ‘the difficulties he laboured under in carrying on …. and the improbability of continuing to take children on the present terms’. In February 1801 he asked for a 4 guineas per head increase in what he was paid and the Society agreed to give him 20 guineas per head for the following year together with the sum of 150 guineas ‘for losses sustained’ (they had to sell Stock to cover this!). In February 1802 Addison was again given a £50 gratuity to cover losses, but in February 1803 he wrote a letter to the Society saying that because of difficulties he must give up.

In May 1803 he agreed to accept £24 per child for the year from February 1803. In February 1804, when the contract with Addison was about to expire, the Society agreed that it would be ‘more to the advantage of the Boys that they should be moved to some other place in the country or that they should be educated at some place within the reach of the Visitation of the members of the Committee …. and that it was advisable to advertise in the Public Newspapers for general information on this subject – not to exceed present expenditure.’ In June 1804 the Treasurer reported progress on the purchase, conveyance etc. of premises in Acton – and the Clergy Orphan Society was finally to obtain its own school in which to educate the boys under its care.

I drove from Leake to Silton and found the house very much altered, though I did not like to ask leave to go over it. Mr Hickes lives there and has done for some years; he has taken down the school rooms and made an entrance into the yard from the corner where the usher’s room was. The dining room still stands. The small houses at the end of the house towards the farm field are taken away and Mr Hickes has built a kind of heavy looking tower as an addition to the house; of course it commands a most delightful prospect and makes the house more commodious. He has made plantations behind the house, or rather behind the school rooms, and also above the middle of the fields going down the lane, and has erected a small building in the field, I should think over the spa. The wretched old Chapel is rebuilt in a substantial manner and bears the inscription that it was done

by Bishop Barrington and Mr Hickes. It is now a plain slated building with a very large turret. I walked to High Silton which looked as if nothing whatever had been done there.

I should not think that another cottage has been built. I then went to the top of the pointed hill near High Silton and afterwards to the Hanging Stone which used to be a favourite walk of mine. I then rambled a little way across the Nipes and on to the High Silton fields and found my way back to Silton by the upper end of the village.

Although no evidence has been found about the matter, it would appear likely that when the school moved from Castle Garth in Thirsk to Silton Hall the only boys being educated there were the foundationers from the Clergy Orphan Society. The only reference to the school at Silton Hall is provided by a letter, in the possession of the Guthe family, sent by a Mr A.J. Relton to Mr F.G.B. Stephens in 1929, written on 18th October 1830 by Mr Relton’s great-uncle, Henry Edward Relton (pupil at the school from 1800), to his brother (Mr Relton’s Grandfather), the Reverend John Rudge Relton (pupil from 1796), as follows:

At the Society meeting held on 11th October 1804 it was reported that 26 boys under the age of 14 were conveyed from Thirsk (Silton Hall) to Acton by Mr Addison by post-chaises – and so the Clergy Orphan School for Boys came into being.

4

Chapter 2

The Clergy Orphan School and 50 years in London 1804-1855

I

t was on 29th October 1804 that the 26 boys who were brought down from Yorkshire by Daniel Addison, and one other new boy, were placed under the care of the Revd Thomas Cripps in a house in Acton, Middlesex. It is not certain whether it was called Orger House at this time, although it certainly had that name later. It was a copyhold house facing onto Horn Lane, that part of which is now called Market Place, on its east side and to the north of Uxbridge Road, now Acton High Street. It had four acres of land, later the site of Richard’s Cottages and Hooper’s Mews, and was first recorded as being acquired in 1611 by Thomas Thorney. By 1797 the owners were the Revd William Hall of Acton and his wife Frances, and they conveyed it to the Clergy Orphan Society in 1804. When the boys finally left Acton in 1812 the house was sold at auction by Messrs Robins of Salisbury Street to a Mr Bird for £1210. A Mr John Bird, presumably the same, was recorded as the owner in 1834 and again later, but in 1855 Orger House was burnt down. It can be identified from Public Record Office MAF 20/2/22, ‘Bird’s enfranchisement’. The sale was twice advertised in The Times in August 1812, as follows: Acton, Middlesex. – Copyhold Estate; consisting of extensive Premises, used as the Orphan Clergy School. – By Messrs. ROBINS, at the Auction Mart, on Thursday, Sept. 3, at 12, by direction of the Trustees of the Orphan Clergy Society, Roomy and very extensive COPYHOLD PREMISES, with lofty walled garden, lawn in front, large playground; the whole standing on near two acres, and occupying two fronts, well calculated for a public school or manufactory, most desirably situate at Acton, Middlesex; commanding extensive prospects. The estate is held under the Bishop of London’s manor, subject to a small fine and quitrent. To be viewed till the sale; and particulars had on the premises; the George, Acton; Old Hats Pigeons, Brentford; Jenkin’s, Pack Horse; the Mart; and at Messrs. Robins, Covent-garden.

Orger House?

Plan showing the probable location of Orger House in Acton, the first separate Clergy Orphan Boys’ School. The house was burnt down in 1855.

[The Victoria County History for Middlesex]

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Foundation on a Hill Minutes of the Society’s Committee meetings during these years at Acton contain little of note regarding the Boys’ School, but concentrate much more on the Girls’ School at Lisson Grove in London, near Regent’s Park and St John’s Wood, where it had been established during the time that the boys were being educated in Yorkshire, but in 1805 there was correspondence with the headmaster about the boys going outside the school for military service (presumably some form of P.T.) and a note that ‘pork and bacon were to be no part of the boys’ food’. In 1806 a copy of a Certificate of Health had to be presented prior to admission, and in the same year a prize was instituted in the shape of a medal, which was called the Reward of Merit. The first recipient of this was Henry Edward Relton (see letter at the end of Chapter 1). The Committee met at the school for the first time in May 1806 in order to visit the school and they reported favourably on what they saw.

The sum spent on each boy at the school was now £30 a year.

Advertisement for the sale of Orger House in The Times, 1812.

Nothing is really known of Thomas Cripps and six months after the arrival of the boys at Acton he was succeeded as Headmaster by the Revd Evan Jones.

It will be interesting to quote some of the orders and regulations of that period. The standard of education was not high. The fourth regulation says: That the children be taught to read well, to write a legible hand, arithmetic, and Latin.

At this stage it would be right to say a little more about the Girls’ School. The first mention of girls states that by 1766 there were 21 girls under the care of Mrs Millicent Evan at Grange Walk, near Bermondsey Church, Southwark. The following year the Society purchased 27 Hoxton Square for £137 17s 6d and fitted it up for 20 girls. This house was given up in 1787 and another house was secured in Bennet Street, on the Surrey side of Blackfriars Bridge, before the school moved to Chapel Street, Lisson Grove in 1791.

The daily timetable was as follows: “That from Lady Day to Michaelmas they rise at six o’clock, be washed and combed, learn one lesson, and attend prayers at eight; breakfast immediately after prayers, attend school from nine till twelve, dine at one, attend school from two till five, attend school again from seven till eight, sup at eight, attend prayers at nine, and go to bed immediately afterwards. From Michaelmas to Lady Day, that they rise at seven, be washed and combed, learn one lesson, attend prayers at nine, breakfast immediately after prayers, attend school from ten till one, dine at two, attend school from three till six, sup at seven, attend prayers at eight, and go to bed immediately afterwards.”

The food was certainly simple, as is shown by the following regulation: “That their diet be for breakfast on Sundays, bread and butter, with milk and water, and on other days milk-pottage and water gruel alternately. For dinner on Sundays, roast beef with potatoes, and boiled beef, with greens and carrots, alternately; on Tuesdays roast and boiled mutton, with potatoes and turnips; on Thursdays roast and boiled veal, with potatoes and rice; and on other days suet and hasty puddings and broth; and for supper, bread and butter and cheese, broths and water gruel; with liberty nevertheless for the Committee to make such alterations therein from time to time as they shall think proper.”

19th century pictorial map of London showing the ‘Clergy Orphan Asylum’ next to Lord’s Cricket ground

6

The Clergy Orphan School - and 50 years in London 1804-1855 May 1809 saw an important step made in the history of the Society. An Act of Incorporation was passed by both Houses of Parliament and received the Royal Assent. By this the Society became a Corporation under the title of “The Society for Clothing, Maintaining, and Educating poor Orphans of Clergymen of the Established Church, in that part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain called England, until of age to be put to apprentice.” And so the Clergy Orphan Society became the Clergy Orphan Corporation, which was to guide and control the school for the next 187 years. It was usual for apprenticeships to begin at the age of 14 and that was the age at which boys generally left the school.

that has been the headquarters of the M.C.C. ever since – and The Clergy Orphan School and the M.C.C. became neighbours and co-lessees of Lord’s! Thomas Lord’s contact with the ground ended when William Ward, a director of the Bank of England, bought his interest in the ground for £5000 in 1825.

In August 1810 the Corporation agreed to erect a building for 8000 guineas, although in the following year an extra charge and a second contract took the total cost up to £14,797. In the end over £12,000 (£12,234 to be exact) was raised by public subscription (the original ‘Appeal’?) and the Corporation was left with quite a small sum to find, although still enough to tax their limited resources. The Girls’ School was ready by midsummer 1812 and they moved in on 25th June, whilst the boys moved into their part of the school on 24 th September. Mr Jones remained as Headmaster of the Boys’ School, although it was decided that he should leave the following year.

Later in 1809 the Corporation failed to renew the lease on the premises at Lisson Grove where the girls were being educated and the Committee decided on a ‘Plan to erect (by means of voluntary subscription) a building for the reception of both schools, with a chapel between them.’ The idea of a chapel was turned down, no doubt on grounds of expense, but they did go ahead with looking for land on which both the boys and the girls could be housed and in May 1810 six acres were offered at St John’s Wood Farm, part of the Eyre Estate, in the parish of St Marylebone, adjoining a large church about to be erected. A 99-year lease was taken on this land (the owner would not sell the freehold on acceptable terms). It was thought that 2-3 acres might be let off at £50 per annum and 6 acres were to be leased at £25 per acre per annum.

Mr Hardwick was commissioned to produce plans for a new school for both the boys and the girls on condition that the whole sum was not to exceed £12,000. This piece of land was on what is now the Nursery End of Lord’s Cricket Ground.

For some reason it has always been assumed that the Revd Thomas Wharton succeeded Revd Evan Jones in 1813, probably based on M.J. Simmonds’ original School Register of 1897, but closer investigation of the Clergy Orphan Corporation committee’s minutes for the period now makes it clear that this was not the case. It was agreed that Evan Jones should leave at the beginning of August 1813 and in May of that year a short list of three candidates, from whom his successor was to be chosen, was drawn up. One of these, the Revd William Farley, was duly elected on July 1st and took over the post on August 4th. The first mention of Farley in the minutes reads ‘Rev Wm Farley (Guilford)’. Only one William Farley appears in The Clergy List of 1817 and he was the Vicar of Effingham, in Surrey, a position which he held for 44 years, from 1793 to 1837, when he died.

Effingham is of course near to Guildford, and although considerable research has failed to solve the problem, I can only assume that he must have handed over his duties there to a curate during the years he was at St John’s Wood. It was possible until about 1840 for a priest to hold more than one appointment at the same time. Farley was paid £100 a year, his wife received £50 and an assistant got £25 and free board. At a committee meeting on January 11th 1816 a letter was received from Farley giving his resignation (no reason was given). This was accepted and he left on April 11th.

Three candidates for the new Master were selected in March, but two withdrew and the post was

Thomas Lord was born at Thirsk (another clergy orphan link!) in 1755 and later found employment at a cricket club near Islington. In 1787 Lord opened his first cricket ground on what is now Dorset Square, on the Portman Estate, and at the end of that year the old club was merged into the newly formed Marylebone Cricket Club (the M.C.C.). The lease on this ground ended in 1810 and, knowing this, Lord had rented two other fields in 1808, one of them on the St John’s Wood Estate.

The new Lord’s was officially taken over in 1811 and the St John’s Wood C.C. was incorporated into the M.C.C. In 1813 the Eyre family granted Lord another plot because the Regent’s Canal was to be cut through the centre of the original ground.

So, in 1814 the new ground opened on the site 7

Foundation on a Hill the French language. The boys in Virgil, Horace, the Greek Testament, and in many books of general knowledge, and a few of them in the first two books of Homer. When the examination was over, the Archbishop of Canterbury addressed the Reverend Thomas Wharton, Master, and Mrs Jones, Mistress, in terms of the highest and most deserved approbation, for having discharged the arduous and anxious duties through another year so conscientiously and successfully.

advertised again in April. Three more candidates were selected and one, the Revd Thomas Thompson, was elected to start in July. For some reason this too fell through and the Revd William Johnson was asked to take temporary charge for a few months – and the election of a Master was suspended until further notice! Another candidate applied in October, but withdrew in November, and then eventually in March/April 1817, the Revd Thomas Wharton was elected and stayed for 20 years.

In 1819 the Corporation decided that no more than two children of one family should be in the school at the same time unless the number of children of such family should exceed eight! One Joshua Watson, of whom more will be heard later, is first mentioned as being in the chair at a meeting in 1821 and the following year he was Joint Treasurer of the Corporation. In 1819 the number of boys in the school was 37 and the number of girls slightly higher, but the numbers varied considerably. There were 50 boys the following year and in the years up to 1837 the number varied between 42 and 65. The number of girls likewise varied from about 45 to 72. The boys in general left school at 14, but the girls seem to have stayed until they were 16. There is little information about what went on in the school at this time apart from a few comments in the minutes of meetings. In 1829 “suet puddings were abolished on account of the prevalence of bowel complaint.” Chilblains were a problem in winter, and one or two boys continued to die whilst at school. In 1833 Reading, Writing, Arithmetic and Latin were taught. In the summer of that year just over half the boys went to friends for a month in July and the remainder stayed at school. Her Majesty Queen Adelaide visited the school in 1834.

The following article, under the heading THE “C.O.S.” UNDER KING WILLIAM IV appeared in the COS Magazine in 1887.

When I was at the C.O.S., from 1829 to 1836, the schools were both at St John’s Wood, on the same premises. The numbers of course were much smaller than now – there were only about 64 boys, and fewer girls. The boys’ school was separated from the girls’ by a high wall, and over the gateway at the front entrance there was an immense board, “Clergy Orphan Schools – Patrons , His Majesty,” &c., painted on it in large letters.

The head master’s name was Wharton; and of the other masters or ushers, as they were called then, the only one I remember was Roper, who was very strict and who put an end to the bullying which was carried on to a great extent before his arrival. Mrs Wharton, the head master’s second wife, was one of the kindest women I ever met; she used to take a motherly interest in the boys, and it was her custom to come into the school every morning and inspect them, to see that their hands and faces were properly washed, their hair brushed, &c. The matron was a Mrs Bogey – or “Mother Bogey” – whose name belied her, as she was far from terrible; the head mistress of the girls’ school was Miss Jones.

When I first went to school , our clothes were made of grey cloth, with Eton jackets, &c.; but they were changed while I was there to very dark green cloth, of which we were allowed two suits a year. The caps were made of dark blue cloth without a peak, like a soldier’s forage cap.

“The Record” of June 1 st 1829 contains the following: THE CLERGY ORPHAN SOCIETY.- The annual public examination of this Institution took place on Friday last, in the presence of the Archbishops of Canterbury and York, the Bishops of Winchester, St Asaph, Chichester, Carlisle, Chester, Lichfield, Coventry, Ely, Gloucester, Bristol, the Dean of Peterborough, and of a large and distinguished meeting of the friends and benefactors of this charity. The girls were examined in the Scriptures, and in ancient and modern history, and some of them in 8

The Clergy Orphan School - and 50 years in London 1804-1855 As regards food we were not badly off, breakfast consisting of porridge and milk, or tea and bread and butter; dinner was much the same as in the present year of grace, with two important exceptions: - we had no resurrection pie, or pudding composed of the scraps of bread left and currants (commonly called now “Monday’s Pudding”), and while the examinations were going on, I suppose they thought we required extra nourishment, for they gave us supper of bread and cheese.

Corporation minutes in 1838 talk of the uniform consisting of jacket and waistcoat of brown cloth with yellow buttons, and corduroy trousers. Either the writer above had a hazy recollection 50 years later or discussions on uniform were as frequent as in later years! The former is more likely to be the case. It also states that more time was being spent on History, Geography and English Grammar, and that later in the year there had been “one expulsion, one removal, two boys severely flogged, and further punished by impositions, including Williams, the head boy.” Bewsher only remained at the school for 4 years and later, in 1846 became Vicar of Lostock in Cheshire.

There was no chapel attached to the school; both schools attended service at a church in St John’s Wood Road, where the choir was made up of C.O.S. pupils – boys and girls; the practices for the choir were held at the house of a Mr Turner, who often asked us to parties at his house, where we met several of the girls, with whom we carried on correspondence, which was the cause of several serious rows.

Bewsher was succeeded as Headmaster in 1841 by the Revd Daniel Butler, one of only two headmasters who were in charge of the school for the next 50 years. Butler had been educated at Magdalen College School, Oxford and Lincoln College, Oxford, and had previously been Master of Helston Grammar School. He was to be paid £400 a year (Bewsher had only received £150), plus board and lodging, with a house, rent and tax free, to be provided shortly. There was one assistant master, Mr J.K. Ward, who received £60 a year – later increased to £80.

We had a very good XI, and were allowed to use Lord’s Ground, to which we had free entrance at all times. Our battlefield was the fives court, and it was the scene of many fearful encounters.

No first-hand accounts of life at the school have been found for this decade, but a few extracts from the minutes of meetings are worth noting. In 1842 they mention “the very low attainment with which boys generally enter the school” and “only two have begun Latin Grammar”. In the same year a Dr Shepherd gave £400 to the funds of the Corporation for “Annual Rewards” for good conduct. The Shepherd Awards, as they came later to be called, are still awarded on Speech Day; for many years they were given to all School Monitors (Prefects to-day), but now they are awarded to the House and Boarding Captains. Dr Shepherd is later noted as having died at Faversham in 1849. There were also “Pepys Rewards” given at this time and in 1849 it is noted that John Pepys gave a further £500. These sums were worth more than they sound. In the same years Mr Chapman, the French Master, had his salary increased from £40 to £45 a year; a former pupil, Robert Wilson, was allowed to return to school, following his mother’s death, to be a junior teacher for a year at a salary of £20; one additional servant was employed at £10 a year, and a Drill Sergeant was engaged to drill the school once a week at five shillings (25p) a lesson! In 1848 the School Room, Hall and Dining Room were lighted with gas, and the following year it was

Flogging was in vogue in my time; the implement of torture was the birch; the modus operandi was this ——* Alas, we do not know the writer’s name – about a dozen pupils started at the school in 1829.

Wharton remained Master until he resigned at Christmas 1836 on the grounds that his health was not up to it and a silver inkstand was presented to him in 1837 in recognition of his 20 years’ service.

He was born in 1775, had been Vicar of St John’s, Marylebone, and died in 1854. He was succeeded by the Revd George Bewsher, who was elected Headmaster in 1837. Bewsher was born in Westmorland in 1799, graduated from St Edmund Hall, Oxford in 1824 and was Master of the Grammar School at Audlem, Cheshire until his appointment at St John’s Wood. * Footnote. We have felt it our duty to curtail our honoured correspondent’s narrative. But full particulars may be obtained by duly qualified persons – such as head masters of full age – at the offices of the Society on payment of the usual information fee.

9

Foundation on a Hill stated that boys were not allowed to be elected after 12 years of age. And of course in this year (1849) also it was noted that it was the Centenary of the Clergy Orphan Society, in commemoration of which an Appeal for money was launched, with advertisements in both the national and the local press, stating that “a century has now elapsed since the schools were established”. Subscriptions in 1830 and 1846 had previously raised £1659 and £1162 respectively.

was too small. If wet, there was only a room of 850 sq. ft. and this led to “boys wandering around the house and associating with servants”! “No adequate relief can be obtained in the present building, nor perhaps on the present site.” An open letter of appeal, written in the early fifties and signed by the Revd Charles Marshall, Vicar of St Bride’s, London, gives some idea of how overcrowded the place had become: …. the accommodation for children in the schools of the C.O.C. at St John’s Wood, and the funds for maintaining the establishment, are so straitened that at several elections during the last few years two-thirds of the candidates have been disappointed of admission; though for the purpose of accommodating the greater number of children the Master resides out of the building, and his apartments are occupied by boys, while the girls are so crowded together as to be scarcely consistent with a due regard to health.

Beside the numbers who are at every election of necessity rejected as well as from want of funds as from want of room in the present buildings, others are deterred from becoming candidates through the obvious improbability of success……

In 1850 there is reference to one Robert Kendall going to Jesus College, Oxford, with the statement that “this is the first instance, in my own experience, of a boy going straight from school to university”.

Kendall was just 17 at the time and must have received special dispensation to stay on at school beyond the normal leaving age of 14.

It was also at about this time (1850) that serious concerns were being raised about the problem of space in the schools. Butler, the Headmaster, had currently moved out of the school building to allow more space for the boys, but it was recognised that this was a bad decision and that he needed to move back into the school. The number of boys in the school had risen to 70 on more than one occasion (the same was true for the girls too) and this was in a building that had been built for 35-40 boys. A better play room was needed and the playground

The Clergy Orphan School(s) at St John’s Wood, taken in 1894, the year before the girls left. The boys and girls were here from 1812-1855, when the boys moved to Canterbury.

[St Margaret’s School, Bushey]

10

The Clergy Orphan School - and 50 years in London 1804-1855

Plan of Lord’s Cricket Ground, 1891, showing the site of the school in relation to the ground.

[MCC Library]

School, and I often wondered why some of the older boys came into our room and proceeded to tap on the wall; taps came in return. Years later I came to understand the system. It was very simple, but very tedious.

Words were spelled out by the taps. One for A, two for B, and so on. Another way of communication was by kite flying. The kites of long ago had very long tails, so to the bottom tag a note would be fastened, and, if the wind was a favourable one, the kite would be flown over the wall and gently lowered, pulled up again to give time for an answer, and then lowered again to receive it, and flown triumphantly back to our side.

The mention of ‘elections’ in the above letter refers to the system by which the clergy orphans joined the school. The minutes for each of the Quarterly Meetings states: The Petitions of Poor Orphan Children (or sometimes just Poor Orphans) were then read and considered, and the following boys and girls were elected into the Schools.

There followed their full names, with date of birth and the name and last parish of their deceased father. Often as many were not elected as were elected, on account of the constraints mentioned in the letter above.

There was talk of moving the Girls’ School and letting the boys have the whole building, but, whatever decision was eventually reached, something had to be done.

An Old Boy, Frederick St Barbe Taylor, who joined the school while it was still at St John’s Wood in 1853 at the age of 8 and then went to Canterbury and who died in 1928, wrote an account many years later of his early years before the school moved and some extracts may be of interest:

I never saw cricket or anything else played on the playground, except once, when I was introduced to a game at football. The ball was placed in front of me, and I was told to run and kick, at the same time a big boy charged down on me to do the same. Result: small boy sent flying, big boy amused.

Another ‘game’ was to collect a number of small boys, and drive them from corner to corner with a whip, and that whip hurt!

The School was a very ugly, barrack like building, Boys and Girls Schools joined together, with a high, separating wall between the two playgrounds. ……The old truism ‘there’s nothing new under the sun applies, in a way, to the modern telephone. A system was known then. The dormitory in which I slept adjoined the Girls’

There was a garden nursery between our playgrounds and Lord’s cricket ground, so we had many opportunities of seeing cricket played, through the kindness of the proprietor of the said nursery, who allowed us to watch it from there. Such names as Lillywhite, George Parr, Caffyn, and later Hayward and Carpenter and others whose 11

Foundation on a Hill names live in cricket history, were familiar to me.

rough; so were the clothes; and so was the food. How cordially I hated that ‘Tea’ on Sundays, of bread and cheese and milk and water – save the milk! – water with a dash of milk! And how miserably drowsy was that Evening Service, up in the stuffy gallery of St John’s Church, whither we were marched two and two, and where we could neither see nor be seen. It had one redeeming point, and that was the singing of Fennell in the Choir, who absorbed my boyish admiration.

The less said about the food the better.

Breakfast consisted of a brick of bread, with a smear of butter, and a mug of milk and water known as ‘skyblue’. Same for tea. For dinner, beef and mutton, washed down, by those who cared for it, with a very small beer. Two days in the week we had hash, known as ‘lobscouse’, and meat pie, known as ‘resurrection’, though, as nothing was left during the week, I don’t know what was resurrected. Lobscouse day we were treated to bread pudding; what it consisted of I don’t know, but it was eaten. Pewter plates were then the fashion.

There was a great deal of bullying; but, somehow or another, I got out of the worst of it. I was meek, and my looks pitied me; but I had a hot Irish temper. And was big for my size (to keep up the ould counthry), and had two or three juvenile fights which gained me a reputation for pugnacity.

The only two masters, I remember, were the Head, Mr Butler and a Mr Jones (J.W.P. Jones). This gentleman had a very unpleasant way of imparting knowledge.

When standing up in a class, he came behind, and drove that knowledge into your ears, with a heavy hand, and you never knew which ear you were going to get it on.

And so it was that, at the beginning of the 1850s, serious discussions were taking place at meetings of the Clergy Orphan Corporation about moving the girls away from St John’s Wood and letting the boys occupy the whole school. Then, in February 1852, the Revd Dr Samuel Wilson Warneford, largely through the persuasion of his friend Joshua Watson, announced that he would give the sum of £3000 for the purchase of a site which he had found at the top of St Thomas Hill, Canterbury (or for any other site which should be approved by Joshua Watson and Warneford’s solicitor), together with the sum of £4000 for building a school for 100 boys and giving the St John’s Wood Schools

There were the usual half holidays during the week, generally spent in being marched, two and two, accompanied by the Master, to Primrose Hill or some other equally interesting place. In after years I saw an illustration of that in the original edition of Dickens’ ‘Dombey and Son’, where poor Paul Dombey is undergoing similar punishment under the eye of Dr Blimber.

My elder brother and I were very nearly being left for a summer holiday at the School, when very fortunately, an uncle turned up two days before the vacation who had just returned from the Crimea, where he had served in the Navy during the War, and he took us over to Ireland.

Temple C. Martin (1853-57) was another who was at the school both at St John’s Wood and in Canterbury (and so enjoyed the long ten weeks’ summer holiday in between). He recalls: It was a transition period in the school’s history, and I was at an age at which I could thoroughly appreciate the change, for things at St John’s Wood, when first I went there, were distinctly rough. The boys were

Dr Samuel Wilson Warneford, who purchased the site in Canterbury and paid a large sum towards the building of the school. Rector of Lydiard Millicent and Vicar of Boughton-on-the-Hill.

Photograph from a privately produced biography.

12

The Clergy Orphan School - and 50 years in London 1804-1855 to the Girls, whose numbers were also to be increased to 100. Warneford also agreed to give a further £6000, the income from which (about £180 per annum) was to found six scholarships, three to be elected annually for 2 years each at £30 per annum for boys wishing to go to any Oxford or Cambridge college; King’s College, London; St Bees, Cumbria; St Augustine’s College, Canterbury; St David’s, Lampeter; or Durham University. The President and Committee preferred that the money should be used for 2 Scholarships only per annum, with the surplus fund of £60 to go towards an Exhibition to be used at university at one of the aforementioned establishments.

Considerable discussion took place as to what should be done. Philip Hardwick, the architect, said that to obtain such a site in London would cost £20,000. The Committee was generally in favour of the plan and the following was minuted: “The spot is particularly eligible for a School, healthy with a gravel soil and ample space for a good playground, neither too retired nor too much in public view, and as to the City of Canterbury near enough to have all its advantages and far enough to be free from all its evils.” The advantages of the proximity of the Cathedral were also mentioned and the move to purchase 15 acres on the site was at first resolved. However John Pepys objected to the plan and both a proposal and an amendment opposing the move were put forward.

There were six votes for the amendment and six votes also for the original motion and it fell to the Chairman, the Rt Revd the Lord Bishop of London, to give his casting vote in favour – in addition to his own vote which he had already given. By such small margins are great decisions made. It was decided to increase the amount of land to be purchased to 30 acres and this eventually took place in July 1852.

Joshua Watson, who was largely responsible for persuading Warneford to give his money to the Clergy Orphan Corporation. Treasurer of the Corporation for many years. [©Lambeth Palace Library, MS 4570;f.162]

tender of £16,500 for the building was accepted, with the work to begin immediately. The first stone was laid on St Peter’s Day, 29th June 1854. The Old Pupils contributed just over £575 towards the expenses and by December 1854 the building was reported to be covered in. Sadly, both Warneford and Watson died early in 1855 so that neither lived to see the completion and opening of the School which they had been largely instrumental in bringing about. By the autumn of 1855, some weeks later than originally intended, the building was ready for the boys to move in and St Thomas Hill, Canterbury was to become the site of the school for the foreseeable future.

Little is known about the previous tenants of the site on the top of the hill, but in about 1965 Dr William Urry, the Cathedral Archivist, discovered in the Library a fascinating document published in Canterbury in 1831. This document tells a story of theft and arson carried out in the house which stood on the site at present occupied by the school and which was known for some years afterwards as the burnt house. [A Photostat of this document was placed in the school library.]

It was agreed that the building should cost between £15,000 and £20,000, the tenants of St Thomas Hill were to be given notice to give up their occupancies to the Corporation, and Hardwick was instructed to come up with proposals, which he duly did in April 1853, with the school to cost £16,500 and a Chapel a further £4000, to be built in Kentish Ragstone. By the following January £13,000 had been raised and Hardwick was instructed to draw up revised plans to accommodate 120 boys, with the Headmaster under the same roof, and a Chapel to be built later.

These new plans were approved - £16,000 for the School and £3000 for the Chapel and Mr Kelk’s

The story centres around Benjamin Wanstall and his daughter Mary, who in 1831 lived in the Mill Cottage on the Whitstable Road. The family had fallen on bad times since Benjamin Wanstall had been dismissed from a respectable position in the Cathedral, over an alleged theft, but they were still visited by several titled friends. Two years before, a Mrs Dower, the owner of the Wanstalls’ cottage, moved away from Canterbury and left Mary Wanstall in charge of her house, St Thomas Hill 13

Foundation on a Hill House, which then stood on the site of the school chapel.

story of the Boys’ School, it would be right briefly to follow the future of the St John’s Wood site and the Girls’ School. In July 1858 the land at St John’s Wood, which had previously been held on lease, was bought for £5800 (a sum ‘forced up by a competitive Jew, Isaac Moses, who bought the adjoining lot, Lord’s Cricket Ground, for £5910’ – the M.C.C. bought the latter from Moses in 1866 for a considerably larger sum). The number of girls at the school during these years never reached the 100 target – in the 1880s and ‘90s it was usually in the upper eighties. The year 1894 was an exceedingly important one in the history of the Clergy Orphan Corporation, for the extension of the Manchester, Sheffield, and Lincolnshire Railway Company to London necessitated the sale and surrender of the premises at St John’s Wood. The committee succeeded in purchasing several acres of land at Bushey, in Hertfordshire, where larger and more suitable buildings were erected for a Girls’ School. While the buildings were in progress, the girls were resident at Alma Road, Windsor for nearly two years, and in the spring of 1897 they moved to the new building at Bushey and were given the name of St Margaret’s School – and there they have remained to the present day.

Soon Mary began to give her friends pieces of china purloined from the house in return for the assistance rendered to her family by them. The unsuspecting friends were under the impression that the gifts came from the Wanstalls’ cottage, which itself was full of china. Benjamin and Mary soon began to thieve in earnest and sell the proceeds of their villainy to Elizabeth Levi and Manly Emanuel, who ran a shop dealing in ornaments, pictures and suchlike near the Westgate. All went well until on the 1st June, 1831 Mary received a letter from Mr Charles Coleman, the son of Mrs Dower, ordering her to prepare the house for his arrival on 10th June.

The Wanstalls must have been at their wits’ end trying to escape detection. Finally they decided that their only chance of escape was to burn the house down. So, on 9th June, Mary Wanstall set fire to the house and it was completely destroyed. At first there was no suspicion of foul play but evidence came to light of Mary’s association with the shop by the Westgate and Benjamin, Mary, Elizabeth Levi and Manly Emanuel were all charged. The night before the trial Mary Wanstall hanged herself in a closet at the jail. The other three were convicted and sentenced to seven years’ transportation. On Saturday, 9th July Benjamin Wanstall and Manly Emanuel were delivered to the custody of the governors of the hulks at Chatham, but Mrs Levi was too ill to be moved from the prison.

Shortly after the move the M.C.C. acquired the land from the railway company in exchange for leave to tunnel under the practice ground and, having in 1887 purchased the three and a half acres of Henderson’s Nursery at the northern end of the practice ground, they now finally owned the whole of what is now Lord’s Cricket Ground. The railway line was later to become the Great Central Railway and then the L.N.E.R., until nationalisation, and ran into Marylebone Station in London.

The Boys’ and the Girls’ Schools were to be separated again, and, before continuing with the

Oxford v Cambridge cricket match at Lord’s, 1892, with the school in the background (from the Illustrated London News).

[MCC Library]

14

Chapter 3

And so to Canterbury - and the rest of the century 1855-1902

O

n Tuesday, 2nd October 1855 the Revd Daniel Butler and 54 boys reassembled the school at the top of St Thomas Hill, overlooking the city of Canterbury. The building which they occupied was not even symmetrical at this stage, for the chapel had not yet been built and, by comparison with what is seen to-day, only that part which faces Canterbury existed, dominated by the two main rooms on the ground floor, a Dining Hall 70ft by 25ft and the School Room 63ft by 25ft, neither of which can be seen to-day as a single room. It is interesting to read the account of the School in the City Buildings Series – CANTERBURY, published in 1970.

building farther to the north (begun 1907).

As a partner of Blomfield and Morgan he also carried out a competent enlargement and refurnishing of the chapel (1922-24).

The Kent Herald, on Thursday, September 6 1855, gives a longer description (some figures differ somewhat from those given elsewhere!): CLERGY ORPHAN ASYLUM, ST THOMAS’ HILL As this noble erection draws close to completion, a description may not be uninteresting. Planted on such an eminence it has the most extensive view of the surrounding country to be obtained from any site around here. The cliff and water at Ramsgate are distinctly to be seen, and we dare say with a powerful glass the shore of our Gallic neighbours. The building is of great proportions, composed of Kentish rag with Caen stone dressing, and is of the decorative order, after the 14th and 15th centuries. The basement consists of school and classrooms – dining hall with a raised dais, masters’ study, drawing and dining rooms, - board and waiting rooms – housekeepers’, butler’s and storerooms – servants’ hall – two larders fitted up with slate shelves and every other convenience – bake houses, laundry and drying closet, kitchen, scullery etc. The school room, which is of large dimensions, is 75ft by 25 and 25 in height; the classroom 34ft by 17; dining room 50ft by 25. In the laundry there are necessaries for drying the clothes by steam, soft water being laid on from a large tank at the back of the building. A laboratory for the boys is provided with every convenience; and the buttery in which the provisions are to be kept, have extensive safes, composed of perforated zinc. On the first floor is a

The first designs (1852) were begun while Hardwick was supervising the completion of that strangely prophetic building, the Great Western Hotel. By comparison St Edmund’s is eclectic and hardly typical of the time – its lower half English decorated, its upper half French. A wagon roof contains some of the largest dormitories in the world (now sub-divided), effectively lit by a combination of high rose windows and tiny lancets at floor level. The first designs, with the chapel in the middle raised up at first floor level, explain the prominence of the central block retained by Hardwick even when the dormitories, which had previously flanked the chapel, were carried across.

Built of Kentish rag and Bath stone dressings, the building was described by a contemporary writer as plain, due to restrictions of cost. Certainly lack of funds postponed the construction of the Chapel (1857), but what strikes one today is the solid pride and all-embracing gesture of the half-H plan astride on the hill. Arthur Blomfield, a former pupil of Hardwick, added the junior house on the north-west side in a plain Tudor style (1897), and his son Charles the French Renaissance 15

Foundation on a Hill small dormitory, at present open, 35ft by 25 and the several bedrooms for the masters, etc; a linen closet, fitted up with a great number of shelves; two nurseries; an infirmary accessible by a staircase shut off the other portion of the building, and divided into day and night purposes, supplied with both hot and cold water, and having two nurses’ rooms adjoining. The centre staircase, which is of stone, leads to the dormitories of the boys – the master has a private one and the servants one in the back part of the building. The chief dormitories, three large ones, are on the second floor – one is 73ft by 25, and running into an angle, the second is 54ft by 23; the third being of little less dimensions – the whole having an open roof of stained fir, and heated by hot water from the basement as are most of the rooms. On the second floor also are a workroom, store for linen, fitted up with presses etc., and four bedrooms for servants with other small rooms. Under the basement are extensive boilers for heating the building with hot water, with large beer and other cellars.

There are water closets in different parts of the building. A passage leads from the basement to the chapel which is to be, nothing yet having been done towards that object. It is to be erected on the south-west side, when the necessary funds shall be provided - £3000 being required for this object. The gables are surmounted with crosses, the central portion, which is higher than the others, having an ornamental cresting. The main entrance is from the Whitstable Road from the west, by a porch, the main corridor being two hundred feet long.

The building, it may perhaps be remembered , was commenced in May, 1854 under the direction of Messrs Hardwick (architect); Mr Kelk (builder); and Mr Chapman (foreman) – some 120-130 men having been employed to expedite the erection as much as possible and though it is not quite finished, yet it is sufficiently so, for a portion to be inhabited this week, for which purposes 70 of the boys at St John’s Wood will be brought down. The portion which remains unfinished will be completed within three months. It is intended to accommodate 200 boys.

The place was open last week to the inspection of visitors, many of whom went from this city, and evinced much interest in the institution.

Shortly after moving in it was decided that the well, from which water was obtained for the school, needed to be sunk much deeper. Plans were also drawn up at this time for planting and laying out the garden.

Early in 1856 Mr J.W.P. Jones, the 2nd Master, was ill and the 3rd Master’s post was vacant (provision had only been made for two masters in addition to the Head) and assistance had to be provided by a monitor, H.B.D. Marshall, and a former pupil, J.P. Richmond, currently a student at St Augustine’s College. Mr Jones’s brother, the Revd H.C.P. Jones, replaced him in 1856 and was to remain for 11 years – almost unheard of in those days. The provision of a bathroom at a cost of £250 was considered to be too expensive and it was stated that “moveable sponging baths are to be used in dormitories within partitions or screens”!

In 1856 major changes were brought in, facilitated by the award of the Warneford Scholarships and Exhibitions, referred to in the previous chapter, where also reference was made to the fact that the first pupil to go straight from the school to university had gone to Oxford in 1850. Up to this time the lowest age for admission had been 7 and the leaving age had been 14 – the age to start apprenticeship. Only in the most extreme cases had permission been granted to extend this period. Now it was agreed that the age of admission should be raised to 8 and the leaving age should go up to 15. In addition ‘Probationers’ were to be allowed to stay from 15 to 16 – six of them each year (to be increased to ten when the numbers in the school

The old buildings which surrounded the site are fast being demolished, which, when completed, will permit the erection of the stables, coach house, fuel shed etc. A well is in the course of being sunk – it is estimated that water will not be reached at a less depth than 220 feet which may readily be conceived when the height of the hill is considered. When all things are cleared off an extensive playground will be provided for the boys, and other portions of the grounds laid out with evergreens and flowers.

16

And so to Canterbury - and the rest of the century 1855-1902

The Clergy Orphan College, by L.L. Razé engraved by C&E Layton, published by Thomas Ashenden, Canterbury.

reached 100), and two of the six were to be chosen by examination to be Warneford Scholars and to stay at the school for TWO years. Another charity, the Bowdler Fund, was also available for pupils at the school to go to St Augustine’s College. The summer holiday was to be increased to six weeks.

In 1857 an attempt to introduce non-clergy orphans was blocked, as was an attempt to purchase places for orphans who were not elected.

From 1855 elections took place in May and November each year and polling papers were issued to all annual or life subscribers (one and ten guineas respectively) to the Corporation. At each election the number of candidates not elected was not far short of those elected – the constraints were almost entirely financial.

foundation of two more Exhibitions in the 1870s.

In 1871 an Exhibition not exceeding the value of £100 a year to Keble College, Oxford, was founded by Henry Wagner, Esq., in memory of Joshua Watson, Esq., who was his grandfather, and in 1877 a second Exhibition of equal value to the same College was also founded by Henry Wagner in memory of his father, the Revd H.M. Wagner, for many years Vicar of Brighton. Henry Michell Wagner had been married to the daughter of Joshua Watson. These two exhibitions were established by a Trust Deed in 1889 for boys of the Clergy Orphan School at Keble College, Oxford and remained in force until after the end of the Second World War, so that a regular number of Old Boys proceeded to Keble on leaving school.

With all these changes the number of boys staying on until they were able to proceed to university increased, but not everyone of course was able to do this. Leavers at 15 would still enter into apprenticeships or other employment, but some would go on to other schools (Eton, Rugby, Marlborough, Sherborne, King’s Canterbury and St Edward’s Oxford are amongst those mentioned).

It is important to realise therefore that, when mention is made of honours gained by pupils at university and elsewhere during this period, some of them may equally appear amongst the honours at other schools. The number of boys able to stay on at school was further increased by the

It is interesting to note that, despite these closed awards to Keble (these were not extended to Selwyn College, Cambridge until the beginning of the 20th century), Keble was not the Oxbridge college to which the largest number of pupils went during the second half of the 19th century. This distinction belonged to Jesus College, Cambridge. Of the 188 former pupils recorded as having gone to Oxford or Cambridge during this time, 32 went to Jesus, Cambridge and 21 to Keble (St John’s, Cambridge - 14 - and Jesus, Oxford - 11 – are the only other two in double figures). During the 36 years (184985) of Dr G.J.E. Corrie’s Mastership at Jesus, the school was the ninth largest in terms of boys from 17

Foundation on a Hill £170 for the Carving, Pulpit, Altar rail and table, but the idea of having a door from the Chapel on to the Terrace was turned down. It is interesting to note that Butler had wanted the seating in chapel to be the other way, not transverse, but he was over-ruled. Lady Warneford gave a further £1000 for the chapel, Mrs Howley, widow of the late Archbishop, presented a Communion Plate, and a cloth for the Communion Table was to be worked by the nieces of the late Joshua Watson. The following month the Archbishop of Canterbury agreed to become President of the Corporation (previously the President had been the Bishop of London).

public schools becoming undergraduates at the college. The school also took its new colours of red and black from Jesus, Cambridge. The previous school colours were blue and white, but as these were also the colours of The King’s School it was decided to change them. The majority of these entrants to Jesus took place before the introduction of the Watson/Wagner Exhibitions and this was no doubt because of the existence of Rustat Scholarships at the college. Tobias Rustat, whose father was at Jesus, received very little education himself but had close connections with Charles II. He was a bachelor, invested wisely and accumulated considerable wealth, and in 1671 founded his scholarship fund for ‘sonnes of Clergymen already dead who had taken ye Holy Orders of Priesthood according to ye Rights and Usages of ye Church of England’. An alteration of the statutes in 1861 extended the benefits of the foundation to the sons of living clergymen. The number of scholars was to be nine and their stipend £15 each. By the middle of the 19th century there were 14 Rustat Scholarships, worth about £35 each, and 30 of the 32 boys who went up to Jesus were Rustat Scholars. Clearly the Watson/Wagner Exhibitions were worth more money, but Jesus continued to attract boys from the school until the middle of the 20th century.

The first service in the Chapel took place on Sunday, 6th June 1858. It should have taken place on Trinity Sunday, but the varnish was still not dry then! The pattern of services was to be as follows: Sunday. 10.30am and 7.00pm, with Holy Communion on the greater Festivals and on the 1st Sunday of the month.

Holy Days. 10.00am Daily. 7.00am (in summer - 9.00am in winter); 8.00pm.

In the same year, 1858, it is perhaps interesting to see what staff were employed at the school – and how much they were paid per year. This is the list, excluding teaching staff:

In spite of the defeat of the attempt to introduce non-foundationers in 1857, there were in fact three such boys at the school during this period. One of these is listed in the School Registers – Sydney Jones (Philip Sydney Pryce Jones), who was the younger brother of the 2nd Master from 1856-67, Revd H.C.P. Jones and his predecessor from 1850-55, J.W.P. Jones, known affectionately as ‘Muggy’ and ‘Bear’ Jones respectively. The other two boys are not mentioned in the Registers, but they were brothers by the name of Kohloff and their names do appear in various Corporation minutes, where they are included in the total numbers at the school and where it is stated that they must ‘pay fees’ and ‘not be clothed by the Corporation’. They are also mentioned in a letter from Old Boy F. St. Barbe Taylor to The COS (the school magazine) in 1922 – he actually spells the name Kohlhoff, which could be correct – in which he says that they were ‘the first boys who were allowed to come to the C.O.S. not being orphans’ and that their father was a missionary in India. All three boys were at the school from about 1858-63.

Housekeeper Nurse Cook 2 Kitchen Maids 4 House Maids Tailor 3 Laundry Maids Shoe cleaner Footman Gardener

£25 £14.14.0 £16 £8 each 1@£12, 3@£10 £14.14.0 1@£12.12.0, 2@£10.10.0 £18.4.0 £30 18/- per week

The year’s costs were as follows: Food Clothing Various Household Instructional Salaries Wages Total

In December 1856 Hardwick’s plans for the Chapel were finally approved. It was to cost £3035, plus 18

£1284.14.9 £ 397. 9.6 £ 65.19.9 £ 427.16.0 £ 77. 9.6 £ 605.18.4 £ 255.15.7 £3115. 3s.5d.

And so to Canterbury - and the rest of the century 1855-1902 There were 61 boys altogether at the school, so that the average cost per boy was £51. 1s.4d.

It can be seen that the number of boys was still lower than it had been during the second half of the time at St John’s Wood, but things were soon to change. By the time Matheson succeeded Butler as Headmaster in 1867 the number had increased to 93 (in buildings constructed of course for 120) and by January 1895 the total had reached 129, the largest figure up to that time and something that hastened the need for the building of a Junior School. As early as 1868 it was agreed that, in order to fill more of the available beds, those wishing to continue their education beyond the normal age of leaving should be allowed to do so – on payment of £14 per term – and this provisional arrangement was continued after a trial period of a year. In 1896 the question of admitting non-clergy orphans was raised by the Corporation, but not pursued, and in 1899 Upcott, the Headmaster, put the case for paying pupils, but it was again turned down. It was customary for many boys to remain at school during the Christmas and Easter holidays, largely because of the difficulty that their mothers had in paying the rail fares home, but the Corporation agreed to pay the fares at Christmas, where necessary, during Matheson’s time and when Upcott complained that 51 boys were at school over Easter in the early 1890s they eventually agreed to meet the Easter fares as well.

For an appreciation of Butler’s work as Headmaster it is probably best to look at an article in the 1905 publication “Fifty Years of St Edmund’s School, Canterbury” by an Old Boy – G.H., probably Geoffrey Hughes (1856-66). He writes: It was an important time for a Headmaster and those who remember the period will say that the opportunity was rightly used.

The standard of intellectual attainment in the School could not at that time be as high as it has since become, though the teaching was intelligent and thorough as far as it went. But the chief benefit that he bestowed on the School lay in the impression of character. By his sermons, by his instructions to Communicants, by his general attitude towards religion, never obtrusive, he taught at least reverence, and often much more.

Moreover the boys learnt to be gentlemen, honourable and manly. In this connection it may be recalled that even in those early days the School turned out some excellent cricketers, who played in matches of some importance on the Canterbury ground and who commonly became members of their College elevens at Oxford and Cambridge, with an occasional Blue amongst them.

Such success was somewhat remarkable considering the size of the School, and it was always encouraged by the Headmaster.

He was interested in the boys and he used his opportunities to give them an all-round development.

Butler actually handed in his resignation in 1866, but remained in office until July 1867, by which time he had already been appointed Rector of Great Chart, near Ashford, where he remained until 1872 when he was appointed Rector of Thwing in East Yorkshire. He died there in December 1882.

Butler had been Headmaster for over a quarter of a century. He had overseen the move to Canterbury and big changes had taken place, although much more was to be done before the end of the century.

The financial situation was not good during the early years at Canterbury. Numbers were too low and requests by Butler in 1858 to have his own salary increased from £400, and for the salaries of the Assistant Masters to be increased, were turned down. The expenses of the Corporation exceeded income by £500 to £600 per annum and the cost of keeping the boys at Canterbury was £12 a year more than that of keeping a girl at St John’s Wood. A big ‘Special Appeal’ was made nationally for money in 1864, by which time the salary of the Junior Assistant Master had been raised to £70!

As for life at the school during those early years in Canterbury, St Barbe Taylor again wrote many years later: The change from the barracks in St John’s Wood to Canterbury was a very pleasant one. What struck me most of all was the absence of pewter plates. Another master, Mr Fuller, appeared and then came Mr Razé, the French and Drawing master, and Mr Plant, for Singing, and Sergeant Cunningham, an Irishman, for drill etc. As the Chapel was not finished at that time, we used to go to the Cathedral on Sunday mornings. I have often wondered how boys got on as well as most of them seem to have done after leaving school, as our masters were not teachers. They were taskmasters, and if you did not do the task you were set it was a case of ‘hold out your 19

Foundation on a Hill

The Dining Hall (1880) – later the Library, now the Allan Grant Sixth Form Centre etc. Originally the room was two storeys high, going right up to the dormitories on the top floor.

“In the Playground – Under the Trees” - the ‘Double Trees’, looking towards Giles Lane (1880). The trees were a gathering place for boys and Old Boys until they were pulled down in 1932, having become unsafe.

20

And so to Canterbury - and the rest of the century 1855-1902 hand’ or write out so many hundreds of lines. You were lucky if you had Greek to write out, as you could get someone to help, as handwriting of that would not be noticed.

Caning was much preferred as you did not lose any playtime by that mode of punishment. They also never came near us after lessons and did not take the slightest interest in our games. The monitors formed a committee to arrange all cricket and football matches etc. and met every Saturday morning to arrange all school matters. I am sorry to say there was a lot of bullying carried on for some time till the first stop to it was brought about by a ‘triple entrate’ which was formed by Edward Andrew (a younger brother of William Andrew, the best Captain of the School we ever had), Harry Martin and my elder brother, who agreed that, when any one of the three was bullied, the other two were to come to his assistance. We soon had a very lively scene in the schoolroom when an opportunity occurred to test the ‘entrate’.

A bully started on one of them, and, much to his amazement, two others were on to him and though he knocked them down still they came up smiling all round him and eventually gave him a jolly good hammering. From that time bullying died down, and I am glad to say that when I left school it was extinct. One day we had a strike, naturally in the fifth class, known always as the rowdy class, always in mischief and devilment. It came about in this way.

Mr Jones, the Second Master, took it into his head to make himself very unpleasant to the class, to say the least of it, and always on a half-holiday. We were always ready for the last lesson in the morning, Virgil or something like that, about 11.30, which could easily be finished by 12 o’clock.

Instead of commencing at that time, he sat in his chair, doing nothing. About ten minutes to twelve he would call us up and keep us till 12.30 or later, and then tell us to come up again about 2.15, so spoiling our hour before dinner, as well as part of the afternoon. At last we got utterly sick of it, so, as head of the class, I put it to the others that the next time that occurred, we would strike. Accordingly, on the next occasion, we got our caps in our pockets and, as soon as dinner was over, we made

a bolt for it and, from the road leading to the Gudgeon wood, watched “Muggy” (as he was nicknamed) in cap and gown, standing on the steps, calling for fifth class.

We stayed out as late as we could, thoroughly enjoying ourselves. Next morning I was summoned to Mr Butler’s, leaving the fifth in a mortal funk, expecting the Head’s heavy hand. He, very quietly, told me to explain the meaning of it all.

When I had finished, he only said ‘You had no right to take the law into your own hands, so apologise to Mr Jones for what you have done’. As I came out, smiling, the others knew we were safe. Accordingly, before the first morning lesson, I walked up to Mr Jones and said ‘Mr Butler told me to apologise to you’. He scowled at me, but on the stroke of 12 o’clock, we got off.

St Barbe Taylor had joined the School in 1853 and stayed until 1862. He contributed these articles to The COS in 1921-22 and died in 1928. In his final article he wrote: Apropos of the fifth class, I may mention here that when my brother was in it he got the good conduct prize. It was a hideous joke, as he was about the wildest of the lot, but by a bit of good luck he happened to have less bad marks that year than any of the others, so it had to be given to him. I don’t remember in what year old Fuller Pilch (in his day the best bat in England) came to coach us in cricket and umpire for us in some matches. At any rate, in his time we could always beat King’s School (one year we got them out for 10 runs in the first innings), St Augustine’s also, and in my last year we beat the Garrison of Canterbury, thanks mainly to our fielding, which Pilch was very particular about. We lost at Ramsgate, chiefly owing to the very excellent dinner they used to give us, but beat them on the St Lawrence ground in the return match. Mr de Chair Baker, who I believe was the owner of the ground then, was very kind to us and let us play our matches there.

There seems to be a ‘legend’ in the school of a boy having run from Ramsgate to Canterbury. I am glad to say it was a fact as I saw the boy, Kohlhoff, Jnr, do it, after playing cricket there. He ran behind the brake in which we drove to Ramsgate and back. The first Old Boys’ match was played 21

Foundation on a Hill

The Chapel – Interior. The Apse (1880), long before the extension in 1923.

The School Room – Interior (1880).

Note the gas lights. The first door on the left led to the Classroom, the second into the corridor.

22

And so to Canterbury - and the rest of the century 1855-1902 in 1862, the year I left. I made the highest score of the day, 32, in the first innings, and 11 not out in the second innings, when the captain, Colson, and I went in to knock some runs that were wanted to beat the Old Boys. That year also saw the first sports held.

I need hardly say that, with no experience of anything in that way, they were not up to much. I know to my cost, our handicapping was very funny. I was at scratch for the 100 yards, and two or three small boys got about 50 yards start. I did not win. Kohlhoff easily won the four mile race. We attempted theatricals in my time. Mr Butler would only allow Shakespearean plays, King Lear, Julius Caesar, Coriolanus, and the Merchant of Venice. Thanks to Mr Marshall (whose death I was sorry to see in the Journal), who came as a master for a while [he had been a pupil at the school and taught from 1860-62], we did them. I cannot say more. Those who had to play women’s parts got awfully ragged. The dining room tables formed the stage, with a very good proscenium, made by a good carpenter, and scenery was very well painted by Prowde Smith and Maberley, afterwards helped by Mr Razé, our drawing master. There was always a good audience as Mr and Mrs Butler invited a lot of people from Canterbury, among them being the Colonel and officers of the 93 rd Highlanders, who were stationed in Canterbury at the time. Col Ewart was Mrs Butler’s brother. Often since I have thought how frightfully bored they must have been by our efforts, but as they had a dance afterwards I suppose that made up for it.

knew the very field it was painted in.

I have told what our dieting was in these old days, and whether it was insufficient or not, or up to present day living, I must agree to a great extent with what the Dean of Canterbury said some years ago, that he believed more in the ‘Spartan simplicity’ of those days than these modern ones. At any rate, I do not regret them. Looking back after being nine years at the old School, I can say, with its pleasures and pains, ‘Old C.O.S. with all thy faults, I love thee still’.

Temple Martin, again (see previous chapter) wrote: The move to Canterbury, under the kindly auspices of Butler and Jones, brought a speedy change o’er the spirit of our dreams, and our waking moments too. We were dressed as gentlemen’s sons, and treated as gentlemen, and every effort was made to wipe out that feeling of Charity School which hitherto had been somewhat heavily impressed upon us.

Another matter which had great influence at that time was the institution of the Warneford Scholarships with the necessary election of ‘Probationers’. For, as the chaps now stayed until 16 or 18, more trust and responsibility was put upon them and they were encouraged to think and act for themselves. We had some tussles, however.

First, we were allowed to stay up a little after the younger chaps; then we agitated for supper, which was eventually served on the window ledges outside the dormitories, and the Sixth were allowed to sit in the classroom, and supper was served decently to us. Then the cricket and football matches had some influence, giving us an opportunity of meeting other schools on an equality and comparing ourselves with them.

We had one thing to console us afterwards, anyhow, as we had a jolly good supper. The officers of the 93rd occasionally came up and played football with us, and, knowing them as we did, we used to follow their doings in India during the Mutiny, in which Col Ewart lost an arm. Two things I must mention. The first is that a small party of us were taken over the Cathedral by Dean Stanley, who explained everything to us.

Candidly speaking, we did not appreciate his kindness, but I should very much have done so at a later period. He came once as an Examiner. The other was a visit to Mr Cooper’s studio over Harbledown way, and that was worth seeing. I saw one of his paintings years afterwards in Dublin and I

Butler’s successor was the Revd Charles Matheson.

Born in 1831, Matheson was educated at Merchant Taylors’ School and St John’s College, Oxford, where he read Classics and Mathematics.

Ordained deacon in 1855 and priest in 1856, he then became Second Master at Blackheath Proprietary School, where he remained until elected to be Headmaster of the Clergy Orphan School in 23

Foundation on a Hill

The Dining Hall – Interior (1880), laid up for Tea. The windows on the left overlook the Terrace.

The original School Library in what had previously been the Dining Hall, the change taking place when the new Dining Hall was completed in 1908. Most of the lower part of the original room is now the Allan Grant Sixth Form Centre.

24

And so to Canterbury - and the rest of the century 1855-1902 April 1867. His salary was to be £500 per annum, ‘free of rates, taxes and repairs, but without any allowances except gas and perhaps coals’, and his domestic establishment was entirely separate from the establishment of the school. He taught Classics and Mathematics. By this time four boys remained at school as Warneford Scholars until the age of 18, then to proceed to university. The majority left at 15 or 16 and by now the subjects taught included English, History, Geography, Arithmetic, Latin, Greek, French, Drawing and Singing. The boys had 6 weeks’ vacation in the summer and could be away for a month at Christmas, but, as mentioned earlier, the Headmaster had to provide care for those who remained at school. It was a condition that there should be morning and evening services in chapel on Sundays and that the Headmaster must preach at one of these.

The Revd Charles Matheson

disgraceful bullying in the Christmas holidays of 1864, and the first function I went to after my arrival was the public expulsions and other punishments that followed. It must have had some good effect as I enjoyed my first half year. The summer holidays began in June, and for about three weeks before the Lower Forms had an easy time – about two hours’ work a day as the Masters were all engaged in examinations.

Before the Christmas holidays of 1865, we had theatricals followed by a ball. The actors did very little work during the latter half of the term, as they were engaged in rehearsals. Spring, the Captain, being an artist, spent the whole of the term in the lower dormitory painting scenery, and very well he did it too. A fine theatre was rigged up at the lower end of the school-room, drop-scene, foot-lights and all. ‘She Stoops to Conquer’ and part of ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ were the plays, and the dresses were all up to date and complete.

The ball was in the dining hall afterwards, and we smaller boys only saw it of course from the upper windows. Theatricals disappeared when Mr Matheson became Headmaster.

Matheson’s arrival was followed shortly by the departure of Second Master H.C.P. (Muggy) Jones, who had been at the school for 11 years, the longest of any assistant master until H.G. Watson arrived in 1883. ‘Muggy’ Jones and his brother ‘Bear’ Jones who preceded him for 5 years certainly made their presence felt. C.G. Jeans (1865-72) recalled: It was a relief to leave dear old Muggy, the Fifth Form Master. Muggy was irritable and made great and terrifying havoc with a heavy bunch of keys and a large bread knife which he used for a paper cutter and punishment indiscriminately. His last resort was to take us in to the Head to be flogged, but when he did so we invariably found the Head was out. It didn’t dawn upon us till afterwards that he always picked his time.

Then he administered corporal punishment himself, which was more severe but less awe-inspiring …..

Jeans also wrote in 1905 of his early years at the school: It is exactly forty years since I was presented to the urbane Mr Butler by a sorrowing mother and aunt. I have no clear recollection of the first day or two except dismay at the grim features of Mrs Harris.

In those days several boys used to remain behind for the Christmas holidays when they did pretty much as they pleased under very imperfect supervision. The result was some

Cricket, I fear, plays a prominent part in one’s recollections. I got into the eleven in 1870 and the match with the King’s School on the Beverley was one of the most exciting I have ever shared in or seen. The first three innings were uneventful and we were left with some 80 odd runs to get in the last innings, and short time to do it. I went in 25

Foundation on a Hill

The Big Dormitory (1880), reputedly the largest dormitory in the country, L-shaped and with partitioned cubicles for monitors, accommodating about 70 boys.

up, engagements with ‘Sweyn the Rager’, a farmer near Harbledown, and with ‘Fat Farmer’, who had a farm near the C.O.S. where he once tied up Johnny Macdermott to a post in one of his barns, and a rescue took place by a raid from the play-ground which overpowered the knaves guarding him.

first and after the fall of the second wicket was not out 17. A.P. Bagley joined me; he was an erratic bat who could never be induced to adopt orthodox methods, but he had a graceful and flexible wrist play, and marvellous hitting powers. In practice, I more than once saw him hit the ball over the C.O.S. from the top wicket. When he came in there were 62 runs to get, and 22 minutes left for play, and he did it with two or three minutes to spare. I say advisedly he did it, for my addition to the score in that time was one five to leg, and he made 57. Everything was run out, and the rapidity of the scoring fairly well exhausted me, a comparatively small boy, while he was nearly six feet high. It was a wonderful exhibition of powerful driving and cutting, and both schools were astounded.

Several happy years passed quickly by, and I left with great regret in 1872. Wallace (G.H.) took the first Warneford Scholarship, and I was offered another, a somewhat unusual event, but I refused it as I had other views for my future career.

The harsh regime at school continued during the early years of Matheson’s headmastership. An Old Boy, writing under the pseudonym of ‘Herring’, recalled:

There were many other pleasing memories, the singing under the trees at the top of the play-ground on the night before breaking

When I joined, Matheson had not long been wielding the ferule. His dignified person, tall and strong-looking, and his fine 26

And so to Canterbury - and the rest of the century 1855-1902 red beard struck awe into me. It was no shame to say ‘Yes’ when you were asked ‘Did you funk Matheson?’ We had very scanty meals. Meat once a day and often stuff that you could not possibly eat. Hence you made up for your dinner, if you had any money, by walking to Harbledown and getting a brand new loaf and butter at Saxby’s, with a chunk of almond rock, perhaps, to follow. If hard up you went into Blean or the Gudgeon and picked up anything you could, sloes, crab-apples, rabbits, chestnuts – anything – and converted them into food. Whitstable provided cockles, certain farms were known as places where vegetable marrows, apples or pears and plums were almost given away.

Norman’s was not popular except for those who could get ‘tick’, and waited to pay until they left, or got superabundant train money.

It was a hard school, but I never knew any fellow shirk initiative or responsibility. As for ‘mothering’ – a new word – there was none.

Who would ever have thought of going to the Matron in those days for comfort! The corridor gave me the cold shudders when I first went down it, and has the same refrigerating effects even in my musings today, and it was significant that new chums blubbed more in coming back for their second term to School than when they first entered….

and I was being ‘licked’. Again, again and again the blows descended, with ever increasing force, and I lost count of time. I don’t know, even now, what instinct made me fall in my ‘line’ going to chapel, but I felt dazed and dull witted, and didn’t understand what it all meant. It was soon over though, and straight after chapel we little fellows went to supper, and then to bed.

Still in ‘line’ up the big stone staircase, and with the inevitable sixth form officer at each turn of the stairs. Arrived at the top stage, I was thinking of bed when I was called back by another base summons: ‘I say, come here!’ This officer adopted a tone of hurt dignity, he was pained to have to say what he did. ‘Didn’t I hear you cheeking Wellings before chapel?’ I was now contrite; I was afraid he had; I was prescient of coming misfortune. ‘I am very sorry to hear of a new boy being impertinent, and must punish you’ – and so he did, but still as though he felt the painfulness of his stern duty. Yet it was his Duty and he did it. His favourite phrase when doing his Duty, with a large D, was ‘I must make an example of you’, and so, carefully holding my chin in his left, he began boxing my ears with the right, and when satisfied with the practice of his right, he varied the proceedings by left-handers.

I remember he bowled left-handed and batted right, so he was not particular and went on for hours, it seemed to me; ..’Very sad’ (bang) …’impertinence’ (bang) …”junior officer’ (bang) … ‘make an example of you’ (bang) …’now go quietly to bed, and mind I don’t catch you doing so again’ (bang). When I got into the dormitory a very junior lower sixth boy was keeping order. He had not much influence and could only threaten to ‘report’ disorderly persons. He thought he would impress me, and so, after getting the whole story out of me, said ‘It’s luck for you that young ‘Barne’ wasn’t licking you, he always gives it you with a cricket stick!’

‘Herring’ treasured many memories of his young life at Canterbury, including one of falling foul of a senior boy by the name of Wellings [the Registers do not actually reveal anybody of that name!], and becoming a victim of the ritual known as ‘licking’.

The incident occurred during ‘Herring’s’ first days in the School: ‘Come here, you fellow’ was uttered in stentorian tones, made baser than natural or usual to grace the occasion. I went forth, and just at that moment the bell rang for school to cease and evening chapel to begin. But in the five minutes’ interval before service I got through a good many sensations. I have the recollection that I did not answer Wellings with becoming modesty and contrition, in fact I know I cheeked him.

In a minute the room swam round me, and stars burst into sight all around me, more in number and stranger in their dancing than any sighted by the ‘Ancient Mariner’,

One important side effect of the move to Canterbury was the emergence of sport as a major feature of the School’s life. In the St John’s Wood days there had been no inter-school matches, and sport had been limited to the informal games held on the School playground. Ironically, the stimulus of being able to watch top class cricket simply by asking the man who ran the Nursery did not bear 27

Foundation on a Hill played badly or not at all. The fact that the School had no suitable cricket field was no obstacle to him as he had access to both the Beverley and St Lawrence grounds. He introduced other Kent county cricketers, including his nephew William Pilch and W. de Chair (‘Billy’) Baker, to the cause, and they assisted him in the work of coaching and umpiring.

During his time not a single match with the King’s School was lost. This record became a matter of considerable pride amongst C.O.S boys, and great consternation was caused in 1874 when it was finally broken. Of the great players who emerged during this golden era, W.N. Roe made 2874 runs in 123 innings (av. 26.12), E.W. Stocks (later a Cambridge Athletics ‘Blue’ who held the school Long Jump record of 21ft (6.40m) from 1874 to 1965) 1894 runs in 79 innings (av. 26.67), and E. Matheson 1807 runs in 112 innings (av. 18.62).

By 1890 five players had achieved centuries. These runs were made on what would to-day be regarded as appalling wickets. On the bowling side, G. Cuming was outstanding. During his membership of the team (1884-88) he bowled 1269.3 overs, 414 of them maidens, and took 406 wickets at an average of 6.81. His best year was 1888, when he took no less than 124 wickets in 14 matches, at a cost of 4.9 runs each. These are remarkable figures by any standards. Another left arm fast bowler, E.G. Hall, just prior to Cuming’s time, was regarded by Roe as an even better bowler. In addition the C.O.S. XI took great pride in its fielding, which by all accounts was always sound and frequently brilliant. It can be argued that all of this sprang from the coincidence of the School being established at Canterbury and Fuller Pilch’s retiring from Kent County cricket. His death in 1870 was a great loss not only to the C.O.S. but also to the cricketing world as a whole.

fruit until the School had moved away from the Lord’s ground. One of the eminent names, already quoted in St Barbe Taylor’s article, (some would say the eminent name) in cricket during the mid 19th century was that of Fuller Pilch. Pilch, originally from Norfolk, learned the art of cricket in Yorkshire.

He was renowned for his batting, and particularly for his ability to deal with the then fashionable ‘round-arm’ bowling. His style of batting was very commanding, extremely forward, and he seemed to crush the best bowling by his long forward lunge, before it had time to shoot or run or do mischief by catches. He moved to Kent in 1835 and settled in Canterbury in 1842, where he remained for the rest of his life. He managed, selected, and played for the great Kent sides of 1836-54, and led them to many famous victories. When he retired, his influence was sadly missed, and the county quickly lost its cricketing pre-eminence. All of this would have little to do with St Edmund’s were it not for the fact that he played his last match in 1855; the very year in which the Clergy Orphan School was being established on St Thomas Hill. What better way for the Old Master to prolong his involvement in the game than in coaching the boys of the new school? Call it luck, call it fate, call it what you will; the fact remains that C.O.S. cricketers suddenly found themselves being taught by the most famous batsman in the country. Pilch laid the foundations of a successful and lasting cricketing tradition in the School at a time when other sports were being

The sparkling success of the cricket threw into stark relief the abysmal failure of the football. Of all the misconceived and disorganised activities ever known to mankind the inter-school football of those years was by far the worst, as illustrated by the following comments by Old Boys. ‘Herring’ wrote: As for footer, it was simply awful! We used to play cricket in October and even in November, in thick jerseys, to avoid footer.

There were no rules generally observed.

Each club made and printed its own code, and in the ‘60s we allowed tripping, hacking and scragging. These trimmings were gradually stripped off from the game of Rugby Union, but remained for years as the distinctive and very unpleasant feature

Fuller Pilch (1803-1870). Lithograph by G.F. Watts

28

And so to Canterbury - and the rest of the century 1855-1902 of ‘pure’ Rugby football. Our ground was the plot between the cricket ground and the kerbstone, a gutter near the porch. The game was a mud-revel, a perpetual scrum.

You crept on your belly into a scrum at 2.30 and emerged at 4, or just in time for afternoon school. The hour and a half was spent in occasional struggling to the surface and wallowing with so much of the ball as you could apprehend. In one match with Rochester School we played our rules, as per prospectus, for half the time, and theirs, Association, for the other half. The consequence of all this variety of rules was that you spent a good deal of the season swotting up alien codes, and as there were often two umpires and a referee to each game disputes were frequent and violent.

pleasantest and most successful efforts to play other teams, as they were always ready to play our rules. We had several enjoyable games with them during the last few years of the ‘60s. At that time they had some redoubtable champions in the persons of three gigantic Kaffir chiefs. (There was a story that one of them on his return to his old country killed his father and feasted on him with his friends.) These giants were a terror to us, for their heads were hard, ‘scragging’ had no terrors for them, and when one of them got the ball he thought nothing of running half way down the ground with it, in defiance of all our rules, carrying half our team hanging on to his back, neck and legs. We were in despair until at last some cunning fellow suggested that the weak point in a Kaffir is his shin. I need not say that the word was passed round advising us the next time our friend attempted to carry the ball to try the effect of a little vigorous hacking. The result was a complete success and the Kaffirs had no more terrors for us.

Lewis Evans (1860-69) wrote: On two occasions, during the first two years of Mr Matheson’s headmastership, we played a team from the Proprietary School at Blackheath, where he had been an assistant master. In those days the ‘Prop’, as it was called, was one of the leading schools in the neighbourhood of London, and noted especially for its vigorous, some might call it barbarous, style of play. As Captain of the School XI I was called into the Head’s study to explain our rules, with but indifferent success, I fear, for when we had played about ten minutes each side settled down to its own game, the result being that we gained some very valuable hints in the art of ‘hacking’ and ‘scragging’, in which the Blackheath boys were notoriously proficient. I am bound to say we proved very apt pupils, and before the first half of the game was over we had learned to give as good as we got, for C.O.S. boys were a pretty tough sturdy set, trained up in a hard School. Our old friend Warham St Leger (1862-67), I expect, remembers that memorable game, and possibly his shins even now bear the scars of honourable wounds gained on that occasion. Sore though our shins were and stiff our necks, we won the match, and that quite satisfied us. The matches with the King’s School had at last to be given up, neither school being willing to change its own cherished rules, which caused heated disputes every time we met. Our matches with St Augustine’s College were our

[Lewis Evans went on to Cambridge University where he gained his Athletics ‘Blue’ for the Mile or Three Miles from 1870-73. ] One institution of the C.O.S. which seems to have been enjoyed rather than feared was that of the ‘Fox-Chases’. These took the form of paper chases leading in the direction of Herne Bay or some other suitable destination. They occurred in November, on or as near as possible to the Ninth. After the running was over there was usually a bonfire and fireworks, and other festivities. The Chase of 1890 is recorded as having had its fair share of snags: The Fox-Chase came off on Monday, November 10, and the fine weather alone made the proceedings tolerable. As for the actual chase itself, considered as a chase, the less said the better! There was an admirable track to the Black House – whose inhabitants turned out to greet us with their usual cordiality – but after that there was a trackless waste; trackless because there was no track, a waste because it was a waste, from every point of view. The ‘Foxes’, we trust, had an enjoyable run, and they should have been able to present to the people of Herne Bay a vast amount of torn paper.

Such of the hounds who were able to find 29

Foundation on a Hill a single piece of paper on the way were delighted beyond bounds, and these pieces might be presented to the ‘Fox’ who can lay the worst track next year. The ‘FoxChase’ wants reorganising or re-naming.

If it is to be a run to Herne Bay, open to the School, the first in to get chairs and the pick of the grub, then let it be called an ‘Excursion’, and let the ‘Foxes’ and ‘Hounds’ start level.

Our dietary, so Mr Matheson informed my mother, had been adjusted on similar scientific principles. The unvarying ration at breakfast and tea was a piece of bread, six inches long and two and a half inches square, one side of which had been moistened by a bare scrape of butter. By each plate stood a mug containing an inch or so of milk, an amount that might be enlarged from tarnished tin jugs of hot water set at intervals along the table. Dinner varied with the day of the week. Sunday, with veal and open tart of semi-synthetic jam, was our feast day; Wednesday’s treacle tart was the supreme luxury. Thursday was a day of fasting, for the dish was resurrection pie, not wholly unpalatable to my thinking, yet deemed to be so by custom, excluding the crust. Valiant in life as in death, and rendered desperate by hunger, old Stoddart defied the taboo, ate hastily of the forbidden thing, and then – it seemed to us a judgement – was smitten with boils.

Festivities on the Ninth became traditional and remained an annual feature of the School’s life until the early 1960s, although the Fox-Chase had long since ceased by this time. The origin of the Ninth, sometimes called Founders’ Day, has perhaps never been clearly established, but the most likely explanation is that November 9th was the birthday of the Prince of Wales, later to become King Edward VII, who was the Patron of the School.

C.J. Holmes (1878-83) was a pupil at the School for over five years before going on to Eton on a scholarship and his autobiography ‘Self and Partners’, published shortly before his death in the 1930s, gives further insight into life at the School during those days. The following are a few extracts:

An optional relish to the midday meal was half a mug of small beer, poured out by Rusty, the headmaster’s coachman, from a vessel like an immense watering-can. I have often wondered whether such small beer, probably brewed from honest malt and hops, had not some unsuspected tonic virtue. With its discontinuance as everyday schoolboy fare, the liability to minor nervous afflictions has certainly not diminished. Our surroundings might well have fostered such troubles, yet they were practically nonexistent, like dyspepsia. We were always hungry of course, so that any additional edible thing which could be bought, begged, bartered, caught, picked or stolen, was a godsend. From swedes and turnips to yew-berries and hawthorn buds, nothing came amiss. If the boys, on an average, ran rather smaller than those at other schools, the difference may not have been wholly due to a scientifically minimized diet.

Many, like myself, doubtless came from parents whose health had been prematurely broken, and the majority made up in toughness for what they lacked in stature.

We were provided with one suit annually, an Eton jacket (Harrow type) of broadcloth, with waistcoat and trousers of grey tweed.

An archaic peaked cap of black broadcloth was also furnished, but fell into disuse, I think, about 1880. Our clothes were supposed to last us for three years as ‘bests’, ‘seconds’ and ‘thirds’ successively. These last, by the third year, had naturally come to be outgrown by their owners. Also, being destined for everyday use, including all games, they were soon worn out. A sewing room patched, mended or exchanged our garments for us, but there came times when even I, never very observant of externals, was conscious of looking like a ragged street arab. To this extinction of personal pride our boots materially contributed, being of the clog-like build known, I believe, as ‘Bluchers’. Since a few boys managed to keep themselves spick and span from the beginning to the end of their careers, I presume the allowance was not theoretically insufficient, but it left no margin for rapid growth, for accidents, or for very cold weather, when some of us suffered considerably.

Shabby clothes and scanty fare were really minor evils to which a boy could soon adapt his appetite and his self-respect. Not so was the system of fagging – a quaintly simple 30

And so to Canterbury - and the rest of the century 1855-1902 system. Any boy became the fag of anyone else who could thrash him into obedience.

I have seen old Stoddart blubbering defiance for over an hour, while being steadily beaten with a knotted rope until he could endure no more and consented to fag for a stronger boy. Nor was the tyrant really a bad fellow; there were many, many worse. He had started merely to maintain his rights; to stop before he had gained his point would have been to admit defeat in public.

half-frozen clay and water, until our tale was accomplished, remains a loathsome memory.

Worse was soon to follow. Mumps broke out, and I woke in the West Dormitory, the one refuge from my round of servitude, to find my chops were sore and swollen. ‘So you’ve got ’em, you little ’ound’ was the sympathetic greeting of Mrs P, the school nurse, and I was packed off to share with more than a dozen boys a small room in the Infirmary. The second and outer room was allotted to seniors, persons much more to Mrs P’s taste. We were left severely alone.

With nothing to amuse them but a few scraps of ‘The Young Folks’ Weekly Budget’, the larger boys fell back immediately upon M and myself, the two weakest, to provide sport for them.

Being the youngest and smallest boy in the whole school, I was naturally fag to everyone, and all my little private possessions were promptly ‘borrowed’. After the first shock of resentment, I became resigned and trotted on my continuous errands without protest, or much punishment, except when a job for A was cancelled or interrupted by an order from the still more powerful B. Genuine discomfort began over earth-worms.

Certain ardent naturalists kept birds, young cuckoos and the like (how I hated their gaping bills!) and these needed a daily diet of worms. Worms, therefore, the weakest of us had perforce to dig for every morning in the ditch outside the playground. In the bitter March weather we developed horrid bursting chilblains, so that delving in that

We were dogs, Toby and Carlo, kept kennelled under our beds, and set to make pellets of folded paper. At intervals, when a fresh supply of ammunition was due, we were summoned forth and made to stand open-mouthed as targets for the rest, armed with miniature catapults. This amusement palling (we soon got used to the confinement and the sting), others more painful were devised. One brute, T, used to set us up on a washhand-stand, and then

View of the School (taken between 1895 and 1908).

31

Foundation on a Hill see how far his heavy fist could hit us on to the bed behind. B, more ingeniously, would make us crawl out backwards from our kennels, and then return us with a dexterous kick; he played football for the school. So far had we fallen from all human standards, that I was genuinely amazed when, on the tenth day, the grim Stephenson, who had once laid out a farm labourer in a stone fight, entered at dinner time from the outer room, to see that our portions of a quite unexpected and appetizing Irish stew were not taken away from us. At the time I did not recognize the possible connection of that strange luxury with a visit, the same afternoon, from the doctor. Thank goodness! He let me out.

won to Oxford or Cambridge Colleges, and it is perhaps right that one of the most eminent scholars at the School during the latter part of his time as Headmaster, P.J. Kirkby, should have written about him in ‘Fifty Years of St Edmund’s School, Canterbury’: There are few characters and still fewer incidents which stand prominently out of the vague and pleasing background of my school life at the C.O.S. The most prominent figure is, beyond a doubt, the Headmaster, Mr Matheson. When I went to the C.O.S. in 1880 he had been there already so long that he seemed to be a natural feature of the place. Mr Matheson was essentially a personality. He was eminently endowed with the qualities, patent as well as moral, which make distinguished schoolmasters. Had his lot been cast in a bigger sphere of action, he could scarcely have failed of success. He possessed in a high degree the gift of discipline. His tall, rather corpulent figure, his fine head, hooked nose, red beard and long shaved upper lip gave him a formidable appearance. His voice was so weak that it scarcely exceeded a hoarse whisper. This defect in another might have detracted from the imposing effect of appearance, but in Mr Matheson’s case it seemed rather to strengthen the general impression, suggesting perhaps a reserve of force. A very short acquaintance showed that he was all that his person proclaimed.

Anything in the nature of familiarity with him was quite inconceivable. His entrance into a room was sufficient to reduce to absolute silence the largest or the noisiest class of boys. Occasionally he gave a glimpse of the quick temper which he was known to possess; and then his dark flashing eyes were truly alarming. These outbursts were rare, but they were remembered and contributed not a little to the wholesome awe which he inspired. Masters who are respected are for the most part popular in proportion. This was certainly the case with Mr Matheson. He identified himself with every phase of school life; and his pride in the deeds of the cricket team was plainly no affectation. He had, of course, his faults, but assuredly they were small besides his great qualities. He was too open in his likes and dislikes, but never small-minded, cruel

His book tells more but, perhaps surprisingly, Holmes seemed in later life to bear no grudges on account of his early experiences at the School and indeed became a good and lasting friend of both School and Corporation.

Nobody ever tried to make a secret of the fact that the C.O.S. was a hard school. It was accepted that the road towards the great goal of soundness of character was long and rough, and that little mercy would be shown to those who found the going difficult. Tom Brown himself would not have felt out of place. It is therefore remarkable that the School always commanded such deep affection among those who had known it. Loyalty and gratitude towards the ‘old grey building on the hill’ was felt by many who had experienced the severe nature of life within its walls.

Towards the end of Matheson’s headmastership a number of additions to the School buildings took place. The Fives’ Court, partly paid for by a generous donation of an Old Boy, introduced a new game into the School, the old Well house was turned into a workshop, the swimming bath was made (and much appreciated and used), the Chemical Laboratory enlarged, new classrooms built, the ‘Partition’ inserted in the Schoolroom, and the first ‘San’ appeared, useful not only in case of illness, but also to afford shelter for the night for Old Boys who came down to the Past and Present matches in the summer.

In July 1891 Matheson was compelled to resign owing to ill-health and sadly he died in April 1894.

During his 24 years at the School no fewer than thirty-six Entrance Scholarships or Exhibitions were 32

And so to Canterbury - and the rest of the century 1855-1902

View of the Chapel (1880), from a favourite viewpoint.

of improvement which his distinguished successor, Mr Upcott, followed with such zeal and success.

or suspicious. He trusted the Upper Sixth, who were responsible in great measure for the discipline of the School, to an extraordinary degree, and this policy was successful. The friendliest relations existed between him and them, which increased the general efficiency. The School, for its numbers, was very successful. A succession of boys passed to the Universities with Open Scholarships, and the standard in athletics was high. Those of my contemporaries who came in closest contact with the Headmaster retain, I venture to assert and have reason for believing, a vivid impression of his character and a warm regard for himself. Mr Matheson was thrifty – even for a Scotsman – and devoted this talent to the service of the School. His economies must have smoothed the path

Matheson’s successor in 1891 was the Revd Arthur William Upcott. Born in 1856 at Cullompton, Devon and educated at Sherborne School and Exeter College, Oxford, where he was a classical scholar, he had been an assistant master at Westminster and then Chaplain and Headmaster of St Mark’s College, Windsor from 1886-91. His two predecessors had overseen the school for half a century between them, a period which had of course seen the removal to Canterbury, but it was only in the later years that much progress could be seen to have been made. The number of assistant masters had finally been increased from two to four and this number was further increased in Upcott’s time, to six by 1895. The leaving age had been 33

Foundation on a Hill interested in the education of the young. [See Appendix for information about Edmund.]

The School had indeed ceased to be looked upon simply as an orphanage and was now regarded as a Public School in its own right. The change was steady rather than sudden and we will look at this process in the remainder of this chapter up to the time of Upcott’s departure in 1902, a year midway between the 150 th anniversary of the School’s foundation in 1749 and the 50 th anniversary of the move to Canterbury in 1855.

Let us look first at the increasing importance which was attached to academic success. It would be wrong to assume that the early school was populated by a rabble of simpletons. Daniel Butler and Charles Matheson were scholars in their own right, and with the stimulus of the Warneford benefactions and the Watson and Wagner Exhibitions they were able to launch a number of highly successful university careers. We have already noted the successes during Matheson’s time, and he christened the year 1887 as ‘Annus Mirabilis’, a year in which no less than ten major honours were gained. But these successes were the exceptions. As the leaving age was so low, the standard of teaching at times poor, and as most of the boys came from poverty-stricken homes, so university entrance seemed to many little more than an irrelevance. With an increased leaving age, more teachers and an improved standard of teaching, together with an improved system of examining through the start of the Oxford and Cambridge Joint Schools Examination Board, things were improving rapidly by the end of the century. An anonymous contributor to The COS magazine in 1905 recalls as early as 1870-71 one master at the school, B.A. Green, who was one to bring in a new influence:

The Revd A.W. Upcott, Headmaster 1891-1902, possibly the greatest decade for new building.

raised to 16 in 1890 and by the turn of the century it had become common to stay on longer, so that in 1903 the leaving age was abolished altogether for those who were profiting from their education.

One sure sign of change was the change in the name of the school. 1897 saw the end of the old Clergy Orphan School and the birth of St Edmund’s School. It was the move of the Girls’ School which prompted the change of name. The St John’s Wood site, as mentioned in the last chapter, had been sold to the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway Company in 1895 for £55,662 and the girls had moved to Windsor for the two years whilst a new school was being built at Bushey (at a cost of £49,422), to which they moved in May 1897.

The Headmistress asked that, with a new school site, the name of the school should be changed, and Upcott joined in with a similar request for the Boys’ School. The Corporation initially suggested at the beginning of 1897 the names of St Thomas’s for the boys and St Margaret’s for the girls, but Upcott was not happy with the choice of St Thomas, possibly supported by Dean Farrar of Canterbury Cathedral. He claimed that the personal character and language of Becket were both unsuitable and that many friends of the School might object.

Instead he wanted the name to be St Edmund’s.

Edmund, he said, was one of the most saintly of archbishops and had been especially and actively

He came to us from Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, and was, I consider, the first Master of the new type that worked in the School. We had experienced the ‘loving care’ of the men who taught hard and struck hard with hands and sticks – I myself had the lobe of my ear pulled away from my face. Some of these were good teachers, some of them bad, but Green spoke at once to our hearts. He treated us as gentlemen, and took our word for truth, though, God knows, many of us were terrible liars. We had enjoyed a gentle atmosphere at home and were, I hope, below the surface, 34

And so to Canterbury - and the rest of the century 1855-1902 gentlemen, but the thought had never been suggested to us by our Masters at School; they nearly all proceeded upon the opposite inference. When Green began with the Fifth, we were a bad lot. Reckless, barefaced copying, cribbing and all unrighteousness was the rule. One fellow was using a translation to his Horace III Odes next to me. Green said to him, ‘Are you using any improper aids?’ ‘No, Sir.’ ‘All right’, said Green, ‘I take your word for it.’

‘Dash it, chaps’, said the boy, ‘I can’t go on cribbing now’ – and he didn’t. That was one cure, and others were effected, if not directly, yet indirectly, by Green’s manner and influence. The first Master I knew at the C.O.S. who asked me to his rooms, not for food or for jaw, but to talk as a friend (proud day for a boy of 13!) was Green. I helped, now and then, to dust his books on the shelves and, saddest day of all, I helped him to pack up his books, and he had some nice prizes, when he was going away. I believe I could say by heart to-day, if pushed, the first few Odes of Book III of Horace, which I learnt under Green, and some of them are fairly long ones too.

Improvements to the Chapel were a regular feature during the ‘90s. The seating was rearranged so that the choir no longer had to occupy the organ loft but could join the congregation, and the pulpit was removed to St Dunstan’s Church. The new reredos was used for the first time on Easter Sunday, 1896. The walls were re-decorated in sgraffito work, and the organ was renovated and enlarged.

Oak panelling was added to the lower walls in 1900 and plaques placed in the stalls to two former Treasurers of the Corporation who had died recently, Canon Elwyn and Archdeacon Smith. In 1896 the new Drawing and Music Room, built at a cost of £634, was opened (in the area where the Masters’ Wing was to replace it some years later, and now used largely as an area for boarding girls).

Apart from the main room there were four practice rooms and a Masters’ common room, together with a clock dedicated to Matheson, all built on top of a larder, bookroom and carpenter’s shop.

Upcott had pleaded his case with the Governors since shortly after his arrival for the building of a separate Junior School, mainly on account of the increasing number of younger boys in the school who would benefit greatly by being separated form the older boys. At the end of 1895 he gave the following details for the next year:

The expansion of facilities was another major change. Building improvements to the School began in earnest during the late 1880s and continued almost unabated until the start of the Great War. The Fives Court and the workshops and a Science Laboratory (1887) have already been mentioned. The COS reports: ‘The laboratory is already doing a most useful work. Already chaps are beginning to know that Sulphuric Acid is not exactly a cooling drink nor a cure for chapped hands.’ In 1890 two classrooms were produced by partitioning the old Schoolroom, and two brand new ones were added on. In the same year plans for a revolutionary, indoor, heated swimming pool were approved, and it was completed in 1891, opened in February by the Dean – and closed again soon afterwards. An early bather records: ‘Our pleasure was short-lived, and was speedily brought to a close by the leaking of the boiler, an event which surprised no-one.’ It was 40 feet long and 16 feet wide and remained in place until the 1960s.

By 1892 new accommodation for boys, extensions to the labs, and a new sanatorium were all completed and in use. The sanatorium was in some ways itself a hazard to health: being a two-storied corrugated iron building, it was so flimsy that, during construction, half of it blew away.

There would be 128 boys in the school, of whom 6 would be over 17 28 between 15 and 17 62 between 12 and 15 31 between 8 and 12 and 1 boy of 8 The architect, Sir Arthur Blomfield, was in favour of extending the kitchen wing of the Headmaster’s house, but the idea of turning the Headmaster’s house into the Junior School and building a new Headmaster’s house at the other (east, or perhaps more correctly, north) end of the school was also considered. The former idea was decided upon and it was agreed that the building should accommodate 30 boys. Tenders were put in for the building and a Mr Adcock of Dover was given the contract with a tender of £5095 (with furnishings it eventually cost £6455). The building was occupied in January, 1898 by 25 boys under the care of Mr E.A. Brackenbury and was officially opened by Dean Farrar on February 10th. It had been agreed that Mr Brackenbury should be paid £120 a year and the Junior School Matron £40.

The opening of the Junior School meant the taking away of the 1st Form from Senior School and that 35

Foundation on a Hill

“The Entrance Gate and South-West Front” (1880). Now the Headmaster’s Entrance, then the main entrance to the School.

“School Room and Gymnasium, North View” (1880). There was no gymnasium and the School Room was used for PT four or five times a week.

36

And so to Canterbury - and the rest of the century 1855-1902 one less Master would be required there – which led to the departure of the Revd R.E. Walters, who had been at the school for 13 years and had generally been looked upon as being the Chaplain, at any rate for part of that time.

Rudd (1891-1901) scored 744 runs at an average of 57.23 in 1900 and 789 runs at an average of 60.12 in 1901 (the best average obtained by a boy at the school up to that time). He also took 127 wickets during his four years in the team.

In 1899 Upcott persuaded Old Boy E.C. Wright to join the staff, although offering him £20 a year less than he had been offered to go to Radley! He was to prove a first class games coach, particularly at cricket. Brackenbury left the Junior School suddenly in 1900 to go abroad, and J.T. Williams (Tyson-Williams) succeeded him in charge of the Junior School in September.

As far as football was concerned a vast improvement was made in 1885 when it was decided to play Association instead of Rugby. This made sound sense, firstly because it side-stepped the enormous confusion caused by varying Rugby codes, and secondly because it meant that the School at last stood some chance of winning! The low leaving age had meant that C.O.S. teams were invariably faced by sides exceeding them in height, width, depth, and especially weight. The extremely rough nature of the game made this a serious disadvantage, and the adoption of Association rules at least did something to redress the balance.

As with cricket, laudable efforts were expended in the improving of the football field (on the near side of Giles Lane). These included in 1892 the installation of a drainage system: ‘The football field has greatly improved by having drain pipes laid down last spring. We no longer have to play in ankle-deep mud and water; the ground however is rather rough owing to the sinking of the turf where the pipes have been laid.’ Improvements in the pitches were matched by improvements in the turnout of those who played on them. Until the 1890s most boys in the School did not possess proper games kit and had to play in their ordinary clothes.

Lewis Evans recalled an incident which illustrates the point:

Plans for the building of a Gymnasium had been put forward in 1898 and in the following year Archbishop Temple laid the foundation stone. The building cost £1037 and still exists to-day, although little used since the building of the Sports Hall. A covered playground was put next to it and remained there until the present mobile classrooms were put there, although the covering had long gone. It was in this area that the possibility of building a new house for the Headmaster had been considered.

Prior to this building, gym had taken place in the School Room 4-5 times a week.

Sports and games also showed notable improvement. Cricket, as has been shown, had played a major part in the life of the School since its early Canterbury days, and it was obviously important that a suitable field should be acquired as soon as possible. During the 1890s and 1900s much work was carried out in the levelling and enlarging of the present cricket field, and at one stage earth from the excavations for the foundations of the Junior School wing was used for the purpose.

A stone tablet on the wall adjoining the present Junior School playing area (once the Headmaster’s garden), commemorates the work:

The C.O.S. boy of to-day, with his neat football kit, would have stared with amazement at the strange garb we used to wear. Flannels were rather a luxury then, and we played in any clothes we could scratch together. I remember one Kohlhoff, a big sturdy fellow, trying to get his brawny legs into a pair of flannel trousers he had purloined from some wretched small boy.

His efforts were unavailing until at last someone suggested he should stretch them by forcing a bolster down the legs. The result was not an unqualified success, but at last after many gallant efforts he managed to encase his limbs with them, and started off looking like an acrobat, but as proud as Punch at having what several others had not, a pair of white flannel trousers.

Hujus agri superiorem partem aequiorem et ludis aptiorem suismet ipsi manibus fecerunt Scholae pueri et magistri A.D. MDCCCXCV In addition to those already mentioned, there were two other exceptional cricketers at the school during this period. E.C. Wright (1883-93) was a member of the cricket XI from 1889-93 during which time he scored 2054 runs at an average of 25.6 and took 283 wickets at an average of 9.89, and C.T. 37

Foundation on a Hill Temple Martin remembered being somewhat embarrassed by this lack of kit during a match at King’s:

and the magazine became ‘A Journal of the Clergy Orphan School’ and in April 1897, for the first time ‘A Journal of St Edmund’s School, Canterbury’.

Its motto was the motto used for the School at that time – Fungar Vice Cotis , meaning ‘let me perform like a whetstone’ (cotis being the genitive of the Latin word cos). The magazine was still called The COS until 1934. R.E.J. Matthews, the founder of both Society and magazine, died in 1890 at the age of 41.

I shall never forget the first match we played – that with the King’s School – when we went down in ordinary clothes and found them all in flannels, to our shame and disgust! Of course we got hammered. But I know I got back from my summer holidays with flannels, and my example was quickly followed, and we wiped out the disgrace and disgust in a brilliant victory in the return match.

A few more facts from these latter years of the nineteenth century are of interest. In 1893 F.A. Britten and E.C. Wright made a record stand of 239 runs in a cricket match against Chatham House, Ramsgate. In 1894 the Revd M.J. Simmonds, Fellow and Dean of St Augustine’s College, Canterbury and Local Secretary of the Clergy Orphan Corporation, took it upon himself to produce a School Register, which was published in 1897 – a monumental task. In 1895 an Old COS tie was produced for the first time. Throughout the 1890s the subject of having a school crest kept coming up, a matter not resolved until after the name change in 1897 and even then a subject of some dispute, as the coat of arms attributed to St Edmund is not universally agreed upon (St Edmund Hall, Oxford has a different one from that used by St Edmund’s School and St Edmund’s College, Ware, although all three are named after the same Edmund). Once the coat of arms was decided upon, Upcott introduced a new school motto, Ecclesiae Filii, used until the end of the links with the Clergy Orphan Corporation in 1996.

Improvements in the 1890s included the introduction of games kit for all, the provision of proper cricket balls and bats instead of the old solid indiarubber balls and non-spliced bats, and in 1895 the completion of a new cricket pavilion (still existing, albeit modified) as a memorial to Old Boy R.E.J. Matthews, founder of both The COS Society (1880) and The COS Magazine (1886).

Determination that a fully-fledged public school should emerge can be seen in the minds of many who were at the centre of the evolution. Matheson started the building programme and did all he could to improve academic standards. Upcott continued and expanded both these policies. He insisted on the appointment of an adequate number of Assistant Masters. He introduced the monitorial system, and reduced the rights of ‘licking’ and indiscriminate ‘fagging’. His successor paid this tribute to him:

What of the staff during this period and boys who went on to make a name for themselves after leaving school? A few of the staff have already been mentioned, and it has been pointed out that the majority of assistant masters during these years only stayed for a very short period of time. H.C.P. Jones (1856-67) was a notable exception. L.L. Razé taught Drawing from 1856-63 (he also taught at The King’s School) and two topographical prints of the school by him from those years are widely known. There was an exhibition of his work in Canterbury a few years ago. G.H. Doret (186391) taught French. Mr Plant taught singing in the early years and was succeeded by R. Rhodes (186892) – they may be considered to be the first musicians on the staff – but all of these were visiting teachers and not residents. One further name which has already been mentioned is that of the Revd R.E. Walters (1884-97), referred to as ‘guide, philosopher, and friend to more than a generation

It is not too much to say that Mr Upcott’s was the reforming hand which guided the School with the greatest wisdom and perseverance from days, of which strange stories are told, to the enlightened methods of a public school.

The founding of the Old Boys’ Society – The COS Society – in 1880 and of the first School magazine in 1886 have been mentioned above. The magazine, produced in May, 1886 was entitled ‘The COS, A Journal of the Clergy Orphan Schools’ and was intended for the Girls’ School as well as the Boys’. It was produced in London by The COS Society and printed in Cambridge. It was a slim production, some 16 pages, but was published four times a year and cost 8d (just over 3p in decimal money). This arrangement lasted just over three years, after which publication moved to Canterbury 38

And so to Canterbury - and the rest of the century 1855-1902

Cricket XI – 19th century – rather more informal than current day team photographs! –compare the 1937 XI on page 70.

Jeans (1866-72), and E.C.W.M. Kennedy (186978). H.T.K. Robinson (or Kay-Robinson) (1888-98), Lt-Col, Royal Sussex Regiment, was awarded the D.S.O. and 2 bars and was Mentioned in Despatches four times during the Great War, in which he was ultimately killed. J.E. Gunby Hadath (1880-89) wrote many children’s books in the later part of his life (he died in 1954), in a number of which were hidden references to St Edmund’s. C.J. (Sir Charles) Holmes (1878-83) was a landscape painter and critic and became Slade Professor of Fine Art at Oxford (1904-10), Director, Keeper and Secretary of the National Portrait Gallery (190916) and Director of the National Gallery (191628). W.F. (Fred) Mayor (1877-82) became a wellknown artist in London, perhaps better recognised after his death in 1916 at the age of 50. R.J.S. Dodd (1891-97) was Inspector General of Police in India, 1925-31. In cricket, W.B. Weighell (185562) played for Cambridge University and Sussex, W.N. Roe (1870-79) for Cambridge University and Somerset, and E.C. Wright (1883-93) for Gloucestershire, Oxford University and Kent.

of boys’ and who acted as Chaplain for many years at a time when there was no such official post, since all the Headmasters were clergymen and took these duties upon themselves until the School returned to Canterbury from wartime evacuation in 1945. One or two others, notably H.G. Watson and H.C. Bowen, came in the 19th century and stayed well into the 20 th century and will be mentioned in the next chapter.

Regarding Old Boys, to discover what career they went into, it is necessary to rely almost entirely on the great work done by M.J. Simmonds in producing the School Register, 1751-1896. There is of course no mention of a subsequent career for the majority of boys, but research of that Register reveals the following amongst the leading professions: 123 Clergy, 31 Doctors, 22 Lawyers, and 17 Officers in the Services. Among the clergy, A.J. Maclean (1870-73) became Bishop of Moray, Ross and Caithness and Primus of the Episcopal Church of Scotland, C.H. Gill (1873-81) was Bishop of Travancore and Cochin from 1905-24, G.D. Iliff (1879-85) was Bishop of Shantung from 1903-20 and later Archdeacon of Hereford, C.R. Duppuy (1893-1900) was Bishop of Victoria, Hong Kong, and L.M. Dinwoody (or Hay-Dinwoody) (1878-87) was Dean of Moray, Ross and Caithness.

In the Army, three Old Boys rose to the rank of Major-General: C.H. Bridge (1861-70), C.G.

William Weighell played a total of 30 first-class matches, divided almost evenly between Cambridge University (1866-69), including three matches against Oxford, and Sussex (1868-78).

He scored 587 runs at an average of 12.48 and took 39 wickets at an average of 25.89.

39

Foundation on a Hill William Roe was already famous when he played for Cambridge against Oxford in 1883, since in 1881 he had made the highest score on record at that time, having made 415 not out when, on invitation, he completed the Emmanuel Long Vacation Club XI in a game against the Caius Long Vacation Club. He got these runs out of 708 for four wickets in five hours. This was in reply to a score of 100 (in which Roe took five wickets with his off-breaks) and Caius gave up the match rather than continue on the third day. So close was his concentration on the game that he counted all his runs and on this occasion he challenged the scorer with having given him one less than his total! All his runs were run; he scored one six, six fives, 16 fours, 48 threes, 52 twos and 67 singles, and it is estimated that he ran nearly eight miles! This record score stood until 1885. He was actually at Magdalene College and was ‘borrowed’ by Emmanuel for this game! He played for Somerset whilst still at school and continued to do so regularly in the summer holidays until 1899, captaining them in 1889. His highest first-class score was 132 against Hampshire in 1884 and he also made firstclass centuries against Middlesex, Sussex and Surrey. He played 85 first-class matches, scoring 2796 runs at an average of 20.71 and taking 34 wickets at an average of 31.52. He was an Assistant Master at Elstree School, 1883-90, and afterwards at Stanmore Park School.

In 1895 the School was given portraits of Payne Smith, the late Dean of Canterbury who had died earlier that year, and also of former Headmaster Matheson who had died the previous year, and relatives of Samuel Wilson Warneford offered to have a large oil portrait of him copied for the school at a cost of £30, which was duly unveiled in the Dining Hall the following summer. In 1900 an oak statue of St Edmund was given to the School by the Sub-Dean of Salisbury Cathedral and was placed in the Chapel.

Two major anniversaries took place in the closing years of the century. Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee was celebrated in 1897, and 15 boys went up to London for the day to watch the procession, whilst those left behind had a picnic at Herne Bay and a special Supper at School in the evening. On May 15 th 1899 the 150 th anniversary of the founding of the Clergy Orphan Society was celebrated with a service at St Paul’s Cathedral, attended by most of the school and followed by High Tea at Cannon Street Hotel (at a cost of 1/6d per head – seven and a half pence in decimal money!).

And so St Edmund’s entered the 20th century in good heart and on a par with many of the Public Schools of England, even if its numbers were far below many of them. E.C. Wright was in charge of all games (and received an extra £10 a year) and in 1900 the School beat King’s at Fives (for the first time), at Athletics (winning 10 events out of 14) and at Cricket (twice; the first time for 7 years).

In 1901 Upcott made a new plea for the admission of paying pupils at the age of 11-13, at a fee of £50 a year, and a committee was set up to consider this again. It was calculated that the cost of looking after a boy at the school was 60 guineas a year and that any fee-payers should be charged 80 guineas. Upcott’s successor is usually credited with the introduction of fee-paying pupils, but there is little doubt that Upcott really deserves the credit for this, but was probably not given it on account of his somewhat abrupt departure in 1902. 1901 brought the longest list of honours the school had ever known, and a special comment appeared in the Daily Chronicle on 21 st October on the successes of St Edmund’s. In the summer of that year Upcott suffered a mild typhoid attack, but he recovered well, and it must have come as a great shock to the Corporation, and to the School, when he announced in January 1902 that he had been appointed Headmaster of Christ’s Hospital and that he was to leave after Easter. Not only did he leave

Edward Matheson, son of Headmaster Charles Matheson, played two games of first class cricket for the South of England in 1866 and for Warwickshire in 1899.

Edward Wright played once for Gloucestershire in 1894, in a side captained by W.G. Grace and including E.M. Grace and Gilbert Jessop and against a Yorkshire side captained by Lord Hawke.

In 1897 he played 8 matches for Oxford University, including the match against Cambridge, and 3 more for Gloucestershire, in 1898 he played 3 matches for Oxford and 3 for Gloucestershire, and in 1899 a further 3 for Oxford, and then finally in 1902 he played 2 games for Kent, in one of which he opened the bowling with Colin Blythe.

It is difficult to pick out particular boys who went to Oxford and Cambridge, but P.J. Kirkby (1881-87) gained an Open Fellowship in Mathematics at New College, Oxford, and H.J.W. Wrenford (1893-99) became the School’s first Choral Scholar when he won a £40 award to St John’s College, Cambridge in 1899 (the fifth Scholarship or Exhibition won in just over a year).

40

And so to Canterbury - and the rest of the century 1855-1902 the School himself, but he also took with him three important members of staff, S. de Ste Croix, E. Buck, and, perhaps most vitally, E.C. Wright. He even suggested that he might have taken H.G. Watson, who had already been at the school for nearly 20 years and was the Second Master, had he not realised how vital it would be for his successor to have Watson there.

resented this; but this feeling was never real and soon died away.

We were no doubt in those days awful barbarians, but three simple measures did wonders in civilizing us, the introduction of the monitorial system, a strict limitation and supervision of the right of ‘licking’, and the abolition of indiscriminate ‘fagging’. The last of these was certainly an incalculable boon to us younger fry; fagging no doubt has its good points, but where might is right they are apt to be obscure. How many hours a week did we spend fielding for our elders, and how we used to eat our dinners on halfholidays in fearful expectation of the dread summons which commandeered us by scores! One great benefit of the second step no one can deny. A powerful Devonian himself, Mr Upcott made changes in the dining hall which would positively irritate those who remember the Spartan simplicity and primitive cooking of bygone meals; he made us all swim; he made all except conservative monitors do ‘gym’; he vigorously enforced the system of compulsory games which he found here; I have myself heard masters of other Schools remark how much bigger our teams were than they used to be. He encouraged us to put our leisure to some use; gave prizes for

There is little doubt that Upcott did more for the School than any of his predecessors, and in ‘Fifty Years of St Edmund’s School, Canterbury’ former pupil, J.B.D. Godfrey, who looked after the Junior School for a few months after Brackenbury’s departure, wrote: In September 1891, on the morning after our return to School, we were considerably astonished when the new Headmaster entered the Hall and proceeded to give out the letters! To us, accustomed as we were to see Mr Matheson in Hall only on great occasions, this first appearance of his successor seemed revolutionary, and in fact Mr Upcott did accomplish a revolution at the School, both externally, transforming the buildings almost, I was going to say, beyond recognition, and internally, in the tone and life of the boys. English schoolboys are proverbially the most conservative of mortals and at first I fancy we rather

“Group – Headmaster, Treasurer, Masters and School, 1880”. The earliest school photograph – Matheson was Headmaster.

Taken in the corner formed by the Chapel and Drawing Room.

41

Foundation on a Hill flower collections; set up a Shakespeare Society; with the energetic aid of Mr (now Dr) Kitson, instituted a system of musical evenings; we have even heard rumours of a school band! Nor should we forget in this effort to make us all more comfortable the invaluable aid of Mrs Upcott. In these and other ways the Headmaster tried to make us more than examination machines; it was some time before any Scholarships were gained under him, but when once the spell of bad luck was broken successes became frequent.

Gymnasium, the Drawing and Music Room, and of course the Junior School – a mere list must suffice. But the chief object of his affections was the Chapel, which he constantly sought to make the real centre of our School life; the services he brightened, the edifice he beautified, and one cannot help thinking that, afterwards, more than anything else, we miss the hearty singing amid those beautiful surroundings, so different from the comparative silence and bareness of a Parish Church.

Upcott remained Headmaster of Christ’s Hospital until he retired in 1920. He then became Rector of Brightling, in Sussex, where he died in 1922.

The chief buildings added in Mr Upcott’s time were the Sanatorium, the Cricket Pavilion (in memory of R.E.J. Matthews), the

A glimpse of the School. St Thomas Hill. c.1900.

42

Chapter 4

The Twentieth Century – War, Peace … and War again!

1902-1940

U

raised from 8 to 9 and that all should be able to stay until 18 if it was thought right for them to do so – and to leave before 16 if that seemed right. Early in 1903 it was agreed that they could enter between the ages of 9 and 13 and that they “should remain in the schools during the pleasure of the committee and their continuance in the schools will depend upon their conduct and proficiency.”

At the same time the system of election was to be abandoned. The following year the Corporation agreed that third The Revd E.J.W.Houghton sons should be accepted upon Houghton brought with him from Stratford six boys payment of £14 per term. By 1905 there were 8 who were to become the first official fee-payers - non-foundationers in the school, three having £60 a year plus music, clothes and laundry. This already left, and two years later the number had immediately raised other questions about the increased to 13.

Foundationers. Should the Probationers be allowed to stay a further year at school, until they were 18? Houghton was confronted by other problems on Officially Foundationers now left at 16, but his arrival. There were supposed to be three forms Houghton thought that the entry age should be in the Junior School, but they were taught together pcott was succeeded in the Summer Term, 1902 by the Revd Edward J.W. Houghton.

Houghton, born in 1867, was, like Upcott, educated at Sherborne School, and then went on to Christ Church, Oxford. He taught at Bromsgrove from 1891-1895, when he became Headmaster of King Edward’s School, Stratford-uponAvon. He had been appointed in February from a short list which contained two other Headmasters and an assistant master at Haileybury.

The Cadet Corps on the asphalt, c.1906. Only founded in 1903, this is the earliest photograph of the Corps.

43

Foundation on a Hill for History, Geography and Scripture (and two forms together in the other subjects), and in the Senior School there were three modern forms and four classical forms, but two of the modern forms were taken together. Clearly something had to be done. There was a need for new accommodation for masters and for a new master in the Junior School and, particularly, for a sportsman to replace E.C. Wright, who was to be greatly missed. L.J. Driffield, a cricket and football ‘Blue’, was appointed to fill both vacancies. In May 1903 Houghton told the Governors that he considered the School’s main needs to be: (1) a Library and Museum, (2) a Masters’ Lavatory and Common Room, and (3) a new School entrance with a reception/waiting room. Nothing was immediately agreed upon, but big changes were not far away.

best exam results ever. It came 22nd out of 86 schools in the number of Higher Certificates gained and did even better in the Lower Certificate. 1905 was better still – 13th out of 78 Public Schools taking the Oxford & Cambridge Higher Certificate, many of them with three or four times the number of pupils at St Edmund’s. At this time the School had a Chemistry Laboratory, but not a Physics Lab, and it was agreed at the beginning of 1905 that a new building should be put up on the far side of the Asphalt, next to the Gymnasium, consisting of a Chemistry Lab, Physics Lab and Lecture Theatre.

Messrs Denne & Co. built this building for £2260 and it was in use by October of that year. These buildings remained in use for Science until 1957.

Arthur (A.A.) Wright (1897-1906) remembered his schooldays when he wrote ‘Crown Colony Assignment’ and the following are some extracts from this.

The idea of a Cadet Corps was first raised towards the end of 1902. It was something that the boys themselves were particularly keen on. The School had long had a Sergeant who took the boys for gym and some drilling and it was agreed that steps should be taken to start a Corps. The War Office gave its consent in June 1903, and the first official Cadet Corps Inspection took place on October 28 th , by Colonel Hickson, C.B., Officer Commanding the Regimental District. From the start the venture was a success. A Field Day was held in October 1904 and the school was the “smartest of the schools taking part”. Following the 1908 inspection, the Inspecting Officer said that it was “the best Cadet Corps that he had inspected.”

I joined an elder brother, James, at St Edmund’s Canterbury in September 1897, and there I remained for 9 years, rising from the bottom of the lowest form to be Head of the School and Captain of most Games.

I was fond of outdoor sports, fonder perhaps of these than of academical pursuits, but at one of the smaller Public Schools an average boy’s studies receive perhaps more individual supervision than at the larger educational foundations, and I climbed steadily to the Sixth Form. One accomplishment I achieved, which was of particular advantage to me in my future sojourn in the South Seas, was swimming.

There were excellent indoor Swimming Baths, warmed in winter. It was compulsory to bathe in these baths before breakfast, even on the coldest winter days, until one acquired the right to wear ‘Red Bathers’ (and it was remarkable how quickly new boys gained that distinction), for which one had to swim two lengths of the Baths and make a clean dive from the edge. Anyone who could swim 100 yards and dive from the three foot board was awarded his ‘Blues’ and those who could swim half a mile and dive from the six foot board were entitled to their ‘Whites’.

Another big change was the introduction of a system of Houses, for Games only. They were to be geographical divisions, depending upon which part of the country a boy had strongest connections with, and each House was to have a Housemaster, Captain and Vice-Captain – but there were only to be three of them, so that each House had to play the other two in ‘House Matches’. They were called North, East and West. Although there were to be minor changes later, at the beginning North was counties north of and including Rutland, Leicester, Stafford and Cheshire, East was those east of and including Northampton, Buckingham, Surrey and Sussex, and West was the rest of the country. In 1905 Hockey was introduced as a major sport.

Staff continued to come and go, but it was now accepted that more were needed, and the number of full-time staff rose to ten, a figure that was to remain constant until the outbreak of war in 1939.

The summer of 1904 saw the School achieve its

There was a Modern Side to the school, which I did not join, although the slackers always tried to enter it. Membership of it carried with it two advantages which were 44

The Twentieth Century - War, Peace... and War again! 1902-1940 great from the schoolboys’ point of view. Its curriculum included Foreign Languages, and Masters who teach French and German are often bad disciplinarians. The Modern Side curriculum also included Chemistry, alias ‘Stinks’, which furnished opportunities for exciting explosions in the Laboratory and the purloining of Citric Acid, from which could be brewed a very satisfactory type of lemonade.

There was a certain amount of mild bullying.

On the day of my first arrival at the school a boy approached me as I entered the Big School Room and said ‘Hullo, New Boarder.

Are you tough?’ I replied ‘I don’t think I am very.’ He said ‘Call me Sir, you new scum’, and kicked me violently. ‘Well’, he snapped at me, ‘that will make you tough.’ A few minutes later he repeated his question, and I replied ‘Yes, Sir, I am tough. He thereupon kicked me again and said ‘Well, you won’t feel that.’

Group of young boys and master (A Gordon Knight on left), c.1900. Gordon Knight became the leading light of the War Memorial Fund after the 1914-1918 War and died at the early age of 37.

conditions for assistant masters, the proximity of servants to the boys, and the need for a Library and for boys’ studies being the main ones. A new Laundry was built in 1906 at a cost of £639 (plus £345 for fittings), but it was clear that much more needed to be done and proposals were put forward for a new Dining Hall, servants’ accommodation, and staff bed/sitting rooms, together with the need to provide accommodation for two masters in the old, main building. The estimated cost of this new building was £18,000, and this caused great concern amongst the Corporation. A complete review of their finances was called for, which revealed a capital of £192,000 together with the freehold of the schools and various other buildings which they owned, and legacies over the last 18 years which averaged £4050 a year. Plans for the new building were approved! It was agreed that the main block should be built of Kentish Ragstone, but the Dining Room block should be of brick, with stone facing, and the contract, put out to tender, was won by Messrs J. Dorey & Co. of Dover at a cost of £14,791. At the same time they were commissioned to update the Stables and the Carpenter’s Shop at a cost of £572. The building got under way in April 1907, leading to many temporary arrangements having to be made, and was finally completed in March 1908, at a final cost, including fittings, of £18,204. The old Dining Hall became the Library. This new building replaced of course the previous building of the Music and Drawing Room which had been put up in 1896, but the gloss was somewhat taken off by the announcement in March that Houghton had been

Each dormitory had a senior boy or monitor sleeping in a cubicle in a corner of it, to keep order. When I joined the school, the monitor of my dormitory was C.R. Duppuy, later Bishop of Hong Kong. I heard the occupant of a neighbouring bed recite a verse, which ran as follows: Duppuy’s nose is big, Duppuy’s nose is long.

It would be no disgrace to Duppuy’s face If part of his nose were gone I found these sentiments so pleasing that I repeated the verse in a loud voice, but suddenly received a stinging slap on the cheek, known in the school vernacular as a ‘juicy clout’. The future Bishop had returned to the dormitory and entered his cubicle unobserved.

Arthur Wright went on to St John’s College, Oxford, from where he joined the Colonial Service, becoming Secretary for Native Affairs in Fiji, and later Deputy Governor of St Vincent and the Windward Islands.

In 1906 Houghton’s request that the School should be officially inspected by the Oxford and Cambridge Examination Board was agreed to. The Inspection was critical of a number of things – the 45

Foundation on a Hill Athletics in 1912. Chestnut trees were planted along the far side of the cricket ground in 1908, and tar-paving and asphalting put round most of the ground the next year, when work on the ground itself was completed.

The number of pupils remained fairly static although the number of Foundationers in 1908 was the lowest it had been for many years (107). The number of non-foundationers had crept up from 4 in 1902 to 18 in 1909, but it was generally felt that the annual fees, £70 in Senior School and £60 in Junior School, were keeping the numbers down. The ideal maximum number of boys in the school was thought to be 150, 30 of whom should be in the Junior School, whilst the number of nonfoundationers could be increased as long as places were kept for 125 Foundationers.

The Revd CanonW.F. Burnside, Headmaster 1908-1932, A Scholar, who did much to enhance the School’s academic reputation.

elected Headmaster of Rossall School and would be leaving in the summer. For the second time in six years St Edmund’s was to lose its Headmaster to another school, but it said much for the reputation of the School that this was the case.

In January 1909 H.M. Chamberlain, who had been in charge of the Junior School, followed Houghton, his father-in-law, to Rossall, to be followed a year later by the music master, R.P. Tomlinson.

Chamberlain was succeeded by Carol Powers, who remained in charge of the Junior School until December 1946, and the new music master was R.C.W. Pullen, late Organist of Shanghai Cathedral, who as Pullen-Baker was to serve the school in three stints until 1940.

Houghton’s successor was the Revd Walter F. Burnside. Born in 1874, Burnside had been educated at Bromsgrove School and Pembroke College, Cambridge and for the previous eleven years had been at Cheltenham College, where he had been a Housemaster and Master of the Sixth Form. The Governors might well have been concerned that, having lost their last two Headmasters to other schools, the same thing might happen again, but Burnside soon made it clear that he was at St Edmund’s to stay.

Two notable deaths took place during this time.

E.L. Beckwith, an Old Boy of the school at St John’s Wood and a member of the committee of the Clergy Orphan Corporation for 40 years and its Chairman and Treasurer for 5 years, died in 1909, and the Revd Prebendary W. Baker, after whom Baker House is named, died in office as Chairman and Treasurer in 1911.

Burnside arrived just as the biggest building programme since the construction of the school at Canterbury, over half a century before, had been completed – the cost of the New Wing, Dining Hall etc was nearly three times greater than that of the Junior School some ten years before – and it was to be nearly another fifty years before any further major development was to take place, although one more building was replaced in 1913, the Sanatorium. A special fund was launched to meet the cost of this building designed by Blomfield and this raised about £2200 of the £3121 tender which was accepted from Messrs Denne of Deal. Other minor improvements took place. The Fives Courts were restored in 1912; a rifle range was put beyond the carpenter’s shop behind the gym in 1910; in the same year shields of school teams were placed in the gym, followed by an Honours Board for

Poor Science results in 1910 led to a new inspection the following year, following which recommendations that more time should be given to English subjects and to Science were accepted.

Nevertheless, academic results overall remained good. In 1911, 12 Higher Certificates were gained, with 11 distinctions, and 13 Lower Certificates, with 29 first classes. Out of 70-80 schools being examined by the board, St Edmund’s came 2nd equal with Marlborough in the number of distinctions in Divinity and 3rd equal in the number of Latin distinctions. 14 Old Boys were at Oxford or Cambridge, 8 of them training for ordination, and 7 more, four of whom had gained scholarships, were due to go in 1912. C.H.A. Porter (18991909) gained his Athletics ‘Blue’ at Oxford in the 46

The Twentieth Century - War, Peace... and War again! 1902-1940 3 miles and was first string for Oxford & Cambridge against Harvard & Yale before going on to represent Great Britain in the 1912 Olympic Games. B.E.C. Walker (1902-1908), opening bowler for the 1st XI, was invited to play for the Public Schools against the M.C.C. at Lords in 1908, but had unfortunately left for Canada before the match took place. The 1913 Cricket XI, under W.E.C.A. Darby, won all its school matches and was unbeaten by another school in two years.

‘At a time of universal distress such as the present, it would be out of place to indulge in the usual insipid absurdities common to editorial writing.

Save in the matter of increased OTC activity, the school is, of course, in itself but little affected by the war. But rather more indirectly we have great personal interests in the present conflict. We are glad and proud to be able to publish what is a long list, for a school of our size and character, of Old Boys and connections with the school, who are now serving their King and Country and, what is more, we have every reason to believe that this list is far from complete, and we hope that so long as this gigantic struggle continues we will continue to add more names and still more to our present roll of honour.’

All seemed to be going well at St Edmund’s. Its old identity as an orphanage seemed to be disappearing and it now seemed to be holding its own as an emerging small public school. And then, in August 1914, came WAR.

ST EDMUND’S AND THE GREAT WAR

The list referred to contains 81 names. It became a regular feature of The COS magazine during the war years and, as the editor anticipated, it increased steadily, rising to a maximum of some 300 names.

It is ironic that the Great War was approached by so many with such child-like innocence and unawareness. Change? It seemed certain during the early summer of 1914 that nothing would ever change. Europe, after all, had had no war for over forty years, and she remained at the centre of things, the hub of the civilized world. A man could travel from one end of the continent to the other without even needing a passport. Everything seemed to be so settled, so indestructible. There had, of course, been the occasional political hiccoughs during the previous few years, but nothing so serious that it could not be sorted out with the minimum of fuss and bother. Even in June, at the very brink of disaster, few realised that the stability of life was about to be summarily swept away. Those at St Edmund’s shared in this false sense of security. As the Sarajevo crisis deepened the editor of The COS magazine complained of ‘feverishly grasping for something of interest or importance to fill the first page’. His article, written in July 1914, refers to the continuing trouble being caused by the Suffragettes and the problems of Irish Home Rule, but there is no mention of the fact that Archduke Franz Ferdinand was already cold and in his tomb, and no suspicion that war was only days away. Surely the diplomats would deal with this difficulty as they had dealt with numerous difficulties in the past?

Something of the reality of war was brought home on 23rd October 1914 when the school suffered its first casualty. This was Sec. Lieut E.L.A.H.Burges, of the 2nd Wiltshires. The incident was reported as follows: ‘The 2nd Wilts landed at Zeebrugge and ultimately took up an entrenched position to the east of Ypres, their position being on the left of the 21st Brigade.

The orders were imperative that under no circumstances were the men to retire from the trenches. After some four days of continuous firing the Germans succeeded in getting the exact range of the trench held by the Wilts and smashed it completely. It was during this bombardment that Burges was killed. An enormous column was then sent against the Wilts who were completely enveloped and either killed, wounded or made prisoners. Within a couple of hours the first Army Corps arrived and routed the enemy. The remainder of the Brigade agreed that if the Wilts had not held their position the whole Brigade would have been driven into Ypres. The Wilts might have saved themselves by retiring before the final onslaught but they elected to be killed or made prisoners rather than give way.’

If ever an editor’s prayer for material for his periodical was answered, then surely this was it.

News of the war was to dominate The COS magazine for the next four years. The editorial of the issue for December 1914 was written in a new, more sombre frame of mind:

During these early days the war remained something of a glamorous adventure. The cost had not as yet been heavy, and there was still the hope of an early armistice. So speaks The COS magazine, March 1915: 47

Foundation on a Hill ‘We do not intend to cast terms of opprobrium (however appropriate) at Wilhelm II or his obsequious people, as we fear in this respect it would be impossible to reach anything like the standard nominally attained in the leading articles of our morning papers! The war seems to have made little difference to our daily life, in spite of the fact that it has diminished our numbers. We hope that the Russian retirement in East Prussia will only be temporary, that the deadlock in the western theatre will soon be broken, and that German militarism and Kultur will soon be a thing of the past.’

I got hit in the back as I was lying in a trench; but the bullet did not stay in, luckily, nor did it go through my body, but it made a good sized flesh wound and I was jolly lucky in that it missed my spine. After lying in the trench from about 12 noon to 9pm, I was captured, but during this time I was hit again, this time by a piece of shrapnel which fell short from one of our own shells, but this was a mere scratch. I was brought here but as my wound is not dangerous it is making first-rate progress; they tell me I will be able to get up in about a week. It is impossible to write to anyone without telling them of the excellent way in which the Germans have treated us. The Germans are top-hole toward their prisoners and it is all bunkum to say anything different. In our case, for instance, we have only to ask for anything if we want it and we get it, and they let us buy anything we like in the town and send a man to get it.

The COS published some of the letters that it had received from members of the school serving at the front. At this stage no bitterness or sense of futility is apparent. These are the accounts of exploits and adventures, not of the cold-blooded slaughter that was to come in 1916. Major F.B. Young, who became a member of the school in 1876, tells of an attack made on La Bassée.

I was ordered forward with a few men to a village in my front supposed to be evacuated. We bumped into the German outposts and tried to charge them but the fire was too heavy. We got into a large farmyard and barricaded ourselves as quickly as we could. Casualties came fast. I had a few men up in an upstairs room of the house. The enemy got up and fired all the outbuildings. Eventually we were burnt out of our house, got in next door, barricaded ourselves with sacks of wheat from the loft, fought the flames all day and defended ourselves, and watched the battle going on as well as we could. Suddenly our own guns shelled us and took the whole roof off. Evening came on and the Germans attacked us again with rifles. Our wounded were in a cellar. They then commenced throwing hand grenades into us, a new form of torture; this brought down doors, windows and bits of wall. We had planned an escape by the back when one came and blew in the window we were just going to get out of. Then more bombs came and brought the burning roof of the cellar down on to our wounded so we had to surrender.

[Nicholson remained a prisoner of war until his exchange in 1918.]

In Canterbury, away from the apparent home comforts of POW life, the war was making its presence felt. Redecorations and repairs were cancelled in view of possible financial difficulties brought about by the war. Price increases for food made economies difficult. Vacant places were not filled – one master, the Sergeant, one undergardener and two boot-boys left, and the boys had to clean their own boots. The swimming bath was shut down for the war. During the course of 1915 injuries and fatalities sustained by members of the school rose steadily. It was decided not to hold Sports Day at the end of the summer term because it was felt that the festive character of the event would be inappropriate at such a time. Similarly Speech Day was a very much reduced affair. A new threat made itself evident in the shape of zeppelin bombing raids. School had a taste of the blackout: On the subject of darkness it ought to be mentioned that, in accordance with the strict regulations lately issued by the authorities to the effect that no lights are to be visible after sunset, late preparation has been abolished temporarily. We believe that in consequence there is no small danger of the fierce invectives formerly lavished on the zeppelin being, to say the least, diminished.

Whether the Germans have provided their zeppelins with missiles calculated to spread their own pet diseases we cannot say, but

[Major Young remained a prisoner of war until 1917, when he was exchanged.]

T.R.Nicholson, who joined St Edmund’s in 1902, wrote the following letter from Dortmund:

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The Twentieth Century - War, Peace... and War again! 1902-1940

during the night, to repeated bomb attacks, which filled it with dead and wounded. Each attack was, however, repulsed, mainly owing to the splendid personal gallantry and example of Second Lieut Geary. At one time he used a rifle with great effect, at another threw hand grenades and exposed himself with entire disregard to danger in order to see by the light of the flares where the enemy were coming on. In the intervals between the attacks he spent his whole time arranging for the ammunition supply and for reinforcements. He was severely wounded just before daylight on 21 April.

Benjamin Handley Geary, V.C. 1891-1976. An artist’s impression of the action on Hill 60 in 1915, together with Geary’s V.C. and other medals (right). Geary lived in Canada for the last 48 years of his life. For over half of that time he was Sergeant-at-Arms of the Ontario Legislature.

Extra O.T.C. parades were held at school and increased numbers were prepared for and went to Sandhurst. Although there were fewer boys at the top of the school, numbers held up reasonably well.

In 1917 there were 131 in the school, but by October 1918 the total was the highest ever, 142, including 25 non-foundationers. It was stated that the absolute maximum was 153. It is interesting to note that at St Margaret’s the number of nonfoundationers had risen much faster; in 1915 there were 41 out of a total of 125, and in 1919 there were 69 non-foundationers out of a total of 146 (the school was said to be over-full). The headmaster was empowered to offer reduced fees in order to try to attract more non-foundationers (the minimum was to be £50 per year instead of £70). Economies in food meant that less meat was eaten, but more vegetables and puddings, a policy which apparently found favour with the boys!

several cases of German measles have broken out in the Junior School.

A letter to the editor of The COS runs: In these times of war and fears of zeppelin raids, would it not be a good idea to have a few false alarms of zeppelins or fire? Or are we so much above our sisters’ school that it is infra dig to suggest that boys need practice like the clumsy girls?

In December 1915, The COS reported with great and justifiable pride the winning of a Victoria Cross.

2nd Lieut B.H. Geary, who had joined the school in 1904, was involved in the action at Hill 60, near Ypres, on 20th and 21st April. The Official Citation from the London Gazette reads: Benjamin Handley Geary Geary, 4 th Battn st (attached 1 Battn) The East Surrey Regt.

For most conspicuous bravery and determination on Hill 60, near Ypres, on 20 and 21 April, 1915, when he held the left crater with his platoon, some men of the Bedfordshire Regt and a few reinforcements who came up during the evening and night. The crater was first exposed to a very heavy artillery fire, which broke down the defences, and afterwards,

On Speech Day, 8th July 1916, the Headmaster reported that, in spite of the war, the health of the school remained excellent. Rigid economy without privation had been practised with very good results, due to the constant care and forethought of the housekeeper. The Dean of Canterbury, in his remarks, alluded to the introduction of conscription in January 1916. He: ‘… emphasised the fact that no year was more memorable in the history of the school 49

Foundation on a Hill almost blinding, and one had to shade one’s eyes.

and of the country, as for the first time in our history every eligible man was a soldier.

He regarded it as a great advance that it was the law of the land that all should find their place in the service of the country in war. The voluntary spirit, however, was eminently the public school spirit, and the public school spirit was the spirit of England.’

The sickening sight of dead and wounded men was almost beyond endurance, and one thanked God that one’s vision was limited to a small part only of the enormous battle ground, and that darkness had shut out so much. And what shall I say of the noise? It can be but faintly imagined, but better imagined than described. It rose in a ceaseless crescendo of tumult. There was no further need for speculation as to the position and calibre of the guns on either side. The time for concealment had passed, and every gun roared with its maximum force. How any human beings came out of that tornado of fire alive, I don’t know. Had Dante seen it he must have recast his vision of Hell, for the scene that night surpassed anything the Florentine had ever imagined.

Public school spirit or spirit of England: neither was to be more savagely tested than a week before the Dean made his remarks. The opening day of the Battle of the Somme, 1st July 1916, remains the blackest day in the history of the British Army. British casualties at the end of the day were 60,000; 20,000 of them dead. Objectives were not achieved; indeed the objectives of the first day were barely realised during the whole course of the five month long battle. ‘C.F.’ wrote to the COS magazine giving his impressions of that unforgettable day:

After the experience of the Somme it became difficult to summon up the old enthusiasm for the war. There was now no escaping its bloodiness and costliness and the fact that no end was yet in sight.

On Speech Day 1917 the Headmaster had the painful duty of reporting that, of the 260 Old Boys who had served during the war, 29 had been killed and 54 wounded. Of the 88 boys who had been in Senior School in July 1914, 62 had gone to the war, and 6 had been killed. This from a school of only 120 boys! Nevertheless, those who had remained were doing their best to carry on as normal. The OTC and the choir were still efficient, but games had suffered as there were no more than 16 boys in the school over 16, and none over 18. Every boy as he reached the right age had gone heartily and willingly to serve. Efficient physical training was now a daily part of school life and on the domestic side the food control rules for rationing had been faithfully observed, in the spirit of the regulations, though not perhaps strictly in the letter, without any detriment to the health of the school.

During 1917 the Government proposed that public school boys should work on the land. In accordance with this scheme the Headmaster suggested that a St Edmund’s party should return early from the summer holidays and help on one of the neighbourhood farms at Tyler Hill. Work began on 4th September:

One’s brain reels in the attempt to picture the half of what one saw - the rush of the first waves of infantry, men falling like flies, and still the mass moved on, the wood where we made the attack stripped of almost every leaf by the tremendous artillery fire, the grass in every direction stained yellow by the poison gas, the ground full of gaping shell holes and strewn with debris of all kinds, the road leading up to the trenches almost blocked by men coming and going, and later on by a never-ending stream of motor-ambulances, the sky full of our aeroplanes, many of them flying so low as to be within rifle range, and themselves firing on the enemy and then, when darkness fell, what an awesome sight.

As far as one could see, a long line of quivering light stretching from Arras on the left to Albert on the right, and one knew it extended far beyond in either direction.

Above the glow there shot up Very lights, flares, star shells, coloured rockets - a fireworks exhibition on the most gigantic scale the world has ever seen and hundreds of feet above all Norse lamps flickered in the kite-balloons and sent down messages to the artillery - an uncanny sight! The stars in their courses seemed to be taking part in the stupendous struggle. At times the gun flashes and explosions of the big shells were

‘At nine o’clock, the Headmaster and Mr Watson, with nine farm hands, were ready

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The Twentieth Century - War, Peace... and War again! 1902-1940 to start work on the first hop-garden. To the uninitiated 9 o’clock may be looked upon as a late hour in the day to start farming.

Let them take into account that we had already walked two miles to the scene of the action, and that when we got there we were not going to milk cows. Our work was to clear the hop-gardens of all poles and wires for wheat land. It is a work which sounds easier than it is, although it has its advantages. Few other kinds of manual labour could have afforded such a variety.

The Headmaster was unfortunate to strain his arm after a week’s work, and had to descend to hop-picking. Mr Watson also strained his arm, but he only missed a day’s work, and was back again at levering, his favourite job. There could not have been chosen a better period of the holidays for fine weather; beyond two wet days we could have wished for nothing better.’

peace of liberty and freedom. The ghosts of years before the war will come back clamouring to resume their former shape.

The problems to be faced are numberless, and by meeting them aright and by abiding by the noble principles for which these lives were laid down, we shall lastingly commemorate their victory.

The COS for December 1918 tells of 322 Old Boys who were known to have been involved in action during the four years of hostilities. Certainly there are others who remain unknown. Apart from those who were killed during the war, two other servants of St Edmund’s passed away during the war years. John Spillett, who died in 1917, had been maintenance engineer at the school for 38 years and was succeeded by Mr Strand, and Dr Sidney Wacher, who died in 1918, had been the school doctor for 27 years and was succeeded by his nephew, Dr Harold Wacher.

This experiment was successful and was repeated during the harvest of 1918, with a larger working party. 25 acres of crops, which would otherwise have been ruined, were saved. Mr Whiteman, on whose farm the school laboured during both years, is reported to have been delighted with our efforts!

On 6th November 1918 is recorded the death of Capt H.B. Perry, killed in action while ‘leading his company to victory’ somewhere east of Mézières.

Perry was the last Old Boy of the school to be killed in the war. The Armistice was signed a mere five days later. The COS expressed a feeling of relief, of pride, and of hope for the future, which must have been shared by the whole country:

PEACE BETWEEN TWO WARS With the end of the Great War – ‘the war to end all wars’ – one might have expected a period of great expansion for St Edmund’s. There was indeed a great demand for places in the public schools, so much so that in the following decade a number of famous schools were founded and went on to prosper. Why then did St Edmund’s not seize the moment and make rapid strides towards becoming a much larger and more famous establishment?

There is one simple answer – MONEY, or the lack of it! Although the number of boys in the school had dropped at the beginning of the war (in 1915 the total was only 110), this was largely due to the fact that the older boys left to join the services, and in the following years the numbers fluctuated between about 125 and 142, the latter being the total in October 1918 – the highest number ever (25 were non-foundationers). In the three post-war years the numbers increased further, so that by June 1921 the total had reached 164, including 52 nonfoundationers (it is interesting to note that at the same time St Margaret’s had 148 girls, of whom 78 were non-foundationers). This was the peak – and a total that was not to be reached again until 1947.

The greatest war in history is ended; in some few weeks, after four long years of struggle, might has vanquished might, and the fatal blow has fallen upon the supermen of Germany, the plotters and schemers for the enslavement of the world. The tale is not new, the drama has been acted before. In Victory, now rises the cry, ‘How mighty are the fallen!’

The cost was heavy and grievous; the noblest and best of the land have sacrificed themselves; brilliant careers and noble lives have been cut tragically short. Let us realise how stupendous has been the sacrifice which has freed the world from tyranny and secured us peace. Their duty is done: ours lies before us, in establishing for ever this

Clergy Orphan Corporation committee meeting minutes in 1919 show that there had been a heavy increase in expenditure – expenditure in its three schools (St Edmund’s, St Margaret’s and the latter’s separate Junior School, Gwestfa, in South Wales) 51

Foundation on a Hill exceeded receipts by £2000 and the need to borrow from the bank was revealed. Annual expenditure had gone up from £14,500 pre-war to £22,800 in 1919, whereas legacies had decreased from £13,117 to £192. Only the income from fee-payers was enabling the committee to carry on, and the problem did not improve. In 1920 it was stated that the financial problem was ‘very serious’ and there was a ‘heavy deficit’ at the end of 1921. No wonder that there were no great building plans!

Archbishop of Canterbury on October 9th 1923. A simple stone tablet on the north wall of the new choir records the names of the 53 members of St Edmund’s School who gave their lives in the Great War. 40 of these fell in the fighting on the Western Front, in Belgium and France, and of those 17 have no known grave. Photographs of most of those Old Boys who fell in the war were placed in one large frame and put in the Library in the Michaelmas Term, 1920. What became of this is not known.

This was not the final completion of the War Memorial in the Chapel. It was exactly five years later, on October 9th 1928, that Bishop Knight conducted the Dedication Service for the Altar and Reredos. In his address he spoke of the completion of the Chapel Sanctuary as a fitting memorial to the sacrifice of the Old Boys during the War and as a summons to keep alive the remembrance of the heroism and unselfishness of those who worshipped in the Chapel and played in the fields not so many years ago. The Reredos and Altar were carved by Messrs Dart and Francis of Crediton, who had carried out all the rest of the work in the Choir and Sanctuary. In the centre of the Reredos was a beautiful enlargement of the picture Christ Crucified by Antonello da Messina, which is in the National Gallery and which was selected by Sir Charles Holmes and had been copied by a Mr H.E. Dyer. At the same time oak shields were placed in the panels of the Sanctuary, representing the arms of sixteen of the English dioceses and painted

In December 1918 the question of a War Memorial was raised and an Old Boys’ Memorial Committee was set up, with Gordon (A.G.) Knight (1898-1906) as its Secretary. It was decided that the most appropriate memorial would be to enlarge the chapel, but the Corporation made it quite clear in 1920 that they would not be able to pay anything towards this! Nevertheless the project went ahead.

There were two alternative proposals put forward in 1922, either to extend the nave at a cost of £3789 or to build on a new aisle at a cost of £1300. Fortunately the Memorial Committee chose the former and set about trying to raise the money.

They succeeded in getting not far off £2000 – and finally the Clergy Orphan Corporation agreed that they would pay the balance and the work went ahead, to a design by Mr Charles Blomfield, to extend the nave by 18 feet. The dedication of the Chapel extension, including the provision of choir stalls at a cost of £250, was performed by the

Chapel extension, 1923. Work in progress on the extension of the Chapel, as a Memorial to those killed in the Great War.

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The Twentieth Century - War, Peace... and War again! 1902-1940

by Miss Enid Burnside, one of the headmaster’s four daughters, and Mr E.A. Airy, later to become her husband. These shields were removed to the front of the gallery in 1929 and remain there today – in need of restoration! In the same year it was decided to remove the sgraffito work on the walls of the chapel, although traces of this were revealed again many years later, before being covered up once more.

When father died, my brother, Philip (P.S.) and I were interviewed for entry into St Edmund’s as Foundationers. Our first journey to Canterbury on that cold January day was quite an epic adventure. Our new outfits in new trunks had been packed the day before. We arose before daylight and groped around by candlelight. Because of the ice and snow the taxi only just managed to arrive in time to take us to Ross to catch the train to Gloucester, where we changed for Paddington. London with its murk and filth was a new adventure for us. Then Charing Cross and the school train, with boys laughing and joking around our two miserable selves and other new boys. At Canterbury the snow was very deep and the horse-cab could not pull us up St Thomas Hill to the School. We had to walk in the snow, mother as well. How she got back I do not know. She must have spent the night in Blean or Canterbury. We certainly felt a pair of lost orphans. Our sisters both took jobs and helped us to eke out our rations

The eldest Burnside daughter, Elsie, had married Captain (later Brigadier) H.C.T. Stronge in the Cathedral in 1923 and the third, Aileen Burnside, married Walter James Rickards in 1928 – the first marriage ever to take place in the School Chapel, by special licence. The name Rickards will be familiar to more recent members of the school since their three grand-daughters were pupils at the school between 1984 and 2002 (and the eldest, Jessica, was also married in the chapel). The second daughter, Irene Burnside, was tragically killed in a plane crash with well-known Canterbury doctor, Dr Whitehead Reid, in 1930.

Before leaving the aftermath of the war, mention should be made of the S.E.S. Gun, or the ‘COS Cannon’, which adorned the main clocktower entrance until 1933. The actual date of arrival of this gun is unknown, but Stuart (H.S.) Townend related to me a few years before his death how he, as a young boy at the school, was one of those who helped to haul this gun up St Thomas Hill from the West station. Apparently such a gun, a captured German cannon, was offered by the War Office to any school that had had a Victoria Cross won by one of its pupils during the war. The gun remained in the entrance until the increase in motor traffic necessitated the enlargement of the entrance in the summer of 1933. Although nothing further in writing is to be found about the gun, information from a number of Old Boys indicates that it was placed behind the old Science labs and remained there until the outbreak of war, when it was apparently moved to the coast for coastal defence.

Apart from show, it would have been of no use as all its working parts had been removed before its arrival at the school.

Two Old Boys, one a Foundationer and one not, wrote some memories of these years later in their lives. Theodore (T.C.H.) Cook (1917-23) wrote his memoirs a few years before he died in 1988. Here are some extracts:

The SES Gun or COS Cannon (1925) – in the main drive from1920-1933. A captured German cannon from the war – presented to schools which had had a VC winner in the Great War.

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Foundation on a Hill at school by sending parcels of butter and jam. We needed all we could get because rationing was very tight in the Home Counties and particularly at St Edmund’s on the plea of patriotism! Bread and margarine both tightly rationed, meatless days, hard ship’s biscuits from which an occasional earwig crawled out, are sharp in my memory. Broken biscuit at the tuckshop was about the best buy.

advice and criticism of the cricket captain’s choices for the 1st XI. Often have I and one or two others been practising on a Saturday evening and then at the end of the session he would take a key from his pocket and open up the tuckshop, treating us to fizzy drinks laced with ginger wine.

During out of school hours the juniors just had a desk and a locker in the hall which was also used for prep. One favourite sport of the bullies was to turn out the gas lighting jets on the corridor walls and mantles hanging from the ceilings, and then produce compasses and dividers and chase their victims around. Another was to get a wretched new boy to sing to the rest. If he refused he was pushed down under the platform through a trapdoor. I never remember seeing any bullying done by school monitors. It was a year or two after I went into Senior School that the whole question of bullying was gone into at the Headmasters’ Conference. Over 90% of the boys were then Foundationers and some of these sons of the clergy were pretty tough.

We both entered the Junior School and Philip found things very tough for he had had no formal teaching and was backward in reading and spelling. After a year in the top form I entered the Senior School at the age of thirteen years. The Head of the Junior School, Mr Carol Powers, was an Oxford Blue and played for the Butterflies (Old Westminsters), but had definite sadistic and tyrannical tendencies. He used the military cane very heavily. I don’t know how many times Philip was whacked, but I believe he had the cane for backwardness in reading at the hands of Mr (W.R.) Taylor, who was an Old Boy and another cricketer. I had the stick for being reported for ‘playing around’ during a formal writing period. I got up after six strokes and was told I would have three more if I got up again, which I did after the next stroke and so received nine strokes in all. Later in the evening Mr Powers took me to his study, petted me and offered me chocolates! This was rather typical of Mr Powers. He was generous though on a number of occasions to me and later gave me a pair of buckskin cricket boots when I was in the school cricket XI. Cod pie and artichokes seemed to appear on the menu rather frequently – two items of food, among the very few, that revolted me. Everything had to be eaten up of course in those days in boarding schools and I can remember spending a dreary hour in the dining-hall, after everyone else had left, ‘downing it all’ a bit at a time assisted by copious draughts of water.

I was soon got out of this mob by becoming the study-fag of D.F.J. Davies, Captain of West House, my house – six foot tall, moustached, wearing a wing-collar and white brocade tie. The rewards of this job just suited me – a coal fire, a share in all the feasts, peace and quiet when I needed it, a champion to defend me. I could even do my prep in the study when not occupied by all three study mates. I also had 3d a week in extra pocket money. The duties involved taking a hot-water jug filled with water from a tap at the sluice to his cubicle in the morning, cleaning and using dubbin on his black brogues and football boots, lighting fires and keeping the room clean, cooking soup or making tea or cocoa, fetching study rations of coal, bread and margarine from the kitchen etc. But this was definitely preferable to enduring the mob rule and mob riot among the juniors when no master was ever in sight to see what was going on and only the best of the monitors were able to stop the rot.

My Housemaster in the Senior School, Mr Dale, called ‘Pontius’ because he was keen on clean hands when on dining-hall duty, coached the Junior Colts at cricket. He was out with us in all breaks and free time on half-holidays, bowling at us and correcting our strokes, giving fielding practice, helpful

The Headmaster took us for Greek Testament for School Certificate. By the beginning of the summer term we had only 54

The Twentieth Century - War, Peace... and War again! 1902-1940 covered a few chapters of St Luke’s Gospel and had to spend an hour or so every Sunday afternoon in his garden to catch up with the remaining chapters in time for the exam. Very little time was given to the teaching of English, and no Geography or Art were taught at all, up to School Certificate level, except to the juniors.

Exhibitions. The Sixth Form was very small because of the war. Forms III and IV tended to be large; Form III in particular held three streams, one ascending the school in year by year progress, one dropping a form at some stage, and one group destined to finish in Form IV and then leave. A few fell by the wayside.

Cook went on to become a School Monitor and 1st XI cricketer and later spent all his working life teaching, mainly in prep schools. He spent many years as Head or Deputy Head of Seaford College Prep School.

As soon as the first bell had rung, each day began with a charge down the main staircase to swim a statutory length of the bath. The iron handrail of the staircase was of a half-round shape. Some boys of dash and daring would make the descent in four quick swoops, sliding down the handrail of each flight, with a few stops on the three landings adding to the general confusion.

At ground level, under the lowest landing, a swing door opened north into a washroom with two batteries of hand-basins. When it was dark this room was lit by naked fanshaped gas flames, as were most parts of the school where you didn’t need to study.

At the north side of this washroom a pair of half-height swing doors, fastened open for the morning ritual, led to the swimming bath, which had a part-glazed roof. You turned right, along the side of the bath, to a number of small cubicles which were along the wall. There you stripped off your

Oliver (E.O.) Measor (1916-24) wrote in 1992, shortly before his death in 1993: The Senior School in 1917 followed the mid-18th century pattern of 11 years of age and upwards (the same as the original Eton Statutes), whereas the present Senior School would be comparable to our Form IV and upwards. Allowing for this, we had a Senior School of 50-60 boys. A further difference arose from the fact that admission to Oxford and Cambridge only required Matriculation. This was provided by School Certificate, taken in Upper V. A full two years in the VIth form was really only necessary for boys trying for Scholarships or

“Carrying” – an end of year tradition for masters and boys leaving the school. W.C. Dale, in 1928. Masters were ‘carried’ in a chair; boys were not so lucky and could be subjected to a ‘rough ride’.

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Foundation on a Hill pyjamas and dressing-gown and were ready for the plunge. You swam from the deep end which was at the east. Some boys dived from the 3ft or 6ft board and actually seemed to enjoy it. To say that the bath was heated verges on hyperbole! I never saw it actually frozen over, but in the depths of an East Kent winter it felt as though it could be, especially when the water had just been changed and the white tiles of the bottom were crystal clear through the pale bluegreen water. There were two doors in the wall at the shallow end which led to 6 or 8 bathrooms. Below the VIth form, baths were by roster, once a week. The north wall was blank and formed the south wall of the lavatories, the north and east sides of the swimming bath being occupied by WCs, urinals and wash-basins.

other than in his study or in the Common Room.

Many fierce arguments resulted, but the rule was never relaxed. (Burnside himself enjoyed a smoke and generally used a holder - it was said that he had no desire to come closer to the weed than was absolutely necessary.) As salaries at that time remained comparatively meagre, one might have expected a high turn-over in Masters, but this was not the case. No more was it usual to leave the school after only one or two years. Many stayed for considerable periods; some for entire working lifetimes. Why? It would be invidious to generalise - individuals come and go for their own personal reasons - but the fact remains that long terms of service were becoming increasingly common.

Salaries were gradually increasing, but remained low. In 1918 Watson’s was increased to £300 a year, Bowen’s and Dale’s to £250, and Burnside himself was getting £750. The Science teaching at the time was said to be ‘chaotic’ and a new master was appointed, but he only lasted two years and in 1922 A.D. Macdonald was appointed – an appointment that finally brought success to the subject. As his first task he took it on himself to catalogue the apparatus at his disposal. On the Physics side he found a reasonable amount of equipment, most of which was out of date. On the Chemistry side he found a single flask and some lengths of glass tubing generously lent to the school by some anonymous benefactor. When he pointed out that his department was insufficiently stocked he was allowed £10 to build it up. Equipping the new science courses on this budget can have been no easy undertaking. Even the momentous decision that advanced Science should be taught was tempered by the fact that no boy was to be allowed to give up Latin. Only Greek could be dropped. In other words, Science was a part-time discipline to be regarded at most as second-best. In 1920 Burnside himself was taken seriously ill, through overwork. He undertook most of the teaching of the sixth form himself, and his talent and enthusiasm as a schoolmaster can hardly be doubted. In those days the mornings were divided into four periods.

There were six working mornings per week, making 24 periods in all, and Burnside taught for 23 of them. It was not unusual for Scholarship and Exhibition candidates to return to school a fortnight or so before the beginning of the Michaelmas Term for intensive reading courses - supervised by the Headmaster. His afternoons were devoted to school correspondence and general accounts. He had no secretary, no bursar and no typewriter. The amount of work he had to get through was not inconsiderable and speed was of the essence. He

In 1923, the Clergy Orphan Corporation decided to build a new Junior School for St Margaret’s at Bushey, on land recently purchased at a cost of £15,750, and to close Gwestfa, the school in South Wales, in 1924. Gwestfa had been in existence since 1901, when “a fully-equipped school for 12 young children was given rent-free to the Corporation by Mr Richardson of Glanbrydn Park, Manordilo, South Wales”. Gwestfa actually closed in 1925 and the present Little St Margaret’s was formally opened on July 18th, 1925.

When Burnside had taken over in 1908, he inherited an assistant staff of 10 Masters: 3 Classics, 2 Junior School, 1 Modern Languages, 1 Maths, 1 Science, 1 Music and 1 Drawing. (This number remained constant throughout his headmastership, except that in 1924 a new Maths/Science post was created.) Burnside was an outstanding Classics scholar and teacher. His life was committed to serving the school and he expected similarly unswerving devotion from his assistants. It is a measure of his quality as a Headmaster that he was able to inspire such devotion. As a Victorian he imposed restrictions on his staff which today would be considered quite unacceptable. For instance, it was his wish that all Masters should remain single. Any who wished to marry were faced with the prospect of finding alternative employment.

There were two exceptions - H.G. Watson, who in 1920 had married Mrs Mylrea, the daughter of former headmaster Matheson, and J.A.D. Reade but apart from these the rule remained in force until after Burnside’s retirement. Furthermore, it was his wish that no Master should be seen smoking 56

The Twentieth Century - War, Peace... and War again! 1902-1940 is reputed to have had a letter writing average of more than 60 per hour. Most of these were entirely illegible, so that a typical reply would be ‘I could not read a word of your letter, but here is a donation as I expect you are begging again’. In addition, in 1921, he had been appointed an Honorary Canon of Canterbury Cathedral. Although he recovered from his illness, he was given the Lent Term off in 1923. Watson became Acting Head for the term, a Mr R. Wylie covered Burnside’s teaching, and the Warden and Fellows of St Augustine’s College took the chapel services.

Before 1926 the school had been run by two people. The Matron was the overseer of the domestic side, food, clothing, domestic staff, and so forth. The Head was in charge of everything else. The keeping of discipline was principally his province. Anything other than trivial offences he dealt with personally. The school’s population expanded during the early 1920s, and it became obvious that this lone-star regime could not continue. Burnside solved his problem by introducing a proper House system. Until 1923 the school had been divided into three houses: East, West and North. These had existed solely as a means of organising end-of-term games, and the so-called Housemasters had had nothing more to do than select teams. In September 1923 the three Houses were re-organised as four and given the familiar names of Baker, Wagner, Warneford and Watson*. In January 1926 their functions were expanded and they became Houses in the true sense of the word. Canon Burnside explained his decision in The COS magazine of February 1926 as follows:

Series of photographs taken in 1923 of refreshments after Speech Day.

‘The beginning of the Easter Term has been marked by the introduction of the House system, so organised, as far as the conditions of the school permit, as to combine the advantages of both the House and Hostel systems. The Houses, hitherto arranged only for games, remain the same in name and numbers, but in scope and organisation they have been extended. For the future every boy in the Senior School will be under the care and supervision of his Housemaster as well as of the Headmaster. Heads of the Houses have been appointed with House Monitors to assist them.

Further developments will no doubt ensue. It is confidently hoped that a true House spirit will be thus created which, so far from interfering with the spirit and tone of the school as a whole, will

strengthen and increase it. Mr Dale is Housemaster of Baker, Mr Reade of Wagner, Mr McDonald of Warneford, and Mr Stephen-Jones of Watson.’

The housemasters were paid an extra £20 per annum.

The need for younger masters was recognised and in 1921 the Revd H.C. Jackman (father and grandfather of famous pupils of the future) joined the staff. He left the following year to become Vicar of Adisham and in 1923 W. Stephen-Jones was appointed to the staff, to be followed the following year by G.P. Hollingworth and B.G. Kedge, a triumvirate who were to remain the backbone of the school into the late 1950s. Watson retired in 1924 – and became the first member of staff to receive a pension, £300 per year. He had been on

* See Appendix for biographical details of the House names.

57

Foundation on a Hill the staff for 41 years, and with two more longserving members of staff to retire in 1924 (H.C. Bowen) and 1928 (W.C. Dale), who had served for 27 and 26 years respectively, it might be said that one triumvirate replaced another. Another notable departure was that of the Drawing Master, G.F. Heys (a part-time appointment) who had taught at the school from 1893-1927. Now aged 70, Heys had also taught at The King’s School for 29 years and at St Lawrence College for 46 years. Another arrival in 1921, this time on the non-academic staff, was that of Mr N.B. Trotter, appointed to look after the boys’ quarters and the grounds. There will be those around to-day who still remember Trotter as the groundsman, for he did not retire until 1964 – and even then stayed on for one more year to look after the Junior School field. A perhaps even more remarkable character joined the staff in 1925. Les Wanstall was employed part-time in the Science laboratories and part-time in the Engineer’s Department. He soon became full-time in the latter and eventually succeeded Strand when he retired.

Wanstall retired officially in 1975, but he continued to mend chairs at the school and was still doing so three days before his death in 1995 – nearly 70 years of service! Two other long-standing servants of the school on the non-academic side retired in 1927 – Miss Fryar, the Matron, and Sgt Clarke, the Drill Sergeant. Both had served for 25 years.

charge of modern languages. He was also remembered most notably for organising camping parties to Europe during most summer holidays in the 1930s and forestry camps during the war years.

When the school returned to Canterbury in 1945, Voigt was persuaded by Canon Shirley to join the staff of The King’s School permanently. He died in 1986. Payne’s successor, K.D. Robinson, only stayed for two years and was succeeded in 1934

by N.A. Taylor, another stalwart of St Edmund’s, who stayed for 39 years and will be mentioned again later. Reade retired in 1935, but stayed on for two years as Bursar (the first to be officially appointed to that post). He continued to live near to the school until his death in 1963. No master replaced him in 1935 – renewed concerns about numbers led to this decision – but J.R. Coates took over from him as Bursar, and to teach Geography, in 1937. He was to be the one member of staff to lose his life in either of the World Wars when, having joined the R.A.F., his plane was lost over the North Sea in 1943.

It will have been noted that marriage and teaching at St Edmund’s did not seem to go together. Actually this was true at a number of other Public Schools at this time, but changes were in the air, and between 1933 and 1937, L.A.B. Becher (a clergyman who had fought in the 1914-18 war and who was on the staff from 1929-42), StephenJones, Kedge and Hollingworth all became engaged. Two of these engagements were broken off and one marriage did not last long, but it became clear that the idea of public schools being monastic establishments was slowly drawing to a close.

As has already been mentioned, the academic staff, small though it was, had by this time achieved a degree of stability which had not been known previously. Alan (A.U.) Payne (1914-22) had been an outstanding sportsman at school and gained his Cricket ‘Blue’ at Cambridge in 1925. He joined the staff in 1927, replacing Johnstone (-Brodie) who had left to get married. Payne took over Wagner House when Reade gave up his housemastership in 1930, only to resign himself in 1932 when he decided to get married and moved to Felsted, where he was to remain for 31 years. Pullen-Baker returned to the school in 1927 to take over the music again. Now married of course (the reason for his departure in 1918), he lived at Neals Place until his retirement in 1938 at the age of 64, although he did return for one final stint in 1940 before the evacuation to Cornwall. He died in 1956. F.H. Voigt joined the staff The Pavilion and Sanatorium (now Science Block), taken between 1913 and 1928, when the pavilion was restored to something like its present in 1928, succeeding W.C. Dale in appearance.

58

The Twentieth Century - War, Peace... and War again! 1902-1940 For reasons already stated, there was no further major building work carried out during Burnside’s time at the school. On the same day that the Altar and Reredos of the Chapel were dedicated in October 1928, the renovated and enlarged Cricket Pavilion was opened. Nearly 80 years later it could again be thought that a major renovation of the pavilion is necessary, but the work carried out in 1928 was considered to be a major advance on what had been erected in 1894-95 in memory of R.E.J. Matthews (1860-66). It was opened by A.E.W. Marshall (1881-88) in memory of another Old Boy, George H. Wallace, K.C. (1863-73), who had died the previous year. The team shields, which had been in the Gymnasium, were transferred to the Pavilion and brought up to date, something that had not been done for about twenty years (and which ceased again soon after the 1939-45 War, although it would be difficult now to find room for them even if the expense could be met). The total cost for this work on the Chapel (£357) and the Pavilion (£637) was covered by an appeal sent out

by Burnside earlier in the year.

The Water Tower being built in 1927.

and he replied by offering for sale the whole of his property on St Thomas Hill. This included the 8½ acre Junior School field, on the far side of the Whitstable Road. A price was agreed, and the sale transacted. As a result the estate increased to some 60 acres. The only land now remaining close to the buildings and not belonging to the Corporation was that owned by the ‘Canterbury Gas and Water Company’. In 1927 this Company built its own landmark: an 80 foot high water tower, then the tallest in the British Isles. The reservoir, which predates the tower, was so low that the school had originally only been able to receive water in the basement. From there it had been pumped twice daily to the top of the building. The erection of the new water tower made all that a thing of the past.

In 1928 the school heating system was modernised and in 1930 fire precautions were upgraded, which included the installation of canvas chutes into Big and West dormitories. These remained in place until the late 1960s.

Progress continued in other directions. In the summer of 1926, 48 workmen occupied the school and installed a new electric lighting system.

Wanstall recalled that their efforts left St Edmund’s bathed in a veritable blaze of light - even though the biggest bulb fitted was of 75 watts. The estimate for this work was nearly £1700 and much help was given by an Old Boy, H.V. Wynne-Roberts (1894-1900), who was not only a Governor, but also a Director and Sales Manager of G.E.C. He also had three sons at the school, two of whom had to leave early because of their father’s untimely death in 1933 at the age of 50. The link with G.E.C. also allowed a number of Old Boys to start their career there. The COS magazine of October, 1926, records the event as follows.

‘The COS and all its rooms lay hid in night.

Twas said ‘Turn on the switch!’ and all was light.

It did not last; the Devil, howling ‘Ho! The Fuse be Blown’, restored the status quo.’

Although a number of events which took place after Burnside’s retirement have already been mentioned, it would be right here to record that event and the election of his successor. Burnside had been Headmaster for 24 years (only Butler had served a longer time in office) and, although he was still only 58, he felt that it was time for him to go. The extraordinary amount of work which he had put into running the school had taken its toll on his health, he felt that the standard of boys

In 1927 the school’s capacity for expansion was increased by the purchase of the ‘East Kent’ and Junior School fields. For some years games had been played on the 14½ acre East Kent field, on the far side of Giles Lane. Mr Keir, of Hoath Farm, had given his consent, and had received a money rent paid to him out of the Games Fund. The landowner, a Mr McMaster, was approached with the object of buying at least a portion of the field, 59

Foundation on a Hill entering the school in the last year or two had fallen and that the time was right for a new man to take charge. Many Old Boys viewed Burnside as a Great Headmaster and a writer in The Times said:

There were 54 candidates for the position of headmaster to succeed Burnside, but a discussion was also had with Canon Bickersteth on the possibility of the job being offered to the Revd Julian Bickersteth, then Headmaster of St Peter’s College, Adelaide, who had not even applied for the post (he returned to England in 1933 to become Headmaster of Felsted for 10 years). A proposal to this effect was actually put before the Governors, but was defeated, and the Revd Henry Balmforth was elected. Balmforth had been educated at Manchester Grammar School and Corpus Christi College, Oxford and had been teaching at Repton, where he was VIth Form Master, since 1916.

On his retirement he was able to look back on a record of fine achievement in enhancing the reputation of the School. A meticulous scholar, he strove to inspire his pupils with his own love of the classics.

An Old Boy, who also served under him on the staff, wrote the following: Beneath the austerity of the Headmaster there was a most human, loveable side to Canon Burnside, which appeared more frequently when he was in his own family circle or when would-be scholars were spending the last fortnight of the summer holidays back at the school working privately with him ……He loved a joke, particularly one against himself. His quickmoving brain often outran his tongue. He would come into the library to take the Sixth Form and make some such statements as, ‘I caught my eye in The Times this morning’, or ‘Two things I told the boy to do, both of which he did neither’. These ‘Headisms’ were collected by successive Sixth Forms over the years and entered into a large book, which, when it was presented to him after his retirement by one of its compilers, caused no one to laugh more heartily at the contents than Canon Burnside. Another of his characteristics was his simplicity. He lived a plain life in which his greatest enjoyment was hard work – mental or physical – and one of his favourite texts, one which he was fond of impressing on his pupils, was ‘If a man work not, let him not eat’. His own standard of hard work was expected of his masters too, and when at times it caused them to grumble he was well aware of the fact and used to say, ‘It is one of the jobs of a Headmaster to give the Common Room a common grouse. It keeps them united.’

In September 1932, when Balmforth became Headmaster, there were 143 boys in the school, of whom 101 were Foundationers, and despite intensive efforts to raise the numbers, by getting more non-foundationers, they were to fall steadily during the next seven years (with the exception of 1937, when they rose to 144 from 123 the previous year) to 127 by September 1939, when war broke out again. Although Balmforth and everyone concerned for the welfare of the school put on a brave face, it was a desperately difficult time for the school.

After retiring, Burnside became Rector of Bishopsbourne, near Canterbury, from 1932-45 and he died in 1949, a few months after the death of his wife.

Canon Henry Balmforth, Headmaster 1932-1941, with Francis Rawes, Headmaster 1964-1978, outside the cricket pavilion, 1965.

60

The Twentieth Century - War, Peace... and War again! 1902-1940 committee was formed with The King’s School to explore the possibility of amalgamation, and a meeting was held in March 1935. At the same time the possibility of admitting day-boys was discussed.

The idea of moving the Junior School to Sturry was raised, but it was decided to take no action. One reason both for the talks and for their failure was probably because at the time The King’s School was itself in serious financial difficulties. Norman Birley, their headmaster, had been there for eight years and was about to move on in 1935 to Merchant Taylors’ School, to be succeeded at King’s by the redoubtable Canon Shirley. It was agreed that the sons of a Mr Wright, who lived near the school, should be admitted as day-boys, at a fee of 16 guineas, and one E.P. Wright is in fact listed as a pupil for the Michaelmas Term 1935, for one term only, and may have been the first dayboy. Another boy, Thompson (J.H.?), who also lived nearby, was said to be a day-boy in 1936, but officially day-boys were not admitted until 1937, one in May and one in September, although there is uncertainty about the former. Balmforth, disclosing on Speech Day, 1937, that day-boys were to be admitted for the first time, clothed his announcement in almost apologetic terms:

Soon after Balmforth took over, Dr Simpson, the Bishop of Kensington, replaced Canon Maplesdon as Chairman of the Governing Body. Both men were keen that the school should be expanded.

On Speech Day, 1934, Dr Simpson, emphasising the confidence which the Governors had in the headmaster, said they were tremendously keen on the development of the school until it became one of the biggest in the country, with hundreds of boys - a school ranking among the leading schools in England. They would watch with keenness and sympathy every effort that was put out towards that development. Similarly, a year later, having referred to the general tone of happiness to be found in the school, he regretted that ‘There was a snag in the whole business, a fly in the ointment. They would love to see the place grow rather more than it was growing at present and to see St Edmund’s become the most up-to-date school in the south of England, but it could not be done until they developed more than at present. They wanted to augment the number of non-foundation scholars and to have a larger number of fee-paying pupils, which would help the Governors to launch out as they would wish.’

Balmforth supported the Bishop in his ambition for expansion. As Burnside had been a teacher, so Balmforth was an administrator and a developer.

On Speech Day, 1933 (his first), he appealed to the friends of the school to help in getting about fifty more boys as non-foundationers. He pursued this non-foundationer goal throughout his headmastership, but never with much success.

Numbers did increase, but not as rapidly as had been hoped. In 1936 the Head reported that ‘We have made, and are maintaining, a small but welcome increase in the numbers of nonfoundationers.’

‘The Headmaster spoke of the decision to fall into line with other public schools and to admit a limited number of day boys, but the character of the school as a boarding school would not be changed.’

Changes in the curriculum gradually took place between the wars. Mention has already been made that boys had been allowed to give up Greek, but in spite of this St Edmund’s remained predominantly a classical school. A Board of Education inspection in 1919 called for a new time allocation, favouring other subjects at the expense of classics, to which Burnside somewhat reluctantly agreed, saying that “modern requirements cannot be rejected”. Below the Sixth Form all boys learned Latin, French, Maths, Science and English, but in place of Greek they could take extra French, English or Maths. A step forward was taken in 1927 when Burnside agreed that the predominance of Latin should at least be reduced. On Speech Day he remarked that he thought the school had been attempting too many subjects, and they had been thinking about a scheme - which would be brought into operation the following term - whereby it would be possible for boys to be prepared for advanced courses in two great branches of education - Maths and Science on the one side, and Classics on the other.

In 1937: ‘The number of non-foundationers is steadily increasing.’ 1939: ‘The growth of the nonfoundationer section of the school has been maintained.’ But his disappointment in the slowness of progress is suggested in his later remark that ‘The increase cannot be maintained unless we can rely on Old Boys and all friends of the School to continue their efforts on the School’s behalf.’ As the numbers in the School as a whole were dropping during those years it can safely be said that the campaign to build up the non-foundationer element never fulfilled his expectations.

It is unlikely that anything was made public at the time, but the minutes of Corporation committee meetings reveal that at the end of 1934 a sub61

Foundation on a Hill Canon Balmforth continued to develop the curriculum. The 1939 edition of the ‘Public Schools Year Book ’ gives the following: ‘Divinity, English, History, Latin, French, Maths and Science are taught throughout the Senior School. From the Fourth Form additional Science and Maths, or Carol Powers (1935) 1907German, or 1946, in charge of Junior Geography, are alterSchool 1909-1946. A native with Greek. remarkable man: disliked by Advanced courses are some and admired by many. provided in Classics, Science and Maths, & Modern Languages.’

new room added. During the latter part of the year the old organ was scrapped and a new one (containing most of the old pipes) was installed by Messrs F. H. Browne and Sons of Canterbury. The organ was dedicated on February 6, 1938, and was demonstrated in recitals given by Mr PullenBaker and Dr C.C. Palmer. Later in the year, at the time of the Munich Crisis, zig-zag slit trenches were dug across the cricket pitch from below the common room to the pavilion. Once the rain came these quickly flooded and were filled in again! In 1939, as war approached, it was decided that the school should possess air raid shelters, and accordingly work began on the site now occupied by the Senior School teaching block. The shelters, built of concrete, contained accommodation for 250 people. They were fully equipped with toilets, food stores, gas curtains and a generator to provide light. So that they could be occupied at the shortest possible notice a new door was constructed in the outer wall of Big School, facing the gym. The building of the shelter was the last alteration to be made before the exodus to Cornwall.

Other alterations continued to take place. Staff garages had been proposed as early as 1927 when some of the masters were beginning to have their own cars. A proposal to build four and then let them to staff at three guineas a term was turned down, but the following year they were built and were paid for by Carol Powers, the master in charge of the Junior School. They were placed behind the then Science labs. In 1934 the Governors agreed to buy these from Powers for £105 and to erect four more at a cost of £135. These were let to staff at 35 shillings a term – an arrangement that was not renewed after the war! A further three garages were built in the late 1950s – and the whole lot was not removed until the 1990s. The removal of the cannon in 1933 has already been mentioned, but the bushes and flower beds which had adorned the centre of the drive were also removed, so that arriving at the school after dark was no longer so fraught with peril as it had been. The book-room was re-sited, allowing for the extension of the lower changing room, which The COS magazine described as ‘now a sumptuous apartment with an elegant stone floor, shower baths and really hot water’. In 1934 a new oak floor was put in Big School and from then on the room was to be used for school functions and assemblies only and no longer to be used as a prep room and as houserooms, the latter being transferred to the classrooms, with Watson and Wagner moving to the New Wing (now Baker rooms). In 1935 parts of the East Kent field were levelled, and the rifle range was reconstructed. In 1937 the Junior School changing room was enlarged and refitted, and a

Other changes took place. In 1934 The COS (the school magazine) was re-named ‘St Edmund’s School Chronicle’, and the ‘COS Society’ became the ‘St Edmund’s Society’. Many Old Boys volubly bemoaned the passing of the old names, but that didn’t save them. The magazine, reporting on the Society’s AGM in 1934, records ‘The question of the alteration in the name of the society brought Gunby Hadath to his feet in an excellent speech in which he expressed the deepest regret at the old name being dropped. There was sane discussion afterwards, but when it was realised that the retention of the title COS was a very real stumbling block to the progress of the school, the resolution to change the name to the St Edmund’s Society was carried.’ Gunby Hadath (1880-88) continued to be a popular visitor to the school and a writer of children’s books. “Against the Clock” (1924) contained a reference to “singing under the double trees”, a regular pastime at Old Boys’ gatherings, and there were other references to St Edmund’s in his books. “The Big Five”, “The Mystery of the Seventh Sword” and “Twenty Good Ships” were other works written by Hadath in the 1930s.

An exhibition of oil paintings and watercolours by Fred (W.F.) Mayor (1877-82) was held at the Paul Guillaume Gallery in London in March 1929.

Mayor, who died in 1916, was probably 25 years ahead of his time. His works were rejected by the Royal Academy, but welcomed by the International 62

The Twentieth Century - War, Peace... and War again! 1902-1940 ‘R.U.R.’ was reviewed by the Kent Messenger’s correspondent in the most glowing of terms:

Society of Painters. He and Sir Charles Holmes were probably the school’s most famous artists and pictures by both of them are recorded as having been presented to the school both before and after the 1939-45 war.

For brilliance of production, sustained drama and all round acting ability, the presentation ‘R.U.R.’ was a genuine triumph. This was far and away the best school play that I have seen in Kent - and during the last nine years I have had to witness a great many. I confess that I went in trepidation, expecting to see the dismal failure of a well-meant effort to scale the heights of intellectualism. That I was gripped from the start of this immense and terrifying conception of the future is sufficient evidence of how wrong I was.

The beginnings of serious drama at the school are to be found in this period. During the early interwar years it was traditional, at the end of each Michaelmas term, to put on a Gilbert and Sullivan operetta. These occasions were private - admission being by invitation - although it was usual for a strong contingent of Canterbury residents to be present at the Saturday performance. All the work was done by members of the school, the only outside assistance being in the orchestra. The stage was lit crudely - perhaps dangerously - with naked gas jets. It was difficult to see who the actors were; one had to go by the voices. HMS Pinafore, Trial

by Jury, Box and Cox, The Mikado, Iolanthe, all were successfully produced under these adverse conditions. In 1925 it was suggested that something other than Gilbert & Sullivan should be attempted, and accordingly the scope of dramatic productions was broadened. The English Master, G. P. Hollingworth, brought works of Shakespeare, Wilde, Shaw and others, to the school’s rather modest stage. In 1934 a Revue - ‘a non-stop variety show in which the talents and accomplishments of many members of the school, Masters and boys, were given full scope’ - was performed at St Edmund’s for the first time. In 1935 a House oneact play competition was inaugurated. Ambitious and prestigious productions continued as before.

In 1936 a presentation of Karel Capek’s play

The school’s principal sports (as they still are) were soccer, hockey and cricket. In inter-school matches the XIs had their successes and failures, but, generally speaking, St Edmund’s was able to hold its own against some much larger schools. Other sports in the school were fives, golf, swimming, shooting and boxing, but particular mention must be made of athletics. Sports Day was an annual feature, and inter-school fixtures were regularly arranged with Dover College (under 16) and King’s, Rochester. (This latter became a triangular affair in the mid ‘30s, when Sutton Valence joined in.) The outstanding athlete was undoubtedly Stuart (H.S.) Townend. In 1927 he won for St Edmund’s, almost single-handed, the Public Schools’ Athletic Challenge Cup. He was also Victor Ludorum at the meeting, which was held at Stamford Bridge, and The COS magazine reported:

“R.U.R.”, by Karel Capek, 1936. Probably the School’s finest dramatic production during the pre-Second World War period.

63

Foundation on a Hill Some fifty supporters went to see him run, but by the end of the day his well-wishers had increased in number, as was evident from the number of spectators who were showing an interest in his running. His first triumph was in the half-mile. Fifty minutes later he turned out again for the mile and was fortunate in having a good place. He took the lead at first, but allowed others to pass him and make the pace; the first lap was covered in 63 seconds, Townend running third. At the half-way mark, passed in 2 minutes 15 seconds, Townend, who had dropped back to fifth, took the lead again. He was running beautifully and showed no signs of distress. The race had by this time narrowed itself down to five competitors, the pace being too strong for the forty others who were about twenty yards behind. Townend kept a lead of four yards from Cowburn throughout the next lap and a half, drawing away with a crisp little sprint in the last hundred yards, and won by twelve yards in 4min 37, 2/5secs, a time only four times beaten in the thirty years’ history of the meeting.

Three further Old Boys played first-class cricket during this period. John (J.R.) Peacey (1909-15) played 4 matches for Sussex between 1920-22.

He was awarded the M.C. in 1919, went up to Cambridge, but did not play cricket for the university, became ordained and then went to India from 1927-45, where he was Head of Bishop Cotton School, Simla from 1927-35 and Principal of Bishop’s College, Calcutta from 1935-45. On his return to this country he became a Canon of Bristol Cathedral. Today Peacey is probably best remembered as a hymn-writer. He died in 1971.

Townend went up to Oxford, where he won his Athletics ‘Blue’ in the mile and half-mile for each of his three years there and was President of the University Athletics Club in 1930. In that year he won a gold medal for Britain in the 440 yards relay at the Empire Games in Canada and also won gold for the British Empire team against the USA in the 880 yards relay later in the same year.

Alan (A.U.) Payne (1914-22) played 7 matches for Cambridge University in 1925. He was awarded his ‘Blue’ on account of his fielding, a decision much criticised at the time. He later played Minor Counties cricket for Buckinghamshire. Payne taught at St Edmund’s from 1927-32 and at Felsted from 1932-63. He died in 1977.

Bernard Howlett (1908-16) played 26 matches for Kent between 1922-28, as well as playing for the Europeans, Bombay and the Army. A right-arm fast bowler, his final first-class appearance was for the MCC in 1931. He took 108 first-class wickets at an average of 29.22. A career soldier, who fought in both World Wars, he is commemorated at the St Lawrence Ground, Canterbury, both on the Blythe Memorial and also on a plaque by the Members’ Gates. A Brigadier in the Royal West Kent Regiment, he was awarded the DSO and Bar and would probably have been awarded a second Bar if he had not been killed in action in Italy in 1943.

Greville (G.P.) Baylis (1936-39) was another cricketer who might well have played first-class cricket if it had not been for the war. An outstanding schoolboy cricketer, Baylis topped the batting averages in all three of his years at the school, averaging 77.7 in his last year and once scoring 213 not out in a house match. At Cambridge for two years during the war, he played for Cambridge against Oxford at both cricket and football in both years, but no ‘Blues’ were awarded in wartime. He also played cricket for Warwickshire in one wartime game. He is probably best remembered as the husband of Katie Boyle for over 20 years until his death in 1976.

The great run of cricket victories against The King’s School in the 19th century was not continued, but there were still notable successes, particularly in 1922 when, in reply to the St Edmund’s score of

Stuart Townend, with photographs of his athletics achievements which he presented to the School when the dormitory was opened in his name in 1989.

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The Twentieth Century - War, Peace... and War again! 1902-1940 255, King’s could only manage 93. The year 1931-32 was a golden year for sport, when the school was undefeated in all its inter-school matches in football, hockey and cricket, including victory over St Lawrence College at hockey for the first time. Until the second half of the 20 th century St Lawrence and Marlborough were the preeminent hockey schools in the country. J.F. Lendrum (1925-32) was a member of all three teams – and captain The Band, 1925, which played at Speech Days and various school functions. of hockey and cricket – and went on to become Head of the Junior School from Speech Day) went to non-foundationers. That year, 1947-49 before founding and becoming for the first time, all the House Captains were nonHeadmaster of his own Prep school, Friars School foundationers. In 1933 two entry scholarships were at Great Chart near Ashford. He narrowly failed to proposed. Prep schools were circulated and in get his hockey ‘Blue’ at Cambridge, but a number 1934 the first scholarship was awarded, to J.R. of Old Boys did get ‘Blues’ at Oxford or Acton (1934-39), now one of the more senior Old Cambridge. Those not already mentioned included Boys.

E.T. Stephens (Cambridge hockey, 1931), C.G.D. Long (Cambridge football, 1932) and C.W. Another important event in 1932 was the hearing Jackman (Oxford hockey, 1936). A. Kirkconnell of a High Court Case – Clergy Orphan Corporation played hockey for England in 1931 and A.W.B. v Christopher and Others – in which the Welsh Symonds played hockey for Wales in 1934 and Church, following disestablishment in 1920, was 1936. Many people today probably wonder why seeking a ruling about the eligibility of sons of so much emphasis was given to Oxford and deceased clergymen in the Church in Wales Cambridge in the sporting world, but, unlike in becoming Foundationers. The affirmative decision modern times, Oxford and Cambridge competed resulted in J.E.V. Christopher (1933-41), and later on level terms with the first-class cricket counties many others, continuing to come to St Edmund’s and the main rugby and hockey clubs at least until from Wales (and also in Christopher’s sister going the 1950s. to St Margaret’s). One of these, Basil (J.T.W.B.) Jenkyns, recalls in his memoirs, Hot Under the During this period a steady stream of boys Collar, some of the problems faced by these young continued to go to Oxford and Cambridge, these boys, brought up largely in the Welsh language, two universities still being the main destination of finding themselves in an environment in which they boys from the public schools. Taking the period up had difficulty understanding what was being said. to 1950, about a further 190 boys went to one or Some were almost cast off as being stupid. the other. In 1908 the Trust Deed governing the Watson and Wagner Exhibitions was altered so that Whilst always being aware that there may be others the recipients could go to Selwyn College, who should be included, it would be right here to Cambridge as well as to Keble, and during this name some of those who went out from St time 42 went to Keble and 36 to Selwyn. A further Edmund’s in this period and made a name for 27 (19 of whom were Rustat Scholars) kept up the themselves. Thomas Crick (1895-1904) became tradition at Jesus College, Cambridge.

Chaplain of the Fleet, 1938-43, and later Dean of Rochester, 1945-58. Sir Guy (H.G.) Cooper O.M. Bruce-Payne (1925-30) became the first pupil (1900-09) was knighted for services in India, where to gain a Choral Scholarship to Cambridge (King’s he was General Manager of Burmah-Shell. Ernest College), in 1930. In 1932 the first Shepherd F. Duggan (1899-1910) founded Lexden House Rewards (still retained as Shepherd Awards every School, later Holmwood House, Colchester.

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Foundation on a Hill Gordon H.A. MacMillan (1907-14) had an illustrious army career, described in a later chapter.

Cyril J. Hollingworth (1913-19) and Bernard Watts (1911-20) were founders and Joint Headmasters of Glaston Tor School, Glastonbury (no longer in existence). Robert L. Jephson-Jones (1914-22) was to become the school’s highest decorated serviceman in the Second World War when he was awarded the George Cross for bomb disposal work in Malta. Sir Edgeworth (E.B.) David (1918-27) was Colonial Secretary, Hong Kong, 1955-58, Chief Secretary, Singapore, 1958-59, and Administrator, East African High Commission, 1959-62. Lawrence Durrell (1926-27), famous author, spent only four terms at the school, but this was longer than he spent at any other school. Professor Hedley (H.F.D.) Sparks (1918-27) was a noted academic, a Fellow of the British Academy and a Professor at Birmingham and Oxford Universities. Professor Gordon (G.H.) Rawcliffe (1924-29) was Professor of Electrical Engineering at Bristol University, 194475 and the only Old Boy to be elected a Fellow of the Royal Society (1972). Michael (L.M.A.) Goodliffe (1924-33) became a famous actor. John Pinsent (1932-40) was another famous academic, at Liverpool University, where he was Senior Lecturer in Greek as well as being Reader and Public Orator.

Alan Kirkconnell (1918-26) and James (J.N.) Humphreys (1934-37) both rose to the rank of Captain in the Royal Navy, until recently the highest naval rank achieved by an Old Boy.

As the years of peace slowly drew to a close, life at St Edmund’s continued much as it had done since the end of the Great War. Still a high point of the school’s yearly calendar was the festival of the Ninth, November 9th or Founders’ Day. The day usually featured a match of some kind - often Choir v Congregation. High tea consisted of sausage and mash - in limitless quantities - with cake and ginger wine to follow. A bonfire, complete with fireworks and effigy burning, ensued.

Music, as well as drama, was of a high standard, particularly the choir, which had a large repertoire and commanded considerable respect in Canterbury and the surrounding districts.

Instrumental music also flourished, the school orchestra having been put on a permanent footing in 1926. School and House concerts were regularly performed.

An outstanding part of the OTC was the band. At the 1926 Camp, held at Mytchett, it covered itself in glory by winning the band competition. Nor was this the only success for the St Edmund’s contingent.

The COS reported: It is particularly gratifying to report the triumph of the band in the competition held on the Sunday afternoon. For winning first

The OTC Band, winners of the band competition at the 1926 Camp at Mytchett, near Camberley. The Band was for many years a symbol of St Edmund’s strength, success and individuality, particularly during the evacuation in Cornwall.

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The Twentieth Century - War, Peace... and War again! 1902-1940 place in this competition much credit is due to Sgt J.H. Pope, whose enthusiastic interest in training the band greatly contributed to the result. No less striking in its way was the victory gained by the eight stalwarts who represented the school in the tug-of-war competition. They are justly to be congratulated on defeating King’s School in the final, a result due in a very large measure to the management of Sgt Clarke, whose experience as an ex-member of the Army Gymnasium Staff was most valuable.

At that time the Old Boys met officially three times a year, twice at the school, for the winter and summer gatherings, and once in London, for the annual dinner. On these occasions a frequent topic of conversation must have been “How the old COS is going downhill!” One particular grouse was the passing of the tradition of singing the COS songs and choruses under the Double Trees. The Double Trees were situated at the open corner of the 1st XI cricket field. It had been the custom for the ‘COS’ choruses - songs written especially for the school to be sung under these trees, especially at the end of the summer term. In their letters to the editor of the COS Magazine, many Old Boys bemoaned the fact that the songs were now rarely sung and mostly forgotten.

Lawrence Durrell (in front), in the 1927 Watson House photograph. He was only at the School for four terms, but this was longer than he spent at any other school.

from the sexton the non sequitur about St Dunstan and his satanic majesty’s nose.’

If the revellers had known what was in store there might have been a riot, for in the following year was committed the ultimate sacrilege. The editor of The COS explained as follows:

Does it not seem lamentable that our old customs have died out? Other schools have theirs, and they take great pride in their upkeep, chiefly as regards their songs. We have many, and it seems a great pity that they are not sung. Indeed, they seem to be confined solely to the Old Boys’ gatherings, and even their use at those functions seems to be dying out. We believe that not more than 15% of the present generation have any knowledge of the songs. What about ‘Last man in’ and singing under the Double Trees on the last night of the summer term?

Surely something can be done to revive these old customs of ours.

(1927)

Many Old Boys and friends of the school will be sorry to hear that the Double Trees have all been pulled down. The loss is only a sentimental one; they were becoming a danger in windy weather and their removal will enlarge the cricket ground. The tree nearest the pavilion was pulled down after it had been badly damaged in a storm. The second was taken down during the summer holidays because it was becoming so unsteady and seemed likely to fall. The remaining trees were pulled down at the beginning of term, and it was found that very little of the roots had not rotted. The ground is now being made up and will be quite ready for cricket next term.

A revival did indeed take place. At the summer gathering of 1931 the Old Boys ‘adjourned to the Double Trees for one of the best features of the gathering, to wit, the singing of the jolly old school choruses. How we enjoyed it all! The whole school, many ladies, and all the Old Boys let themselves go, fortissimo, and the neighbourhood once again heard the virtues of whisky and strong beer extolled, and how the old woman in the churchyard learned

It is entirely appropriate that this account of St Edmund’s between the wars should be linked to the saga of the Double Trees. In many ways both trees and school shared the same fate. The Double 67

Foundation on a Hill Balmforth to say that he had negotiated the takeover of the Carlyon Bay Hotel, near St Austell in Cornwall, together with the Bayfordbury Hotel and other buildings in the area, and invited St Edmund’s to join King’s in evacuation to Cornwall for the duration of the war. In the eyes of many the Second World War and the evacuation and link-up with The King’s School nearly brought about the end of St Edmund’s, but it might equally be argued that it was the war that saved the school from extinction.

Trees were familiar to everybody, they had been there as long as anyone could remember and, at least to the Old Boys, the place could not be the same without them. It was inconceivable that they should ever be swept away. Something of the same aura of permanence pervaded the school as a whole. The outlook seemed secure enough and there was little reason to be concerned that the prospect for the future resembled so closely the example of the past. It was taken for granted that, broadly speaking, the status quo would be preserved. But it was not to be.

In more recent years some people have questioned the morality of boys and girls as young as eight being taken away from their mothers, almost immediately after the death of their fathers, and being sent away to boarding school. The strain on the recently widowed mother, who would also have had to leave the vicarage within a short time, must have been just as great. The thoughts of Peter (P.H.) Grove (1935-44) might help to put the matter into perspective:

In 1936 old boy A.E.W. Marshall presented the school with a copy of the Canterbury Psalter. In the same year an appeal was made for the building of squash courts and when former member of staff H.G. Watson died in 1937 it was decided that the Herbert Watson Memorial should be the provision of squash courts for the school. £150 had already been raised towards the £400 needed.

The Coronation that year was marked by a whole holiday and also by an extra week being added on to the summer holidays. The number of pupils in the school was however alarmingly low, only 123, the smallest number since 1915, and although there was an increase in 1938, the Munich crisis brought further concern about the school’s future.

At their September meeting the Governors decided that, if war came, the boys would have to be sent home and the school closed; the cost of removing the school from Canterbury would be prohibitive.

They again called for drastic efforts to reduce expenditure. The school was still losing money on fee-paying pupils and yet they could not increase the numbers without reducing the fees. The staff were asked to take a cut in pay in an attempt to relieve the situation. In March 1939 the plans for ARP trenches were approved, and the German tour was cancelled. In June a further meeting took place with The King’s School to discuss amalgamation, but no agreement was reached. In September the numbers were down again to 127 and at a meeting the following month correspondence with Canon Shirley, Headmaster of King’s, was read out and the Corporation stated that the school could only be kept open by further serious inroads into capital.

They said that a warning must be made to the staff that two terms’ notice would have to be given to them in January 1940, but this was later deferred for a year. Further talks took place with King’s and the amalgamation sub-committee kept on meeting in November and December. This was the situation in May 1940 when Canon Shirley contacted

In the 1930s St Edmund’s School, known to its pupils as ‘The COS’ (from Clergy Orphan School) consisted of well over 90% Foundationers. At that time the prestige of the clergy was far higher than it is to-day but, in general, stipends were much lower and few without private means could save.

In some dioceses, if not all, there was no pension scheme or provision for widows, but because of their professional standing clergy were not eligible to belong to the minimal State scheme. Because of status and probable lack of qualification, widows found few jobs open to them and were largely reliant on charities such as the Clergy Orphan Society/Corporation which would care for the education of their children.

There was an assumption that sons and daughters should be educated as young gentlemen and ladies rather than at local grammar schools. St Edmund’s cared for the boys and St Margaret’s for the girls.

Both schools held minor public school status and the emphasis was on education for life, especially for a life of service, conforming to accepted standards of thought and behaviour rather than mere acquisition of learning and vocational qualifications.

Indeed the headmaster appeared to teach how sordid it was to seek to make money.

Not necessarily the most useful teaching to those who virtually by definition had none.

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The Twentieth Century - War, Peace... and War again! 1902-1940 Generally it was taught that consideration of a career, apart from ordination, should be left until after graduation at university.

Articles entitled ‘St Edmund’s apud Oxon’ (or Cantab) appeared regularly in the magazine, but there was little if any news of those who had chosen other careers.

was, to which one of us replied that he was in the toilet next door. Unfortunately the door of the toilet was open and Powers returned at the moment that Geeson was emerging from under his bed. He was horrified and told him to put on his pyjamas and await his return. Powers came in, bearing his cane, and proceeded to cane Geeson across his bottom unmercifully. We counted about eight strokes before Powers strode out of the room. We in bed were petrified; Geeson had not murmured throughout the ordeal. He lowered his pyjama trousers so that we could ascertain the damage. Big weals were prominent, some of them beginning to bleed. Geeson was sent up to the senior school as he was considered to be a corrupting influence on us! This was staggering, especially as in the school swimming bath we always swam naked. Powers was a strange man, combining brutal discipline with extreme kindness to all his charges, but probably typical of his era.

Fagging was, as in all public schools, a part of school life. John (J.E.V.) Christopher (1933-41) recalls: A fagging system existed which involved running errands for the house monitors, perhaps to buy them something from the tuck-shop or to take a message. Fagging for the school monitors was more arduous, especially on Sunday mornings. If it was your turn, the studies had to be cleaned. These were good-sized rooms which two fags had to deal with, necessitating the removal of the carpet outside where it was vigorously shaken. We were in our Sunday best suits!

Then we had to dust the study, with one or two monitors lounging on the window-sill making sarcastic remarks if the results were not good enough. Some of the monitors were quite decent and as a reward for bringing something for them from the tuckshop we might receive a few pennies.

Carol Powers was in charge of the Junior School for most of his 39 years at St Edmund’s, and I met him a number of times when he visited the school in the 1950s. Many Old Boys admired him enormously and he undoubtedly did a tremendous amount for the school, but to some he was indeed a brutal figure. Christopher also recalls that each summer he would take all the junior school boys on a coach trip to Sandwich for the day, almost certainly paid for out of his own pocket. In the senior school beatings could be administered by monitors as well as by housemasters and the headmaster.

Christopher again on punishments:

Corporal punishment was something else that took place regularly. John Christopher again remembers: There was an incident in junior school which had a profound effect on those of us who witnessed it. In the year prior to moving up into the senior school we had a special privilege of sleeping in the small dormitory, a floor below the main one. We were unsupervised as such, except that Powers would look in to turn off the lights and might look in before we left in the morning. On this particular occasion it was the summer term and a Sunday, so we were enjoying the customary extra hour in bed. One boy, called Geeson, got out of bed, took off his pyjamas and started to dance around the room. It was hilarious! On hearing the sound of the door being opened, Geeson shot under his bed, not having time to get into it. Powers came in and, having said ‘Good morning’ to us, he noticed the one empty bed. He enquired where Geeson

Our studies were monitored on a weekly basis by the Headmaster, who would visit us in our lessons on a Monday morning.

He would have a sheaf of papers with him, containing all relevant details, and he would read out the names of those who had done well, deserving a star, which was duly recorded on a board kept in a prominent place, and those who deserved a dagger were similarly recorded. Good progress resulted in prizes at the end of the year, whilst three daggers in a week merited a caning. Masters and all monitors could give one a ‘drill’, i.e. half an hour’s P.E. with the sergeant-major in one’s free time. These drills could be given for any misdemeanour, 69

Foundation on a Hill and denounced a sixth form boy who had posted an unsigned letter on the notice board complaining of favouritism in the selection of the Hockey 1st XI. The Captain then urged the other monitors to beat up the culprit. It was a very disturbing moment.

Much of the day to day running of the school was in the hands of the monitors but, with the exception of this one incident I cannot remember any misuse of their authority.

and three in a week were commuted for a beating by the captain of one’s house.

These beatings took place in the big schoolroom, which was next to Warneford’s houseroom, thus we could hear the footsteps of those involved. Then followed the sound of running feet as the monitor who was caning, in the presence of others who were witnesses, approached his victim.

If the victim happened to be one of us, the rest would look up from our prep on his return to see how he had fared.

Others may not be so generous in their memories.

Over the years I have heard or read many differing views of St Edmund’s in the 1930s. For some it was a school beset by all the evils of bullying and unpleasantness, whilst others, whom I have asked about this, can recall nothing of the kind! I wonder whether in fact it differed very much from most public schools of the time – or indeed of the past hundred years or more. With the majority being clergy orphans, the younger boys were in general probably less well prepared to deal with the problems of everyday life at a boarding school.

Michael (G.M.) Gill (1938-40) recalled his days at the school as probably the unhappiest of his life, but, as one of only about three day-boys and

Martin (E.M.B.) Loft (1934-43), in a fascinating account of life at school, writes: On the whole we lived quite peaceably, and learned to tolerate each other’s oddities, concentrating on our own activities and ignoring what was going on around us, but there were occasional outbreaks of violence. I remember two organised fights taking place in the fives courts between boys from other houses who had fallen out in a big way. There was also one appalling occasion when the Captain of the School assembled the whole school in Big School

School Cricket XI, 1937. Back row: M.R.A. Davies, G.M. Minter, M.A.R. Lidgey, R.C.J. Tasker-Evans, R.D. Pinhey, C. Treen.

Front row: A.D. Walden-Jones, A.S.D. Forder, P.N. Screeton, G.P. Baylis, E.B.N. Merchant.

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The Twentieth Century - War, Peace... and War again! 1902-1940 having suffered for much of his life from health problems, including five years in a spinal chair, so that he was unable to play any games, it is hardly surprising that he found it so difficult to attune himself to life in a pretty tough school. I always subscribed to the theory that it was the more artistic, non games-playing boys who found it hardest to come to terms with school life, but even this theory was confounded by another example of unhappiness. Alan (A.D.) Walden-Jones (1930-37) was School Captain, House Captain, Captain of football and hockey, gained colours for football for 4 years, was in the cricket 1st XI for 3 years, was Sports Captain and Victor Ludorum, a Sergeant in the O.T.C., and gained a Wagner Exhibition to Selwyn College, Cambridge, where he represented the university against Oxford in both Cross-Country and Athletics. Despite all this, he never returned to St Edmund’s after leaving school, was ‘lost’ for many years until I managed to make contact with him in 1991, and, although we did exchange friendly letters at the time, he did not wish to meet up or have further contact since he told me that he had remained traumatised all his life, since his earliest days in the Junior School. So much for my theory!

master’s room, and the changing room.

There was a small asphalt playground. The only times we regularly went outside these bounds was to go to Chapel every morning, to the playing field three times a week, to the Tuck Shop twice a week, and for the Sunday walk. On Sunday morning, after Chapel, we were required to write a letter home.

We wore dark grey three piece suits of an incredible toughness, which were provided free for Foundationers. Each term the man from Daniel Neale, from London, came to measure the boys who were due for their annual new suit; the old suit was kept for everyday use, and the new one was kept for best. When the next year came round the best suit became your second best one, and the everyday one continued to be such until you had grown out of it; there were usually a lot of wrists and ankles visible! We wore Eton collars and black ties. An Eton collar was never very comfortable, but an old one, with a jagged and highly starched edge, was very painful. In the Senior School, on reaching a certain age or height, we were promoted to stick-ups. On Sundays, for the walk, we wore brown kid gloves and speckled straw hats.

I will leave it to Martin Loft to describe much of routine life at St Edmund’s in the immediate preevacuation years, conditions that were virtually unchanged when I joined the staff in 1953.

There was a wide range of academic ability among the Foundationers, since there was no form of entrance examination for us, although I believe there was for the nonfoundationers. I seem to remember that the Corporation’s total responsibility for us ended at our sixteenth birthday, after which continuing at school was at the discretion of the Governors, although I believe there was the possibility of a grant towards a premium apprenticeship or the like for those who left school at this stage.

The food was plain and not very plentiful, and the menu was the same every week.

Very few boys could eat the stew, and none could do so with enjoyment. Apart from an occasional jar of jam or marmite for tea, there was no way of supplementing our diet.

For some reason it was thought necessary to give us all a dose, or rather an overdose, of Syrup of Figs every week. Boys would go to all sorts of lengths to avoid swallowing the stuff, but were usually detected by the eagle eye of the Matron, Miss Dowding, a fearsome figure.

The Junior School had a rather claustrophobic atmosphere, since we were seldom more than a few yards from where we woke up. The big dormitory and the bathroom were on the second floor, the first floor contained the little dormitory, the study of Carol Powers, the headmaster, the matron’s room, the surgery and the sewing room, and the ground floor had the classrooms, the dining room, the assistant

Out of lesson time and games there was usually no provision for recreation apart from a library cupboard, and nowhere to go apart from the classrooms and the playground, except that at the week-end we could sit in Powers’s study and read old bound copies of Punch. Some boys spent all their time playing football or cricket with a tennis ball on the asphalt; a few had roller skates.

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Foundation on a Hill seek in the woods at Rough Common.

Powers and Henry Balmforth, the Headmaster, were the quarry. The Headmaster was usually a rather remote figure to us, who only appeared in the Junior School to award Catechism marks. I have no idea how they were earned, but I know that they had great importance as anyone who collected five of them was rewarded with a sixpence, untold wealth!

The actual education at the school was more or less adequate. All the staff were Oxford or Cambridge graduates. On Tuesday evenings, during prep time, a Mr Howlett came to teach Writing, in a copperplate hand. Anyone who wanted to use a fountain pen had to have it approved by ‘Old Owly’. Nature lessons on Friday mornings, taken by Walter Stephen-Jones, often took the form of a walk through the fields and woods and so allowed us to enjoy the open air in a more relaxed way than the Sunday walk, and to catch aquatic creatures with which to stock the aquarium.

Games, three afternoons a week, consisted of football, cricket and athletics of a sort.

Corporal punishment was inevitably part of the system, though I was only caned once, for pillow-fighting after Lights Out. I was much more scared of getting slapped by Miss Dowding for having a hole in my trousers, or a flapping sole on my shoe.

We sometimes had other excitements, including holidays for the marriage of the Duke and Duchess of Kent, and for King George and Queen Mary’s Silver Jubilee.

Both were marked by games of hide and

When Anthony Forder and I went up into the Remove, the lowest form in the Senior School, we continued to live in the Junior

Munich crisis September 1938. Air raid shelters being dug on the cricket ground.

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The Twentieth Century - War, Peace... and War again! 1902-1940 School, as we were younger than the rest of the form (having joined the school in May rather than the usual time in September), which possibly meant that we had the worst of both worlds. It was only when we reached the Lower Fifth that we started to live in the Senior School, in Watson House, with Walter Stephen- Jones (The Buffer) as our Housemaster. In some ways life became much less restricted. On two afternoons a week we were allowed to roam the countryside for a couple of hours, doing what we liked as long as we wore our school caps and did not go into shops. Since we did not have any money this was unimportant to us. There were streams to dam, as well as the river Gudgeon, and George Stephenson’s Canterbury to Whitstable Railway. The latter did not seem to have changed much since Stephenson’s day. Some boys claimed to have walked through the tunnel. In the autumn there were blackberries to eat, followed by sweet chestnuts, and we were encouraged to bring great piles of gorse back to school for the November 9th Bonfire. All this kept us occupied, but also meant that our fingers were full of thorns and prickles for several weeks.

running of the School was in the hands of the Monitors, but, with the exception of the one incident already mentioned, I cannot remember any misuse of their authority. The Sunday afternoon walk was still a distinctive feature in the Senior School, though without the emphasis on kid gloves, and instead of walking in one group we could go as we liked as long as we were at the designated rendezvous at the correct time, to answer the roll call conducted by the duty master.

So the length of the walk depended on how energetic the master felt, or what social engagements he might have for the rest of the day. Becher would turn up in his sports car, take the roll, and then roar off to Folkestone, where it was commonly believed he played the drums in a jazz band.

On Sunday evenings we went to The Buffer’s study, where we played cards, read his books, and listened to Ludwig Koch’s recordings of bird song, and other records.

These evenings were very tantalising, since the study was next door to the Sixth Form’s studies, and they were allowed to cook their own supper on gas rings on Sunday evenings. We were conscious of the most delicious smell of frying sausages!

On Wednesday afternoon there was ‘Corps’, a uniformed parade of the Officers’ Training Corps, later renamed the Junior Training Corps. There was a shorter period of drill on Friday morning. The Corps had uniforms as worn in 1914, with webbing equipment and rifles of the same period.

Sergeant-Major Palmer was also responsible for Physical Training. He smoked a very pungent mixture in his pipe, which was commonly held to be slightly oiled 4 x 2 flannelette, as used for cleaning rifles! Judging by old photographs we achieved a fair degree of smartness, and most people passed the War Office Certificate A. On balance it probably did more good than harm.

The academic curriculum was limited because of the small number of pupils and staff. The teaching was very much geared to the School Certificate and Higher Certificate, sticking closely to the prescribed books or periods, so that we were well prepared to answer examination questions, without actually having an overall knowledge of the subject. Basically, as far as I remember, the only choice in the Sixth Form was between Classics, Modern Languages and Science. For School Certificate we all took papers in English Literature, English Language, French, Latin, History, Religious Knowledge, General Science and Maths. The teaching involved a vast amount of learning by heart, including great chunks of poetry in English, Latin and French, and an apparently infinite number of principal parts and irregular verbs in the languages. The Senior School Library was a fairly comprehensive collection, housed in an imposing room, which was also the Sixth Form Room.

Our Houserooms, in which we spent most of our free time and did our Prep, were ordinary classrooms, with nowhere to sit except at desks or on the window sills. A table tennis set was available, and in Watson one boy had a wind-up portable gramophone. Much of the day to day 73

Foundation on a Hill meant we missed the first period of lessons.

Preparation for Confirmation was taken by the Headmaster, while the Housemasters were responsible for making sure that the candidates in their House knew the Catechism by heart, even if they were unsure of its meaning.

Games were important in our lives, but not of overwhelming importance. The best sportsmen were regarded with respect, but far short of hero-worship. Greville Baylis had a great reputation as a cricketer, and it was while he was in the 1st XI that it had the distinction of beating The King’s School.

Kenneth Forder was a great quarter-miler and won at that distance in the Public School Sports.

J Ross Coates helping to dig trenches. He was the only member of staff (Bursar and teacher, 1937-1941) to be lost in either World War, missing in action over the North Sea whilst serving with the RAF in 1943.

In the summer of 1939 Anthony Forder and I took School Certificate and then in September came back to a wartime Sixth Form, and he and I lived in a study with two other Watson House members instead of being in the House Room. The black-out was the greatest difference in our lives for the first few months of the so-called Phoney War. Unfortunately, another change was the stopping of the Sixth Form’s privilege of cooking supper on Sunday evenings, so there were no sausages for us after the smell of cooking in previous terms. Part of the playing fields was dug up and made into a vegetable plot, which was cultivated by boys and staff, including the Headmaster. It was not until the German attack on the Low Countries in the spring of 1940 that changes came thick and fast. There was a great increase in aircraft over the school, and early one morning we had to use the new Air Raid Shelter for the first time, when a few bombs were dropped in the vicinity. It was said that they were the first to drop on England. Then one morning in early May, as the BEF was withdrawing from Dunkirk, we woke up to be informed that we were all to go home immediately, while the school was transferred to somewhere in Cornwall, both for safety and because the premises were required by the Army as a hospital.

Some of the senior boys, including Charles Stromberg, a fanatical railway buff, had been up all the night arranging the move.

This included persuading the Southern Railway to issue tickets to everyone on credit,

Twice during my time at Canterbury Easter was very early and so we were still at school for Holy Week. On each occasion there was a performance of John Masefield’s ‘The Crucifixion’, with the Headmaster in the pivotal role of the blind beggar. The Ninth of November was marked by a spectacular bonfire and fireworks, sausages and mash for tea, a Variety Show, and a glass of ginger wine before bed. Speech Day was a very formal affair, with the Headmaster wearing a frock coat and full academic dress, and the Band playing on the Terrace. It was the only time we ever saw the Governors.

School life revolved round the Chapel to a great extent. The school’s tradition was a moderate Anglo-Catholicism, and the Headmaster was in sole charge of the Chapel; there was no separate Chaplain.

This must sometimes have presented problems, with a conflict between his pastoral and his administrative functions but we, of course, were not aware of this. We had shortened Matins and Evensong every day, with full Matins or Sung Eucharist on Sunday morning, and Evensong, with an anthem, in the evening. The Headmaster usually preached, with occasional visiting preachers. There was also a voluntary 8 am Holy Communion on Sunday, and a Sung Eucharist on Red Letter Saints’ Days, which 74

The Twentieth Century - War, Peace... and War again! 1902-1940

Digging of trenches on the cricket field, 1939. The 1938 trenches were filled in after ‘Munich’ and new ones dug the following year, but soon filled in again as they flooded too easily!

to see two figures in school uniform walking up George Street (Louth), and then to realise that it was my brother John and me, at the beginning of what was afterwards known as ‘The Ten Days’.

an unheard-of practice, and ensuring that everybody had a list of their train times, and a shilling or two travelling money for the journey. There was no time for parents to be informed, so my mother was surprised 75

Foundation on a Hill

The Carlyon Bay Hotel, near St Austell, home of the Senior School and The King’s School 19401945.

[Lower photo Junior King’s School]

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Chapter 5

Exodus – to Cornwall 1940-1945

A

fter the ten days of unexpected holiday the School reassembled at the Carlyon Bay Hotel, near St Austell, on Monday, June 3rd 1940. Most of those who had not been to Cornwall before, and that was probably the great majority, got their first sight of the county from the great Saltash bridge as the Paddington train left Plymouth and crossed the River Tamar. The view, however, was not very impressive. Indeed, to those who had been travelling for a long time it appeared a depressing sight, consisting as it did of a few unhappy looking houses on the muddy banks of the River Tamar, with a background of small and weedy fields. After that the train seemed to travel round an everlasting curve through thickly-wooded and hilly country until at last it drew up in Par station.

In the bus from the station the other passengers appeared to be talking some strange foreign language and the conductor seemed to experience some difficulty in understanding some of his ‘English’ passengers. The report in The Chronicle continues:

122 boys appear to have gone down to Cornwall from St Edmund’s, only five fewer than the number on the roll at the beginning of the school year in September 1939. 82 were in the Senior School and 40 in the Junior School, a slight variation from Canterbury, to fit in with the ages of The King’s School boys. For the remaining weeks of the summer term St Edmund’s and King’s attempted to maintain some semblance of their separate identity, but from September the two virtually became one school, although St Edmund’s did manage to retain a number of its traditions. Canon Shirley was in overall control of administration and finance under the title of Warden, and Canon Balmforth was in charge of the religious and educational side and was the Headmaster. This state of affairs was only to last for just over a year, for early in the Michaelmas Term of 1941 Balmforth announced that he had accepted an invitation to become a Canon of Ely Cathedral and to be the Principal of Ely Theological College when it was shortly to reopen.

Having left the bus, we walked some distance along a road where dust rose in clouds, a characteristic of all roads, and indeed everywhere else, in this part of the country, as we were soon to find out. Then, having passed under an arch, castellated and embattled like a medieval castle, a large white building came into view, on the top of which was displayed a rather obvious notice - ‘Hotel’, and a King’s School flag.

Balmforth’s nine years in charge of the school had not been easy. It is never easy to take over from somebody who has been in charge for 24 years and who was much revered by many staff and former pupils, and the perilous financial situation of the school meant that, in spite of the great efforts which Balmforth put in to try to build up St Edmund’s, the situation never really improved. He was a very different man from Burnside; more gentle, more approachable, and perhaps more of an administrator and developer than purely the brilliant teacher that Burnside had been. He must, however, have found it increasingly difficult to stand up to such a dominant personality as Canon Shirley and it is perhaps not surprising that he saw his future in a different academic sphere. He remained at Ely until 1956, when he moved on to become a Canon and Chancellor of Exeter Cathedral from 1956-73. He died in 1977 at the age of 86. To succeed Balmforth in Cornwall the Clergy Orphan Corporation looked no further than one of its own

For the first few days everything was pretty chaotic since nobody knew where or when anything was going to happen or even if it was going to happen at all. Little bands of bored and lethargic boys trailed round after Masters, vainly trying to find some suitable place to work in. After a time, however, when first of all marquees and later garages were converted into classrooms, things began to settle down.

77

Foundation on a Hill 30 years, doing his best to maintain the traditions of the latter. The two Junior Schools were also joined by the Cathedral Choir School during the day, although the Choir School lived at Carne’s Café in St Blazey Gate.

committee members, The Revd Frederick F.S. Williams. Born in 1870 and educated at King William’s College, Isle of Man and Jesus College, Cambridge, Williams had taught at King’s School, Canterbury (1892-99) and Rugby (1899-1905) before becoming Headmaster of Eastbourne College from 1906-1924. He then took various posts in Europe until 1932, when he returned to a vicarage in Sussex for four years. Now aged 71, he assumed the position of Headmaster, although his official title in Cornwall was Principal of St Edmund’s, with Canon Shirley officially becoming Headmaster.

The Carlyon Bay was, and is, a first-class four-star hotel. In the 1930s it had numbered amongst its guests the Prince of Wales and Mrs Simpson, and at the beginning of the 21st century Prime Minister Tony Blair and his family spent a holiday there. What an amazing contrast the five years spent in these surroundings must have been compared with life in Canterbury. The Clergy Orphan Corporation continued of course to be responsible for St Edmund’s, but, rather as had been the case in the old Yorkshire days, its members were very much ‘in absentia’. To all intents and purposes St Edmund’s existed very much as a house amongst The King’s School, and collectively the three schools were known locally as The Canterbury Schools, although this was never an official title.

Whilst the senior schools of St Edmund’s and King’s took over the Carlyon Bay Hotel, the two junior schools were housed in a smaller hotel across the road, the Bayfordbury Hotel (now called the Cliff Head Hotel). They were under the headmastership of the Head of Milner Court (Junior King’s), Ralph Juckes, with Carol Powers, who had already been in charge of St Edmund’s Junior School for over

The Revd F.F.S. Williams, Headmaster 1942-1945 (but officially ‘Principal’), General Montgomery and Canon F.J. Shirley, Headmaster of The King’s School, 1935-1962, and Warden and later Headmaster of the combined schools. Montgomery visited the school in Cornwall in March 1944 and Shirley is holding the replica of the pennant flown on Montgomery’s car, given to him by the General. [The King’s School]

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Exodus – to Cornwall 1940-1945

St Edmund’s Junior School and Milner Court (Junior King’s School) lived in the Bayfordbury Hotel from June 1940 to July 1945. The topmost rooms gave views over Carlyon Bay and the dormer windows over the front are where the St Edmund’s dormitories were. The boys of the Cathedral Choir School lived nearby at St Blazey and came to the Bayfordbury for lessons.

[Junior King’s School]

When the school first went down to Cornwall, the Corporation agreed to pay King’s £100 per annum for each St Edmund’s boy, although later in the year (1940) it was suggested that paying pupils should be charged £157-10-0. There was a steady decline in the number of St Edmund’s boys throughout the war years. From the 122 who went to Cornwall in the summer of 1940, nearly 20 departed at the end of that term, so that in September 1940 the roll of St Edmund’s boys stood at 104 (62 in senior school, 42 in junior school), of whom 78 were Foundationers. The senior school numbers reached their lowest in September 1943 (just 36), but the overall numbers were even lower the following year – a total of 63 (40 in senior school and 23 in junior school), of whom 48 were Foundationers. We shall look at the impact of this later.

Band of the RAMC and was also used as a base for religious teaching.

On the staff side, H.D. Carnegy, the music master, had been taken ill and was to be absent for the Lent and Summer terms (replaced once more by Pullen-Baker), but both were given notice, as were all visiting staff. On the domestic side, Strand, the engineer, and Caste, the head gardener, were both retained at Canterbury and gratuities were paid to Trotter, Wanstall and White (the second gardener).

Strand was taken ill during the war and Wanstall continued to carry out some supervisory duties. The remaining academic staff went down to Cornwall, but G.R. Brand (Junior School) left in 1941 and J.R. Coates joined the RAF in that year (and was lost over the North Sea in May 1943), and L.A.B. Becher left in December 1942, being told that there were too many historians in the school (he was to continue writing to the Corporation for many years after the war asking, to no avail, either to have his job back, or to be paid an increased pension). Sgt Maj. Palmer was also given notice in 1941 on the grounds that there were too few boys in the school to warrant his being retained. In 1942 F.H. Voigt was given permission to act as a King’s School Housemaster – on condition that he should return

Back in Canterbury, the school buildings had already been taken over by the Army as a hospital before the end of June 1940, and the first unit, 167 th Field Ambulance, RAMC, 56 th London Division, had moved in. At least six other Field Ambulance Units moved in during the following years (130th, 132nd, 202nd, 192nd, 203rd, and 171st) and at one time the school housed the Regimental 79

Foundation on a Hill when St Edmund’s needed him. In fact Shirley persuaded him to remain with King’s at the end of the war. N.A. Taylor, having found himself a Cornish wife, joined up in 1942, but returned to the school in 1945, and A.D. Macdonald returned to Canterbury for family reasons in 1943 and joined the staff of the Simon Langton Boys’ School, as Senior Science Master, remaining there until retirement.

and butter. When supplies ran out the dish was held up and a steward hurried out for more. We were quick to exploit this and long after the King’s School boys had left the dining room the St Edmund’s lot were still at it. After a few days however they clamped down on supplies!

A feature of life which underwent a major change was attendance at Chapel. At Canterbury it had been paramount to all other school activities, with services twice daily and three times on Sunday. Under the stern eye of the headmaster the conduct of the service was immaculate. Any lapse of reverence or attention, we believed, would incur the displeasure of God and certainly of Canon Balmforth, which was far worse.

In Cornwall, however, particularly after his departure to Ely, these high standards were difficult to maintain. Both schools would shuffle into the building (a vast garage, used as chapel, assembly hall and theatre) for Morning Prayer. The Chaplain of King’s School, the Revd Brooke, would open proceedings with a nugget of wisdom, gleaned I suppose from some obscure part of the Bible and declaimed in ringing tones.

One morning his offering was ‘Idleness is the hotbed of iniquity’. My neighbour (Gray Hughes possibly) observed ‘sounds pretty good to me’ and we emerged from chapel with a new catch phrase that kept us going for several weeks.

In Cornwall life went on in its own extraordinary way. Volume 28 of the School Chronicle relates many of the things that went on there during the five years away from Canterbury, but I am going to leave it to the reminiscences of some of those who were there at the time to give a picture of what life was like during those years of evacuation.

Roderick McVarish (1934-42), writing 50 years after the return to Canterbury, recalls: Our arrival at Carlyon Bay is clearly and indelibly fixed in my memory. I could not believe that we had come to a place so beautiful. Living as I did in Northamptonshire, although nearly 16 I had never really seen the sea apart from a rather blustery outing to Sandwich Bay whilst in the Junior School. The sight and sound of the seagulls wheeling over the cliffs, the freshness and clarity of the light, the view across the bay, discovery of places like Charlestown harbour in that splendid summer sunshine made the early days of our evacuation one of the happiest times of my life. Added to this the hotels and buildings in which we were to live and work were in close contact with the outside world, in sharp contrast to the cloistered life we had led in those grey and gloomy buildings back in Canterbury, and that added a sense of freedom never experienced before.

I don’t think I was alone in abandoning any pretence of work. I even went through the farce of sitting Higher Certificate examinations. I owe an apology to the unfortunate examiner who had to read my rubbish. M.N.T. Geeson and I used to cut lessons and go off for the day on enormously long walks following the coastal path and returning in time for the evening meal. Nobody seemed to notice our absence. We had reached a stage of our school days where there should have been in normal times the satisfaction of achievement, but the incentive to academic success was missing, as was the opportunity on the almost non-existent sports field. Our ambition was to get into uniform.

A very early impression of the move related to the food. When we sat down to our first breakfast, instead of those homely young women who did service at ‘The COS’ we were attended by brisk young stewards in neat white jackets – and there seemed to be an unlimited quantity of food. These wartime rations exceeded anything that had been served up at ‘The COS’ even in the palmy days of peace. After the cooked breakfast, there was toast and marmalade

Another occasion recalled by McVarish was the morning during break when an aircraft, identified 80

Exodus – to Cornwall 1940-1945 and this, together with the general wartime atmosphere, inevitably meant that there was a much greater degree of informal freedom than at Canterbury. The greatest novelty was the presence of the sea. The cliffs were very close to the Carlyon Bay Hotel and the beach could be reached in a few minutes. The Cornish Riviera Club was still functioning on the beach in 1940, with a swimming pool, indoor and outdoor tennis courts, badminton and squash courts, restaurant and dance floor. It later closed due to wartime restrictions and the schools were able to use the sports facilities, which made up for the great shortage of playing fields.

There were a few games played, chiefly rugby, the King’s School’s game, rather than St Edmund’s Association football. Each boy was supposed to take so many units of exercise a week, including some compulsory labour in the kitchen gardens and on the upkeep of the grounds. A walk of three miles counted as one unit.

as a Spitfire, circled the hotel and then turned and dived at full throttle, skimming within inches of the roof on several occasions. Canon Shirley quickly complained to the local High Command, but St Edmund’s morale was considerably boosted when it turned out that the pilot was an Old Boy, Chris Treen (1929-39), who was stationed nearby. Just after the end of the war Treen again incurred the wrath of the Headmaster, this time Thoseby, when he landed a light aircraft on the football field (the Alps) at Canterbury. In doing so he broke a coupling on the tail of the plane and got Wanstall, the maintenance engineer, to repair this for him! Treen and his elder brother, Robert (1920-22) later became Directors of Bond Air Services.

The hotel bedrooms (and a Village Hall at first) were used as dormitories, which were very different from the vast open dormitories at Canterbury. There was hot running water in every room, instead of jugs of cold water, and no compulsory cold dip every morning. Teaching took place in the lounges (which also served as houserooms) and the lockup garages, supplemented initially by marquees, and sometimes even in the open air. The former hotel staff quarters were used as Sixth Form studies.

Since the premises were scattered over a fairly wide area it was impossible to enforce boundaries strictly

In the JTC St Edmund’s tried to stay distinct from King’s and remained a separate unit. After Becher’s departure, Stephen-Jones took over command and soon the formation of the LDV, later the Home Guard, gave the senior boys further military experience with a parade every Sunday morning

The Chapel (aka the Tin Tabernacle or The Garage) The whole school attended matins here on Sunday mornings - around 350-400 boys. Concerts, recitals, lectures, plays, drama and music competitions all took place as well in this large garage, the only place large enough to accommodate the combined schools.

[Junior King’s School]

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Foundation on a Hill

H.R.H. the Duke of Kent visited the schools in July 1942, about ten weeks before he was killed on active service. B.G.Kedge, (on right behind the Duke), commanded the A.T.C. in Cornwall.

and one section on cliff patrol every night. The Band played an important part in the life of the school, particularly as King’s had disbanded theirs.

Eventually, with dwindling numbers, the band contained more than half the boys in the senior school and became the main focus of loyalty to St Edmund’s and defiance of King’s. The Band was in much demand for local processions and was also the official band of the local Home Guard Battalion. One important date was the visit of the Duke of Kent to the schools in July 1942, some ten weeks before he was killed on active service, which included an Inspection and March Past of the ATC and both contingents of the JTC and the first and only time that the Band played the Royal Salute, which it had been practising for weeks. At the stand down of the Home Guard in the last year of the war the CO of the St Austell Battalion of the Home Guard, Colonel A.W. Stericker, wrote to the drummajor: “We, the St Austell Battalion Home Guard, were proud to call you ‘Our Band’ and greatly appreciated the help you gave us. Your turn-out has always been excellent. It has rejoiced the eye of a very old soldier and ex-adjutant whenever he has had the pleasure to march behind you.”

into its new way of life. The chapel, originally in the billiards room, was moved to the largest garage, where it doubled as an assembly hall, and the billiards room became a houseroom for the whole school below the sixth Form. A new lab and new armoury were built. The library found a home in the smoke room. The editor of ‘The Chronicle’ for December 1940, gave this account of the school’s first full term in Cornwall: At the beginning of this term we amalgamated for work and games with The King’s School. We have benefited much, for contact with a larger school has made possible many things that we could not do in so small a school as ours. This is particularly noticeable in societies, for which St Edmund’s has never been famous. For with so few in the school, each society would have been made up of the same clique, and this was the main reason why so few were formed. But now several of us have been elected to King’s School societies, or have been enabled to join them, for which we are very grateful. It is to be hoped that when we do return again to Canterbury we shall not be content any more with life without societies, but will form our own societies and keep them alive and well

Some cricket was played and all the St Edmund’s old colours were in the combined team under Frank Woolley’s coaching. Little by little the school settled 82

Exodus – to Cornwall 1940-1945 supported. Meanwhile the Dramatic Society, our own particular pride, is still alive and well. The Choir has lost somewhat in status and opportunity, but it too has been considerably strengthened. Finally, we have learnt a new game, and Wilford has distinguished himself by playing consistently for the 1st XV, and by being the first person to gain his Colours in both schools.

combined under Hollingworth (‘The Man’) and Warneford and Watson under Stephen-Jones (‘The Buffer’). The two schools were accommodated in the same buildings, conformed to the same rules, were taught by the same Masters, and dined together in the same hall. Music, drama, games, the OTC (later JTC), and newly-formed ATC, were all combined school activities to which St Edmund’s could only contribute. A leaflet, published in June, 1940 and entitled ‘The King’s School with St Edmund’s School, Canterbury’, states: ‘The two schools function naturally as one’. But St Edmund’s never entirely lost its separate identity. Differences in dress bore witness to the fact that the boys at Carlyon Bay were not all of the same foundation.

A sense of cohesion was apparent in that all St Edmund’s boys were accommodated in the same area of the hotel. The OTC Band, pride and joy of the inter-war years, was, as has been seen, carefully conserved as a St Edmund’s institution. Most of all, the annual festival of the Ninth gave the chauvinists of St Edmund’s ample opportunity for unbridled enthusiasm. The celebrations on these occasions followed, as far as was possible, the traditional pattern. A bewildering variety of teams contested the afternoon soccer match. In 1941, for instance, the Curly-headed Decadents played the Straight-haired Supermen; in 1942 it was Long Noses v Short Noses. The JTC Band celebrated the day by parading up and down in front of the hotel playing marches and stick-solos and then, in the evening, what else but sausages and mash. It is difficult for the present generation, to whom sausages and mash is about as special as work on Monday morning, to appreciate just how much this meal was looked forward to. School food had been greeted with enthusiasm during the early days in Cornwall, but, as rationing intensified, it deteriorated once more. Christopher (C.J.S.) Gill (1942-46) recalls the delights of rock-hard ‘jam’ tarts, green dried egg substitute powder, ‘rabbit’ stew containing 90% swill and 10% bone, two day old ‘fresh’ fish from Great Yarmouth, and other equally appetising titbits. Happily, the diet could be supplemented with bread and buns from Mrs Lewis’s tuck-shop on the beach. [In 1943 even the COC in London said ‘Provision should be made

by Mr Williams for an adequate supply of buns for the boys.’] This being the case, it is not surprising that the sausages and mash of November 9th assumed the status of cordon bleu cuisine. Being thus suitably blown out, the school adjourned for home-grown variety entertainment, and the day was rounded off with cake, ginger wine, and the Loyal Toast. So, at least once a year, nobody was

Naturally there are many things we regret, but we must realise that they had to be sacrificed to the greatest possible good of the greatest possible number. It was clearly impossible to impose the customs of sixty on to three hundred. But it will be more profitable to see what St Edmund’s particular contribution to the arrangement can be. In games we have the makings of a soccer team good enough to stand against any of the big schools in the neighbourhood. King’s will be a great help, no doubt, but it is an achievement to supply the best part of an eleven out of a school of our size and we have the example of G. P. Baylis, now Captain of the Cambridge University team, and of our former victories.

In the general life of the school we have a tradition of Dramatic performances. We have already raised a considerable sum for the Red Cross by our show last term, and at the time of writing another (‘Calling All Carlyon’) is in rehearsal. Also, we are proposing to perform ‘Hamlet’ next term.

It is to be hoped that we shall keep up our high standard of acting and production and will also continue to perform Variety Shows for the entertainment of the schools.

The five years’ co-existence of King’s and St Edmund’s was dominated, not surprisingly, by King’s. The comparative sizes of the two schools made such one-sidedness inevitable. After the full amalgamation in September 1940 there was a very real danger that St Edmund’s might be swallowed up entirely. Undoubtedly many (mostly King’s men) felt that as a result of the evacuation the two schools had become one, and that in this single school St Edmund’s was no more than a House. To all intents and purposes, they were right. St Edmund’s, after all, competed as a house in the inter-House drama and music competitions and in the House matches.

Only on the pastoral side were houses retained within the St Edmund’s set-up. Baker and Wagner 83

Foundation on a Hill allowed to forget that St Edmund’s still existed as a school in its own right.

Another important visitor to the schools was General Montgomery, who arrived on a Saturday afternoon in March 1944. At the service next morning General Montgomery read the lesson and afterwards addressed the two schools. He had lived at Canterbury with his grandfather, Dean Farrar, and had attended the Junior King’s School for one term. Although King’s claimed him as an Old Boy, he did not really feel the same and his Old Boy allegiance was reserved for St Paul’s School. At the conclusion of his visit he did nonetheless give a replica of the pennant he flew on his car in North Africa to Canon Shirley and asked that the school might have a holiday.

Robin (R.A.) Wright (1941-46) recalls some Cornwall memories:

got on our bikes and cycled the few miles into St Austell. Nobody knew and nobody seemed to care. One summer night a few of us thought we would go down to the beach club for a swim. We went down the fire escape, had our swim and were nearly shot on the way back to the school! We had forgotten about the Home Guard who patrolled the area in case of a German invasion. Fortunately they saw who we were before firing and we received a suitable reprimand from the officer in charge.

School boaters were useful for carrying fish and chips from the nearby shop. One day we came across a remote country mansion further round the bay. It was obviously empty so it seemed reasonable to climb in and explore. Several months later we thought we would explore it again, but, having entered the empty part, we suddenly realised that another part was now occupied and we beat a hasty retreat. We later discovered that this house was Menabilly, occupied by Daphne du Maurier and her husband General Browning, and later to become the inspiration for the novel and film ‘Rebecca’, in which it was called Manderley.

At first the war seemed far away. We heard the news on the radio, but it all seemed remote. We did see the sky lit up a couple of times to the east and learnt that the Germans had been bombing Plymouth, but for a time that was all. Suddenly our quiet life changed with the arrival of what seemed like tens of thousands of American soldiers.

They camped on the beach, on top of the cliffs and in nearby fields. They spent much of their time in flat-bottomed boats, loading up and landing again on the huge beach of Carlyon Bay. We welcomed them. We were relatively poor and wartime rations were frugal. They gave us chewing gum, candy (sweets) and tins of everything, particularly Spam. We had never heard of it before, but the taste was good. One American soldier offered to sell me a machine gun (I was 15 at the time), but I could not afford the modest price he asked!

Then suddenly, one day in early June 1944, we woke up and there was not a single American to be seen. D-Day had arrived and they were all gone in an instant. A few tins of Spam had been left behind and we scrounged what we could.

School food was dreadful. The odd pot of jam had a beery taste and we never wanted to see semolina pudding again. The occasional food parcel from home was much welcomed, and devoured with help from one’s friends. When we had any money we would purchase a whole or half Cornish pasty from the shop on the beach.

If money was tight, half a loaf of bread (without butter or margarine) would be eaten ravenously.

Theoretically we were not allowed even to speak to girls – part of standard boys’ public school rules at the time. Natural instincts being what they are, and discipline being pretty lax, several of us broke this rule and innocent teenage romance blossomed. It certainly blossomed with two of my friends who were only 16 at the time. Both Byron Davies and John Pughe nervously talked to two local girls who were about 14 or 15.

True love emerged and they are both married to their Cornish sweethearts to this day, over 60 years later.

Life in Cornwall had no relevance to normal school discipline in Canterbury. We seemed to be able to go where we wanted and when we wanted. Christopher Gill and I shared a study from the age of 15. One term in Cornwall we went to the cinema some 13 times. This was mostly in the evenings. We 84

Exodus – to Cornwall 1940-1945 All in all, life was wonderful for most of us, but not necessarily for all. Home, with parents or mothers hundreds of miles away, seemed very remote and there were those who were lonely or unhappy, but it was a period in life – good or bad – that all those at St Edmund’s at that time will never forget.

In the New Year of 1945 the editor of The Chronicle had something special to announce: At the beginning of this Easter Term, we have heard a piece of news so good, that even the weather cannot damp our enthusiasm.

In September we shall return from our exile to Canterbury, all being well. It will seem very strange for us, as by the time we return, there will not be one boy in the school who was at the Senior School at Canterbury. We wonder if we shall return to Canterbury rules and customs, which were far stricter than they have been down here, and it would certainly be hard to become used to them, although it would do us good from the point of view of discipline, which could do with considerable improvement at present.

However, the main thing to look forward to is the fact that we shall be on our own again, and have a school that we can really call our own.

By the late summer of 1944 it was obvious that, although there might be much fighting still to come, the war was entering its final stages and preparations needed to be made for the future. As early as May 1944 the Clergy Orphan Corporation had received a letter from the Dean of Canterbury, to which they replied “The Corporation informs the Dean of Canterbury that it is not anticipated that the boys of St Edmund’s School will be available for inclusion with the King’s School at the close of the war. It is not, at present, possible to speak with certainty about the Staff.” At a meeting towards the end of that month it was agreed that: 1. After the war the boys of the School should not be dispersed.

2. An immediate start should be made in the school buildings with the present members of the St Edmund’s staff. It was thought that as soon as possible a young Headmaster should be appointed and there should be borne in mind the possibility of placing the school in a more central position – perhaps nearer London – but no definite decision was made.

3. Prebendary Eley and the Secretary (Canon G.D. Barker) were to visit Canterbury and see how far it would be possible to establish the school with its present numbers and perhaps some immediate increase to, say, 100 in the present buildings without any very large expenditure.

In February 1945 Juckes made it clear that he was anxious to take Junior King’s School back to Milner Court (Canterbury) at Easter, but nothing came of this. Meanwhile the War Office wrote in March to say that the Director of Quartering had said that the buildings at St Edmund’s must be retained under requisition. In April interviews were held for the position of Headmaster. A short list of four contained two masters from Blundell’s School, Devon, one from Loretto in Scotland and the Headmaster of St John’s School, Battersea, and the decision was taken to appoint William M. Thoseby, a housemaster from Blundell’s and the first lay Headmaster in the history of St Edmund’s.

The courage shown in the taking of this decision to return to Canterbury is not to be underestimated.

The numbers, both of boys and Masters, had been drastically reduced. The buildings at Canterbury had escaped the bombs, but they had not escaped the ravages of occupation by the Army. As the outlook for public schools as a whole after the war was not particularly rosy, the Corporation must seriously have considered dissolving St Edmund’s altogether and reverting to the original policy of sending foundationers to other schools.

Nevertheless, in spite of everything, it was decided that a new beginning should be made.

In October it was agreed that the Archbishop should be approached with a view to using his influence with the War Office as to the urgency of the military vacating the St Edmund’s buildings as soon as possible, and it was agreed that the school should return to Canterbury. Canon Shirley was to be informed of this intention and the Press notified.

In November a master at Felsted School was interviewed regarding the headmastership, but it was decided to advertise the post and see others before any appointment was made.

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Foundation on a Hill It would be inappropriate to pass on without some mention of the Old Boys and staff of St Edmund’s who became directly involved in the fighting of the war. The needs of the Forces during wartime are ever insatiable, and it was inevitable that many of the school would be called to do their duty. Their exploits are not recorded as are those of their 191418 predecessors, but lists of those serving at the front did appear regularly in the columns of The Chronicle. Those same feelings of shock and grief, so familiar to an earlier generation, must have been felt anew as, year by year, it became apparent that certain old friends were never to be seen again.

The names of the forty members of the school who were killed are recorded on a stone tablet on the south wall of the school Chapel, facing the memorial to the Great War. They contain one member of staff, Ross Coates, and 39 Old Boys.

The name of one of these appears in error. E.M. Swift (1896-1904) was not killed in the war – he was not in the services at the time of his death.

One name is, however, missing, that of W.G. Sola (1924-30).*

Robert Llewellyn Jephson-Jones, G.C. – the highest decorated Old Boy in the Second World War. Awarded for bomb disposal work in Malta in 1940.

Robert Jephson-Jones (1914-22) was a regular Army officer and served in Singapore, India and West Africa before the war, and in Malta, Palestine, Egypt, Sudan and Italy during the war. He was promoted to Brigadier in 1954 and retired in 1960 and thereafter lived in Ferndown, Dorset where he died in1985.

The highest decoration won by an Old Boy of the school in the Second World War was the George Cross awarded to Captain (later Brigadier) Robert Llewellyn JephsonJones for bomb disposal work Jephson-Jones in Malta in 1940. The account reads: Captain Jephson-Jones was living in Malta at the outbreak of war. When Malta became a prime target for the German and Italian air forces in June 1940 there were no expert Royal Engineer Bomb Disposal units and the task of attending to unexploded bombs and mines dropped on the island (with the exception of those dropped in the dockyard area and on airfields, which were dealt with by the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force) fell to the Royal Army Ordnance Corps.

Between mid-June and mid-November, when bomb disposal was taken over by the Royal Engineers, Captain Jephson-Jones and Lieutenant Eastman, with incredible courage, dealt with some 275 unexploded bombs, and remained alive.

[Lieutenant Eastman was also awarded the George Cross.]

* The author produced a 24-page booklet containing details of those killed in the 1939-45 War in November 1995, and brief details of those lost in both World Wars appear in his School Register, 1751-2002, published in 2003.

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Chapter 6

Blood, toil, tears and sweat 1945-1959

W

illiam M. Thoseby, who took over as Headmaster as soon as the School returned from Cornwall, was born in 1901. Educated at Bradford Grammar School and Queen’s College, Oxford, where he was a Classics Scholar, he taught at Blundell’s School, Tiverton from 1924-45. There he became Senior English Master and was a Housemaster. Married to Mary (Molly) Brown, with one daughter, he was a keen cricketer, who played Minor Counties cricket for Devon, and a good golfer. As already noted, he was the first lay Headmaster of the School (indeed, only one of the four short-listed candidates for the post was a clergyman) and his first and main task was, of course, to rebuild the school. He was to be paid £1000 a year, with house, rates, fuel and light.

dismally through the ceilings of forgotten and disused rooms; there was no heating; taps were turned, but no water flowed; wallpaper peeled scrofulously from the walls; there was scarcely a single room fit for use, and in the Library, piled to the very roof and thick with the silting dust of five long years, were all the belongings of the School, from darning needles to dictionaries, that had not gone to Cornwall; the scum-covered waters of the swimming bath gleamed like forgotten Styx. The School was a memorial that moth and rust do literally corrupt; and, most unpleasant of all, everywhere there hung the vague, offensive odour of disuse.

There were no workmen; there was no sound of chisel or hammer; no footfall save our own echoed in that vast forbidding silence. It was a dismal moment for a new Headmaster.

Much work had to be done between the end of the last summer term in Cornwall and the re-opening in Canterbury. The senior members of staff were responsible for the general clearing up at Carlyon Bay and the return of the school’s possessions to the top of St Thomas Hill, and Thoseby, StephenJones and Kedge virtually gave up their summer holidays in order to make the buildings habitable again for the delayed start of the Michaelmas Term (the Governors gave them £25 each for this). Let Thoseby’s own words, in the first school magazine to be published after the long exile, describe what went on.

Then suddenly, almost beyond expectation, things began to happen. Three firms descended on us and set about St Edmund’s with commendable ferocity. They destroyed the disreputable and the decayed with gusto and abandon. They hacked; they hewed; they painted and plastered; they filled in dozens of broken windows; they fitted new wiring and lights throughout the School; they made the big dormitory, which looked like a forsaken battleground, a thing of beauty.

Other magicians attacked the kitchens and, instead of rust and decay, there gleamed new ranges and a spotless stove. And all the time there could be heard a chip, chip, chip and a scrape, scrape, scrape as the black-out was removed from our innumerable windows and, with it, a good deal of the black-out that had descended on our lives.

To talk about the wild adventures of the last few months is easy; to write, to perpetuate that throng of confusing impressions in the sad permanence of print, more difficult. At the beginning of August, unknown, almost unheralded, we stood like stout Cortez, a tiny band of explorers, alone and feeling rather frightened, silent upon a peak in Canterbury. And round us there stretched the vast jungle of St Edmund’s; for it was rather like a jungle, and smelt rather like one. The corridors were cold and bleak and damp; the electric lights refused to work; forgotten and burst radiators dripped

So all day long the noise of battle rolled, between Rough Common and the City bounds. Gradually the buildings became 87

Foundation on a Hill habitable. An academic staff took shape.

‘Ten days’ hard’, amid a labyrinth of unknown forms and personalities, produced that strange scholastic mystery, the Time Table. But there were still hardly any servants in the School. And day by day, with hastening and unrelenting feet, the hour of destiny approached and the distant tramp of more than a hundred Edmundian feet grew like a nightmare as that mighty phalanx approached, eager for intellectual and bodily refreshment. The first, and less desirable, commodity, we could provide. But what of food? There was no cook. And then, two days, two little, little days before zero hour – Mrs Wilson. And she is really the end of the story. Yes, it was fun; but perhaps it’s a good thing that it’s over.

October must have been about 95 (there are no printed lists for that first term back in Canterbury).

By January 1946 the total number was 119 and the following September Thoseby was able to report to the Governors that there were 146 boys in the school, of whom 53 were Foundationers, 57 nonfoundationer boarders, and 36 day-boys. So it was that, at the beginning of 1946, for the first time in the school’s history, there were more nonfoundationers than Foundationers in the school and the number of day-boys reached a substantial total instead of the four or five who had been there in 1939-40. The numbers continued to rise and in 1947 some non-foundationers in the Junior School were removed as it was considered that they would be unable to benefit from promotion to the Senior School. The initial fees, for those who paid them, were £150 a year for boarders and £60 for dayboys, although both were increased by £10 at the beginning of 1947. For one term there were actually more boys in the Junior School than in Senior School, and in 1951 the total exceeded 200 for the first time, with 123 seniors and 78 juniors.

In Thoseby’s last year, 1958-59, the total had reached 272, of whom 186 were in the Senior School, 86 in Junior School, 68 were Foundationers and 49 day-boys. At the beginning of 1947 he had suggested to the Governors that there should be a maximum of 160 boarders and 40 day-boys.

At the same time he put forward the advantages of having a separate Junior School of some 70-80 boys in an old Prep School or country house somewhere within a 25-mile radius of Canterbury.

The Governors agreed in principle to convert the school into a Senior School of 200 boys, but they were not prepared to undertake to provide a separate Junior School and authorised the Headmaster to consult with local prep schools with a view to taking over the junior boys. Fortunately, nothing came of this idea. The fees continued to rise steadily, although they appear a mere pittance by today’s standards. In 1950 they were £200 for Senior School, £190 for Junior School and £85 for day-boys; by 1956 the boarding/day fees in Senior School were £276/£129 and in Junior School £225/£105. In 1951 it was estimated that the average annual cost per pupil was £195 and the cost of feeding was 12/7d per week (about 63p in today’s money) for boarders, 3/10d (19p) for day-boys and 7/3d (36p) for domestics. Money remained tight. In 1950 it was said that another 50 pupils were required to make the School pay its way. In 1952 St Edmund’s had a deficit for the year of £2074, whilst St Margaret’s showed a profit of £2892, and the Clergy Orphan Corporation a

The School re-opened in Canterbury on Friday, October 12th 1945 and the following morning a Service of Thanksgiving and Dedication was held, when the Chapel was filled with boys, masters and friends of the School, amongst whom were the Bishop of Dover, the Archdeacons of Maidstone and Croydon (both Governors of the School), Canon Barker (the Secretary of the Clergy Orphan Corporation), Canon Burnside (former Headmaster) and Canon France (Warden of St Augustine’s College). Mr Reade read the Lesson and the Headmaster preached a short sermon. At a short Headmaster’s Line which followed, Thoseby welcomed new members of staff, Dr E. Kahn (Modern Languages), Mr L.F.K. Thorne (Classics), Mr C. Strachey (Physics & Maths) and the Revd C.G. Stapley (Chaplain), together with Mr H.W. Littlebury (Junior School). These, together with Taylor, returned from the war, and Stephen-Jones, Hollingworth, Kedge and Powers, formed the new staff. In the afternoon there was a game of football, refereed by Stephen-Jones, following which the boys collected what furniture there was in the School Library, where everything had been stored during the war years – and life in Canterbury was under way once again after the five years of exile in Cornwall. A few weeks later Sergeant Major O’Leary, of whom more will be told later, joined the staff (and early morning swims soon became part of the routine again).

At the beginning of the last year in Cornwall there had been 63 boys in the school (40 seniors and 23 juniors), including 48 Foundationers. By the summer that number had increased slightly and, with 8 leavers and some 36 new boys, the total in 88

Blood, toil, tears and sweat loss of £5552, compensated for by legacies totalling £7143. The Headmaster’s salary had increased to £1800 by 1957, the RSM was getting £391 and a house in 1955, and Trotter, the groundsman, £468 in 1958.

1945-1959

over for the next 15 years. On the Art side, Fred (F.W.) Latter came in 1949 and remained for 16 years. A first-class carpenter, he was also mainly responsible for providing the sets for many school plays, assisted in his early years by Wanstall, who had been officially reappointed to the outside staff on the return from Cornwall to succeed Strand, whose health had broken down, as Chief Engineer, at a wage of £3-15-0 per week, plus house, light and fuel (soon to be increased to £4-10-0). Three other long-serving members of staff arrived in the 1950s, Barry (B.I.) Blake in 1952, Jock (J.J.) AsburyBailey in 1953 and Colin (C.R.E.) Parker in 1957.

When I arrived in 1953 there were only 17 fulltime members of staff, including the Headmaster, and it would be wrong to fill these pages with the names of all those staff who followed on in the next half-century, unless they served for a substantial period of time.*

A number of further staff changes took place in these early post-war years. Stapley, the first official School Chaplain, left in 1946, to be succeeded by the Revd David (C.D.) Mead-Briggs. Thorne also left in 1946, and in December of that year Carol Powers retired after nearly 40 years’ devoted service to the Junior School. He was succeeded by John (J.F.) Lendrum, an Old Boy of the school, who had joined the staff the previous term, and in 1947 A. Woolfenden also joined the Junior School, and another Old Boy, Clement (C.G.) Molony joined the Staff to teach Mathematics and be part-time Bursar. Daphne Kedge, wife of B.G.K., also came to teach the youngest form in Junior School (the entrance age had been lowered to 8) in 1947, initially just for one term, but she was to remain until April 1959. John (J.R.H.N.) Cox joined the Junior School in 1948 and the following year Strachey left and was succeeded by Herbert (H.A.) Nickols, who came for one term and stayed for over 31 years! Lendrum left in 1949 to set up his own prep school, Friars School, at Great Chart, near Ashford. In 1950 Christopher (C.H.) Peto, yet another Old Boy, and Geoffrey (L.G.) Pass arrived and a larger and more permanent staff had come into being. With the rapid increase in Junior School numbers there was clearly a need for more staff to teach them and the 1950s was a decade in which a number of staff taught in both senior and junior schools, initially as official JS staff, but tending to move later into the SS.

With the dramatic increase in numbers compared with the pre-war years, it was inevitable that there should be changes to the buildings also. These would indeed have been needed even if the numbers had not increased so rapidly, for there had been no major building work or alterations since 1908 and general living conditions in the school were far from acceptable for the second half of the 20th century.

In May 1942 Mrs Saben, mother of Old Boy L.W. Saben, who had been killed in 1941, gave the school £500 to be used to provide a memorial for her son. It was agreed to postpone any action on this until after the war and in 1946 it was agreed that the Saben Memorial should take the form of the old laundry being converted and equipped as a School Club and workshops. The Saben Building, now part of the Art and Design/Technology Building, was opened in June 1947 and initially housed the Radio and Aero-Modelling Clubs before a Carpenter’s Shop moved there as well in 1950.

In 1947 the possibility of extending the building or building a block of flats or small houses for masters was raised, but later in the year a house called Barnacre, down the hill in Cherry Avenue, was purchased as two flats for £4500. The idea of putting up some prefabricated buildings as an extension to the Junior School was proposed in 1949, but was thwarted by the need to re-slate and repair the roof of the school at a cost of nearly £3000. In the next 3-4 years the whole future of

On the Music side, Donald (D.A.) Leggat was in charge from 1946-52 and quickly raised the standard of the Choir to the level which it had achieved before the war – and was rewarded by two BBC broadcasts of Choral Evensong in the 1950s – as well as getting a School Orchestra formed again, albeit reinforced by a number of visiting teachers or other outsiders. The Choir was also one of four choirs chosen to record hymns from the new BBC Hymnal in 1951, following which Hymns Ancient and Modern gave £1500 to be invested to provide a bursary at the School (the first winner of this was D.N. Thomas). Following an interregnum of one term, marked by the appointment of a man who appeared to have forged his references and knew little about music, John (J.S.) Brough arrived in January 1953 to take

* A full list of staff up to 2011 can be found in the School Register, copies of which are still available from the School

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Foundation on a Hill the school once more lay in the balance, so that any talk of new buildings was not raised again, but in 1953 Thoseby put forward the idea of building a new Junior School in the grounds at a cost of £40,000-£50,000 or a block of classrooms at £14,000-£15,000. His main concern was the total lack of any houserooms or common rooms other than rooms that served as classrooms during the day. The idea of a new Junior School was dismissed by the Governors, but it was agreed that a classroom block should be built in the next two years and towards the end of the year three further schemes were put forward – 1, to roof over the Fives Courts, convert rooms under the colonnade into two classrooms, convert the Saben Building into two classrooms and to re-build the old Stables; 2, to build a new Headmaster’s House; 3, to build a terrace for four married masters.

houses were now able to have their own houserooms which no longer had to serve as classrooms also. At the same time four staff houses were built in what was to be called The Close, St Edmund’s School; a Gallery was built in Big School together with 4-5 rows of moveable raised seating at the back of the hall, below the gallery; the School Library was moved to the Headmaster’s former Drawing Room; the old Library was divided horizontally (hence the rather strange windows on the first floor ever since), with a new dormitory on the first floor (now part of Watson) and houserooms underneath; an Art Room was added to the Carpenter’s Shop, and a Forge and Hobbies’ room in the Saben Building. Three extra staff garages were built for residents of The Close (the occupant of No.4, H.A. Nickols, was later allowed to build his own on site). In 1956 the Chapel Gallery, previously only two rows, was extended, thanks to the generosity of an Old Boy, J.F.W. Schofield, and in 1957 the Sanatorium was converted into Science Laboratories and a new wooden San, erected alongside, was in use by the end of the year. This building later became the Music School until 2004.

The cost of all this work was in excess of £50,000, with a £10,000 loan being obtained from the Ecclesiastical Insurance Office for the Science/ Sanatorium development.

1955 was the year when most of these plans came to fruition – a year notable for the fact that it marked the 100th anniversary of the coming of the school to Canterbury and the resulting Centenary Festival celebrations. The Thosebys moved into the new Headmaster’s House (now Abingdon House) in March 1955. New classrooms were provided in the old Stables near the Sanatorium, and, by using part of the old Headmaster’s House and also two rooms under the colonnade, all four Senior School

Staff being presented to H.R.H. Princess Margaret by William Thoseby at the bicentenary celebrations in 1950 (l. to r.

N.A.Taylor, H.A.Nickols, F.W.Latter, P.Purcell, B.G.Kedge, C.D.Mead-Briggs, E.Kahn).

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Blood, toil, tears and sweat On the face of it, the ten years following the return from Cornwall saw the most remarkable revival in the fortunes of the School. Nearly a hundred more boys in the school than ever before, new buildings, two week-long Festivals graced by the presence of Royalty, two broadcasts of the BBC’s Choral Evensong from the School Chapel, the School Orchestra invited to play in the Cathedral during the Festival of Britain in 1951, and both Open Scholarships and, later, Scholarships for the Sons of Living Clergy made available for those entering the Senior School.

1945-1959

performances of Bernard Shaw’s Caesar and Cleopatra, but also two performances of Let’s Make a Revue, with lyrics and music by Barry Blake and Christopher Peto and sketches by Philip Hollingworth. The highlight on this occasion was the visit of H.R.H. Princess Alexandra on June 1st.

Another engagement, with the Red Cross in Canterbury, in the afternoon prevented her presenting the prizes, but this was performed in the afternoon by Viscount Kilmuir, the Lord Chancellor. An extra week was added on to the summer holiday, three days at the request of each of Princess Alexandra and Viscount Kilmuir, rounded up by Thoseby.

1949 marked the 200th anniversary of the Clergy Orphan Corporation (or Society as it was then) and on June 28th a great Thanksgiving Service was held in St Paul’s Cathedral, attended by all staff and pupils of both St Edmund’s and St Margaret’s, at which the Archbishop of Canterbury preached the sermon. Sadly, the one absentee was the Headmaster, who was ill and unable to attend. The previous day a Grand Cricket Match had been held between the choirs of the two schools, in the style and costume of 1849, at St Margaret’s. The School was determined to celebrate the anniversary itself, but it was felt that 1949 was too soon after the return to do justice to what was being proposed and so arrangements were put in hand to delay the celebrations until the following year. The Bicentenary Festival of Music and Drama took place from May 29th to June 4th, 1950, starting with the unveiling of the War Memorial in the School Chapel to those who fell in the 1939-45 War by The Very Reverend T. Crick, Dean of Rochester and an Old Boy of the School. A series of concerts, recitals and lectures took place, both at the school and at the Cathedral, featuring the Amadeus Quartet and Dorothy Sayers amongst others as well as the Choir and Orchestra, and the Dramatic Society put on four performances of Jonah and the Whale by James Bridie, but the highlight of the week was the visit on May 31st of H.R.H. Princess Margaret, who presented the prizes at Speech Day, under the chairmanship of the Archbishop of Canterbury.

Drama, which had reached such high standards before the war under Philip Hollingworth, was back to its best, and perhaps one of the finest performances was the production of Antigone in 1954 with the title role brilliantly played by Paul (P.S.) Bates, later to be Chaplain of Winchester College and a canon of Winchester Cathedral and Westminster Abbey. Ill-health forced Hollingworth’s retirement in 1957 and the mantle was taken on

by Barry Blake, who, apart from a short interval in the early 1980s, continued to produce plays until his retirement in 1990. Blake/Peto revues and musical comedies were also a much admired feature of dramatic productions for nearly twenty years – and all these productions took place on

1955 was the 100th anniversary of the opening of the School in Canterbury and once again a weeklong festival took place from May 29th to June 5th.

The Centenary Festival of Music and Drama, with one exception, took place entirely at the school (the exception was the concert performance of Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas in the Chapter House of the Cathedral). Guests included the London Harpsichord Ensemble and lecturer Gerald Moore.

The Dramatic Society performed not only three

“Antigone”. Michael Lees as Creon and Paul Bates as Antigone (1954).

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Foundation on a Hill

The youngest boy in the school, Julian Roundhill, presents a bouquet to H.R.H. Princess Alexandra during the centenary celebrations in 1955, watched by Headmaster Thoseby.

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Blood, toil, tears and sweat

1945-1959

1953 Old Boy J.F.W. Schofield gave £200 for a bicentenary scholarship, awarded to R.J. Atkins, and in the same year another War Memorial Scholarship went to B.A. Rapkin.

Thoseby was particularly keen to introduce scholarships for the sons of living clergy and in 1957 asked the Corporation of the Sons of the Clergy whether it would be able to help with this, but it said that its constitution would not allow it to do so. The setting up of the St Edmund’s School, Canterbury, Scholarship Fund for sons of living clergy was launched in a letter to The Times on October 7th 1958. The Public Schools Year Book for 1959 announced the availability of 2 Open Scholarships of £100 or £50, and 2 Scholarships of not less than £200 to sons of living Anglican clergy. By the end of 1959, nearly £4000 had been raised for the latter, largely through the efforts of Mrs Thoseby. A further offer was made of £1000, later increased to £5000, for 5 years, from the Leverhulme Trust.

Barry Blake and Philip Hollingworth with the cast of a ‘Let’s Make a Revue’ in 1954. Roger Royle on the right.

what must have been one of the smallest stages in the country, with all female parts being taken of course by boys. The very high quality of presentday drama continues a tradition stretching back more than seventy years.

At the leaving end of the school both closed and open awards were also being won. Watson/ Wagner Scholarships were still available as closed awards at Keble College, Oxford and Selwyn College, Cambridge throughout Thoseby ’s headmastership - £80 per annum for 3 years, but a request to Keble in 1952 to put the finance and administration of these awards into the hands of the college was turned down, as they were concerned that there might not always be candidates of a high enough standard for the college – perhaps a sign that such closed awards were not going to be in existence for ever. At the same time leavers were gaining open awards at the universities as well: G.I. Duff (1953) an Open Science Exhibition to Imperial College, London, B.R. Dunn (1954) a State Scholarship in Mathematics, T.J. Reynish (1955) an Open Music Scholarship to Gonville & Caius College, Cambridge (he was First Horn in The National Youth Orchestra), and E.A.C. Rattray (1956) an Open Choral Exhibition to Worcester College, Oxford. A leaver in 1948 was Edwin (B.E.G.) Apps, not a scholar, but he went to the Central School of Dramatic Art and in 1953 won the Elsie Fogerty Prize at the Strand Theatre.

From 1958-60 he appeared in the role of Mr Halliforth in the TV comedy series about a prep school, Whack-O, starring Jimmy Edwards and he also appeared in many other comedies. He then turned to writing, in collaboration with his wife, Pauline Devaney, and from 1966-71 one of the most popular television series was All Gas and

The first essential from 1945 onwards was to obtain pupils, and, as has been seen, a few of these were not of an ability to benefit from the school. The academic standard covered a huge range even without those few, and this was one of the characteristics of the school for many years, as a result of which examination results left a lot to be desired. At the top end pupils continued to go to Oxford and Cambridge and to other universities, but there were always a number who left school with little to show in the way of exam success. One way to try to remedy this situation was to provide entrance scholarships. A start had been made in 1934, but little had come of this in those pre-war years. As had happened at the end of the 19141918 War, a War Memorial Fund was set up by the Old Boys, and it was decided to provide a War Memorial in the School Chapel and also to set up funds for scholarships. The St Edmund’s School War Memorial Scholarship Fund was set up by Deed of Trust on March 1st 1948, with Old Boy K.V. Coutts as its Secretary and Treasurer. With the agreement of Mrs Watson, it was decided that the Herbert Watson Memorial Fund, set up in 1939 to provide squash courts for the School, but held in abeyance until after the war, should be transferred to the scholarship fund and £400 per annum for four years was available for the first scholarships, awarded in 1948 to G.I Duff and R.G. Baker. In 93

Foundation on a Hill Gaiters, starring Derek Nimmo and Robertson Hare. They also wrote Three Rousing Tinklers, which had seven episodes in 1966-67. Later in life Apps went to live in France, where he continued to appear from time to time on French television, but he became more famous there as a painter (largely of bishops), something that he continues to do at the present time.

against other schools not met during term-time. It was a great event, much looked forward to by the boys, and St Edmund’s continued to take part until the 1980s, when rising costs and other holiday events led to the school dropping out. The football XI, under Fripp’s captaincy, was unbeaten in school matches in 1954. Ian Taylor deserves more than a passing mention. It is almost impossible to compare sportsmen of different eras, but Taylor must stand amongst the greatest that St Edmund’s has produced. He gained 1st XI football colours for five years, hockey colours for four years and cricket colours for three years. He held three athletics records at both open and under 16 level (100yds, 220yds and 440yds) and played hockey for Kent Schoolboys for three years. He went up to St Edmund Hall, Oxford in October 1957 and could probably have got a ‘Blue’ in any sport he had chosen to play. As it was, he achieved this feat in hockey four times (and was Captain in his last year) and athletics twice. He played outside-right five times for England and eleven times for Great Britain, including at the Rome Olympics in 1960, and he represented British Universities in athletics in 1959. Sadly, injury forced his retirement from top class sport in 1962.

In sport, spurred on by a headmaster who possessed a great desire to win and with excellent coaches in Stephen-Jones and Taylor, the school did remarkably well considering that it was always playing against schools which were considerably larger in size. Hockey was particularly successful.

Robin (S.R.) Hawkins captained the 1st XI in 1955 which contained three future England internationals in Ian (I.D.) Taylor, Ivan (I.L.) Clark and Mike (M.G.V.) Fripp. The side won 4 and lost 1 (against St Lawrence of course!) of their 6 school matches and won all five matches at the Oxford Hockey Festival. The Public Schools Hockey Festival was started after the war by St Lawrence College, and St Edmund’s were founder members. About 30 schools took part and spent three nights at the beginning of the Easter holidays staying in various Oxford colleges, playing four or five matches

“The Stage Frights”, from the Revue ‘Spring Number’ in 1956. Robin Brearley-Garbutt, Paul Mackie, Paul Bates, Roger Royle and Robert Atkins.

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Blood, toil, tears and sweat One sport which had not featured officially at St Edmund’s up to this time was tennis. There was a grass court on the terrace, but this had always been the Headmaster’s preserve and it was only when he moved into his new house early in 1955 that tennis was officially sanctioned under Mr Taylor (NAT) and Robin Hawkins on two, not very good, grass courts. There was a need for hard courts, and in 1958 plans were set in motion to hold a Fête the following year to raise money either for tennis courts or a squash court or both. In the event it was decided to go for tennis only. The event was preceded by a Bazaar, which raised £316, and the Fête in the summer term raised a further £1636.

Once expenses were deducted, a sum of £1650 was left for tennis courts, some £300 more than the cost of the two hard courts that were built where the Junior School classroom block now stands and on what was then part of the headmaster’s garden.

1945-1959

There were other retirements and deaths during this period of people with long connections with the School. In 1947 Sidney Strand, Chief Engineer for many years, died; in 1949 former Headmaster Walter Burnside died, four months after his wife; in 1952 W.C. Dale, 26 years on the staff and first housemaster of Baker, and in 1954 two famous Old Boys, Gunby Hadath, author, and A.E.W. (‘Polly’) Marshall, over 40 years on the Old Boys’ Committee; in 1956, H.C. Bowen, 27 years on the staff, and Alice Philpot, maid to the resident staff for 36 years, all died, and Caste, who had been the school gardener for 42 years and was now 76 years old, retired. Wartime Headmaster F.S. Williams and former Music Master Pullen-Baker also died in 1956. In 1957 Hollingworth retired after 33 years on the staff and the following year Stephen-Jones gave up the housemastership of Watson after 32 years and retired the next year (but see the next chapter).

It would be quite wrong to pretend that all boys were happy at St Edmund’s during these years. In contrast to the carefree days in Cornwall during the war, the School was determined to revert, at any rate to some extent, to the tough pre-war days and although quite a lot did change there was much that did not. Perhaps an overemphasis on games meant that some of those who were not good games-players suffered as a result and there were a few who thoroughly disliked their time at the school – and have never returned – but St Edmund’s would not be alone in this respect with regard to some of its alumni.

C.J.S. Gill was the first School Captain back in Canterbury and he remained in office for four terms. The first post-war Speech Day was held on Friday, June 28th 1946 and the guest of honour was General MacMillan. There were still only two houses until the restoration of Wagner, under B.G. Kedge, in September 1947, and Warneford was not reinstated until September 1951, with N.A. Taylor as housemaster. Boaters were brought back as part of school uniform in 1948 – white, no longer the former speckled black and white. An event of note took place in the School Chapel on December 11th 1947 with the marriage of Patricia A. Thoseby, daughter of the headmaster, to Lt John S.C. Lea, RN (now retired as Vice Admiral Sir John S.C. Lea, KBE). In 1948 Old Boy Arthur Marshall bought a water colour, ‘Falmouth’, by another Old Boy, Fred Mayor (following an exhibition of his work at the Lefevre Gallery), and presented it to the school, with the promise of another, at his death, by yet another Old Boy, Charles Holmes (Director of the National Gallery, 1916-28). The Old Boys’ summer and winter gatherings soon started up again, the former highlighted, after the cricket match, by supper, the singing of school songs, the playing of ‘Retreat’ by the band, followed by the Old Boys taking over the band and attempting to play their own version of various pieces of music, and the latter consisting of a football match, supper and attendance at the school play in December.

At both of these occasions a number of Old Boys were always put up in the Sanatorium.

The Governors of the School – the members of the Committee of the Clergy Orphan Corporation – held all their meetings in London and, apart from Speech Day, they were seldom to be seen in Canterbury, at least not on official business. There were some who were Old Boys and who therefore appeared sometimes at Old Boys’ Gatherings, and three of these had boys at the School during this period. The following were Governors during part of Thoseby’s headmastership, for varying periods of time and not, of course, all at the same time (the years in brackets are their years at school): Sir Robert Dodd (189197), who died in 1950, Kenneth V. Coutts (18951902), died 1951, Calvert H.E. Smith (1894-1902), died 1967, Sir Guy Cooper (1900-09), died 1975, General Sir Gordon H.A. MacMillan (1907-14), died 1986, A. Giles S. Holland (1917-24), died 1981, Col Ray C. Jackman (1918-28), died 1995, Gontran I. Goulden (1920-29), died 1986, and John S. Dodd (1924-32), died 1981. All were Old Boys of some note.

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Foundation on a Hill Two notable honours came the way of Old Boys in 1954. General Gordon MacMillan was appointed GCVO, and E.B. David, Chief Secretary, Hong Kong, CMG. Also, G.I. Goulden was made President of the Architectural Association in 1956, and, nearer at home, in 1959 RSM O’Leary was awarded the Cadet Forces Medal.

and commanded the Corps as well! In 1958 the maintenance budget was increased from £4000 to £5000 a year and the Bursar was allowed to attend a meeting of the Finance Committee in London once a term. In the same year the Governors also agreed to hold a full meeting at the school instead of in London in an attempt to meet the criticism that they were never seen at the school except at Speech Day.

Three biennial BBC Appeals, in their series ‘The Week’s Good Cause’, were held on behalf of the Clergy Orphan Corporation from 1955, raising a total of some £3400, and the Corporation decided that it would hold a Triennial Service of Thanksgiving for its work from 1956, attended by all pupils and staff of the two schools. The first of these took place at St Martin-in-the Fields on May 25th 1956 (and the next at St James’s, Piccadilly in 1959).

All School Prizes were administered by the COC, since they held the funds which had been given for such prizes at various stages in the past – and which produced only small amounts in monetary terms.

A sub-committee considered these in 1957 and it is interesting to note that what was probably the oldest prize is still in existence. The Shepherd Awards are now given to the House Captains and they were originally presented as Shepherd’s Rewards for Monitors in 1842. The name change took place in 1949.

Two small properties, just above the City of Canterbury, were owned by the COC at this time.

Numbers 1 and 2 Elm Terrace were occupied by the Sergeant Major and Caste, the gardener. Both cottages were in poor condition and, following Caste’s retirement, it was decided that either both cottages should be sold or one sold and the money raised should be used to repair the other. Eventually in 1958 the latter course was adopted. The RSM bought No. 2 for his son for £600 and a sum of £868, to which the Council agreed to pay £368, was accepted for the conversion of No.1. In and around the school small developments had taken place earlier. In Chapel the altar had been lengthened in 1951, built by Fred Latter to his own design. At the same time Old Boy E.W. Jesson presented a Sarum altar frontal and new candlesticks were given by the Forder family. New bicycle stands were put up and well over half the school now had bicycles at school. In 1953 the Junior School playground was resurfaced and fenced at a cost of £707, and in 1958-59 the whole school was rewired for the first time since the introduction of electricity in 1924 for £1495.

A metal-work class was introduced in 1952 and the following year Greek was reintroduced for a few boys – and the headmaster took on a parttime shorthand-typist (who actually worked in his study, not a very satisfactory arrangement). Quite a number of the events and changes that have been mentioned in this chapter may appear to be insignificant, but they all form part of the reestablishment of a school that had almost ceased to exist in 1945 and which in 1959 had become larger in every way than it had ever been in its history. And then, on July 4th disaster struck and Thoseby took his own life. What had happened, and how should he be remembered?

When he had been appointed in 1945, William Thoseby’s main task had been to rebuild St Edmund’s and to restore it to the status that it had held during the inter-war years. The reader will surely conclude that he had indeed achieved this objective by the time of his death. Why is it therefore that he has not been held in greater regard and has not gone down in history as a great headmaster? What kind of a man was he? He was strong and a disciplinarian, and there is no doubt that this was exactly what St Edmund’s needed at the time. During the wartime years in Cornwall the school had become in many ways little more than a part of The King’s School, largely because of the dominant personality of the Headmaster of King’s, Canon Shirley. In some ways the wartime schools must have resembled a country club, and certainly in the later years discipline was

The school still had no full-time Bursar. Kedge had performed the necessary work when the school returned from Cornwall, but asked to be relieved of this when he took over Wagner House in 1947, and Molony took on the job when he arrived that same year. Thoseby requested a full-time bursar as early as 1951, but this matter was deferred and was not resolved for many years. Molony did eventually take the position full-time in 1963, but for the majority of his time, until he retired in 1970, he was not only Bursar but also taught Mathematics 96

Blood, toil, tears and sweat almost non-existent, so a tough Headmaster was exactly what was needed when the school returned to Canterbury. A former colleague of Thoseby at Blundell’s once referred to him as ‘a bully’, and it is probably true to say that he was not a popular Headmaster with either staff or boys. From a personal point of view I do not think that I either liked or disliked him. During the six years that I served under him, I was, for most of that time, involved primarily with the Junior School, so that my contact with him was minimal, but I do still retain a handwritten letter from him in which he thanked me for some of the things which I was doing in the school (a reminder of the importance of a written note of thanks to members of staff who sometimes perform duties which are not necessarily recognised). To the boys he was often known as ‘The Blood’. One of his school captains remembers that, as a young boy, he feared him and that, as school captain, he respected him. An Old Boy, writing at the end of the 20th century, says: “The school’s support, beginning with Mr Thoseby’s acceptance of me at the school, is remembered fondly by my family. My Mother recalls her interview with me, a nervous 7-year-old, with Mr Thoseby, who treated us with great kindness and

1945-1959

understanding.” Thoseby certainly had this kind side to him, which not everybody saw, and in order to try to understand him better it will be worth spending some time looking at some of the facts of his headmastership, not all perhaps previously known to those who knew him.

A good deal of information provided in this and other chapters has come from the minutes of the committee meetings of the Clergy Orphan Corporation, and almost certainly in former times the Headmaster never saw these minutes. He, and the Headmistress of St Margaret’s, would attend certain meetings, but would only be present for those items which directly affected their school (and often not even for those), and even when minutes were sent to the Headmaster, at least as late as the last quarter of the 20th century, they would arrive at school with large portions cut out! It is extremely doubtful therefore whether the Headmaster actually knew what deliberations were going on behind the scenes with regard to the future of the school. In the early years after the return from Cornwall everything was of course geared towards building up the school. It will have been noted throughout this book that money was an ever-present problem,

Kedge and Thoseby in the Chemistry Lab. Jeremy Perkins on Kedge’s right.

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Foundation on a Hill

Big School, with Gallery. As the School increased in numbers after the war, Big School was not large enough to accommodate the whole school, so a gallery and raised seating at the back were installed in 1955.

The School Orchestra, conducted by Donald Leggat. Ernest Kahn, Chris Peto on the left, Woolfenden next to Kahn, StephenJones, Lyn and Clement Molony and Hollingworth towards the rear (c. 1948).

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Blood, toil, tears and sweat and the early 1950s presented particular difficulties. In February 1950 the COC’s auditors stated: “The Corporation should consider whether they are justified in continuing to run St Edmund’s at a loss. Much depends on the question of repairs.”

The following month they again expressed their concern. That summer Thoseby had clearly asked the COC about his own tenure of office and had been told that there was ‘no prospect of immediate closure’, hardly the most encouraging remark. In January 1951 the COC came to a decision ‘to continue with the two schools’, but in October the auditors were at it again. There was further discussion on the future of St Edmund’s, and the auditors recommended closure – a move opposed

by Canon Bickersteth and by Old Boy Governors Jackman, Goulden, Dodd and Holland, but clearly not by some others. It was stated that £40,000 of the total capital of £346,000 of the Corporation was invested in the schools’ buildings, but that there was no income from St Edmund’s, which continued to show an annual loss, whereas St Margaret’s showed a profit. It was agreed that the proposal to close St Edmund’s should be reviewed again in a year’s time, in October 1952. When this review took place, it was agreed, after much discussion, that St Edmund’s should be reprieved, although St Margaret’s continued to subsidise the school at Canterbury.

1945-1959

on to him, at what must have been a very difficult time. He was nevertheless taken ill again at the beginning of 1955 and in the summer of that year a crisis occurred at the school which must have caused him further concern. David Mead-Briggs had been the School Chaplain since 1946. He was a popular and sympathetic chaplain with both boys and staff. Gifted with a fine speaking and singing voice, he was also a good games player and coached both soccer and cricket and was an active participator in clubs and societies. His wife was a Roman Catholic and in the summer of 1955 MeadBriggs suddenly announced that he himself was going to transfer his allegiance to Rome. The shocked horror of the governors can only too easily be imagined, and the Mead-Briggs left Canterbury with undue haste. A strange situation existed at this time – and indeed until near the end of the 20th century – that the position of Chaplain was a Governors’, rather than a Headmaster ’s, appointment, but the situation must have been an added and not inconsiderable worry to Thoseby.

For the record, the Revd H.W. Last came in September for one term as Chaplain, to be followed in January 1956 by the Revd J.M. Courtenay, an Old Boy of the school (1920-27), who had been a prisoner at Colditz during the war. Mead-Briggs left to teach in Ramsgate, but much later in his life he was accepted into the priesthood in the Roman Catholic Church, thereby becoming the first married Roman Catholic priest in this country.

It is not known how much of this Thoseby was aware of, but he had other problems of his own. There had been some controversy, both with the Governors and with Lendrum, the master-incharge, about the future of the Junior School, and the upshot was that Lendrum left in 1949 to set up his own prep school. Although Cox and Woolfenden nominally shared control of the Junior School for the ensuing year, the Governors noted ‘the extra burden on the headmaster regarding the Junior School’. His absence from the big London service in 1949, because of illness, has already been noted. At the same time, in 1950, Mrs Thoseby was taken ill and it transpired that she was suffering from cancer. After long suffering and a major operation, she died on June 26th 1952.

At the beginning of the summer holidays in 1953 Thoseby married again. The new Mrs Thoseby was Joan Dodd, the daughter and sister of Old Boys and Governors of the School, Sir Robert Dodd and John Dodd. In the midst of all this, in January 1953 it was reported at a COC meeting that it was the educational authorities’ view that ‘Thoseby had performed miracles at St Edmund’s and was very highly regarded’. Hopefully this praise was passed

Bonfires were built to celebrate Founders’ Day on 9th November each year. They were discontinued after 1960.

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Foundation on a Hill Thoseby now had an alcohol problem too. Whether this was brought about by a combination of the aforementioned events, as is likely, it is impossible to know, but it certainly did not help his relationship with boys and staff. In retrospect, and half a century on, perhaps his staff should have been more sympathetic towards him, but it is always easier to look at such things in hindsight, and with more relevant information available. Another problem had arisen with the appointment of a new Sister in the Sanatorium in 1955. Sister Isobel Baker was, arguably, one of the best Sanatorium sisters the school has had. She brought with her Colonel Baker, ex-Indian Army, her husband, and he too threw himself enthusiastically into the life of the school, becoming a sort of unofficial assistant bursar and helping greatly around the school, as well as coaching cricket in the Junior School. He was however an outspoken man, and, probably sensing some disquiet amongst the staff, he was not afraid to voice criticism of the Headmaster, which must have added to Thoseby’s worries.

In the second half of 1958 Thoseby was again unwell for some months and the Governors offered him a sabbatical term in January, with the chairman being requested to urge him to take it. Thoseby did so and went to Mallorca for the term, whilst Stephen-Jones acted as Headmaster for the Lent Term. There was a bad ‘flu epidemic that term, and in February a fee increase was announced for

Speech Day, 1947. Display of Gymnastics, with R.S.M. O’Leary.

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May, despite protests from Thoseby before he left for Mallorca. He returned at the beginning of the Summer Term and he seemed better in health, but obviously this was only on the surface. The Chairman of the Governors had already called an extraordinary meeting of the committee on July 6th to tell the committee of an interview he had had with Thoseby previously. This was discussed, although no details were given in the minutes, but it appears that Thoseby had dismissed Col Baker, which decision was endorsed by the committee.

Baker had been running the School Shop (tuck shop) and it appears that he had failed to produce the shop accounts for audit since 1956 and that a sum of money was owing. Whilst the July 6th meeting was in progress, the school doctor arrived from Canterbury with the Coroner’s verdict on Thoseby’s death – “Suicide whilst the balance of his mind was disturbed”. Thoseby was 58 at the time of his death – sadly only two years away from what would have been a very well earned retirement.

Fulsome tributes were paid to Thoseby in the St Edmund’s School Chronicle and by the Revd Canon J. Bickersteth, Chairman of the Governors, at the Memorial Service held in the Chapel of Our Lady Undercroft, Canterbury Cathedral on July 14th 1959. He had been appointed in 1945 in the hope that the restoration of St Edmund’s might be the main work of his life, and that should be how he is remembered.

Chapter 7

Out with the old; in with the new 1959-1964

F

ollowing the sudden and tragic death of Thoseby so close to the end of the school year, the Governors were faced with a problem regarding his successor, at any rate in the short term. Stephen-Jones was due to retire in the summer after 36 years’ devoted service to St Edmund’s, but he seemed the obvious choice to hold the fort once more and so he was asked whether he would agree to act as Headmaster for the remainder of the Summer Term and also for the Michaelmas Term. He agreed to take over for the remainder of the current term, but asked for time to consider the situation for the following term on the grounds of his own health. After due consideration, he agreed to be Headmaster for one more term on condition that he could live at Littlebourne, at the home that he was sharing with his sister, Gwladys, also recently retired after a lifetime of teaching, in her case at The Abbey School in Malvern, and the Governors sent him a letter confirming his appointment as Headmaster for one term. The wording was important, for although some references have been made to his being acting headmaster, it should be made clear that this was his position for the remainder of the summer term, but that it was at his insistence that he should be formally recognised as being Headmaster for the following term.

There could have been no more deserving appointment. Walter Stephen- Jones was a remarkable schoolmaster. Born in 1899, he was educated at Trent College and Oriel College, Oxford. In between he served in The Sherwood Foresters in the Great War, in which he was both badly wounded and gassed. After coming down from Oxford, he taught for a term at St Edward’s School, Oxford before joining the staff at St Edmund’s in January 1923. He played soccer a number of times for Oxford, without getting his ‘Blue’, and continued to play both soccer and cricket between the wars at Canterbury. He was an excellent coach at both cricket and hockey and an

outstanding one at soccer, and his expertise in the world of Natural History was recognised not only at the school, but also more widely in the Canterbury area (and in Cornwall).

He was to a large extent responsible for seeing St Edmund’s through the war years and Walter Stephen-Jones, 19231959. Headmaster 1959. ‘Steve’, came to the rescue or ‘The Buffer,’ saw the School again in 1959. through two periods of crisis Those wishing to during his time there. know more about ‘Steve’, or ‘The Buffer’, should read the tributes to him in the Chronicle following both his retirement and his death.

The Michaelmas Term 1959 was not an easy one, but Stephen-Jones was able to do much to prepare the ground for his successor and to ensure that he handed over a stable and united school the following term. There were 72 applicants for the post of Headmaster, references were taken up for 17 and a final short list of three was interviewed in October. The position was offered to, and accepted by, B.M.S. Hoban, a housemaster at Shrewsbury (the two other short-listed candidates were the Director of Studies at RAF Cranwell and a housemaster at Malvern).

One further sad result of the tragedy of the summer was the departure at Christmas of Sister Baker.

Although her husband had been dismissed and was not allowed to reside in the Sanatorium, Sister Baker had been told that she could continue, and it was a surprise, therefore, when she was told that she would be required to resign at the end of the Michaelmas Term: not only a surprise, but it 101

Foundation on a Hill

General Sir Gordon MacMillan, Michael Hoban and the OC, Major Clement Molony, Annual Inspection, 1960.

produced the nearest thing to a staff revolt that the school has known. She was a most efficient sister and was also extremely popular, both with staff and pupils. The staff’s entreaty to the Governors to allow her to stay on was, however, to no avail.

A sub-committee was set up to consider a memorial to Thoseby and it was decided to place a plaque in the school chapel and to call for gifts for the Scholarship Fund, which had been a particular concern of Thoseby’s, with the first scholarship the following year to be known as the ‘William Thoseby Scholarship’.

Michael Hoban was born in 1921 and was educated at Charterhouse and University College, Oxford. He served in the Second World War in the Westminster Dragoons and was Mentioned in Despatches. After graduating he taught at Uppingham from 1949-52 and at Shrewsbury from 1952-59. He was married to Jasmine (née Holmes) and they had a son and a daughter (another daughter had died before they came to Canterbury). He accepted the post at St Edmund’s with a salary of £1600 per annum, plus house, fuel etc and personal and car allowances, and from the beginning it was clear that he saw the need for change. The Editorial in the July 1960 edition of The Chronicle says:

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The School is changing; this year has seen a more modern, a more liberal outlook gradually easing its way into school affairs.

Tradition is bending to necessity, and the past is being tempered by the present, which in turn is becoming the tradition for the future.

Hoban put forward his proposals to the Governors at the beginning of the summer term, in which he envisaged a Senior School of 240, including 30 day-boys, and a Junior School reduced in size from 85 to 60, including 20 day-boys, the building of an eight-room block of classrooms, together with a music school, and the expansion of the form structure up to ‘O’ level from two streams to three.

The reduction in size of the Junior School was the one decision which, in later years, appeared to be a mistake, but at the time there did seem to be a good reason for it. Entries from outside preparatory schools were strong in number, if not always in quality, at this time and it was important to increase the size of the Senior School in order to allow more streaming in the fifth forms and better and more organised teaching in the sixth form, with restricted combinations of subjects. The latter took place in September 1961, together with the introduction of three streams in the Middle Fifth, to be carried into the Upper Fifth the following year. In September 1960 a new form, Remove Sixth, was introduced

Out with the old; in with the new 1959-1964 for those who had failed to achieve sufficient ‘O’ levels to gain entry into the Sixth Form, some of whom would in previous years have had to repeat their Upper Fifth year. 1961 was indeed the year that saw the main changes in the Senior School, with the building and opening of the Classroom Block, a block of eight classrooms, with a Music School at the end, sited in the area near which the air raid shelters had been built at the beginning of the 1939-45 war. Towards the end of 1960 these underground shelters were discovered during the building of the foundations of the block and a claim was made to the War Office on the grounds that the Army were supposed to have filled in these shelters before they left the school in 1945. The War Office agreed to pay the Corporation £500!

Carol Powers, who had died in December 1959, left a legacy to the school of £3750 and it was agreed that the Music School should be paid for with this money. The cost of the Classroom Block was £21,400. At the same time one of the old Science labs was turned into a changing room and the Lecture Room into a Biology lab, each project costing around £2000, and a further loan was taken out with the Ecclesiastical Insurance Office.

The new classrooms allowed for a complete reorganisation of house premises and for the first time each house was able to have something approaching its own house area as far as daytime living was concerned. Warneford and Wagner took over the ground floor of the original main building between Big School and the Library, with Warneford at the Big School end, and what had previously been the Warneford houseroom became the Headmaster’s Study (its present position). Watson was situated on the first floor and probably came off best as it had the whole floor from Big School to the Chapel. The old studies were demolished and, although originally intended as a dormitory, became the Watson houseroom. Baker took over the old Watson/Wagner houserooms (Lower Fifth classrooms) at the clocktower end of the school, together with the practice rooms and a common room under the colonnade. The music room on the first floor was turned into three masters’ studies, although this too later became part of Baker.

Other changes took place in 1961. 1960 saw the last of the traditional Founders’ Days on November 9th. The old Fox-Chase had not been revived after the war, but the fireworks and bonfire had carried on. Hoban was horrified at what he saw in 1960.

Fireworks put into boys’ pockets and rockets being fired horizontally in the annual battle between

monitors and the rest of the school was not what he considered to be proper public school practice, and although the name Founders’ Day continued to appear in the Calendar until 1963 the only bonfire/fireworks activity was in the Junior School on November 5th, where it was strictly controlled.

In its place the celebration of St Edmund’s Day on November 16th was gradually brought in, a move brought about by Hoban in collaboration with Christopher Gill, who had taken over from Jack Courtenay as Chaplain in September 1960. Both of course were Old Boys, and Courtenay’s time as Chaplain had been much enjoyed by all, but he felt the need to return to parish life. He and his wife, Alethea, had both contributed much to the life of the school and one not to be forgotten event was their acceptance of a young refugee from Hungary at the time of the uprising against the communists in 1956. Balazs Batyka was a member of the school from 1957-63 and, although not heard of for many years, will be remembered by his contemporaries. He had fought in the uprising at the age of 12. On the subject of fireworks, but not connected, it might be noted that an Old Boy, E. Pakenham-Walsh (1924-30), was killed by a firework in 1960 whilst working for Shell in East Africa.

‘Lines’ had been a feature of life at St Edmund’s since time immemorial. The whole school would line up on the asphalt (in both Senior and Junior Schools) before proceeding into meals and into chapel, and also at other times for roll calls to be taken. All this was soon to cease. Evening worship was altered so that less time was spent in chapel and house prayers were held on three evenings a week. The following year, in September 1962, Sunday chapel arrangements were altered too. The pattern of services had always been for a voluntary Holy Communion at 8.00am, Matins at 10.00am (with Choral Eucharist once a month) and Evensong at 6.30pm. Now there was to be a choice between attendance at Holy Communion at 8.15am and Matins at 10.00am, with the main service becoming Evensong at 6.30pm. The increased numbers in the School led to a greater number of boys being confirmed, and in 1962 a record number of 47 candidates were confirmed by the Bishop of Dover.

Further changes took place in 1963. The Dining Hall was extended with the filling-in of the small open courtyard, which, for no apparent reason, had been there since it was built – at a cost of £5184 – and this did away with the need for two 103

Foundation on a Hill sittings for lunch, and three cottages were built in Giles Lane for the Engineer, Gardener and Groundsman. The house where Wanstall and his wife had lived (and his predecessors too), situated roughly where the wooden prefabricated former Sanatorium had been, had a major damp problem and could almost have been considered uninhabitable. It was only in September 1963 that the reduction in Junior School numbers to 60 was finally achieved, and this resulted in a number of changes. Big East and Little East dormitories, over the Headmaster’s entrance, went from Junior to Senior School (and double bunks were gradually introduced into West Dormitory), and former Junior School classrooms became offices for the Bursar (now full-time), the Headmaster’s Secretary (who had previously had to share the Headmaster’s Study) and a new part-time secretary.

The annual Old Boys’ Gatherings underwent changes also. For some years Speech Day and Old Boys’ Day had taken place on a Friday and Saturday respectively in late June or early July. From 1961 the events were separated, with both now taking place on a Saturday in mid-term. The Winter Gathering was abolished altogether; increasing numbers and public examinations made it impractical to have 15-20 Old Boys staying in the Sanatorium and having a formal meal with the school on the Saturday of the school play. Some Old Boys were not pleased by this change and were probably the only people who did not approve of the Hoban reforms. Old Boys in the news at the time included H.F.D. Sparks (1918-27), who became a Fellow of the British Academy in 1959, G.A.C. Sawtell (1928-34), who became the first Headmaster of The Derby School, Bury in the same year, a post he held for 19 years, and C.F. Musgrave (1948-58), who in 1961 came 10th out of nearly 2000 candidates in the Intermediate Chartered Accountants’ Examination. General Sir Gordon MacMillan was again the Guest of Honour at Speech Day in 1962, and J.F.W. Schofield (189196) died in 1962. Schofield had been a great benefactor to the school in his lifetime, responsible amongst other things for the Junior School cricket pavilion and for the extension to the gallery in Chapel. He had been a banker in West Africa for much of his life and when he died he bequeathed his estate to the Clergy Orphan Corporation and its two schools, each receiving £1575. Whilst still at school, Ralph (R.J.) Carter (1953-62) founded in 1961 The Rogues, initially a cricket and hockey club for boys and Old Boys and which still exists to-day, although only for golf and associated 104

activities at the 19th hole (and with non-St Edmund’s members too).

The Dramatic Society continued to flourish, both with straight plays and with its home-produced revues, and two very successful tours were made.

At the end of the summer term, 1961 the BlakePeto revue Away from it All was performed three times at Tankerton, once at Littlebourne and three times at Deal. A total of 1178 people saw the performances and a profit of £100 was made. The following April another revue, Going Places, with the music written this time by a parent, Colonel Burton, instead of Chris Peto, was performed at the Marlowe Theatre in Canterbury (the old Marlowe in St Margaret’s Street). The theatre was taken for a week, 1611 tickets were sold and an overall profit of £16 was made – a remarkable feat, since very few companies succeeded in making any profit at all at the Marlowe in those days. Largely as a result of the 1961 tour the school was able to improve access to the stage in Big School with the construction of a doorway opposite the gym, so that actors no longer had to climb up a ladder and through a window! Hoban was particularly pleased at the progress with clubs and societies. Not only was the number of societies increased, but also their membership, to include many who had never before been involved in such activities. He was not averse, however, to making his feelings known when he was not pleased with anything. In his first year he publicly deplored bad elements in the school regarding school regulations and lying, and in 1961 he commented on ‘a poor school concert’ at the end of the Lent Term. 1960 saw the appearance of advertisements in The Chronicle for the first time. Greek and sixth form German both disappeared from the time-table in that year.

In sport, 1961 saw Robin Jackman’s first year in the 1st XI, at the age of 15. He took 38 wickets at an average of 17.6. The following year he headed both batting (515 runs, average 51.5) and bowling (32 wickets, average 19.31) averages, after which he left school to pursue his cricketing ambitions with Surrey. Athletics was going through a golden era under H.A. Nickols, with many records being broken, and Tennis was finally getting under way, with Jock Asbury-Bailey starting his 26 years in charge in 1960. Unofficial school matches were taking place from 1963, and the previous year a team entered for the Youll Cup and Thomas Bowl, in the Public School Championships, for the first time. Old Boys’ hockey was also flourishing. A

Out with the old; in with the new 1959-1964 team took part in the Easter Folkestone Hockey Festival for the first time in 1961, and was unbeaten in that and the following year. Rugby Football was introduced in the Junior School in the Lent Term 1962, but not much was played the following year when a severe winter led to school hockey teams playing both on Herne Bay pier and on the beach at Dungeness!

Hoban decided soon after he arrived to encourage the entry of boys from abroad direct into the sixth form and by the beginning of the academic year 1963-64 the overall numbers had reached those envisaged when he came. The Senior School totalled 247, including 25 day-boys and 42 Foundationers, and the Junior School was down to 59, with 19 day-boys and 13 Foundationers.

The reduction in Junior School numbers meant that it was no longer sensible to have four houses, and so the names of Ferrets, Hawks, Tigers and Wasps passed into history, to be replaced by Powers and Chamberlain, the names of two early masters-incharge. The overall numbers in the Senior School were encouraging and in 1962 the Junior School entrants into Senior School were required to take the Common Entrance examination for the first time. Previously entry had been automatic and any exams taken were purely for setting purposes. Entry for Foundationers was automatic in spite of Common Entrance, although over the years one or two were rejected on the grounds that they would not have been able to benefit from the education offered. Scholarship entries were, however, disappointing, particularly for the new scholarship for the sons of the living clergy, which Thoseby had been so keen to get started. No offers were made

in 1960 or 1961, one was made in 1962, but the candidate accepted a better offer to go elsewhere, and it was only in 1963 that Julian Roundhill (195464) was given an £80 award for his final year. This was a sad result for the efforts that Mrs Thoseby had put into raising money for the scholarships following her husband’s death. There were other scholarships however. The Leverhulme Scholarships have already been mentioned in the last chapter and Robert (G.R.F.) Dunn, already a pupil in the school, was awarded one of these in 1961. The R.A.F. Chaplains’ Department offered two bursaries of £300 per annum for 5 years to clergy orphans in 1960 and the first of these was awarded to Andrew (A.J.) Renshaw, again a pupil already in the school.

On the academic staff a number of changes took place in addition to the arrival of Christopher Gill as Chaplain in September 1960. John (J.E.) Trevis arrived in January 1961, followed by Martin (M.D.) Clifford and Chris (C.D.) Shipley in September of that year, and in September 1963 Robin (S.R.) Hawkins, an Old Boy and former School Captain, and Martin (M.G.) Rupp joined Senior and Junior School respectively. A change at this time was that, apart from in Science, Art and Music the Senior and Junior School staff were now completely separate. In September 1960 back trouble forced Geoffrey Pass to give up Baker House and he was succeeded by Chris Peto, who had been in charge of the Library for four years. In July 1961 Giles Kedge retired as Second Master, to be succeeded

by N.A. Taylor, although Kedge remained on the teaching staff until 1964. There were some sad deaths during these years. Stephen-Jones was not

The New Form rooms and Music Block, 1961.

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Foundation on a Hill to enjoy the long years of retirement that he had so richly deserved. In the summer of 1961 he suffered a slight stroke, to be followed shortly by another more serious one, from which he did not recover. J.A.D. Reade and Dr E. Kahn both died in 1963, as did Joan Thoseby, like the first Mrs Thoseby, a victim of cancer.

From the summer of 1959 the Corporation required the Bursar to present a budget for the coming school year. For 1959-60 expenses were estimated at £67,445 and fees at £70,600. Actual expenses were only £129 higher than the estimate. For 196061 expenses were budgeted at £73,428, with the teaching staff accounting for £24,000 and other salaries and wages for £10,000. For 1963-64 budgeted expenses were increased to £111,679 and the Senior School fees were raised to £420 for boarders and £225 for day-boys. The Headmaster’s salary went up to £2200, with annual increments of £100 until it reached £2500. Further BBC Appeals in 1962 and 1964 raised £785 and £1051 for the Corporation. In The Close, Colin Parker had asked in 1961 for an extension to No.2, which the Corporation turned down, but they allowed him to add one ground-floor room at his own expense, and the following year Herbert Nickols was allowed to put up a garage at No.4.

Although the University of Kent was not to open until 1965 major strides were already being taken with regard to planning and building, and one of the more important developments from the School’s point of view was the transfer of land to the University for the University Road and Hoban’s

‘deal’ whereby the School was allowed to create a new access road off the University Road, now ‘Foundationers’ Way’.

At the end of 1962 The Venerable G.D. Leonard, later to become Bishop of London, became Treasurer of the Corporation and Chairman of the Governors, and the following summer bad news was to come to the attention of the Governors.

Michael Hoban was approached by the Governors of Bradfield College to apply for the vacant post of Head Master there. It was probably inevitable that he was going to move on from St Edmund’s.

He was only 38 when he arrived, he was clearly ambitious, and word had no doubt spread of the success that he was having at Canterbury. Four years and one term did however seem a very short time to spend in one’s first job as headmaster and there was both disappointment and sorrow amongst all those at the school when his appointment to Bradfield was announced. He was to spend seven years there before moving on to become Head Master of Harrow for a further ten years, but it is probable that the Hobans regarded their happiest days in a head-magisterial role to have been those which they spent at St Edmund’s.

The subsequent search for a new Headmaster produced a short list of three – the Headmaster of Foster’s School, Sherborne, a Housemaster from Cheltenham, and a Housemaster from Westminster, Francis R. Rawes, who was appointed to take over from Hoban at the beginning of the Summer Term in 1964.

Number 15 Study prior to being demolished in the early 1960s.

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Chapter 8

A Time to Appeal 1964-1978

I

n the autumn of 1963, less than four years after taking over at St Edmund’s, Michael Hoban announced to a stunned Common Room that he had been offered and had accepted the headmastership of Bradfield College from the beginning of the summer term in 1964. He had done much to raise the morale of the school, as can be seen from the previous chapter, and there was a profound feeling of regret amongst both staff and pupils that he was to leave so soon.

In November it was announced that Hoban’s successor was to be Francis Rawes. Rawes had been educated at Charterhouse and he was awarded a leaving Havelock Exhibition from there to read Modern Languages at St Edmund Hall, Oxford. In September 1938 he had taken a post at Westminster School, as an assistant Modern Languages master, and he remained there, apart from the war years (1940-46) until his appointment at St Edmund’s. He became Housemaster of a dayboy House, Ashburnham, in 1948 and of a boarding House, Busby’s, in 1953. He had been called up in March 1940, was married that July to

Francis Rawes, Headmaster 1964-1978 (1978).

Two Appeals and major building projects took place during his headmastership.

Joyce Hundley, a fellow French and German student whom he met at Oxford, was commissioned in the Intelligence Corps in March 1941 and served in North Africa and Italy, including Alamein and Cassino, from 1942-45. He reached the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel, was twice ‘Mentioned in Despatches’ and was awarded the M.B.E. in June 1945.

It was not an easy time to take over. Rawes was the fourth Headmaster in five years and this lack of continuity had affected parental confidence in the School. In spite of what Hoban had achieved the School was still rather old-fashioned in many of its attitudes, and certainly in many of its facilities.

St Edmund’s was still comparatively unknown, even locally, and had few links with Prep Schools.

Furthermore the academic record of the school was unexciting and the financial situation was not exactly healthy. In addition to all this the general background to these years presented further challenges, including the highly competitive geographical environment of East Kent for an independent school, while the decline in numbers available to schools following the post-war bulge, together with the anti-independent school attitude of a Socialist government and the advent of the Public Schools Commission, as well as the sudden and hectic change in moral attitudes nationally and the erosion of authority, increased the sense of insecurity threatening established private schools.

Rawes saw his major task as being to put St Edmund’s on the map as a good small school, and to do this meant building the facilities a school needs if it is to attract parents and pupils. He moved at once to involve staff directly in his aims by giving housemasters much more responsibility, by making use of them in all building plans, and by encouraging them to experiment in teaching methods and to help the boys to a greater sense of purpose and achievement. He was concerned, after he retired, that the main impression to emerge from his 14 years should be that he was driven by some frenetic urge to build! It is true of course that there were two major building operations in that 107

Foundation on a Hill time, but his prime concern was not with bricks and mortar, but with boys and staff - the School and we shall see how well he carried out that philosophy and purpose.

The new Headmaster took over at the beginning of the Summer Term in 1964 and two departures from the school that summer marked the end of an era. Giles Kedge retired after 40 years on the staff. Educated at The Crypt School, Gloucester and Selwyn College, Cambridge he joined the staff in 1924 to teach Science. He was a fine soccer player and cricketer, he was Commanding Officer of the Corps from 1927-1933, Housemaster of Wagner from 1932-1952, Bursar from 19431947, and later became Senior Science Master (his subject was Chemistry) and Senior Master. He was married to Daphne Loder, the younger sister of David Loder, an Old Boy who lost his life in the Second World War. Following the retirements in the previous decade of Stephen-Jones and Hollingworth (the three of them served St Edmund’s for a total of 109 years) this did indeed mark a major break with the past. Only N.A. Taylor now remained from the pre-war staff. The other departure, although he did stay on for a further year with the Junior School, was that of the groundsman, Trotter. He also had been at the school since the twenties (he started in 1922) and was a highly skilled groundsman, who in the prewar years had also run Blean football and cricket teams with considerable success – and persuaded a number of masters to play for them. He was 75 when he retired and he died in 1971.

November 1964 saw the introduction of the first of the many changes made by Rawes – half-term holidays of four days’ duration in the Summer and Michaelmas terms, to replace the old whole holiday system. ‘At Homes’ were introduced – meetings of staff and parents at each year Trotter, the groundsman 1922-1965. A familiar figure to be seen late into the evening in summer, mowing the cricket pitches.

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level once during the academic year to discuss a pupil’s progress or comment on the lack of it.

Seniors were allowed to wear casual clothes at week-ends in 1969 and later sixth-formers were allowed to wear smart casuals when out on leave and the rest of the senior school to wear them in school at the week-ends. Inevitably this led to problems as to what was meant by ‘smart’ and of course in the following years there were many meetings on ‘clothes’. Life was much easier when there had been just ‘school uniform’!

Further changes in the Dining Hall and improvements to the kitchens took place. The ‘annexe’ was now used by the Junior School and in 1968 cafeteria feeding was introduced and formal meals, with grace said at the beginning and end, became a thing of the past. Partitions were put up in Big Dormitory (once reputed to be the largest dormitory in the country, accommodating about 70 boys – and of course with wash basins down the middle in the old days, with water put in them the previous night: reputed to be covered with ice on a winter’s morning). In 1969 the dormitory was split into two, Big and East dormitories.

These, and other changes, all improved the image of the school, but larger and more fundamental changes were on the way. In his first year Rawes was asked by the Governors what he felt were the main areas needing improvement: he commented on the bareness of the classrooms, the need for a proper art studio, a bigger library, and in particular the need for better living accommodation for seniors. A working party was set up and reported the main shortcomings as being overlarge dormitories, a shortage of library/private study space, the swimming pool area (a small indoor pool, which had sometimes in pre-war years been heated but was now always cold and into which all boys had to go following the rising bell in the morning, supervised by the Sergeant-Major, and around the outside of which were the only baths to be found in the school) and inadequate science accommodation. Major building projects were the only answer to these problems and it was decided to tackle the problems in two stages, the first being to put up a new building and build a new swimming pool, and stage two, at a later date, to build a new Assembly Hall, converting the old hall (Big School) to provide a new house area, provide car parking and an access road, extend the science building, build a new Junior School Pavilion, install a Modern Languages Laboratory and heat the swimming pool. Clearly the Clergy Orphan Corporation did

A Time to Appeal 1964-1978 not have the money to finance these developments in full and the only answer was to launch an Appeal (and later a second one to cover Stage 2 of the original plans).

The old swimming pool area being demolished prior to the building of the New Wing, 1967-68.

So it was that in 1967 an Appeal Committee was set up under the chairmanship of Colonel Dick Thrush (a parent and later to be a School Governor for many years). Stephen Coleman, also a parent, was treasurer until 1972, when yet another parent and future Governor, John Manley, took over and two Old Boys, Bill Young and Michael Anderson were members in addition to the Headmaster, the Secretary of the Corporation and two Governors, all working under the guidance of professional fund-raisers Hooker Craigmyle. The total cost of Stage 1 was £105,000, of which the Corporation guaranteed to provide £55,000 by way of a longterm loan using legacies and gifts, leaving the remainder to be raised from the appeal. This target was finally reached at the end of July 1969. The building, the New Wing (and it is still known as that), was completed and opened by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Michael Ramsey, on St Edmund’s Day, November 16th, 1968. Demolition of the old swimming pool area, under which an old disused water tank was discovered, started in the summer of 1967 and the school year 196768 was not the easiest in the school’s history, with temporary washing and toilet accommodation set up in the area outside the gymnasium. The Upper Sixth of that year could well have felt hard done by, in that they were not going to benefit from that difficult year, but their successors in 1968 must have felt that it was a virtually new school to which they returned in September. On the ground floor of the new building was a library several times the size of the old one and providing much-needed space for private study. On the ground floor and on each of the two floors above was washing, bathing and lavatory accommodation. The ground floor also had a new changing room and drying room and a smaller changing room for visiting teams, as well as some studies and a Common Room, whilst on the two upper floors there was study bedroom accommodation for 24 boys. With further reorganisation in the rest of the school this meant that 45 boys were in study bedrooms in the new school year.

The establishment of the New Wing quickly proved its worth. The idea of study bedrooms in particular was very modern and progressive at the time. The new Swimming Pool took a little longer to complete, but this was finally opened in May 1970 and the first stage of the Appeal was complete.

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Foundation on a Hill The Junior School was not forgotten in all this and in 1971 a new Classroom Block, on the site of the hard tennis courts, built 10 years earlier, was completed. In the same year, at the request of the governors, the Headmaster produced a paper on coeducation. Some discussions had taken place on this and it was generally agreed that, if a policy on coeducation was adopted, it should apply throughout the school and not just in the sixth form as was the case in most schools going down that route. Rawes was not greatly in favour of this idea, feeling that many independent schools were taking girls in effect to boost numbers rather than to meet educational needs. However, it happened that at the same time the future of the Cathedral Choir School came under consideration. In the late sixties and early seventies the school had run into difficulties, facing criticism over its educational provision, both academically and recreationally, in its congested accommodation in the Cathedral precincts. The Dean and Chapter, having considered the three options placed before them in a report prepared by an independent educational trust, whose advice they had sought, asked the Headmaster whether St Edmund’s Junior School would undertake to be responsible for the education and sporting activities of the choristers, slimmed down to thirty in number, who would

continue to board in the Precincts, where the musical training of the choristers would remain. A St Edmund’s member of staff would be the resident Housemaster (Chris and Valida Peto moved from Baker to give the Choir House a sympathetic and protective start) and two minibuses would ferry the boys to and from St Thomas Hill each day. Many, particularly King’s parents, were not pleased with the decision and wondered why King’s had not taken over the choristers. Had King’s expected that the Choir School would “automatically” be linked to Milner Court (Junior King’s School)?

Perhaps they were a bit slow off the mark and many were certainly taken aback by the outcome. Despite some acrimonious criticism initially in the Canterbury area from those opposed to the scheme, the planned change went ahead and there is no doubt that the arrangement has been beneficial both to the Choir and to St Edmund’s School, whose musical standing was to rise notably as a result.

To replace the two hard tennis courts which disappeared with the building of the new Junior School classroom block, two new courts were constructed in 1970 on the far side of Giles Lane, with the bulk of the work being done by the school’s very competent groundsman, Reg Elliott, ably

Aerial view of the School taken from a Forces’ helicopter, c.1980, showing the Junior School block which was built on the tennis courts and the Headmaster’s House, built in 1955 (now Abingdon House).

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A Time to Appeal 1964-1978 assisted by staff and boys, and a third court was built by En-Tout-Cas in the latter part of 1971. This saw the start of a ‘golden age’ of school tennis, a sport which had only started as a competitive activity at St Edmund’s in 1962. In the seasons 1971-77 sixty-eight out of seventy-eight school matches played were won (from 1973-77 the score was 54 out of 59), and if the initial inspiration came from an American, Whitney Saunders, at the school for a year on an English-Speaking Union exchange (and who has remained a very good friend of the school), there were a number of other good players, including Michael Dawe who went on to play county tennis and to be a top-ranked player in British veterans’ tennis in the following decades. Squash also became a school sport. The Canterbury Squash Racquets Club had been looking for land on which to build courts for some years (they had previously been using some not very satisfactory concrete courts at Christ Church College) and in 1971 an agreement was entered into with the school under which they built two squash courts (later to be followed by two more) on a piece of land along Giles Lane which was of little other use to the school. The school was allowed sufficient use of them in term-time, as part of the financial agreement that was reached, to enable squash to become a flourishing sport.

Another major development at the beginning of Rawes’ headmastership which affected directly the School was the opening of the University of Kent at Canterbury, with some 500 students arriving in the autumn of 1965. At the installation of Princess Marina as first Chancellor of the University, Rawes found himself sitting next to Geoffrey Fisher, former Archbishop of Canterbury. In the course of talking about the new University’s future development, Fisher suddenly said to him “I am sure the University would benefit by taking over your site. Why don’t you pack up and move somewhere else – and incidentally escape competition from King’s?” This caused the Headmaster to discuss the matter with the Chairman of Governors, Graham Leonard (later to become Bishop of London), who took it sufficiently seriously to suggest that Rawes should write a paper outlining the difficulties and problems that any such move would incur and attempting a very rough estimate of the minimum cost of building elsewhere a new boarding school! Leonard did later have a meeting with Dr Geoffrey Templeman, Vice-Chancellor of the University, but nothing more seemed to come of the idea and relations between the School and University have remained good.

With the New Wing and Swimming Pool successfully completed, it became time in 1974 to turn to Stage 2 of Rawes’ development plans, the main part of which was the building of a new Hall. The Hall, which would be approached by a new road direct from the University Road, was also intended to be available for occasional use by Canterbury societies, so extending the school’s links with the city. This second Appeal, again overseen by Dick Thrush, who was now a Governor, and his committee, and assisted professionally by Alexander Galitzine, finally raised £80,000, over half the cost of the Hall itself, although to this had to be added the cost of the new road and car park and the conversion of Big School into new house premises. The latter was finally achieved in 1978 and one of Rawes’ final acts on Speech Day that year was officially to open the building after it had been blessed by the Archbishop. The first floor was to see the relocation of Warneford House, whilst on the ground floor there was to be a new, fifth, house named after the Chairman of the Governors, Allan Grant. Grant had succeeded to this position in 1967, a year after Graham Leonard had resigned from his position as Treasurer of the Clergy Orphan Corporation. Leonard had at that time become Bishop of Willesden and felt that he would no longer have the time to continue as Chairman, more particularly as he had failed to persuade the Corporation that both St Margaret’s at Bushey and St Edmund’s would benefit by each having its own small group of Governors. This opening ceremony took place almost exactly eleven years after the first bricks of the original New Wing development had been laid. Almost all the intentions set out in the original Appeal pamphlet had been fulfilled. Buildings benefit those who inhabit them and the incalculable benefits to the school bestowed by these eleven years of improvement need hardly be spelled out. The swift and successful execution of so ambitious a programme in itself bears tribute to those who inspired it and had the courage and confidence to carry it through.

Other events of these fourteen years included a number involving staff who had served the school for a considerable time. In 1970 Herbert (‘Nick’) Nickols, who had been Housemaster of Wagner for 18 years, became Second Master on the retirement from that position of N.A.(‘Nat’) Taylor.

Taylor continued at the School until 1973, when he retired after 39 years’ service. Clement Molony, an Old Boy of the school, had returned after the war as a member of staff teaching Mathematics, 111

Foundation on a Hill as well as being in command of the Corps and being Bursar (it is impossible to envisage any one person being able to combine all these positions in the modern day), and in 1970 he was forced to retire because of ill-health. Giles Kedge died in 1971. Irene Lester (now Cox), who had been Matron of the Junior School since 1948, was also forced to retire by ill-health in 1973, and in the same year the Revd Clive Pare, who had been Headmaster of the Choir School from 1938-63, died. Chris Peto, another Old Boy, who had been on the staff since 1950, left in 1975 to live and continue teaching in Somerset, and in the following year the Revd Christopher Gill, yet another Old Boy and Chaplain since 1960, moved away to a new post in Tunbridge Wells and John Trevis, who had been at the school since 1961 and had commanded the Corps and been Housemaster of Warneford, left to become Headmaster of Cokethorpe School, near Witney. Outside the academic staff there were changes too. Mention has already been made of the groundsman, Trotter, but a contemporary of his, Leslie Wanstall, the Clerk of Works, retired in 1975 at the age of 65, having worked at the School for fifty years – but this was not the last the School was to see of him, as we shall see later. Many staff may have left, but in 1971 one particular new appointment was made – Miss Jane Munro, later Mrs Jane Radford,

became the first full-time lady to be appointed to the staff, in the Junior School. Following Molony’s retirement in 1970, Lt-Cdr Peter (H.P.) Allingham took over as Bursar. His somewhat more businesslike approach did not go down too well with the non-academic staff, who were probably poorly paid but had enjoyed the friendly family atmosphere of St Edmund’s. Allingham nonetheless did good work at the school before moving to another post in Hampshire in 1976. He was succeeded as Bursar by Michael (M.N.) McEvoy.

Another to depart in 1976 was RSM H.M. O’Leary.

O’Leary had of course arrived at the school only weeks after the return from Cornwall in 1945 and countless Old Boys recall him with much affection.

Responsible, under several commanding officers, for the extremely high standards set in the Corps, he will be remembered for much else, including early morning swims, drills and running the bookroom. In 1967 he had been rewarded for his efforts with the Corps by the award of the B.E.M. In 1975 ill-health forced him to give up his job as RSM, but he continued to run the bookroom for a further year before finally retiring in 1976.

A number of famous Old Boys passed away during these years. A.C.W. Edwards, a schoolmaster and Librarian at Christ’s Hospital for sixty years, died

The new School Hall (Theatre), 1975. This building allowed Big School to be transformed into House areas, with a fifth House, Grant, coming into being in 1978.

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A Time to Appeal 1964-1978 in 1964 and left a £1000 bequest to the Library as well as leaving a further £6000 to the Corporation. Calvert H.E. Smith, ex-Chairman of the Finance Committee of the Corporation and the longest-serving President of the St Edmund’s Society (1941-46) – because of the war years – died in 1967. J.R. Peacey, clergyman, hymn-writer, cricketer, died in 1971. A.M.D. Hughes died in 1974 at the age of 100, and in 1976 the deaths occurred of Sir Guy Cooper, who spent much of his life working with Burmah Shell in India, Michael Goodliffe, the actor who had originally been thought to have lost his life in the war, and B. Handley Geary, the school’s only holder of the Victoria Cross. In addition to these, former Headmaster Henry Balmforth died in 1977.

Amongst living Old Boys, Robin (R.D.) Jackman in 1973 won the Cricket Society’s Wetherall Award for the leading all-rounder in English cricket, taking 92 wickets and scoring 620 runs in that season.

In 1974 David (D.W.V.) Weston, who a few years before had entered the Anglican Benedictine monastery of Nashdom Abbey, became its Abbot at the age of 36 – the youngest in its history – under the name Dom Wilfrid Weston. Four Old Boys were Governors of the School for much of this period, J.S. Dodd, A.G.S Holland, Lt-Col R.C. Jackman and General Sir Gordon MacMillan, and another, Guy (G.M.) Minter (1928-37), followed them for a few years until 1981.

Another person who should be mentioned at this stage is Vivienne Warters, who had been Secretary of the Clergy Orphan Corporation since 1958, having joined the Corporation in 1950 and been acting Secretary from 1956-58. A great servant of the Corporation and a great friend to countless Foundationers and their mothers, Vivienne was awarded the O.B.E. in 1976 for her services to the Church, a richly deserved honour which gave great pleasure to her many friends. She was to continue in her post for a further six years.

Speech Day saw a number of changes during these years. In 1965 Rawes moved it from its previous June date to the end of term. In those days boys were not allowed home until the next day, so that Speech Day itself became a big day, with, in addition to Speeches and Tea, cricket and tennis matches, a number of exhibitions, and often one of the famous Blake/Peto Revues in the evening.

In those days the speeches were held in a large marquee, usually situated on the 1st XI hockey pitch, but in 1968 the marquee was ruined by a gale

RSM O’Leary being congratulated by Francis Rawes on the award of the B.E.M. in 1967.

and it was decided to hold Speeches in the open on the Terrace. Rain threatened, but held off and the occasion was much enjoyed. Speech Day was held in a marquee for the last time in 1975. In the following year it took place in the new Hall and 1976 also saw the first separate Junior School Speech Day – on the same day, but Senior School in the morning and Junior School in the afternoon.

Apart from the marquee, there were one or two other disasters, or near-disasters. In 1968 the Headmaster’s house was struck by lightning and in 1975 the CCF Hut was badly damaged by fire and all the Band instruments were destroyed. Sadly they were either under- or not insured and this marked the end of the Corps Band, which had for long been a great St Edmund’s tradition, not least during the war years in Cornwall when it was one of the things which distinguished the School from King’s.

Drama continued to have a high reputation at the School. Barry Blake had taken over from Philip Hollingworth and the standard of productions continued to be as high as ever. Mention has been made of the Blake/Peto Revues and in 1968 one of these was performed at the Marlowe Theatre for two nights.

There were of course many other events during these years and a few of these may be mentioned briefly. A Ministry of Defence Services’ Open Day was held at the school in 1974 (St Edmund’s was the first school in Kent to hold one). Dinners for Prep School Headmasters were introduced in order to show off the school’s advances. In 1976 the school began to do its own laundry again, in one of the old Science laboratories. In the same year groups of sixth-formers took part in the Young Enterprise scheme in Canterbury, introducing boys 113

Foundation on a Hill to the business world. In 1977 a new chapel organ replaced the old one which had reached the end of its life. The new organ was a Father Willis, taken from a South Brixton church and restored by organbuilder Noel Mander, who had just had a son at the school. New chapel lighting had been installed in 1965. In 1966 the Junior School took the first 11+ entry from State Primary Schools of boys who had done no French or Latin. In 1968 talks took place with a local Prep School, Wellington House, with a view to St Edmund’s taking control of it – but nothing came of this idea. In 1970 Tesco was looking to build an out-of-town supermarket near Canterbury and discussions took place with the Corporation about this, but again nothing came of the idea. Lastly, perhaps, might be mentioned the end of the traditional school headgear, the boater. Following a referendum in the School (at this time the concept of decision by a referendum was politically in vogue, so its use in deciding on the fate of the boater was meaningful to the boys), it was agreed that its use should cease.

Francis Rawes was a strong believer in the Headmaster having close links with the city. He became a member of Rotary and was later its President. He was also one of the Eastern Division’s representatives on the Headmasters’ Conference, a member of the Common Entrance Committee and of the Modern Languages Working Party, in all of which he was able to speak up for the smaller public schools. It would be wrong not to mention the strong support that he received from his wife, Joyce. When he retired in 1978, the editorial in the School Chronicle contained the following words: We are saying good-bye not only to Francis Rawes but also to Joyce Rawes. Only her husband can pay her adequate tribute, because it is only he who can really appreciate how much support he was given by her. But it was something that we can guess at, because she was always there, she was always part of the school – at Speech Day, in Chapel on a Sunday, at concerts and plays, at parents’ meetings, on the touch-line at school matches and sometimes teaching in the classroom – unobtrusive, yet open and friendly, with that quiet charm by which she will be remembered: remembered also for her hospitality at home where boys and staff were always given a genuine welcome.

Before leaving the 60s and 70s it would be right to comment on discipline, rules and some of the problems enhanced by changing times. Rawes was well aware of the potentially damaging influence to school routine of the changes that were affecting society’s attitude to the traditional interpretation of authority and discipline, to morality and respect for experience, to law and order in general. He realised that these changes were beginning to infect some schools, more especially when intelligent pupils were claiming, responsibly, the right to think for themselves and to question the ‘raison d’être’ for some assumptions held by those in authority of an older age. He had arrived with a reputation for believing in firm leadership and the need to observe a carefully selected code of rules, but he also believed in reviewing periodically school rules to ensure that they served fruitful purposes, and could be justified on grounds of safety to the individual or to the community or indeed the building itself.

He hoped to encourage common sense in the individual on matters affecting the welfare and happiness of the community, and rules that were outdated and served no useful purpose were irritants that should be abandoned. However, before long his move to loosen an over-tight control of daily routine and too much dependence on centralisation, with the introduction of a greater sense of freedom, was interpreted by some (including a few parents) as a more liberal approach to discipline that might affect adversely the school’s reputation. Inevitably there were breaches of discipline, disobedience of some rules, instances of smoking in forbidden areas, less frequently of alcohol drinking, but perhaps he was entitled to believe that during his tenure of office the school had become a more civilised institution with the boys continuing to be noted for good manners and sensible behaviour, even, dare one say it, in relation to drugs. Was there drug-taking in Rawes’ day? Well, there was some glue-sniffing and probably some experimenting with drugs as well, but never sufficient to cause deep concern.

Rawes was particularly anxious to remove any harsh punishments, especially on junior boys, which might owe their existence to tradition rather than good sense, and soon after his arrival he did away with corporal punishment by boys, although it continued to be exercised on rare occasions by the Headmaster and housemasters into the 1980s.

When he left, Rawes would have hoped that it was an improved school compared to the one he had taken over, although he probably regretted that its

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A Time to Appeal 1964-1978 academic record was not more distinguished.

There were many instances of St Edmund’s having taken on boys of indifferent ability who had made satisfactory progress and achieved commendable results, but much remained to be done in the years ahead to bring about a significant rise in the overall academic standard of the school.

Rawes had reached the normal retirement age in 1976, but, at the request of the Governors, he stayed on a further two years. To some he had gained a reputation as a ‘builder’ Headmaster, but it would be quite wrong to pass that judgement on him. The importance of the buildings should not overshadow the more vital social, pastoral and administrative changes that he had initiated, of which the structural alterations were the outward symbol; for the ultimate objective was always to attract more pupils, and to encourage parents, prospective and actual, to have a more positive involvement in the School’s progress.

When he took over there were 249 boys in Senior School, of whom 219 were boarders (paying, incidentally, fees of £420 a year!), and 60 in Junior School, 40 of whom were boarders. When he retired in 1978 there were 281 boys in Senior School, but significantly only 211 were boarders whilst day boy numbers had doubled to 70. In the Junior School the increase was much more marked, with boarders numbering 62, day-boys 64 and with 30 additional boarders in the Choir House, giving a total of 156 in the Junior School and an overall total of 437 pupils at St Edmund’s, an increase of some 30% since 1964. These figures do of course indicate a shift in the balance between boarding and day pupils, something that was to gather momentum in the years to follow. His successor, John Tyson, was to inherit a thriving school, and we shall see how he continued the progress which Hoban had started and which Rawes had strongly carried on.

Speech Day on the Terrace in 1968, when the marquee was ruined by a gale. The Chairman, Allan Grant, is speaking, with Headmaster Rawes seated on his left.

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Foundation on a Hill

Headmaster Francis Rawes (at his last Speech Day, 1978) and Allan Grant, Chairman of the Governors.

David Gahan, Master in Charge of the Junior School from 1982-1996, with Lord Coggan, former Archbishop of Canterbury, and John Tyson after a Chapel Service in 1985.

John Tyson presenting John Cox, who was in charge of the Junior School from 1950-1982, to H.R.H. the Duke of Gloucester when the Duke came down to celebrate the School’s 125 years in Canterbury and open the Lecture Theatre in the Science Laboratories in 1980.

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Chapter 9

J

“Just and Gentle Rule” 1978-1994

ohn Tyson took over as Headmaster in the Michaelmas Term 1978, coming from Bradfield College where he had been the Head Master’s Administrative Assistant and where his first Head Master had been former St Edmund’s Head, Michael Hoban.

Born in Newcastle-upon-Tyne in 1937, Tyson’s educational plans, with the ultimate aim of going to Repton, were changed by the death of his father when he was four. War-time bombing of Newcastle led to his mother moving the family to Keswick in the Lake District and John spent 12 years as a pupil at Keswick School, where his mother was secretary to the Headmaster, before going on to Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge where, having gone up to read Science, he quickly changed to Mathematics.

His first teaching post after graduation was at Abingdon School where he joined the Mathematics Department and was one of those responsible for contributing to the books of the Schools

Mathematics Project. He also devoted much time to music, in particular singing, and was resident Tutor in the House where the daughter of the Housemaster was Nigella, his future wife.

September 1978 saw the advent of a fifth Senior School House, named Grant, after the then current Chairman of Governors, Allan Grant, who had done so much for the school since taking office in 1967. Rawes had spoken out strongly against the governors’ original decision to call the new house School House and Allan Grant was delighted and honoured to have the house named after him as his years as Chairman of Governors were drawing to a close. In the last few years the housemasters had been finding that the increase in numbers in Senior School had added greatly to their task and the freeing of Big School, with the building of the new School Hall, had made available room for changes in the house arrangements. Big School was converted, a floor put in, and house premises

John Tyson, Michael Hoban, Vivienne Warters and Francis Rawes after the Triennial Service at Holy Trinity, Brompton in 1989.

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Foundation on a Hill with both houseroom and study accommodation occupied both floors, with Grant House on the ground floor and Warneford above. It was impractical to remove the old stage, which had been the scene of so many dramatic productions in the past, and so there were a few steps up to the Lower Fifth houseroom in Grant. Martin Clifford took over as Grant Housemaster. These rearrangements meant that all VIth form boarders now had study bedrooms, but further developments in the upper reaches of the old Big School had to wait a few years longer. This development, mentioned earlier, marked the final phase in Rawes’s time as headmaster. What will Tyson’s years be remembered for?

Looking back, the years 1978-1994 contained one major Appeal, but a whole lot of lesser improvements that were to change the whole shape of the school. Different people might have different ideas about what were the most important events of these years, but I am going to choose three, and in chronological order these were the arrival of girls into the school in 1982, the arrival of a new School Chaplain in 1984, and the completion of the Sports Hall in 1987.

The question of coeducation had come up in the early 1970s, but the imminent closure of the Choir School and the matter of what was going to happen to the Cathedral Choristers resulted in the available space in the Junior School being used to accommodate the boy choristers rather than seeing the introduction of girls. It had been decided then, and confirmed in the 1980s, that the right move, if

coeducation was to be introduced, was to have it right through the school, starting at the bottom, rather than doing what many schools had done and take girls only into the VIth Form. So, in September 1982, nineteen girls entered the school, 18 in the Junior School and 1, the headmaster’s daughter, Rachel, into the Senior School, all as daygirls. Mrs Judith Rose, the wife of the then Precentor of Canterbury Cathedral, was the first member of staff in charge of the Senior School girls. The following September the first four girls to enter the Senior School VIth Form arrived – and the move towards full coeducation was well under way. By 1985 there were 34 girls in both Senior and Junior Schools and in 1988 the total exceeded 100 for the first time, with a slight majority in Senior School.

There had in the meantime been requests for the school to take girls as boarders and in 1988 Barnacre, a school house that had originally been two flats housing members of staff off the bottom of St Thomas Hill, opened as a girls’ boarding house under the direction of Mr and Mrs Hollingshead. The following year The City of Canterbury, a former public house that had recently been converted into a guest house, was leased by the school in place of Barnacre and provided what was then luxurious accommodation for 19 girls.

In 1989 the first girl Foundationer, Sophia Bayly Jones, joined her brother in the senior school.

Consultation with St Margaret’s School had taken place before it was agreed that girl Foundationers could come to St Edmund’s rather than go to St Margaret’s. Demand for girl boarders continued to rise and in 1990 Barnacre was reopened for

The first girls in 1982-83, with Jane Munro (later Radford). Rachel Tyson, behind Jane, was the only Senior School girl that year.

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“Just and Gentle Rule” 1978-1994 younger girl boarders, with the older ones remaining in the City of Canterbury – yet another short term move, for in 1991 Gorsefield, previously a staff house at the far end of the 1st XI hockey pitch, replaced Barnacre as the younger girls’ boarding house. Also in 1991 the first girl boarders, four of them, were taken into the Junior School, occupying Big East dormitory, above the Headmaster’s study. 1991 also saw two other firsts – the first girl to gain an Oxbridge place, when Zoe Etherton went up to Lincoln College, Oxford, and the first girl to become House Captain, when Rachael Watts became Captain of Watson. By 1994 there were 157 girls in the school, 32% of the total.

During these 16 years there was a steady increase in the total number of pupils in the school, clearly accounted for largely by the arrival of the girls. In the early 1980s the national climate was right for the expansion of independent schools, but as the decade progressed there was a downturn in the economy and recession began to bite and then to accelerate. At the beginning of this recession it was notable that, although many independent schools were beginning to notice a decrease in numbers, the numbers at St Edmund’s continued to rise, although, in spite of the advent of girl boarders, the total boarding numbers began to fall.

In the Junior School the number of day pupils exceeded the number of boarders for the first time in 1982 and four years later this became true in Senior School as well. In Tyson’s first year the total number of pupils in the school was 437, the number peaked in 1990 at 575 (329 in Senior School and 246 in Junior School), but serious recession in the early ‘90s saw the numbers in his last year fall to 486. He saw the ideal situation being to have 51% boarders in the school, 50% girls and 50% boys, with a larger sixth form and a maximum of 600 pupils, with an optimum number of 550.

How had the numbers at St Edmund’s stayed so high in the early years of recession? It could well have had something to do with the arrival of a new School Chaplain in 1984. Since the departure of Old Boy Christopher Gill in 1976 (after 16 years as Chaplain) the maintenance of high morale and enthusiasm in chapel life had been difficult to sustain. The post fell vacant again at the end of 1983 when ill-health forced the current chaplain to resign. A successor was appointed, but could not take up the post until the beginning of the summer term in 1984. Tyson was lucky enough to be able to obtain the services of another Old Boy,

the Revd Roger Royle, a nationally known personality, broadcaster and writer, who had been Chaplain of Eton for a time, amongst other posts, to take on the position for one term. He was unable to be full-time because of other commitments and so spent only half of each week at the school, but the dramatic effect that he had on chapel life was soon to become apparent. Thus when another Roger, Roger Ellis, arrived in April from South Africa, via Doncaster, the scene was set for a transformation in the chapel of St Edmund’s School.

Suddenly pupils actually wanted to go to chapel, the services became fun, holy fun without losing the essential basics of Christianity, the number of people putting themselves forward for confirmation rose to between 60 and 70 each year, a large number of parents came to the Family Services on Sundays, and the chapel was full at Christmas and Easter during the school holidays. Where else could this have happened? Not all local vicars may have been pleased at the loss of part of their flock, but there was no doubt that the School Chaplain was producing something that was sadly lacking in parts of the Church of England.

Roger Ellis’s influence was felt in all aspects of school life. In only his second term he took over Wagner House for a term, following the sad and sudden death of housemaster Colin Parker, and later he was to step into the breach for a term when School House in Junior School was also in need of a housemaster. He did a series of broadcasts on Thought for the Day for Radio Kent and his influence and reputation spread rapidly in the wider St Edmund’s family and beyond. There is little doubt that part of the reason for the numbers not only holding up, but actually increasing, during a difficult economic period was attributable to him. Another factor in the rising numbers in this era was the

Roger Ellis with some Junior School boys in the dormitory at bedtime.

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Foundation on a Hill appointment of a Director of Marketing, Dennis Kiddy, who, as Director of Music, had already brought about considerable improvement in the standard of music.

The building of a Sports Hall was something that had been necessary for some time and in 1986 an Appeal was launched with this being the main object, although the Governors were far from convinced that this was the priority for an appeal.

It was in fact Phase 1 of a major sporting development in the area around the Swimming Pool, but economic recession was to mean that, to date, the other parts of the development, including the covering of the Swimming Pool itself, have not yet been achieved. The Appeal was launched under the chairmanship of Ron Lobeck, a parent and wellknown weather forecaster on ITV, with the aim of raising £250,000. In the event something over £200,000 was raised, although two subsequent reductions in income tax meant that the actual sum was reduced as the value of covenants decreased, and the Sports Hall was completed in May 1987 and opened by Virginia Wade in October, two days after the great storm of that year which devastated parts of southern England. Princess Alexandra had been asked to perform the opening ceremony, following her first visit to the school 32 years before,

but had been unable to fit it into her schedule. It was a major step forward. Large enough for 4 badminton courts or a tennis court, the Hall included cricket nets and facilities for basketball, netball, indoor hockey and football and a host of other activities, as well as containing a multi-gym.

The one thing that it did not have was running water and changing facilities, a considerable handicap, particularly when the Hall was to be let out in the evenings – an important part of covering the running costs. The benefits were inestimable; no longer did cold, wet winter days mean that most of the school was despatched into the surrounding countryside on seemingly interminable runs.

Unfortunately the Tysons were not present for the opening of the Sports Hall. He had been given a sabbatical term by the Governors, both to recharge his batteries after nine years at the helm and also to look at education at other schools in Britain and in Europe. They visited a total of 19 schools, and he came back with renewed energy and plenty of new ideas. During his absence, Jock Asbury-Bailey took over as Acting Headmaster for the term.

The Sports Hall Appeal may have been the one major appeal during Tyson’s years, but it would be totally wrong to think that this meant that no other building or development took place. Exactly the

Ron Lobeck, Jock Asbury-Bailey, Virginia Wade and John Owen at the opening of the Sports Hall in 1987. (The Headmaster was away on a sabbatical term.)

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“Just and Gentle Rule” 1978-1994

Allan Wicks, with some of the Choristers (Robin Tyson on the right), 1983. He was Cathedral Organist and Choirmaster from 1961-1988 and was a strong supporter of the Choristers becoming part of the Junior School.

opposite was the case. In 1980, to mark the 125th Anniversary of the school’s opening in Canterbury, H.R.H. The Duke of Gloucester opened two new Science laboratories and a Lecture Theatre in the Science Block. In 1982 the Stable Block was converted into Junior School classrooms. In 1984 the Science and Art Blocks were linked with the building of further art and science rooms, and mobile classrooms were introduced into the area between the cricket pitch and Giles Lane to accommodate Geography and Computing.

The advent of girls into the school meant, amongst many other things, that there would be a need for more tennis courts, quite apart from the fact that the two which had been constructed by the school on the far side of Giles Lane were coming near to the end of their life and were also proving to need so much looking after that it was difficult for adequate time to be found for this. Following the successful arrangement with the Canterbury Squash Club some ten years earlier, it was now hoped that a similar arrangement might be agreed with the Canterbury Lawn Tennis Club, which was unable to expand its current site in Canterbury and was looking for new land on which to build. For some three years from 1981-84 negotiations took place between the school and the club with a view to bringing about such a development, either in the area near the university road (below where the Headmaster’s new house was later to be built) or on the Junior School field. Eventually these negotiations collapsed and the club found an

alternative site. As a result three new hard tennis courts were constructed in 1984 in the rough area beyond the 1st XI cricket pitch (to be followed by three more in 1986). In 1985 the Home Economics Block was built, the Sanatorium was moved into the main school, into the area once occupied by maids, and the Music School was moved from the end of the classroom block into the old San (a prefabricated building which had been put up in 1958 and not been expected to survive into the 1980s, let alone into the 21st century!). 1986 saw a start being made to improvements in the dormitories, which, apart from there being no wash basins down the middle, must have looked much as they had done since they were built in 1855.

False ceilings were put in (they may not have improved the visual aspect, but they did raise the temperature by several degrees), carpets and curtains were provided, greater privacy was achieved by the putting up of partitions, and new and more efficient radiators were put in. This was a gradual process over a number of years and the improvement in boys’ boarding conditions had to be accelerated after the introduction of girls’ boarding and the much more civilised conditions in which they lived. Also in 1986 a paperback bookshop, ‘Paperback Paradise’, was opened in the Senior School Library.

1988 saw the Headmaster and his family move out of their house for two years, whilst a new house was being built, and Abingdon House, as it was now to be called, became the home for the 5 and 121

Foundation on a Hill 6 year olds who were now admitted into the Junior School. The expansion of the Junior School was essential for the success of the school as a whole, and the logical area for expansion was into the garden of the Headmaster’s house. With the use of the house itself and the old Stable Block nearby this expansion became possible – and also of course left the way open for the new Junior School Building which was to follow at the end of the 1990s. 1988/1989 saw the completion of the old Big School redevelopment. Big Dormitory was converted into modern en suite study bedrooms, complete with wash-basins, and cooking and toilet facilities, and was named the Lawrence Durrell Wing in honour of one of the school’s famous Old Boys. He had only spent 4 terms at St Edmund’s (1926-27), but this was longer than he spent at any other school. He was by now too ill to come to the school to open the wing, but he gave the project his blessing. A ceiling was installed above the new study bedrooms so that in the future something else could be constructed there – and this was to happen more quickly than expected. There had been a big drop in the boarding numbers in 1987, but in the following two years the number of boarders increased again and further dormitory space was needed. Having obtained planning permission (this being a listed building) and with the sympathetic installation of windows, a new dormitory was opened in 1989 and was named the Stuart Townend Dormitory, in honour of another famous Old Boy, who was delighted to be able to come down for the opening and to present the school with various photographs and newspaper cuttings commemorating some of his youthful athletic achievements. Also in 1988 a new percussion block was built between the music school and the science block.

In 1990 the Headmaster’s new house was ready for occupation. It was called Pontigny, maintaining the links with St Edmund. In the same year the school opened its own Clothing Shop, new mobile classrooms were brought in, and the old Middle Dormitory was converted into a recreation area for fifth-form boarders, called “Fivers”, to provide them with some of the amenities that the sixthformers had acquired in the study bedroom areas which they now all occupied. The deep economic recession of the early ‘90s halted development for a while, but the last major change of the Tyson years was the building of the new Art, Design and Technology Centre, opened by European M.P. Christopher Jackson in 1994.

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Pontigny, the Headmaster’s new house, soon after it was completed in1990, with the Tysons’ Morris Minor outside the garage.

All these new developments cost a lot of money, usually considerably more than had been originally budgeted - £133,000 for the Art/Science Block extension, £258,000 for the Sports Hall, £232,000 for the Headmaster’s house and £172,000 for the new Art, Design and Technology Centre in 1994, to mention just the main projects. With recession, bad debts, increasing costs of catering, large sums now being spent on scholarships, not to mention ever rising salaries and wages, the financial burden of running the school was becoming ever greater.

As a result the fees, which had been going up steadily for some time, suddenly began to rise dramatically. In two separate years in the late eighties and early nineties, there were rises of over 17%.

All of this put increased burdens on the Clergy Orphan Corporation. As early as 1980 the Corporation was looking into the possibility of closer links with the Corporation of the Sons of the Clergy and in the late eighties discussions took place with the Woodard Schools with a view to St Edmund’s and St Margaret’s having Associate Membership, an idea favoured by Tyson and which he felt would considerably strengthen St Edmund’s position. The Governors were concerned that under the proposed arrangements, by transferring their assets they would no longer have the freedom to be able to discharge their responsibilities for caring for the clergy orphans in the ways that they felt would be appropriate, and as a result these negotiations were closed in 1990. In 1994 discussions were held with the Church Schools Company, with a view to a takeover by them, but again these came to nothing. The schools were warned of the possibility of the closure of at least one of them unless they could move into a surplus on their budgets. Although the schools were unaware of the fact at the time, the Corporation

“Just and Gentle Rule” 1978-1994 was seriously looking at alternative ways of giving them their independence, whilst retaining ownership of the land and buildings and, as we shall see, the time when a move along these lines was going to happen was not far away. Apart from the financial problems, there was the dramatic fall in the number of Foundationers to be taken into account. By the early nineties the number at each school was into single figures, and the education and looking after of these clergy orphans was of course the prime object of the Corporation. They were in fact trying to extend their constitution to allow them to give help to the children of divorced and separated clergy and the former were included during the course of the next few years. At a meeting at the end of September 1993 it was agreed that the Clergy Orphan Corporation should divest itself of its two schools and that 8 members of staff would have to be made redundant at the

end of the school year in 1994. Instead of one governing body, there were to be ‘shadow ’ governing bodies for each school, with a new overall Corporation chairman (this actually took place from the beginning of 1995).

One major change which did not take place, but which took up much time during a large part of the eighties, involved the possible sale of the Junior School field. Far from being used more when the number of pupils in the Junior School increased, it came to be used less as, apart from the use of the cricket square, Junior School games came more and more to take place on the Senior School fields, a move made possible by the different times of afternoon school in the two parts of the school.

The main reason for this was the appalling drainage situation in this area, which meant that for much of the winter the field was quite unsuitable for

Confirmation Service in the Cathedral, 1989, with Archbishop Robert Runcie. With the large numbers being confirmed, Confirmation was held in the Cathedral in 1989 and 1992. In several other years separate services for Senior and Junior School had to be held in Chapel because of the numbers.

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Foundation on a Hill regular games – and a remedy for this situation seemed to be a long way down the list of priorities for expenditure. It was realised that, if it was possible to get planning permission for residential development of the site, a substantial sum of money could be raised, which could then be used to bring about major developments of the facilities on the main school side of the Whitstable Road, something that would also avoid the dangerous crossing of the road by the junior pupils. Despite repeated attempts and appeals, led by John Clague & Partners, who in 1983 had succeeded Daniel Smith, Briant & Done of London as Architect/Surveyors for the school, permission was refused for residential development, to the great relief of those residents of Glen Iris Avenue whose land backed on to the field and who strongly opposed any such plans.

One of the things which Rawes had most regretted not being able to achieve was a major raising of academic standards in the school. This was something that his successor was determined to tackle. 1987 saw the last year of the old GCE O levels and the following year the first year of the new GCSE examinations. In 1979 the number of passes at grades A-C was 54% (7% at grade A) and in 1987 these figures had risen to 57% and 9%. In 1988 (the first year of GCSEs) the figures were 71% and 19% and in 1994 they had risen to 80% and 23%. Did GCSEs bring a lowering of standards? The reader may think so.

A level results probably give a better reflection of improved results. In 1979 the number of passes (grades A-E) was 51% (18% at grades A/B) and in the following year there was little improvement.

Indeed St Edmund’s was in the bottom three Headmasters’ Conference schools and was failing to meet the requirements for membership of HMC, which was a matter of serious concern. In the next few years things began to improve and by 1987 the pass rate and A/B grade figures had risen to 83% and 34% respectively - and in 1994 they were 89% and 37%.

People die, retire or move on in every decade, but perhaps the years from 1979 to 1994 saw more of these happenings than usual in the life of St Edmund’s. One has to be selective in these matters and readers must forgive any omissions in this and other parts of this book.

1979 saw the death of one former member of staff and one famous Old Boy. ‘Nat’ Taylor had spent 124

40 years at the school – Classics Master, Housemaster, Second Master, and master-incharge of Cricket and Hockey being amongst his accomplishments. Gordon Rawcliffe was notable for being the only Old Boy to be elected a Fellow of the Royal Society – an Electrical Engineer and Professor at Bristol University for 31 years. 1980 saw the deaths of A.D. Macdonald and Clement Molony. Macdonald had only taught at the school for 21 years, but this would have been considerably more but for the war leading to his move to Simon Langton Boys’ School where he spent his later teaching years. He was a Housemaster and Senior Science master in the 1930s. Molony was at the school for 23 years as Bursar, but for much of that time he was also in command of the Corps and taught Mathematics – and he was an Old Boy as well. Christopher (C.T.G.) Leech, who had been Head of Modern Languages since 1967 and in charge of 1st XI hockey amongst other things, left in 1980 to become Headmaster of St George’s College, Buenos Aires (hardly the best timing just two years before the Falklands War!). He was later to become Head of the Sir James Henderson British School of Milan and finally of King’s College, Madrid, from where he retired in 2005. In the Queen’s Birthday Honours List in 2006 he was awarded the M.B.E. ‘For Services to British Education in Spain’. 1980 also saw the retirement of A.W. Grant as Chairman of Governors (technically Treasurer of the Clergy Orphan Corporation), in which position he was succeeded

by J.I.H. Owen, an Old Boy of the school. 1981 saw Herbert Nickols leave the school after 31 years to become Headmaster of Westonbirt School, where Francis Rawes was now Chairman of Governors. He had been Housemaster, Second Master and Head of Science as well as being a remarkably successful master-in-charge of Athletics and playing a vital role backstage in Dramatic Society productions. RSM O’Leary, a remarkable character, remembered by generations of Old Boys, who had served the school for 30 years before retiring in 1975, died early in 1982. He had been awarded the B.E.M. in 1967. Philip Hollingworth also died that year. He had taught English and French at the school for 33 years as well as being Housemaster of Baker, but is perhaps best remembered as a wonderful Producer/Director of school plays for most of that time. Arthur Mitchell, golf coach at the school for 33 years and father of Old Boy J.A.I. Mitchell was another to die in 1982.

There were also two notable retirements. John Cox had been in charge of the Junior School (jointly for the first year) for 33 of the 34 years he was at St

“Just and Gentle Rule” 1978-1994 Edmund’s. He went off to teach in Papua New Guinea for three years and everyone was delighted when, in his last year there, he sent for his ex-Junior School Matron, Irene Lester and they were married there by Archbishop David Hand, a good friend of the school and uncle of Peter Hand Oxborrow, an Old Boy, killed in an accident in the Australian outback in 1974, the year after he left School. The new Master of the Junior School was David (D.C.) Gahan, who came from St John’s College Choir School, Cambridge. Vivienne Warters retired in 1982 and was succeeded by Joy Buncher. 1984 brought the retirement, after 34 years, of Geoffrey Pass, sometime Housemaster and master-in-charge of Football, and Head of Geography for all that time.

It also saw the death, from cancer, after a very brief illness, of Colin Parker. Housemaster, Head of English and master-in-charge of Hockey, he had been at the school for 27 years.

In January 1986 one of the school’s most famous Old Boys, General Sir Gordon MacMillan of MacMillan, was killed in a car crash at the age of 89. To date the most senior ranking Old Boy in the armed forces, Gordon MacMillan saw service in both world wars. In the Great War he was one of the few officers to be awarded the Military Cross and two bars and in the 1939-45 war he was awarded the DSO and CBE for distinguished service in the Sicily and North Africa campaigns. In 1947

he became the last GOC Palestine and he was later C-in-C Scottish Command and Governor of Edinburgh Castle, 1949-52, and Governor and Cin-C Gibraltar, 1952-55. In 1951 he established his claim to be Hereditary Chief of the Clan MacMillan.

1988 saw the retirement as Cathedral Organist of Allan Wicks after 27 years in the post. He had played a major part in the take-over of the old Choir School in 1972 and was, and remains, a good friend of the school, together with his wife Elizabeth who later became a Governor for a number of years. This year also saw the deaths of two former Chaplains, Revd Jack Courtenay and Revd Michael (R.M.D.) de Brisay, and of Gwladys Stephen Jones and Daphne Kedge, sister and wife respectively of two long-serving members of staff, both of whom had predeceased them. Paul Cassidi, the School Doctor for 32 years, died in 1989. A pupil at the School for four years (before going to Rugby) he was a good friend of St Edmund’s. 1989 and 1990 brought the retirement of Jock Asbury-Bailey and Barry Blake, after 36 and 38 years respectively at the school, and in 1991 there were three tragic deaths. Kasra Boutorabi, who had only left school in 1990, died from a brain tumour, Yvonne Cave, the housekeeper, from cancer and Gillian Rowley, wife of Junior School master Brian Rowley, from a brain

BBC Radio 4 Morning Service, live from the School Chapel, November 1989. Dennis Kiddy (Orlando Bloom, who read the lesson, left background). Producer Claire Campbell-Smith talks to pupils as BBC minister Stephen Oliver checks his script.

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Foundation on a Hill haemorrhage. The death of Miss Cave brought about the introduction of outside caterers to take over feeding and domestic arrangements at the school. At the end of 1992 Michael McEvoy resigned as Bursar (and moved to St Edmund’s College, Ware for a few years). He had been in the post for 16 years and deserves much credit for successfully carrying out what had not always been an easy job, particularly in the days of recession.

After a brief interregnum, when a chosen successor pulled out at the last moment and the author held the fort for a few weeks, Roger (R.F.) Roebuck, just retired from the R.A.F., took over in March 1993.

Finally, in 1994, Martin Clifford retired after 33 years and Brother Christian, a Franciscan, brought to an end 20 years of visits to the school which had been of great benefit to both pupils and staff (he was later to become a Governor for a number of years).

What of the achievements of the pupils themselves and some younger Old Boys? Again, it may be invidious to mention some names and not others, but here are a few events of note (with apologies to those who may feel hard done by in being omitted). Dirk Maitin played football for the Public Schools’ XI in 1980. In the same year Warwick Burridge and Charles Sloan shared a stand of 274 for the 1st XI against the Forty Club. Robin Jackman, having played for England in 1-day cricket internationals against India (1974), the West Indies (1976 and 1980-81) and Australia (1980), finally played in Test Matches against the West Indies (1981) and Pakistan (1982). He toured Australia in 1982-83 and played in 1-day internationals there and in New Zealand. In all, he played 4 Test matches and 15 ODIs for England. His first-class career with Surrey lasted from 1966-1982 and he also played for Rhodesia regularly in the 1970s.

He played a total of 399 first-class matches, scoring 5685 runs, with a highest score of 92 not out, and taking 1402 wickets, with a best performance of 8-40 (these figures exclude one-day matches). He was also the leading first-class wicket-taker in the 1980 cricket season. Julian Ironside was Captain of the Cambridge University Association Football team in 1983 in the centenary match against Oxford. He had gained his ‘Blue’ in 1981 and was Secretary in 1982, when he did not play against Oxford because of injury. The Hockey XI won the Frank Mason Tournament for the first time in 1984 and in the same year Andrew Walton, later to become one of the most capped players ever for England in Indoor Cricket, topped both batting (634 runs at an average of 52.8) and bowling (34 wickets 126

at 13.18) averages. Heather Stewart (1984) became the first girl to play for the school in a major or minor sport (Tennis) and Karen Stringer (1985, 1986) played tennis for the school in the Youll Cup and also played in the British Schoolgirls’ Singles Championships, the Yatman Cup. In 1986 Franc Klomp gained the last of his 16 A grades at O/AO level and followed up this in 1987 by gaining 5 A grades at A level. In 1987 Neil Jeffery, then in the Lower Fifth, starred in the BBC serial “A Sort of Innocence”. In the same year a young Orlando Bloom arrived in the Junior School and in his last year in Senior School (1992-93) had a part in “The Boy Friend”. In 1992 Freddy Kempf, then aged 14, won the BBC Young Musician of the Year with his piano playing. D’Arcy Trinkwon (1974-83) has made a name for himself in the last 20 years as an international concert organist with dazzling performances all over the world. Andrew Rupp (JS, 1974-79) has become a famous baritone singer, and Robin Tyson (1978-89) is also a professional singer, a member of The King’s Singers. In 1987 Michael Lingens (1972-75), a former leader of the Conservative Bow Group, stood unsuccessfully as Conservative candidate in the General Election for the Bolsover seat held by Dennis Skinner. In 1990 the Junior School finally won the Shapira Cup (a 6a-side Soccer competition for Prep Schools) for the first time and in 1991 Ali Hajilou scored 718 runs for the 1st XI at an average of 89.7.

Old Boy David Weston had in 1974 become Abbot of Nashdom Abbey. In May 1981 the Daily Telegraph noted the fact that he was the first Anglican to attend a Vatican Congregation in the presence of the Pope. He later left the order, married and became ordained into the Church of England, retiring in 2005 as Canon Warden and Canon Librarian of Carlisle Cathedral.

At the beginning of the 1990s a St Edmund’s Building Working Party was set up under the chairmanship of one of the Governors, Professor John Todd, and containing another Governor, Mrs Elizabeth Wicks, the Headmaster, Deputies and Bursar. For the first time there was a direct working involvement of local Governors with the School and although the remit was buildings and maintenance matters, other issues were discussed as well. As a result the Governors got to know many of the staff extremely well and this was an important prelude for the successful devolution later on.

Other innovations during this period included the provision of the first school minibus and a Language

“Just and Gentle Rule” 1978-1994 Laboratory, the Centenary Dinner of the St Edmund’s Society (1980) and the first holding of the School Carol Service in Canterbury Cathedral (1979, attended by over 1000 people). Also in the summer holidays in 1979 the first summer let took place, part of the school being taken over by the Pilgrims’ Language School. These lets have continued ever since, sometimes two of them in the same year, and they have provided a useful source of income to the school. In 1981 a “Son et Lumière” performance took place on the Terrace, with the script by Barry Blake, based on Harry Winter’s recent school history, and the commentary by actor Patrick Cargill. In 1983 the Junior School started an 11-plus entry and the following year a Junior School Parents’ Association was set up, with Ron Lobeck as chairman, succeeded in 1985 by W. Stuart Kerr.

The Association was to prove a great success under successive chairmen, holding many events and raising considerable sums of money for the Junior School – nearly £3500 was raised in 1993-94. The Centenary edition of The Chronicle was produced in 1986 and in the same year work was started on an access road from the University road (it took nearly 20 years before a properly surfaced road was to be completed). On Boxing Day 1985 a storm resulted in the collapse of the end wall of the School Hall, and in 1987 a slippage of the bank between the swimming pool and the Sports Hall took place, despite assurances that this would not happen! In 1988 the Bishops’ wives from the Lambeth Conference used the school as their daytime base and also in that year there was a request, which was turned down after some discussion, from a firm to build an artificial ski slope on land near the Sports Hall. In 1991 the Junior School Library was relocated to the classroom block, improved and extended. 1992 saw the provision of a new Electricity Substation. This was, unfortunately, something that had to be done. The Headmaster would have much preferred to have been able to spend the £90,000 on other projects. The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Scheme was started in 1994.

This rather long catalogue of events gives some idea of the pace of events during the years in which Tyson was at the helm. As has been mentioned before the second half of his headmastership took place during a period of economic recession and it was essential for public schools, or independent schools as they were coming to be called, continually to try to improve their facilities in order to keep up with, or to show that they were better than, their competitors. School trips, either at home or overseas, became more and more a part of the

school programme in both Senior and Junior Schools. CCF Camps and Adventurous Training had long been part of the timetable of events, but now Geography Field trips were taking place annually, as were Skiing trips. Visits took place to the battlefields of the Great War, Economics and Business Studies trips to Strasbourg, visits to Paris, St Petersburg and Moscow, Music trips to Europe, whilst at home Upper Fifth Work Experience and the Young Enterprise Business Competition all added to the variety of school life.

School parties went to Pontigny, in France, about 100 miles south-east of Paris, near Auxerre, in 1984 and 1990 (and again later in 1996) to celebrate the 750th anniversaries of Edmund of Abingdon being installed as Archbishop of Canterbury, of his death, and in 1996 of his canonization, so that people at the school at last knew something about the person after whom the school had been named since 1897 and whose body rests in the great Cistercian Abbey Church at Pontigny.

Progress had been immense in all areas. In 1994 St Edmund’s came 4th in The Times league table of the top twenty improved schools in the country.

Discipline was something that presented a number of problems during these years and quite a few pupils were expelled (‘excluded’ had not become the ‘in’ word at this time). Smoking, within the school buildings, was a considerable problem, not helped by the unsatisfactory geography of the buildings, there was some concern over drugs, but never on a scale seen in some other schools, and bullying, although of course abhorred by staff from the Headmaster down, was not yet totally eradicated. Those in authority did have some justifiable concerns about this aspect of school life, although the general feeling was that things had improved by the end of Tyson’s years at the helm.

The pressures on headmasters in these modern times must be intense. Tyson had been given a sabbatical term at the end of 1987 in order to travel round this country and continental Europe, looking at other schools and getting ideas about how St Edmund’s could be improved, and he came back at the beginning of 1988 refreshed and full of energy and ideas. Even so, by 1994 he had decided that the time was right for him to take early retirement (some three years before he was due to go). How does one summarise his 16 years at the school?

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Foundation on a Hill It was a period of tremendous change and development. Coeducation, a pre-prep department in the Junior School (which involved all the problems for the Tysons of having to live in their small home away from the school for two years), the building of the Sports Hall and ‘Pontigny’, the improvement of accommodation in all areas, an extensive programme of in-depth maintenance costing at least half a million pounds, improved academic performance, particularly at A level, major advances in music, art and science, and continual progress in drama, sport, the CCF and in chapel – all of these represented massive change in the school. When Tyson left, the Chairman of Governors referred to him as a first class administrator and a man of compassion and high principles, able to initiate and oversee change,

yet upholding Christian and common sense views, and more than one person referred to his ‘just and gentle rule’. He had a civilising influence on the community and provided an atmosphere of real family love. He was always ready to listen and to give sound advice. He had, of course, to bear the brunt of bad recession and a consequent downturn in numbers, with its associated difficulty and worry and hard decisions to make, but a measure of his achievement was that he had established St Edmund’s in a sufficiently strong position for it to be able to weather the storm and emerge to go forward strongly again into the 21st century. The Chapel, and Christian love, were essential parts of the Tyson reign, exemplified both by John and Nigella, and the school had much for which to be grateful to them as it got ready for new challenges.

David Flood, Cathedral Organist and Choirmaster since 1988, with some of the Choristers in 1989.

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Chapter 10

Farewell C.O.C. – and into the 21st Century 1994-2011 Nicholas Ridley took over the headmastership from John Tyson in September 1994 at a time when the whole future of the school was hanging in the balance. It was not that the previous years had been unsuccessful; indeed Tyson had brought the school through a very difficult period with much success and there had been a phenomenal amount of development, but the financial situation was dire, not just for the schools, but also for the Clergy Orphan Corporation, and this, coupled with the drastic reduction in the number of Foundationers, meant that the Corporation had been looking very closely at the viability of their continuing to run two schools which only catered for a handful of clergy orphans. When they appointed Ridley, they made it clear to him that major changes were coming.

Ridley came from an academic family of scholars and teachers. He was educated at Clifton, where he had been Head Boy and a prominent rugby player, and St Edmund Hall, Oxford, where he read French and Spanish, rowed for his college, and but for injury would almost certainly have got his rugby ‘Blue’. Apart from brief periods teaching in France and New Zealand he had spent all his teaching career since 1972 at Fettes College, where he was senior Housemaster prior to his coming to Canterbury and had been in charge of rugby and had also headed the Outdoor Pursuits department.

Apart from languages, mountaineering was one of his great delights. Married to Jill, they had two young children, Sean and Nicola, both of whom joined the Junior School when they arrived at St Edmund’s.

This was a time when the school needed a strong hand at the tiller and there is no doubt that the Governors had this in mind when they appointed Ridley. The school, pupils and staff, were in need of firm discipline – and they got it, not immediately to everyone’s liking!

Nicholas Ridley, Headmaster, 1994-2005, early in his headmastership, during which the connection with the Clergy Orphan Corporation came to an end.

He made it clear to the staff that St Edmund’s was in such a highly competitive market that every aspect of the school’s activities must be the best that they could contrive, or the school would die. The emphasis on professionalism was oft reiterated. He stressed that academic performance especially had to improve. He invited the staff to look at what was currently excellent about the school and to match it in their own sphere, and constantly to ask themselves “would what I am doing be good enough for my own children?” He invited the pupils to identify their goals both in and beyond school, to plot their routes to those goals and to learn to enjoy endeavour and the results thereof. He exhorted them to esteem high achievement in all spheres, to contribute to the common wealth by whatever means their individual talents allowed, and thereby to create a feeling of unified striving. In particular he encouraged them to enjoy the otherness of other people and to learn from the qualities of their peers. The focus on raising standards was intense and sustained, but gradually a change of culture was achieved which permeated all aspects of school life.

He also spent considerable time with the Governors in planning strategically. It quickly became clear, particularly in the light of the decreasing number of 129

Foundation on a Hill local Prep Schools, that the future security of the whole enterprise lay in ensuring a thriving Junior School on which Senior School could rely for a large, high quality, entry. Plans were soon in hand, therefore, to build a new heart to the Junior School, replacing a motley assortment of free-standing classrooms.

1995 brought about the first major changes in the running of the schools. After over 14 years as Treasurer of the Corporation and Chairman of Governors, John Owen stood down and was succeeded by the Rt Revd D.J. Farmbrough. Each of the two schools had its own group of governors, St Margaret’s under the chairmanship of MajorGeneral J.I.H. Owen and St Edmund’s under the chairmanship of Lt-Col D.H.G. Thrush, a former St Edmund’s parent who had been on the governing body since 1970. Colonel Thrush retired at the end of the year and was succeeded by Professor J.F.J. Todd, another former St Edmund’s parent, who had joined the governing body in 1985 and remained Chairman of Governors until the end of the academic year 2005-2006, before retiring at the end of the following year after 22 years as a Governor, 10 of them as Chairman. In the last chapter we already saw that moves were afoot to bring about a major change in the status of the two schools. A few years earlier, when the Corporation had been in discussion with the Charity Commission regarding the extension of its help to the children of divorced and separated clergy, the Commission had expressed the opinion that it seemed inappropriate that a charity whose principal object was the care and welfare of clergy orphans should in fact be devoting considerable time and resources to running two independent schools. Whilst, at the time, the Corporation rejected this suggestion, the seeds of doubt were sown and this later encouraged them to take the decision that the C.O.C. in its present form should be disbanded, that two new charitable limited companies would be formed, one for each school, and the residual responsibilities for the care of the (reducing) number of orphans would become the responsibility of a reconstituted C.O.C., which would become a subsidiary of the charity from which it had originally sprung in 1749, The Corporation of the Sons of the Clergy. The remaining, and major, problem was how to divide the assets of the Corporation into three parts: the estates associated with the two schools, and a remaining portion (including a house in London) which was to be transferred to the new C.O.C. for the care of the orphans. The key question was how to determine the financial basis of the settlement in order to give 130

the schools the best chance of survival. The resources fell essentially into three categories: the capital properties, restricted funds arising from endowments that had been left to support the work of either one or both of the schools, and unrestricted funds, arising from legacies, diocesan and parish collections, and individual donations. All the investments representing the last two were converted into cash, but one crucial issue remained. How should the loans that the schools had taken out be dealt with?

These totalled about £850,000, the great majority of which was attributable to St Edmund’s. In the end it was agreed to write off the loans, a solution which was considerably to the benefit of St Edmund’s.

It was on September 1st 1996 that the relaunching of St Edmund’s School as a fully independent school took place and what follows is taken from a letter written by John Todd for the 1996 edition of The Chronicle. Having outlined the early history of the two schools, he continues: Throughout this time St Edmund’s and its sister school, St Margaret’s at Bushey, Hertfordshire, were wholly owned by the C.O.C. The 20 members of the C.O.C. were responsible both for the care of the Foundationers (the clergy orphans) and, as Governors, for the running of the two schools, approximately 100 miles apart.

This put a tremendous strain on the governors, especially on the chairman and other key C.O.C. people, and, paradoxically, as the number of Foundationers in each school diminished over the years, more and more energy and time were being expended on ensuring the continued success and viability of the schools. A particular limitation on the scope for development of the schools was that the Acts of Parliament establishing the C.O.C. did not include the power to borrow money, and all the new building schemes have had to be funded either through appeals or from the C.O.C.’s own reserves, which were ‘loaned internally’ to the schools (rather like children borrowing money from their parents).

In order to try and create a more workable situation, the Charity Commissioners, a government body which oversees the activities of all the registered charities in the country, urged the C.O.C. to consider setting up the two schools as independent charities, each with its own governing body. To disentangle a 250-year old charity as complex as the C.O.C. was clearly not an easy matter, and the members considered

Farewell C.O.C. – and into the 21st Century 1994-2011 many different ways in which the schools might be run independently whilst the ownership of the sites and buildings remained in the hands of the Corporation, which would still maintain its original object of caring for the Foundationers.

In all its deliberations, the C.O.C. was conscious of its obligation not to create a situation for the schools which was even more complicated than the one which already existed, and in particular one which would threaten the viability of the schools as a result of gaining independence. Thus the retention of ownership of the sites by the C.O.C. would be an obstacle which would prevent the schools from raising commercial loans, since the buildings could not be offered as collateral. The solution which was accepted by the Charity Commissioners has been for the buildings occupied by St Edmund’s and St Margaret’s to be given to the respective schools, together with advances of cash and trust funds to finance the existing Foundationers for their remaining periods within the schools. At the same time, the C.O.C. is to be retained as a separate charity, still caring for present and future Foundationers, but with the trusteeship and administration vested in the Corporation of the Sons of the Clergy, from which it first evolved in the middle of the 18th century.

So, in 1996, we see St Edmund’s being refounded as an independent school, in the form of a charitable ‘company limited by guarantee and not having a share capital’. Under the terms of its re-foundation, the School still has a primary commitment to educate the children of deceased clergy, as well as the general public, and to do so on the basis of Church of England principles.

The underlying ethos and pastoral character of the School, so important to generations of pupils in the past, will therefore remain unchanged.

What will change is that there will be a much closer working partnership between the Governors, the Staff, the Pupils and former Pupils of the School: the Governing body will have a membership which is drawn to a much greater extent from the local Canterbury area, and through this closer involvement be much better placed to respond to educational changes and opportunities as they occur.

At this time of transition the governing body acknowledges its debt to the inspiration and industry of its predecessors on the Clergy Orphan

Corporation, and pledges to do its utmost to maintain, and improve still further, all that is good about the School, whilst at the same time being responsive to the needs of the pupils.

The formal devolution process therefore involved creating two charitable limited companies, each with essentially matching Memoranda and Articles of Association. In addition, there was for each school an ‘Agreement for transfer of assets and undertaking’, but there was also a common interlocking set of claw-back arrangements.

Essentially, if either school ceases to “carry on an Appropriate School” as its principal activity then, after meeting any debts, a sum of £1,500,000 shall be paid to the other school with any residual amount then being transferred to the Clergy Orphan Corporation or its successor body. A school would be an “Appropriate School” (i) so long as it continued to teach and reflect Church of England values; (ii) whatever aged pupils it educated, provided that they were not more than 19 years old; (iii) whether or not the school was coeducational; (iv) whether the pupils were day pupils or boarders or a mixture of both.

Having mentioned Governors of the School earlier in the chapter, this would be the right time to see what other Old Boys have served as Governors since the retirement of Colonel Jackman at the end of 1986, after nearly 40 years (surely the longest period served by any Governor in the school’s history). At the beginning of 1987 Ivan (I.D.W.) Heanly was appointed. He served until 1993 and the following year Peter (P.R.J.) Holland, whose father had also been a Governor, joined the Corporation. Following devolution, he became Vice Chairman in 1997, a position that he held until retirement in 2002. At the time of devolution in 1996 Michael (M.C.W.) Terry and Roddy (R.N.L.) Tyndale-Biscoe were invited to become Governors, and the former took over as Vice Chairman when Peter Holland retired. In 2005 Colonel Robin (P.R.M.) Whittington and Andrew (A.J.) Arzynanow (until 2007) were appointed, and in 2006, when Professor John Todd retired as Chairman (he stayed on as a Governor for one further year), Michael Terry succeeded him. At the end of 2007 Peter (P.F.) Atkins and Piers (J.P.W.) Coleman also joined the Governors.

1999 was to be the 250th anniversary of the founding of the Clergy Orphan Society – and thus of the year from which the school takes its foundation – and, following its new found independence, the Governors decided that the time was right to launch 131

Foundation on a Hill another appeal. After some discussion, the decision was taken to aim ‘high’ in spite of the fact that all previous appeals had struggled to reach somewhat modest totals, and so it was that the 250 th Anniversary Campaign was launched, with the aim of raising £1 million to build a new Centre for the Performing Arts and also to complete a sports complex based on the existing sports hall and swimming pool. The total cost of all this would be far in excess of £1 million, but it was hoped that an appeal to the Arts Lottery Fund and the possible sale of a small piece of land along Giles Lane, which was not being used by the school, would provide the extra money that would be required. In the event both of these projects failed, so that the idea of building both a new Music School and a new multi-purpose 200-seat auditorium had to be abandoned, although the Music School incorporated most of the ideas which had been envisaged for the building and in addition the refurbishment of the existing 500-seat theatre was to take place. The ideas for sport – the covering of the existing swimming pool and its linking to the sports hall, with the addition of changing facilities and a spectator gallery, and the provision of a floodlit all-weather hockey pitch – had to be abandoned until such time as further money might become available (planning permission for an allweather pitch was however obtained before the end of Ridley’s headship).

Under the chairmanship of Michael Bukht, one of the Governors (also known as Michael Barry, TV chef), the Campaign got under way and, although in the end it failed to reach its target, over £800,000 was raised through the generosity of some 270 donors. The Campaign was officially opened with a 250 th Anniversary Celebration Service in Canterbury Cathedral on 12th October 1999 at which the preacher was an Old Boy, the Revd Roger Royle.

Building began in June 2003 and the official opening of what is now called The Francis Musgrave Performing Arts Centre took place on 8th October 2004, performed by famous Old Boy international concert pianist, Freddy Kempf, who followed this up in the evening by giving a splendid Piano Recital on the new Steinway Piano which the school had been given. Francis Musgrave was an Army Chaplain who was killed in Normandy in August Freddy Kempf, winner of the BBC Young Musician of the Year in 1992, when he was just 14 years old. Freddy is now a world-famous international pianist.

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1944 at the age of 39. His two sons, Christopher and Timothy, were at the school as Foundationers between 1948 and 1962, and Chris, as the single most generous donor to the Campaign, chose to name the building after his late father (sadly another major donor, Stuart Townend, did not live to see building begun). It was, perhaps, sad that Ian (I.P.) Sutcliffe, who had been Director of Music for the past 10 years and had done so much for music and for the planning of the new building, should have left in July to become Director of Music at Marlborough (but he did return of course for the opening).

In the school year 1994-95 there had been a Head Boy and a Head Girl, but in September 1995 the school had its first girl School Captain, Anne Cross.

Further innovations continued to be implemented.

A Tutorial system was introduced throughout the school in 1994-95. SummerFest, a three-week sporting activity and coaching festival, was started in 1995, run and largely staffed by the school

Farewell C.O.C. – and into the 21st Century 1994-2011

The new Music School, part of the Francis Musgrave Performing Arts Centre, opened by Freddy Kempf in 2004.

community. Also that year the first combined Senior and Junior School Open Day was held. Minibus runs, to pick up pupils from as far afield as Dover, Deal, Sandwich, Sittingbourne and Faversham were taking place. A nursery class for three-year olds was introduced into Junior School. The number of Senior School houses was reduced from five to four, with Grant, which had been the latest addition in 1978, being the one to go, although the members of Grant actually became Warneford and it was the Warneford pupils who were redistributed amongst the other houses. At the same time the diminished number of boy boarders became a separate entity overnight and were known as Owen House (named after former Old Boy and Chairman of Governors, John Owen) and they were looked after by Houseparents, living in a newly created flat in the old West Dormitory end of the school. David Knight, Deputy Head, and his wife Gillian were the first Houseparents of Owen. School colours were now awarded for other things than sport, such as Drama, Music, CCF and Chapel, and in 1999 Monitors became Prefects.

Luckily, the name Grant was not to be lost to the school, for in 1997 the Allan Grant Sixth Form Centre was opened, a recreation area for sixth-formers similar to that which had been enjoyed by fifthformers in ‘Fivers’. Sadly, the former Chairman of 133

Governors, after whom the centre was named, died later that year. He had been a very good friend to St Edmund’s.

The Guest of Honour at Speech Day in 1997 was another very good friend of St Edmund’s, Old Boy Colonel Stuart Townend. He returned a year later to open the new Junior School building, built along the Whitstable Road on part of what had once been the headmaster’s garden. This was a magnificent building, worthy of the new large Junior School, and it became the main centre of Junior School, replacing the old part of the main building, opened in January 1898, just over 100 years before. Robert Bacon, the Master, together with the school’s professional consultants, was largely responsible for this design. Sadly, this was to be Townend’s last visit to the school. He died in October 2002 at the age of 93. He was a truly remarkable man. He spent 10 years at the school as a Foundationer and was a brilliant athlete and all-round sportsman. In the war he helped to plan the D-Day landings and then took part in the drive across North-West Europe. After the war he took charge of the housing committee for the London Olympics in 1948 and was also involved in planning the 1951 Festival of Britain. In the same year he and his wife opened Hill House School in Switzerland and in Knightsbridge, in Hans Place, and he remained in

Foundation on a Hill

The opening of the new Junior School Building, 1998, with John Todd, Robert Bacon, the Lady Mayoress, Nicholas Ridley, Stuart Townend and Roger Ellis. Former Head, John Tyson, in the background.

active charge of the school right up to his death – 1100 pupils, who included amongst their number in the 1950s Prince Charles. He was a great and generous friend of St Edmund’s and many is the time when he said ‘Everything I have achieved in life I owe to St Edmund’s’.

This period also saw the death, in 1999, of MajorGeneral J.I.H. Owen. John Owen had been one of the School Captains in Cornwall. He joined the Royal Marines as an ordinary Marine during the war, was appointed Major- General Royal Marines, Commando Forces in 1972 and was Colonel Commandant Royal Marines 1983-86. He had been Chairman of Governors from 1980-94. Other deaths included Les Wanstall, former Maintenance Engineer, who was still repairing chairs at the school until 5 days before his death in 1995, some 70 years after he first arrived in 1925. Lt-Col R.C. Jackman also died in 1995. Father of Bruce and Robin, his own father taught briefly at the school in the 1920s and his brother Bill was also a pupil. Ray Jackman had of course also been a Governor of the school for nearly 40 years. The Revd Professor Hedley Sparks was another renowned Old Boy who died in 1996, and in 1997 former member of staff Barry Blake died. Barry had taught at the school for 38 years – teacher of English, Housemaster, Master-in134

charge of Cricket, but perhaps remembered most of all for being an outstanding producer of plays at the school throughout most of his career – not only a producer of countless productions, but who will Les Wanstall, former forget the many Blake/ Maintenance Engineer, who Peto Revues? worked at St Edmund’s for J.F.Lendrum died in nearly 70 years, died in 2000; a great sports- 1995. man at school, John Lendrum was in charge of the Junior School from 1946-49 before moving on to found his own prep school, Friars School at Great Chart, near Ashford. Michael Hoban, former Headmaster, who went on to become Head Master of Bradfield and Harrow, died in 2003.

Notable retirements took place also of course.

Nancy White had taught the ‘cello at the school for 48 years when she retired in 1995. D.C. Gahan retired as Master of the Junior School in 1996, to be replaced by R.G. Bacon. David Gahan had been in charge of the Junior School for 14 years, arriving in 1982 at the moment when the school first opened its doors to day girls. A dedicated schoolmaster

Farewell C.O.C. – and into the 21st Century 1994-2011

The 1998 Junior School building photographed in 2007. Water tower in the background.

and a committed Christian, David was meticulous in his attention to all aspects of Junior School life – and he never expected his staff to do anything that he wouldn’t do himself. His initiatives included the founding of the Junior School Parents’ Association, the implementation of the stars and stripes system (which spurred on many a pupil), the extension downwards of the age range, with the consequent opening of Abingdon House, the extra 11+ entry and the extension of coeducation to include boarding girls. That year also saw the retirement of Mrs M.C. Clarke. Margaret Clarke, mother of two Foundationers at the school and one at St Margaret’s, had originally taught at St Margaret’s before joining St Edmund’s Junior School in 1981.

She gave outstanding service at both schools. S.R. Hawkins retired in 1997 and his brother G.N. Hawkins in 1999, although the latter still continues as Technical Director of the School Theatre. Robin and Guy Hawkins were both Old Boys of the School and both gave outstanding service for 34 and 31 years respectively, Robin as teacher of Physics, Commanding Officer of the CCF and coach of many 2nd XIs and Guy as teacher of Chemistry, as creative inspiration backstage for dramatic productions, and also as an Officer in the CCF. Martin Clifford, who had retired in 1994, gave up running the Library in 1998, having been in charge of that for 25 years, but he continued his involvement

with the school by taking on a part-time unofficial post as School Archivist. The year 2000 saw even more retirements. Martin Rupp had been teaching in the Junior School for 37 years. In addition to teaching French and Latin, he had been Housemaster of the Day Boys, in charge of Choir House for 8 years, Housemaster of School House for 5 years and Second Master for 27 years. He also ran cricket at various levels throughout this time.

His wife, Jackie, had also taught in the Junior School for over 20 years, mostly Geography, and had of course been an essential part of all Martin’s pastoral responsibilities as well as being Housemistress of the Day Girls for some years and Senior Mistress since 1991. Jennifer (J.M.) Herbert may have only spent 14 years at the school, but she was appointed Senior Mistress in 1988 and Deputy Head in 1991 and played an immense part in the successful development of coeducation at St Edmund’s, as well as being a very successful teacher of Mathematics.

She had argued strongly that once a purpose-built girls’ boarding house was on site (which never actually came about), the girls should be concentrated entirely therein, rather than being distributed amongst the existing houses. Having largely convinced others of the merits of this, she then visited a number of other schools that had gone coeducational and came back utterly convinced that 135

Foundation on a Hill her original idea of segregation was wrong, and that the existing integrated family approach at St Edmund’s was far preferable to anything that she had seen elsewhere! It was greatly to her credit that she instigated her own U-turn so positively. The Revd R.H. Ellis had been Chaplain for 16 years and reference has already been made to the great impact which his arrival had on the school in 1984. 16 years is a long time for a chaplain to be at a school (although Christopher Gill had served for a similar period of time) and it was a very different school at the end of Roger Ellis’s chaplaincy, particularly with the fall in boarding numbers. One of the many things which he had achieved was an ever-increasing ability to raise money for good causes, assisted particularly in later years by Baker House and Housemaster Ian (I.F.) Narburgh. The annual amount raised was nearing £10,000 by the end of the 1990s. He should also be remembered as having been the person who created the concept of the “St Edmund’s Family”.

M.H. Rouse left the school in this year after 26 years during which time he was Head of Mathematics and latterly Director of Studies. In his later years Martyn had become a first class road runner, not only taking part in the London and other marathons, but also winning team gold medals and individual bronze medals in the World Veteran Road Race Championships in 1997. At the end of December, 2000 Roger Roebuck retired from his position as Bursar. Since the full independence of the school in 1996 he had also been Clerk to the Governors and had played a big part in ensuring the financial stability of the school with a healthy operating surplus,

despite managing to keep fee increases below or at the national average. He was succeeded in January, 2001 by Mary Stannard, with the title of Head of Finance and Estates, as well, of course, as being Clerk to the Governors. In the second half of the Ridley period successful local financial management has been crucial in bringing the School to its current stable position. 2005 saw the enforced retirement of Dr R. Barnes. Roger Barnes had been Head of Science and Chemistry for 16 years and the spectacular success of Science during that time was largely attributable to him. He had fought a successful battle against illness during the previous year, but sadly did not feel able to continue his work at the school. Tragically, his recovery did not last and he died, mourned by very many people, in 2008. The school was also stunned by two pupil deaths in the summer and autumn of 2004 – of Rebecca McNie in a road accident in France and of Benn Leon in an off-road car accident.

In 1995 a major refurbishment of the boys’ boarding premises had taken place – the boys had fallen somewhat behind the girls in the standard of their living conditions. Further changes were taking place for the girls however. What had been the Baker/ Staff Wing, at least as far as the Staff Common Room, was converted into an area for girl boarders (and a member of staff), and at the end of 2001, after 12 years, the City of Canterbury closed down as a girls’ boarding house (the owner wished to sell and the school did not consider it sensible to purchase it).

The study bedroom areas in the New Wing were

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Farewell C.O.C. – and into the 21st Century 1994-2011 also converted into girls’ accommodation and from January 2002 all girls were now housed in the main school. Whilst on the subject of girls, it should be noted that in the year 2004-05 the School Captain, all four House Captains and the CSM in the CCF were all girls! Also the School now had a lady Chaplain, the Revd Melanie Horton, a lady Bursar (or Head of Finance and Estates), Mary Stannard, and a Housemistress in charge of Watson House, Trudie Cliff.

The school was certainly flourishing. An HMI inspection in the late ‘90s said that “music, art and drama are the jewels in the crown”, but academic standards and sport were far from being left behind.

In 2003 the A level pass rate was 100% and it has been above 95% every year since 2001, with the percentage of A/B grades up to 69 and the number of candidates with three or more passes over 90%.

At GCSE the pass rate (A*-C) has been above 90% since 1998, with between 42% and 60% at A* or A, and between 90 and 100% of candidates gaining 5 or more passes at A*-C. In ‘value-added’ scores of academic progress made over a five-year period, St Edmund’s came out as the best school in Kent, and fifth best of all coeducational secondary schools in the country.

Despite comparatively small numbers of both boys and girls compared with rival schools, the sports results have been first class. Time and again one reads of unbeaten, or near unbeaten, seasons and 100% success for both boys and girls. These included Girls’ Hockey (1995), Girls’ Tennis (1999, 2000), Netball (2000), Boys’ Tennis (1997); in 2003 the school reached the final of the ISFA 6-a-side Football and in 1999 they reached the last 16 of the Public Schools Cup. In the Junior School the Rugby XV won 8 matches out of 9 in 1996 (from 2001 they gave up playing Rugby for Hockey). Other great Junior School years were Netball, Rounders and Girls’ Hockey in 1996-97, Football (1997) and Cricket (2001). Two individual sporting stars were Diana Jeffery, the first girl to win the Junior School CrossCountry and who went on to represent England at Under 16 Cross-Country before leaving to go to Millfield, and Dominic Chambers, who in 2001 scored 927 runs for the 1st XI at an average of 92.7 and the following year scored 864 at an average of 70. In four years in the 1st XI he totalled 2701 runs at an average of 67. Dominic had a few years on the staff with Kent, without being able to establish a place in the 1st XI. 2001 incidentally saw the first time that the 1st XI had played King’s, Canterbury since pre1940. Many junior teams also produced glorious

Beauty and the Beast. 2009

seasons and no doubt other individuals might consider themselves worthy of mention. Sporting tours abroad also took place. In 1995 Boys’ Hockey and Girls’ Hockey and Netball players went to Barbados, and in 1996 Boys’ Football and Girls’ Hockey teams went to Spain and Gibraltar. Many other trips abroad continued to take place; two expeditions to Iceland, sailing in France, skiing in Italy, trips to Paris, musicians to Salzburg, a visit to Berlin, Choir Concert in Boulogne Cathedral, to name but a few.

The CCF celebrated its Centenary in 2003 and Old Boy Major-General Mark (M.J.) Strudwick, who was GOC Scotland before he retired, was the Inspecting Officer that year – and the following year he was Guest of Honour at Speech Day. Two other serving Old Boys in 2003 held the highest ranks ever achieved by former pupils in the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. Peter Walpole was promoted to Commodore in 2003 before deciding to leave the senior service in 2008 and Christopher Nickols (son of H.A. Nickols) became Air Vice-Marshal in 2005 and Air Marshal in 2009 (General Sir Gordon MacMillan remains the highest ranking officer of all time from the school). An interesting fact is that both left school in the same year, 1974. Other former

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Foundation on a Hill greater bonhomie and a more relaxed approach to the business of taking the school forwards. Certainly he was beginning to feel the strain. As a result he decided two years later that he was not going to stay on until he reached retiring age in 2010, but that he would take early retirement in 2005. He said in an interview with the editors of the Chronicle “The last eleven years have worn me out!” He had to have a hip replacement shortly after retiring, but is now happily restored to health and able to enjoy a retirement of writing, sailing and working at a sensible pace.

Dina Ayoub,the first Old Girl to join the staff (2002-08).

pupils were in the news too. Orlando Bloom became world famous following his appearance as Legolas in “The Lord of the Rings”. David Thomas (195160) stood as the Conservative candidate for the Carmarthen East & Dinefwr seat in the General Election of 2001. In a safe Labour seat, he came third of five candidates, considerably increasing the Conservative vote. Dina Ayoub became the first Old Girl to join the staff of the School in 2002. Emily Rickards, great grand-daughter of former Headmaster Burnside, joined her elder sister in becoming a RAF pilot in 1996. In Music it seemed to become almost a regular event for a pupil to become ‘The Marlowe Young Musician of the Year’ in Canterbury. In 2006 Darren Henley became Managing Director of the radio station Classic FM. In 1996 the chapel acquired a new organ – an electronic organ from Copeman Hart, built for Southwell Minster in 1993. The case and display pipes of the old Willis organ were left intact. In 2003 Charles Pickersgill, the last foundationer to have joined the School under the auspices of the Clergy Orphan Corporation before devolution, left the school – an historic occasion. The East Kent Field was re-named The Jackman Field in honour of Robin Jackman (a somewhat belated recognition perhaps). Flexi-boarding became a feature of Junior School – and a very popular option too. These are just some of the main events of a momentous eleven years.

In the Michaelmas Term 2001 David Knight, the Deputy Head, took over as Acting Head for the term, following the major surgery undergone by Ridley at the end of the summer holidays. Ridley returned, restored to health, in January 2002. After seven years of relentless striving firmly to establish St Edmund’s as “the other great independent school in Canterbury” (an ambition he had earlier identified for the Governors), Ridley was now entering what he called his ‘mellow period’. This was a time of 138

What sort of a school did Ridley leave behind for his successor? A very successful one is the brief answer. He had succeeded in bringing back the numbers to the overall figure which Tyson had seen as being the optimum, although he had not been able to stem the drift away from boarding. He handed over a Senior School of 311, of whom 23% were boarders and 40% were girls, and a Junior School of 238, with just a handful of boarders, in addition to the Cathedral Choristers, and 34% girls.

He had arrived at St Edmund’s at a time of great uncertainty – a period of recession which had greatly affected the overall numbers, the need to reduce staff in order to balance the budget, and with the whole governing structure of the school very soon

David Knight

Farewell C.O.C. – and into the 21st Century 1994-2011 to be fundamentally altered. The clear, positive and sustained success that he created is shown by the excellence of the examination results, increasing pupil numbers resulting from a growing reputation in East Kent and further afield, increasing sporting success, an outstanding reputation for music, art and drama, and the vastly improved quality of the facilities and the buildings, dominated by the two major capital projects of the new Junior School Building and the new Music School. As the Chairman of Governors said at Speech Day “He has asserted strong personal, academic and pastoral leadership in the School.” St Edmund’s had much to be grateful to him for as it completed 150 years in Canterbury and set out into the 21st century.

Ridley was succeeded as Headmaster in September 2005 by Jeremy M. Gladwin. Educated at Whitgift School, following five years as a chorister at Worcester Cathedral, and the University of Durham, he taught at Shrewsbury, where he was Head of Geography and a Housemaster as well as commanding the CCF, for 15 years before becoming Deputy Headmaster of The Royal Hospital School, Holbrook (near Ipswich). He is married to Nicki and they have two children, Becky-Anne, who spent a year in Senior School before her father took over, and Daniel, then a pupil in Junior School. Gladwin’s appointment was made in the summer of 2004, so that he had over a year to acquaint himself with St Edmund’s before taking up office.

2005-2006 marked the 150th anniversary of the school’s arrival in Canterbury and, to celebrate this occasion an Anniversary Ball was held at the school

The Gladwin family – Daniel, Becky-Anne, Nicki and Jeremy, Headmaster from 2005-2011 – taken shortly after their arrival in Canterbury.

on the evening of Speech Day, 2006. The Summer Ball was a combined event involving former pupils, leavers, staff, parents and other friends of the school and was organised in large part by former pupil and member of staff Dina Ayoub. 232 people attended and the Ball has become an annual event.

There were other notable happenings during the year.

The School, under the direction of the Design and Technology Department, entered a garden at the Hampton Court Flower Show. Not only were they the only school there but they won a Bronze Medal and gained a good deal of national press and TV coverage. St Edmund’s was designated as a centre of excellence for Drama and Theatre Studies by the examination board during the course of the year, and in the summer holidays a group of ten pupils performed at the Edinburgh Festival (at the Fringe) in a show, Fast Food For Thought, written by Director of Drama, Richard (R.M.) Parsons, a worthy successor to Philip Hollingworth, Barry Blake and others who have maintained such a high standard of drama at the school for over 70 years. His school production of Godspell at the end of 1996 was repeated for one night the following February at the Marlowe Theatre in Canterbury – a sell-out performance. The Junior School boarding house has been completely refurbished, and a new, more formal house structure put in place, with the names of Becket, Chaucer, Marlowe and Roper. The S enior School boys’ boarding accommodation has been upgraded to put it on a par with that of the girls, with many rooms now having full en-suite facilities.

The Library has also been completely renovated, with rooms added above it to provide improved recreational space for the girls. The Choir House, in the Cathedral precincts, has had a major renovation, something that was long overdue, and during the 18-month period when this was taking place the choristers lived in temporary accommodation at the school. A new car park was provided off Giles Lane, which has finally removed the need for traffic flowing through the school grounds and brought an end to the morning and afternoon parking chaos in Junior School and to vehicular access to the clocktower entrance. The old gymnasium was also given a facelift in 200607 and the following year the School Hall (or Theatre) was also re-equipped – and finally had comfortable seating! A new full-time role of Marketing Director was also established at this time.

October 2006 saw the death of another notable figure from the past - Christopher Peto, Old Boy, member of staff for 25 years, Housemaster of Baker for 12 years, the first Housemaster of Choir House,

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Foundation on a Hill and a founder member and Leader of the Canterbury Orchestra. In 2007 Ian Taylor, an outstanding sportsman, was killed in a motor accident. Judith Rose, the first mistress in charge of Senior School girls, also died, as did G.E.Aisbitt, schoolmaster, only the third recorded Old Boy centenarian. 2008 saw the deaths of other great names of the past. John and Irene Cox, for so many years great towers of strength of the Junior School, died within weeks of each other in March (Irene was 98) and former Headmaster Francis Rawes passed away in September at the age of 92.

Another of the long-serving members of staff, Geoffrey Pass, died in June 2011. An Oxford University soccer ‘Blue’ in 1948, he had been a first-class Careers Master in addition to other previously mentioned posts.

Further notable retirements of long-serving staff have taken place in the last four years. David Kefford retired in 2007 after 35 years at St Edmund’s. He came in 1972 as Head of PE and to teach Mathematics and he ran football and athletics for many years. In 1996 he transferred to Junior School to become Head of Mathematics, and David and his wife Wendy ran School House for eight years.

David was President of the Common Room for 13 years and Wendy taught in Junior School for 17 years. John O’Sullivan, the RSM, also retired in 2007 after 25 years’ service. In 2009 two more stalwarts retired. Ian Narburgh came to the school in 1975. A former Head of English and Housemaster of Baker, he also ran squash for many years. His

Jeremy Gladwin, Janet Frampton-Fell and Robert Bacon.

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wife, Eileen, retired in 2006, having been secretary to thee headmasters. Ian (I.F.) Thompson joined the staff in 1976 to teach French, German and Latin.

As well as being Head of Classics, he was a former Housemaster of Warneford, ran the Madrigal Group for many years and was, and still is, a Lay Clerk at the Cathedral. His wife, Helen, also taught in Junior School for 11 years.

2010 saw two further retirements. David Knight had joined the school, together with David Kefford, in 1972 and had been a Deputy Head since 1991. A former Housemaster of both Baker and Owen, Head of History and coach to many successful cricket and hockey teams, from 1st XI to Junior Colts, he was also President of Games for 21 years. Having previously been Acting Headmaster for Nicholas Ridley, in his final term David also took over from Jeremy Gladwin, absent through illness, and presided over Speech Day. David’s contribution to St Edmund’s during his 38 years at the school was immense and his wife, Gilly, also played a huge part in a variety of house and matronal roles – and continues to help in Choir House. Trevor (T.J.) Barnett joined the school in 1977 to teach French and German. A former Housemaster of Wagner, he was Head of Modern Languages for many years, in charge of Cross-Country for some years and a keen supporter of football. Finally, in 2011 Chris (C.D.) Barnard also left the school, together with his wife, Kay, after 37 years. A former Housemaster of Grant, Warneford and Owen, Chris, a mathematician, has also been in command of the CCF for 23 years, latterly with the rank of Lieutenant-

Farewell C.O.C. – and into the 21st Century 1994-2011 Colonel. Kay, latterly Head of Biology, also served in the CCF and was on the staff for 20 years. In the last three years five men have retired with a total of 175 years’ service between them – a remarkable occurrence and perhaps a suitable moment to acknowledge all those who, in the history of the school, have celebrated the milestone of 100 terms.

These are, in chronological order, with the number of years in brackets: Herbert Watson (41), Carol Powers (40), Walter Stephen-Jones (36), Giles Kedge (40), ‘Nat’ Taylor (39), John Cox (34), Geoffrey Pass (34), Jock Asbury-Bailey(36), Barry Blake (38), Robin Hawkins (34), Martin Rupp (37), Jane Radford (née Munro) (34), David Kefford (35), Ian Narburgh (34), David Knight (38) Chris Barnard (37).

John Reade, Philip Hollingworth, Martin Clifford, Ian Thompson and Trevor Barnett all missed out by one term.

Two other members of staff to leave in the last four years, each with 23 years’ service, have been Marcus (M.B.H.) Jeffrey, modern linguist and for 10 years Director of Marketing, and Tim (T.N.) Pearce, Old Boy, Head of Junior School Geography and former Houseparent of Choir House.

It has been my deliberate policy so far in this book to give little mention to any of the staff who are currently at the school, but in this final section it is right and proper that due recognition should be given to a number of members of staff who have served the school exceedingly well for a lengthy period of time. There are now over 90 members of staff in the whole school – some contrast to the three who looked after the school when it first arrived in Canterbury – and I shall almost certainly offend some who do not get a mention here, but I shall, in general, limit myself to those who will have spent at least 20 years at the school by the end of the academic year 2010-2011. Apologies to any who are not mentioned and feel that they should have been. All

have contributed greatly to the present success of St Edmund’s.

Robert Bacon, the Master of the Junior School since 1996, has been mentioned before, but it would be right to praise again the remarkable contribution he has made to the development of the Junior School in his 15 years at the helm. In the year 2001-02 the total number of children in the Junior School reached a record 292, and for the second time in its history it outnumbered the Senior School, although it should be remembered that children as young as three now join the Pre-Prep School, now run as a separate unit under the able Headship of Janet Frampton-Fell.

Tom Hooley and Ed (E.J.) Southey both joined Junior School in 1980. Tom is now Senior Master and Head of Latin, and Ed is Head of History and for many years played a major part in running games in the Junior School. Others with 20 years or more service are Jon (J.P.) Dagley (26), Head of English and Higher Education Adviser, and for long involved with athletics and cross-country, David (D.G.) Whitehouse (24), physicist and Public Examinations Officer, and Joanna (J.C.) Wilkinson (20), Head of PE. Inspections over the last 15 years have laid much emphasis on music, art and drama, and it would be wrong not to mention the names of those responsible in these spheres. Drama has already had its mention, but Richard Parsons has now moved on, succeeded by Mark Sell, and in Music the names of Dennis Kiddy, Ian Sutcliffe, Chris McDade and the current Director, Will Bersey, should all be praised for their achievements, whilst famous names from the past, such as Pullen-Baker, Leggat and Brough must be recognised for the high standards which they brought about in their time. Exceptional musicians continue to go out from St Edmund’s.

Among those in recent years to have won a place at the Royal Academy of Music was the gifted young pianist Jacob Barnes. Sadly, Jacob contracted leukaemia a year after leaving school and, despite a gallant battle at the Royal Marsden Hospital, he died, deeply mourned by many, in May 2011. In Art, Dai Griffiths was an inspirational leader of a great team until forced by illness to retire at the end of 2007, but the high standard displayed in the Art Exhibition at the end of each summer term has been continued under the leadership of Alison SlaterWilliams, all of this following the 18 years in which David and Lynn Stevenson did so much to build up the department.

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Foundation on a Hill With the departure of Jeremy Gladwin in August 2011 it is too soon to be able to reflect adequately on his six years in charge of the school, but there are important features and changes that need to be noted and applauded. Inspections, which used to take place at long intervals, are now a regular occurrence every few years, both by Ofsted and by the Independent Schools Inspectorate, and St Edmund’s continues to receive excellent reports at all levels. Examination results continue to improve.

The English AQA Baccalaureate has been introduced and Spanish has replaced German as a foreign language. The school has become part of Interact, the youth branch of Rotary International, another step to increase the ties of St Edmund’s with the City of Canterbury. A Marketing Manager and a fundraising expert have joined the school and, perhaps most importantly, the establishment of the St Edmund’s School Foundation, a charity within a charity, in 2008, has led to the setting-up of a permanent ongoing fundraising mechanism that will do away with the need for periodic appeals.

The first major result of this will be the construction of a floodlit Astroturf hockey pitch, which will of course be used for other sports as well, on the old Alps area. Work is scheduled to start on this within the next 12 months. Plans for the near future also include the building of a new permanent classroom block – something that should enable the many mobile classrooms finally to be removed.

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Melanie Horton left in 2008, after 5 years as Chaplain, to return to parish life in Herefordshire, from where Ian Terry arrived to succeed her, only to return to parish life himself in Bournemouth the following year. A retired priest, Robert Prance was next to take over. He was universally acclaimed and it was with much sadness that family circumstances forced him to leave at short notice after only a year. Another retired priest, Roger Marsh, held the fort for a term and a half until the Revd Mark-Aaron Tisdale arrived in February 2011 to take over a position now more akin to a parish priest, with no teaching involved. Born in Pittsburgh, USA, he came from a parish in Bedfordshire. Mary Stannard left in 2010, to be succeeded as Bursar

by Bob Smith, but in case the reader may sense a decline in feminine influence, it should be noted that in 2011 not only does St Edmund’s have a lady Head, but the Deputy Head and three of the four people in charge of houses will also be ladies, as will over half the teaching staff in both Senior and Junior Schools.

Another change in 2007 was the moving of the school’s doctor from the London Road (formerly King’s Bridge) practice, where it seems to have been almost from the start of the school’s move to Canterbury, to the Cossington Road practice, with Dr Greg Manson responsible for the pupils at St Edmund’s. Roddy Tyndale-Biscoe retired from the Governing Body in 2008, a year that was also

Farewell C.O.C. – and into the 21st Century 1994-2011 notable for the fact that, for the first time, an Old Girl, Karen Milburn (née Stringer), was President of the St Edmund’s Society. In November of that year the school finally acknowledged its only winner of the Victoria Cross by unveiling a plaque in honour of Benjamin Handley Geary in the entrance to the chapel. It was a pleasure to welcome seven members of his family, particularly his younger, only surviving son, David, aged 81, who flew over from Canada with his daughter.

So where does St Edmund’s stand as it moves forward into the 21st century? In the notoriously fickle and misleading League tables it stands above many famous schools, but these tables should never be taken as a true order of merit of many great schools. A series of School Inspections over the last 14 years presents an unbiased view of what is achieved at the foundation at the top of St Thomas Hill in Canterbury, as the following quotes, written unless given in the first person, will show.

From the Senior School inspection of 1997: “The school is ambitious in setting itself standards of academic and all-round excellence, and it realises most of what it aims to achieve.” “There is a strong pupil work ethic, which is a main feature of the school.” “Standards of achievement in sport are commendable.” “The range of extracurricular activities is immense.” “Pastoral care is of a high order.” “Music, Art and Drama are jewels in the crown.” “I must say, your pupils really are a delight.”

In 2000 the Junior School had a full inspection: “The school has a genuine concern for the allround development of the individual child.” “The school secures good behaviour and a lively response from all the children.” “The staff show a strong professional commitment to the care and education of children.”

In May 2006 the Foundation Stage for 3 and 4 yearolds was inspected by Ofsted. No prior warning of such inspections is given. After two mornings the inspector declared that she had run out of superlatives for her draft report and returned for a third morning to make sure that she wasn’t dreaming! The result was a report that rated the Foundation Stage as outstanding in all three areas assessed: helping children to achieve well and enjoy what they do; helping children make a positive contribution; and the organisation of the provision. St Edmund’s is one of only two schools in Kent to have achieved an ‘outstanding’ rating at that time. Further inspections, both by Ofsted and the Independent Schools Inspectorate, took place in 2009 and full reports can be read on the school website, and in The Good Schools Guide 2011 St Edmund’s is the winner of 4 awards for best results at GCSE and A level in Drama and Theatre Studies, Design & Technology, Art & Design (3-D studies) and Art & Design (Photography).

Among notable recent overseas tours have been Music and Drama visits to the United States and a trip to Auschwitz-Birkenau, Krakow. The last four years have seen some remarkable sports results, particularly when it is remembered that there are fewer than 200 boys and only about 100 girls in the Senior School. In three successive years St Edmund’s were once winners and twice runners-up in the Lemon Cup (Kent Schools Under 19 cricket) and in the last three years the cricket 1st XI has won over 70% of its matches. Among its outstanding players have been Ben Easter, Ben Pape, Ben Kemp (who has already played for Kent 2nd XI) and Rafi Stone, whilst girls’ netball and hockey first teams and the 2009 1st XI football team have been equally successful. In 2009 the boys’ hockey team reached the semi-final of the Frank Mason Cup and the girls’ tennis VI lost only one match.

The Senior School was inspected again in 2003: “St Edmund’s is a highly successful school with many significant strengths.” “Academic standards are very good, with very good results at both GCSE and A level.” “The strong commitment to pastoral care and the very good opportunities for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development result in high standards of courtesy, respect and behaviour among pupils.” “The quality of musical activities is very high.” “A school well served by its committed, hard-working and loyal staff who give their time generously.”

Lemon Cup winners 2009

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Foundation on a Hill In the autumn of 2009 Jeremy Gladwin applied for and gained the headmastership of Bishop’s Stortford College, nearly two years before he was to take up the post in 2011. He was the first Headmaster since Hoban, nearly half a century ago, to move on from St Edmund’s to another school. He was unfortunate in that ill-health caused him to be absent from the school for a considerable part of 2010, when successive Deputy Heads, David Knight and Janet Mander, stood in for him. Gladwin’s six-year stay at the school may have been comparatively short, but it has been a time when the school has continued to make excellent progress, when sound planning for the future sees it in good heart and where an exceptionally strong and united staff has been built up.

The Michaelmas Term, 2011 sees another momentous change for St Edmund’s, with the arrival of Louise Moelwyn-Hughes as Head. Educated at Methodist College, Belfast, where she had a particular love of music and sport, she moved on to Magdalene College, Cambridge to study Classics. Her first teaching appointment was at Marlborough College, where she became a housemistress, before moving on to The Perse School in Cambridge as the school’s first female Deputy Head before becoming Senior Deputy Head.

Her husband, Owen, will also be teaching in Canterbury.

What more can one say? 54 boys arrived at the school in 1855; in September 2011 there are nearly ten times that number of pupils, albeit with a wider age range. In summary, the Senior School totals 266 (153 boys and 113 girls), of whom 90 are boarders and 176 day pupils, and the Junior and Pre-Prep Schools combined total 234 (137 boys and 97 girls), of whom 47 are boarders and 187 day pupils.

What of the fees? In 1902 the first non-foundationers had paid £60 a year; in 1945 boarders paid £150 and day-boys £60, and by 1963 these figures had risen to £420 and £225 respectively. In 2011-12 they will be £26,547 and £17,058 for the Senior School, although these figures are reduced for many by scholarships, exhibitions and bursaries. The youngest in the Pre-Prep School attend mornings only at fees of £1215 per term.

Much has changed since 1953. The interior of the old parts of the school would hardly be recognisable today.

There are many new buildings. Girls and Cathedral Choristers are now a major part of the school. The Junior School is much larger and throughout the school day-pupils far outnumber boarders, Chapel services

Louise Moelwyn-Hughes

are now limited to two mornings a week and there are no regular Sunday services.

Despite all the changes over more than a century and a half in Canterbury, St Edmund’s remains a happy, family school, founded, and remaining based, on firm Christian principles of love and friendship and still adhering firmly to its Church of England background.

There will be a few who have passed through its portals who will challenge this, and those who have been in authority over all these years can only apologise for the fact that some have been unhappy – would they have been any happier in any other similar establishment? Probably not. The vast majority will, I hope and believe, remember with gratitude their time spent at the top of St Thomas Hill (and of course at Carlyon Bay). The Foundationers have gone, sadly perhaps, for they were the heart and raison d’être of the School for nearly 250 years, but the Foundation itself stands strong on the top of St Thomas Hill, where it has been for over a century and a half.

May St Edmund’s and all those connected with the school flourish long into the future.

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Chapter 11

A woman at the Top The first Lady Head Updating Foundation on a Hill for the second time, I have decided to make no alterations to the previous text, even though there are things which could, or even should, have been changed, so this chapter simply recounts some of the things that have happened from 2011-2018.

The appointment of Louise Moelwyn-Hughes to take over from Jeremy Gladwin in September 2011 must have come as something of a surprise, if not a shock, to staff, pupils, parents and former pupils. They need not have worried. The seven years that she has spent in Canterbury have proved to be a time of almost unbroken progress and success and this has been largely due to her direction at the top. One decision that was not the Head’s was the abolition of Saturday morning lessons. Her predecessor had carried out a poll amongst parents to decide about this and the majority vote went in favour of abolition.

The Junior School, of whom only the Upper School (the top three forms) had attended Saturday lessons

for many years, started this in September 2011 and the Senior School followed suit the following year. A programme of activities on Saturday mornings was arranged for the boarders, in which the day pupils were also invited to take part – and they were invited to come to breakfast as well. Some would have held concerns about the effect that all this would have on school matches, but were assured that this would be minimal. Looking back, there is no doubt that the number of 1st XI matches in all the major sports has decreased, but thanks to a dedicated staff much success has continued to be achieved.

The other venture which the Head inherited was the building of the Astroturf playing field. This was delayed to some extent by the time taken to gather the money, but even more by the archaeologists who had to investigate the site. Amongst other things, they found a bronze-age trench, a fire-pit and some house lintels, but finally they left, the work was able to proceed and the pitch was opened in September 2013.

Astroturf

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Foundation on a Hill

New Academic Hub Part One

Improvements inside the main building continued.

The refurbishment of houserooms and common rooms and of the Senior Common Room took place and towards the end of the period new recreation rooms for both boys and girls were built on the two floors above the Library. A new IT suite and Photography studio were also constructed. In September the Sanatorium moved from what had originally been the maids’ quarters on the second floor above the dining hall and became The Medical Centre on the ground floor of the old Junior School building.

History and Geography teaching both moved into the main building. New study bedrooms appeared in the area of the long-forgotten Middle Dormitory, fully en suite and superior to a good deal of university accommodation.

Lastly, extensive plans were produced for the new Academic Hub, designed eventually to remove all teaching to the area adjoining the new car park and where the old mobile classrooms had been for too long. The first splendid building in this new project was opened in 2018 and now contains all the Mathematics and History teaching. For a time extra boarding accommodation for sixth-formers became available in the Franciscan Centre in Giles Lane.

All this development was necessary, not only because much of the teaching accommodation had become inadequate, but also, because, against the national trend, numbers at St Edmund’s had continued to rise.

This was due very largely to the great expansion of the Admissions Office and staff, most particularly, from its inception under Jeremy Gladwin, under the direction of Amanda Selmon, who travelled extensively all over the world to increase the number of pupils. This did not always meet with the total backing of some members of staff. For the first time in

its history the total number in the School touched 600 and Senior School numbers approached 350. New senior management positions were also introduced.

Another change concerned the St Edmund’s Society.

Formed in 1880 as The COS Society, a Society for Old Boys of the School, it retained this name until 1934 when it became the St Edmund’s Society. In recent years it had proved increasingly difficult to find former pupils with the time or desire to run the Society successfully and it was the Head’s idea that it should be subsumed under The St Edmund’s School Foundation, which had been formed in 2008. This was almost certainly the correct decision, but, sadly, the number of former pupils who responded online in the vote on the decision was very small and despite the huge amount of work put in by the Foundation Office there are still some aspects where further progress needs to be made.

People have formed a large part of this book and once again there have been a good number who have left the school, having given sterling service over a considerable number of years. These include Robert Bacon after an outstanding 19 years as Master of the Junior School (1996-2015), and, listing them by length of service, Jon Dagley (31 years), David Whitehouse (26), Joanna Wilkinson (22), Trudie Cliff (22), Paul Gadenne (21), Richard Austin (19), Kathy Lloyd (18), Liz Swallow (18), Rosemary Kroiter (17), Malcolm Walters (15), Janet Mander (14), Janet Frampton-Fell (13). Others who have departed from non-academic posts include Gilly Knight after 39 years, including her last three in charge of Choir House, assisted by her husband David, Carol Hawkins (14 years as Music Administrator), Yvonne Landsberger (15 years as San Sister), Elaine Bishop

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A woman at the Top. The first Lady Head (17 years on the secretarial staff), Kim Gibson (15 years in the General Office) and Vic Offredi (29 years in the Maintenance Department).

Following Robert Bacon’s retirement, Matthew Jelley spent two years in charge of the Junior School and this was followed by a year when the School’s Deputy Head, Ed O’Connor, took charge until the arrival in 2018 of Dr Emma Margrett from Lingfield College.

Mrs Julia Exley became Head of the Pre-Prep School in the summer of 2013 following the retirement of Janet Frampton-Fell.

The deaths have occurred of three former members of staff, whose service to the School has been incalculable.

Herbert (‘Nick’) Nickols died in 2017 at the age of 91, and two former Chaplains, Christopher Gill and Roger Ellis, died within a month of each other in 2015, both having served for 16 years as chaplain. A memorable Funeral Service was held for ‘Nick’ in the Cathedral, led by The Dean, Robert Willis. A packed Memorial Service for Roger in the School Chapel and a stained glass window in Christopher’s memory above the door leading into the Chapel, designed and created by his younger son Tim in memory of his father, were fitting memorials for two outstanding chaplains.

In this century the positions of Chaplain and Bursar seem to have changed hands too frequently, but with the arrival of Steve Bennett in January 2013 and Nick Scott-Kilvert in 2015 the school can hopefully look forward to greater stability in these two vital roles.

Music, as ever, continues to play a huge and significant part in the life of the school. After the departure of Will Bersey in 2013 to take over at The King’s School and a brief interregnum under Spencer Payne, Spencer finally and deservedly filled the position. Ana Vandepeer (violin) was the winner of the Marlowe Young Musician of the Year in 2012 and a host of other musicians have maintained the very high standards seen at the school for many years – too many to mention all, but perhaps one might put in two names, Timon Staehler (now sadly departed to Marlborough) and Will Inscoe. The introduction of the St Edmund’s Festival in the summer of 2017 was another huge stride forward. This is a week-long festival of music, drama and the arts, held at the end of the summer term and the opening concert in the first Festival in 2017 was given by world-famous Old Boy pianist Freddie Kempf and in 2018 this role was filled by renowned violinist Tasmin Little. Another star performer this year was the young saxophonist Jess Gillam, who only a few weeks later was to appear as one of the two soloists at The Last Night of the

Proms. Many others could be mentioned, but it must suffice to thank in particular the Festival Sponsor, Paul Roberts, and Patron (and saxophonist) John Harle – and Ian Swatman of the Music staff, whose original idea it was to start this St Edmund’s Festival.

Drama has continued to thrive. To mention just two of many outstanding productions, there was the 2015 performance of “As Kill a King”, written by staff member Jon Dagley, and the 2017 showing of “Oliver”, considered by many to be the most outstanding production they had ever seen at St Edmund’s.

That Sport has continued to thrive is in some ways quite remarkable when one remembers the size of the school and the fact that that number contains both boys and girls. One wonders whether there is any school in the country of the same size that can match our achievements. In 2013 the hockey XI won the Frank Mason Plate Competition and in the same year Thomas Phillis averaged 97 in the 1st XI batting averages. In 2017-2018 two 15-year-olds, Joe Gordon and Ben Mills, have both been members of the Kent Cricket Academy. In 2013 fifty years of tennis matches at St Edmund’s were celebrated.

In 2013 Old Boy Brian Bird (1940), a wartime Spitfire pilot himself, visited the school with a Spitfire project, which included having a Spitfire replica on the cricket pitch. Brian sadly passed away two years later. Other events have included the setting up of a St Edmund’s farm at Denstroude, a partnership with the Aspinall Foundation, sponsorship of the Canterbury Hockey Club and the holding of the annual St Edmund’s Day Service, involving the whole school, at the Colyer Fergusson Building at the University. A very generous Old Boy benefactor, Michael Stewart, has been responsible for considerable refurbishment in the School Chapel and for completely reorganising the auditorium in the School Hall, now known as the Theatre.

New Auditorium in the theatre

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Foundation on a Hill Michael Terry, a pupil at the school for five years and the son of a foundationer Old Boy, with a younger brother and two sons also at the school, had become a Governor in 1996 at the time of the school’s devolution from the Clergy Orphan Corporation. Ten years later he became Chairman, a position which he held until December 2017, and in the summer of 2018 he finally resigned from the Board. They have not always been easy years, but Michael’s devotion to duty has been exceptional. He has almost certainly spent more time at the school than any other Chairman of Governors and his wise guidance has led the school through periods of great change and success. He has well-earned his retirement and it is to be hoped that he and his wife Diana, whose support has helped him throughout his 22 years as a Governor, will enjoy a long and happy retirement.

Michael was succeeded as Chairman in January 2018 by another Old Boy of the school, Air Marshal Christopher Nickols, CB, CBE. Chris also has long connections with St Edmund’s. His father ‘Nick’ was on the staff for 31 years, his brother was also an Old Boy and his son a Chorister.

Louise Moelwyn-Hughes was head-hunted in the summer of 2017 to return to Marlborough College, where she had spent her first 13 years as a teacher, as Master in September 2018. Her seven years at St Edmund’s have seen the school go from strength to strength. She inherited change and brought it to fruition. When problems arose, she dealt with them fairly and firmly. For some months she was also doing the job of Bursar. She has probably spoken to more people about more things than anyone has had any idea about and only in very few cases will harsh words have been spoken. On top of all this she has found time to have three children, Johannes, Ruan Alexander and Anastasia, and she has still probably spent more time on the job than any of her predecessors. We wish her, her husband Owen and the children all happiness and success in the future.

In September 2018 Edward (‘Ed’) O’Connor took over as Head. He had already spent five years at St Edmund’s as Deputy Head (and in the last year as Acting Head of the Junior School). Ed was educated at Sherrardswood School, Welwyn. He went on to read History at Peterhouse, Cambridge before taking

Edward (‘Ed’) O’Connor

an MPhil in International Relations at Jesus College, Oxford. Ed then worked for five years in investment banking in London for Credit Suisse, First Boston and Dresdner Kleinwort Benson. He left the city in 2000 and switched careers to teaching. He taught Politics and History at St Alban’s School before moving to become Head of History and Director of Sixth Form at Sutton Valence School. In 2008 he joined The Perse School in Cambridge as Head of Sixth Form and teacher of Politics and History and also completed an MEd. Ed has also enjoyed success as an author and is a keen sportsman. He is married to Judith and they have two daughters, Esme and Isabel, both of whom are pupils in the school.

Looking back to the beginning of this story, what amazing changes have taken place in what is approaching 270 years. It all began officially in 1749, although one could well mention 1751 or 1804 or even 1855 when the school finally arrived on top of a hill overlooking Canterbury. It has survived numerous crises and two world wars and stands today as proud and successful as it has ever done, thanks to the 23 Heads who have guided its destiny during all that time. Long may it continue to thrive!

Foundation on a

Foundation on a Hill

The History of148St Edmund’s School Canterbury

APPENDIX A

APPENDIX B

ST EDMUND of ABINGDON

THE HOUSES – and THEIR NAMES

Edmund was born on November 20th, the feast day of Edmund King and Martyr, sometime between 1175 and 1180, the son of Reginald, a well-to-do merchant, and his wife Mabel in the town of Abingdon in Berkshire. His father had the nickname ‘Dives’ or Rich and Edmund has sometimes been called Edmund Rich, but there is no evidence that he ever used this name himself and he always signed himself Edmund of Abingdon.

Headmaster Houghton introduced the House System, purely for games, in 1903 when boys were placed in North, East or West House, depending upon which part of the country they came from. In September 1923 these were changed to Baker, Wagner, Warneford and Watson. However they remained divisions for games only and it was not until January 1926 that the house system evolved in its present form, with Housemasters responsible for the welfare of the boys in each house, a responsibility previously undertaken by the Headmaster.

During the war years in Cornwall the smaller numbers in the school meant that, although boys were still allocated to one of the four houses, in practical terms only two existed, Baker/Wagner and Warneford/Watson.

Wagner became a separate house again in 1947 and Warneford in 1951. From 1978-1996 a fifth house, Grant, came into being when the numbers, still predominantly boarders, increased. The name Owen was introduced in 1996, an overnight community of boarders under one Housemaster at a time when the other Housemasters were not on duty. The following biographical sketches will explain who these people, after whom the houses are named, were.

At about the age of 12 Edmund and his brother Robert were sent to school in Oxford, traditionally on the site of what is now Brasenose College. He spent two periods of his life in Paris, perhaps from about 1190-1195 and from 1201-1214, firstly attending the university and then studying theology, and during the intervening years returned to Oxford. St Edmund Hall is the site on which he lived and taught. In 1222 he left Oxford to become Treasurer of the new Cathedral of Salisbury and at the same time Rector of Calne, in Wiltshire, about 35 miles to the north.

He was the 4th candidate to be chosen to succeed Richard le Grand as Archbishop of Canterbury, following the latter’s death in 1231. The first three, chosen by the Cathedral Chapter and approved by the King, were all rejected by the Pope in Rome, who himself nominated Edmund. He was finally elected towards the end of 1233 and was consecrated as Archbishop on April 2nd 1234 in Canterbury Cathedral in the presence of King Henry III. He was largely responsible for arranging a truce with the barons along the Welsh border, which averted civil war, but he had continual trouble with the monks of Canterbury who believed that he wished to usurp a good deal of their power, and so it was that in the late summer of 1240 he decided to go to see the Pope in Rome. With the alpine passes in the grip of imperial forces, and early snow and winter coming on, Edmund and his party turned back and stayed at the little town of Pontigny, about 100 miles south-east of Paris. There he was taken ill, but after a week or two he headed north again, probably intending to get back to England, but he got no further than a little Augustinian Priory at a place called Soisy-Bouy, near Provins, where he died on November 16th, 1240. Edmund had expressed a wish to be buried at Pontigny and a remarkable four-day pilgrimage saw his body returned to the great Cistercian Abbey there, which dated from the previous century and which had been a place of refuge for two previous Archbishops, Thomas Becket and Stephen Langton. To this day his body remains in an ornate shrine over the High Altar. Edmund was canonized in 1246.

Samuel W ilson W arneford was born in the hamlet of Wilson Warneford Sevenhampton in North Wiltshire, where his father owned most of the land, in 1763. He went to University College, Oxford, was ordained in 1790, and married in 1796, but his wife died a few years later without having any children. He held the rectory of Lydiard Millicent, Wiltshire from 1809 until his death and combined with it the vicarage of Bourton-on-the-Hill, Gloucestershire from 1810. Warneford was a wealthy man, both in his own right and from his wife’s fortune, and he made large donations to many churches and charities during his lifetime and at his death. Included amongst these was the donation of the site at the top of St Thomas Hill, Canterbury to the Clergy Orphan Corporation together with money for the building of the school and a further £13,000 to the school on his death.

The total of all the gifts which he made is said to have come to £200,000 and hospitals were named after him in Oxford and Leamington Spa. He died on January 11th 1855 and is buried in a tomb in the church at Bourton-on-the-Hill.

Joshua W atson was born on May 9th 1771, the son of Watson John Watson, a member of an old Cumberland family who had moved to London by the time of Joshua’s birth.

He went into his father’s business as a Wine Merchant in Mincing Lane, but, having made a good deal of money in this, he retired from the business in 1814 and devoted himself to charitable works for the rest of his life. He was well known in the High Church movement and started ‘The Hackney Phalanx’, a High Church party (his brother was Rector of Hackney for 40 years). He started and supported many charities, but his greatest 149

Foundation on a Hill interest was in the Clergy Orphan Corporation, and its schools, for which he worked for the last 35 years of his life and of which he was Treasurer for many years. During the lifetime of his wife, who died in 1830, a new school building had been built on the St John’s Wood site as her personal gift, and after her death the Clergy Orphan School became ‘the solace of his last years’. This work brought him into contact with Dr Samuel Warneford and Watson was largely responsible for persuading Warneford to give a large amount of money to the school both during his lifetime and at his death, as well as donating the Canterbury site. He died on January 30th 1855 and was buried in the family vault in Hackney.

Henry W agner was born on July 16th 1840, the second Wagner son of the Revd Henry Michell Wagner, the Vicar of Brighton for 45 years, and Mary Sikes Watson, only daughter of Joshua Watson. The Wagner family originally came from Goldberg in Silesia, where they were tailors, and then became hatters in Coburg and eventually at 93 Pall Mall, London to Kings George I, II and III. Henry was educated at Rugby and Merton College, Oxford and became a Barrister-at-Law of the Inner Temple. In 1871 he gave an Exhibition, not exceeding the value of £100 a year, to Keble College, Oxford, in memory of Joshua Watson, his grandfather, and in 1877 a second Exhibition of the same value and to the same college in memory of his father, Revd Henry Michell Wagner, both for boys of the Clergy Orphan School. These exhibitions were extended to Selwyn College, Cambridge in 1908. He died on April 24th 1926 and was buried at Brighton Cemetery.

William Baker was born at Reigate on December 18th 1841. He was educated at Merchant Taylors’ School, when it was in Suffolk Lane, near Cannon Street Station, and St John’s College, Oxford. He was a Fellow of St John’s from 1863-1870 and Tutor from 1866-1870, and in 1870 he returned to Merchant Taylors’ as Headmaster, a position which he held for 30 years and during which time the school moved, in 1875, to Charterhouse Square (it moved to its present site in Northwood in 1933). After he retired in 1900 he devoted a very considerable portion of his time to the work and welfare of the Clergy Orphan Corporation, in which he had long been interested. He was Treasurer from 1904 until his death and a year before his death he took a prominent part in transferring nearly the whole of the Warneford Fund to leaving scholarships to the universities. He was a regular visitor to the School and took a great interest in its welfare. He died on December 29th 1910.

Allan W allace Grant was born on February 2nd 1911 Wallace and was educated at Dulwich College and London University, where he obtained his LL.B Hons. He served with distinction in the 1939-45 war as Major, 2i/c, 3rd Co., London Yeomanry (Sharpshooters) in North Africa, Sicily, Italy and North-West Europe, winning the MC in 1941 and being awarded the TD in 1946. He was called to the Bar, Gray’s Inn, in 1948 and was Managing Director, Chairman and President of the Ecclesiastical Insurance Office Ltd. He was awarded the OBE in 1974.

He was Treasurer and Chairman of Committee (Chairman of Governors of the School) from 19671980, during an era which saw great developments at St Edmund’s, and was a Vice-President of the Corporation from 1980 until his death on August 17th 1997. His name is perpetuated at St Edmund’s in the Allan Grant Sixth Form Centre.

John Ivor Headon Owen was born on October 22nd 1922 and was educated at St Edmund’s where he was School Captain for his last term in Cornwall in 1941.

He joined the Royal Marines as an ordinary Marine and served in the Second World War, joining the Burma campaign from March 1944 and being involved in the recapture of Hong Kong in August 1945. He took part in post-war operations in Malaya, Indonesia and Aden and retired in 1973 with the rank of Major-General. He was awarded the OBE in 1963. After leaving the Royal Marines he spent 14 years as partnership secretary for accountants Thomson McLintock, and he was Treasurer of the Clergy Orphan Corporation and Chairman of Governors of its two schools from 1980-1994. He was fully involved in both schools and was instrumental in helping them become independent of the Clergy Orphan Corporation. He died on May 31st 1999.

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APPENDIX C THEN AND NOW – and in between (a guide to the use of the original rooms) Starting at the Headmaster’s entrance, the ground and first floors formed the Headmaster’s house as far as what is now the dining hall corridor and the Junior School. The first room on the right was the HM’s Dining Room for 100 years, before becoming Warneford houseroom for a few years and then the HM’s Study. After the entrance to the Chapel, the next room was the HM’s Drawing Room, the Library (1955-68), then the Drawing Room - again. Next was the Matron’s Room, later to become the HM’s Study, and finally divided into two rooms for staff and Registrar, and now occupied by the Chaplain and Assistant Deputy Head. Beyond that was one large room up to and including what is now the Allan Grant Sixth Form Centre and rising to the top floor. This was the Dining Hall until it became the Library (1908). In 1955 it was sub-divided, vertically and horizontally, the ground floor eventually becoming Wagner House houseroom, common room and studies, the upper floor a dormitory for Lower Sixth (New Dormitory) until 1978. Beyond were two studies, originally for staff, then for School monitors (called No.8 and No.9 – the hub of the school), and now used by Higher Education and Careers staff. Next was the Classroom, one of only two teaching rooms in the original school; for a time it was Baker Houseroom and now it is split into the Sixth Form Centre Resources Room and the Warneford Housemaster’s room. A door led into the Schoolroom, another large room, extending to the end of the building towards Canterbury and upwards to the top floor. Later called Big School, it acquired a stage at the south-east end and in 1955 a moveable raised area and a gallery at the north-west end.

Nearly all teaching originally took place in this room.

On the left, from the HM’s entrance, there was originally no building beyond the corridor towards the Junior School (built in 1897). The original, and only, staircase up to the dormitories went clockwise (it was rebuilt to go anticlockwise when the 1968 ‘New Wing’ was built) and at the bottom a door led through to a changing room, with drying room on the left, and then through to the swimming pool, built in 1891, with the only baths in the school (about 8 of them) leading off it, and outside the walls of the pool, on two sides, were wash-basins, urinals and WCs, all demolished in 1967-68. Further down the main corridor on the left was a small passageway leading to the asphalt and the urinals etc., off which on the left were two small studies, used variously by boys and by the RSM and as the Text Book store, and on the right a small room used for teaching and as Warneford houseroom – all also demolished in the 1960s.

On the left, inside the HM’s entrance, was the Headmaster’s Study, followed by the kitchen, scullery etc. In the 1950s they became Junior School classrooms and in the 1960s were offices for Headmaster’s and School Secretary, Bursar and his secretary, and a Dining Room for Junior School day-boys (now the Accounts office).

On the first floor, above the main corridor, the Headmaster had two bedrooms and a dressing room between. The bedrooms became classrooms in 1955 and the dressing room a master’s study (later Watson housemaster), with UV Common Room and dormitory on either side. In 1995 a major change led to all of this and two floors above (one new floor put in) becoming accommodation for houseparents of Owen House (boy boarders overnight).

The central portion of the building had no first floor until the construction of New Dormitory and the same was true of the Schoolroom, but in between were two studies for staff and a group of 7 studies for senior boys, looking NW and SE, with a passage between and gas rings for cooking. This whole floor became Watson in the 1960s, with the houseroom at the far end (now the Housemaster’s room and part of Wagner). Later New Dormitory was split into two Watson houserooms, one of which remains Watson houseroom and the other is a Fifth form relaxation area for the boys in Owen. The two studies are now the only studies in the Watson area.

Following the building of the new School Hall (Theatre) in 1976, the old Big School was converted into two house areas on the ground and first floors (Grant and Warneford) in 1978, each containing two houserooms, a common room, housemaster’s study and 4-5 studies/study bedrooms.

The top floor originally consisted of three dormitories, Big (a large L-shaped room holding at one time about 70 beds), Middle (over the original Dining Hall) and West.

Big was sub-divided into Big and East in the 1970s, Middle became ‘Fivers’, a Fifth form boarders’ recreation area, in 1990, and all were gradually sub-divided into smaller rooms, false ceilings were put in (originally they simply went up to the rafters – attractive, but cold!) and eventually carpets, curtains and new radiators were provided. Today they would be unrecognisable to those from the past.

The whole of what was West (apart from the private flat), Middle and East consists of modern study bedrooms, en suite, for boys and an area for a member of staff, which, even thirty years ago his predecessor would not have believed could be possible. Big Dormitory was converted into study bedrooms, with running water, and shower, toilet facilities and opened in 1988 as the Lawrence Durrell Wing.

At the same time another ceiling was put in and the following year a new dormitory, the Stuart Townend Dormitory, was opened (now single areas for MV boys).

The area facing the Whitstable Road originally contained two large bedrooms and two smaller bedrooms for the Headmaster on the first floor. In 1955 they became Big East and Little East, mainly Junior, but occasionally Senior, School dormitories, where the first JS girl boarders were (and currently being completely refurbished to a high quality for girl boarders). Little East was once an Appeal Office.

The smaller rooms became the Junior School Matron’s rooms. The top floor contains, as it probably always has, a sewing room/workroom, two small staff bedrooms, and a larger area at the end, occupied at times by the Senior School Matron or the Housekeeper, and now a flat for a married member of staff.

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Foundation on a Hill

Plan of School between 1908-1923.

152

When the current Dining Hall was built in 1908, the area above it was for servants – 8-10 cubicles, with a sitting area at the end. In the 1970s it became a dormitory area, most of the time for Warneford, and in 1985 the Sanatorium moved there from the prefabricated building which it had occupied since 1958, following the transfer of the Science laboratories from the building across the asphalt to the old Sanatorium (built in 1913). The Gymnasium (1899) became redundant with the opening of the Sports Hall (1987) and the old science labs have variously been a changing room, tuck shop and book and stationery room, and School Shop, and the laundry.

The New Wing of 1908 remains intact. Downstairs the original Changing Room became part of the outside caterers’ area, the rooms on to the colonnade have been boot room, book room, classrooms, staff dining room and much else besides. To-day they are General Office and Marketing Director’s room. Upstairs it was for many years the Masters’ Wing (with the music rooms), then became the Baker Wing, which it is still known as, although Baker only has the two original classrooms downstairs. Apart from the Staff Common Room, the first floor is now all part of the girls’ boarding accommodation.

The original Junior School building (1897, but first occupied in 1898) is much changed of course since the opening of the new building in 1998. Entering the corridor via the main door from the asphalt and turning right, there was a Master’s Study, occupied by the 2nd Master, on the left and at the end two classrooms, with a folding partition so that it could be used as one room.

The left hand room eventually became the Junior School Staff room (until 1997), was for a short time the Chaplain’s Room (2000) and is now a Boys’ Changing Room, and the right hand room became a Hobbies/ Table Tennis Room and is now a Girls’ Changing Room.

Outside the left hand room was a WC, later a darkroom, the JS Secretary’s Office, now the St Edmund’s Society Office. Almost ahead on entering the corridor was the Dining Room (until 1963), then the Library, later the Computer Room, now Room M. To the left was the Matron’s Room, later a play room, then a changing room for day-boys, then the Choristers, now used by sports staff. Beyond was the Work Room, later to become a classroom, and, to the right, the lavatories and a changing area, later converted into one changing room, with showers, wash basins and toilets.

On the first floor there was a room on the right, once a clothes room, then a Master’s Study. On the left was a room variously used as a work room, a handicraft room, IT room and now a boarders’ common room. The next room was originally the Matron’s room, later the J.S. Headmaster’s Study, followed by Matron’s bathroom and surgery, and again there were two larger rooms at the end. The one on the left was originally a dormitory for the most senior boys, later became a classroom, then the Master’s room, and then a boarders’ TV/ Common Room; the room on the right became the Library and later a recreation room. At times most of this floor was used as married accommodation (for the Lendrums in the 1940s and the Rupps in the 1980s) and now it is fully converted into a flat for the School House houseparents.

The top floor consisted almost entirely of Big Dormitory, now divided into a dormitory at the far end and a recreation/table tennis area at the near end. On the right at the far end were two bedrooms (now a single room), occupied by the two resident masters, and a door to the stone stairs in the tower, leading down to the asphalt. Before entering the dormitory, there was a small bedroom on the left and baths, wash-basins and toilets on the right.

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Foundation on a Hill

APPENDIX D

1923

Main dates in the history of the School

1926

1749 1751

1927

Formation of the Clergy Orphan Society Election of the first boy on 30 May, John Pyrke – sent to a school in Thirsk, Yorkshire 1762 Revd Daniel Addison became Headmaster of the school 1783 Revd Daniel Addison, son of the above, took over on father’s death 1798 School moved to Silton Hall, Nether Silton, in the parish of Leake, near Thirsk – Addison’s home 1804 Opening of first separate Clergy Orphan Boys’ School at Acton, Middlesex, with Revd Thomas Cripps as Headmaster 1805 Revd Evan Jones succeeded Cripps 1809 The Society became a Corporation 1812 School moved to St John’s Wood, at the nursery end of Lord’s Cricket Ground. Boys and Girls there 1813 Revd William Farley succeeded Jones (until 1816) 1817 Revd Thomas Wharton became Headmaster 1837 Revd George Bewsher succeeded Wharton 1841 Revd Daniel Butler succeeded Bewsher 1855 School moved to Canterbury – 2 October 1858 Chapel completed. First service on 6 June 1867 Revd Charles Matheson succeeded Butler 1880 Formation of The COS Society (Old Boys) 1886 First School Magazine (The COS) published 1887 Fives Courts, Workshop, Science Laboratory 1890 First Sanatorium – corrugated roof 1891 Swimming Bath opened Revd Arthur Upcott succeeded Matheson 1892 First Gymnasium 1895/6New Wing – Music & Drawing Rooms, Common Room; Cricket Pavilion 1896 Clock presented in memory of Matheson 1897 Name changed to St Edmund’s School 1898 Opening of Junior School – January 1899 New Gymnasium 1900 Motto Ecclesiae Filii chosen, replacing Fungar Vice Cotis 1902 First non-Foundationers admitted.

Revd Edward Houghton succeeded Upcott 1903 First house system – ‘North’, ‘East’ and ‘West’, for games only.

First Cadet Corps 1905 Science Laboratories built 1908 New Wing – replacing 1895 building. Also Dining Hall, kitchens, servants’ quarters, main entrance etc Revd Walter Burnside succeeded Houghton 1910 Rifle Range 1912 Fives Courts restored 1913 New Sanatorium (now Science Block) 1915 V.C. awarded to B.H. Geary

1932 1934 1937 1940

1945 1949 1950 1955

1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1963 1964 1968 1970 1971 1972 1975 1978 1980 1982 1984

154

Extension to Chapel – apse moved 18ft House names changed to Baker, Wagner, Warneford and Watson Full house system – pastoral as well as games (from January) Electric light replaced gas Purchase of East Kent & Junior School fields – now about 60 acres Water Tower built by Canterbury Gas & Water Co. – 80ft high Revd Henry Balmforth succeeded Burnside St Edmund’s Society replaced the COS Society First admission of a few day-boys Boys went home on 24 May Reassembled at Carlyon Bay, near St Austell on 3 June, with The King’s School - also both Junior Schools and the Choir School War years spent at the Carlyon Bay Hotel and the Bayfordbury Hotel (now the Cliff Head) Return to Canterbury – Friday, 12 October.

William Thoseby the new Headmaster Bicentenary of COC. Visit of HRH Princess Margaret New Headmaster’s House (now Abingdon House) Many internal changes The Close houses built Centenary in Canterbury Visit of HRH Princess Alexandra Chapel gallery extended Science labs moved to old Sanatorium New wooden Sanatorium Fête held for 2 hard tennis courts Thoseby died Walter Stephen-Jones took over for one term Michael Hoban took over in January as Headmaster Classroom Block/Music School built House premises reorganised Dining Hall extended Giles Lane cottages built Francis Rawes succeeded Hoban Opening of New Wing (study bedrooms).

Introduction of cafeteria feeding Swimming Pool opened 2 tennis courts beyond Giles Lane Junior School Classroom Block Agreement with Canterbury Squash Club for Squash Courts Cathedral Choristers join the Junior School – Choir House Opening of new School Hall (the theatre) Opening of converted Big School and Grant House John Tyson succeeded Rawes 125th anniversary. Visit of HRH the Duke of Gloucester First Girls in the school Stable Block became JS classrooms 3 tennis courts beyond cricket ground. Science and Art Blocks linked

1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1992 1994

Home Economics Room Sanatorium to main school Music to old Sanatorium 3 more tennis courts Sports Hall opened by Virginia Wade Lawrence Durrell Wing Abingdon House for 5-6 year olds Barnacre for first boarding girls City of Canterbury leased for boarding girls Stuart Townend Dormitory Pontigny, new Headmaster’s house, opened School clothing shop Outside caterers Freddy Kempf (14) – BBC Young Musician of the Year Art, Design, Technology Centre opened Nicholas Ridley succeeded Tyson

1995

First girl Captain of School Return to 4 houses First Houseparents to take residential charge of boy boarders First Summerfest and first Open Day 1996 Refoundation of St Edmund’s as a fully independent school, no longer under the Clergy Orphan Corporation, which is taken over by the Corporation of the Sons of the Clergy 1997 Allan Grant Sixth Form Centre opened 1998 New Junior School building opened 1999 Boarding girls take over staff wing, beyond the Common Room 2000 East Kent field renamed ‘The Jackman Field’ 2003 The last Foundationer leaves 2004 Opening of new Music School – the Francis Musgrave Performing Arts Centre 2005 Jeremy Gladwin succeeded Ridley 2011 Louise Moelwyn-Hughes suceeded Gladwin 2018 Edward O'Connor suceeded Louise MoelwynHughes

The Hall and Music School in 2007

Headmaster’s House - Pontigny in 2007

155

Foundation on a Hill

Index

(Headmasters in bold type) Acton, J.R. 65 Addison, Revd D. (elder) 1-2.

Addison, Revd D. (younger) 2-4, 5 Aisbitt, G.E. 140 Allingham, Lt-Cdr H.P. 112 Anderson, K.M. 109 Andrew, E.G. 21 Andrew, W.J.D. 21 Apps, B.E.G. 93 Arzymanow, A.J. 131 Asbury-Bailey, J.J. 89, 120, 125, 141 Atkins, P.F. 131 Atkins, R.J. 93, 94 Austin, R.A. 146 Ayoub, Dina A. 137, 138, 139 Bacon, R.G. 133, 134, 135, 140, 141, 146 Bagley, A.P. 26 Baker, Sister I./Col W. 100, 101 Baker, R.G. 93 Baker, Revd W. 46, 150 Balmforth, Revd H. 60-77, 113 Barnard, C.D. 141 Barnard, Kay 141 Barnes, J.L. 141 Barnes, Dr R. 136 Barnett, T.J. 140, 141 Bates, P.S. 91, 94 Baty, W. 2 Batyka, B. 103 Baylis, G.P. 64, 70, 74, 83 Bayly Jones, Sophia F. 118 Becher, L.A.B. 58, 73, 79, 81 Beckwith, E.L. 46 Bennett, Revd M.S. 147 Bersey, W.M. 141, 147 Bewsher Revd G. 9 Bickersteth, Revd J. 60, 99, 100 Bird, B.J.K. 147 Bishop, Elaine 146 Blake, B.I. 89, 91, 93, 104, 113, 125, 127, 134, 139, 141 Blomfield, Sir Arthur 35, 46 Bloom, O.J.B.C. 125, 126, 138 Boldero, H.G. 2 Boutorabi, K.M. 125 Bowdler Fund 17 Bowen, H.C. 39, 56, 58, 95 Brackenbury, E.A. 35 Brand, G.R. 79 Brearley-Garbutt, R.R. 94 Bridge, C.H. 39 Britten, F.A. 38 Brooke, Revd A.D.R. 80 Brough, J.S. 89, 141 Bruce-Payne, O.M. 65 Buck, E. 41 Bukht, Michael 132 Buncher, Joy 125 Burges, E.L.A.H. 47 Burnside, Revd W.F. 46-60, 77, 88, 95, 138 Burnside daughters 53 Burridge, W.F.D. 126 Butler Revd D. 9-23, 34 Carnegy, H.D. 79 Carter, R.J. 104 Cassidi, F.P. 125 Caste, Mr 95, 96 Cave, Yvonne 126

Chamberlain, H.M. 46 Chambers, D.J. 137 Christian, Brother 126 Christopher, J.E.V. 65, 69-70 Clark, I.L. 94 Clarke, Margaret A. 135 Clarke, Sgt 58, 67 Cliff, Trudie M. 137, 146 Clifford, M.D. 105, 118, 126, 135, 141 Coates, J.R. 58, 74, 79, 86 Coggan, Lord 116 Coleman, J.P.W. 131 Coleman, S.C. 109 Colson, H.F.W. 22 Cook, T.C.H. 53-55 Cooper, Sir H.Guy 65, 95, 113 Courtenay, J.M. 99, 103, 125 Coutts, K.V. 93, 95 Cox, Irene (née Lester) 112, 125, 140 Cox, J.R.H.N. 89, 99, 116, 124, 140, 141 Crick, T. 39, 65, 91 Cripps, Revd T. 5 Cross, E. Anne S. 132 Cuming, G. 28 Cunningham, Sgt 19 Dagley, J.P. 141, 146, 147 Dale, W.C. 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 95 Darby, W.E.C.A. 47 David, Sir Edgeworth B. 66, 96 Davies, D.F.J. 54 Davies, F.B. 84 Dawe, M.C. 111 de Brisay, Revd R.M.D. 125 de Chair Baker, W. 21, 28 de Ste Croix, S. 41 Dinwoody (Hay-Dinwoody), L.M. 39 Dodd, J.S. 95, 99, 113 Dodd, R.J.S. 39, 95, 99 Doret, G.H. 38 Dowding, Miss 71, 72 Driffield, L.J. 44 Duff, G.I. 93 Duggan, E.F. 65 Duke of Gloucester, H.R.H. 116, 121 Duke of Kent, H.R.H. 82 Dunn, B.R. 93 Dunn, G.R.F. 105 Duppuy, C.R. 39, 45 Durrell, Lawrence 66, 67, 122 Easter, B.W. 143 Edmund of Abingdon, St 149 Edwards, A.C.W. 112 Elliott, Reg 110 Ellis, Revd R.H. 119, 134, 136, 147 Evans, Lewis 29 Exley, Julia E.P 147 Farley, Revd W. 7 Farmbrough, Bishop D.J. 130 Fennell, T.E 12 Fisher, Archbishop Geoffrey 111 Flood, D.A. 128 Forder, K.A.D. 74 Forder, R.A.D. 72, 74 Frampton-Fell, Janet M. 140,141, 146, 147 Fripp, M.G.V. 94 Fryar, Miss 58 Fuller, H.L. 19 Gadenne, P. 146 Gahan, D.C. 116, 125, 135

156

Geary, B.H., V.C. 49, 113, 143 Geeson, M.N.T. 69, 80 Gibson, Kim 146 Gill, C.H. 39 Gill, C.J.S. 83, 84, 95, 103, 105, 112, 119, 136, 147 Gill, G.M. 70 Gill, T.J.S. 147 Gillam, Jess 147 Gladwin, J.M. 139-144, 145, 146 Godfrey, J.B.D. 41 Goodliffe, L.M.A. 66, 113 Gordon, J.A. 147 Goulden, G.I. 95, 99 Grant, Allan W. 111, 116, 117, 124, 133, 146 Green, B.A. 34 Griffiths, D. 141 Grove, P.H. 68-69 Hadath, J.E. Gunby 39, 62, 95 Hajilou, Ali 126 Hall, E.G. 28 Hand, Archbishop David 125 Hand Oxborrow, P.J.G. 125 Hardwick, Philip 7, 13, 15, 18 Harle, John 147 Hawkins, Carol 146 Hawkins, G.N. 135 Hawkins, S.R. 94, 95, 105, 135, 141 Heanly, I.D.W. 131 Henley, D.R. 138 Herbert, Jennifer M. 135 Heys, G.F. 58 Hoban, B.M.S. 101-107, 117, 134 Holland, A.G.S. 95, 99, 113 Holland, P.R.J. 131, 132 Hollingshead, Mr & Mrs S.H.A. 118 Hollingworth, C.J. 66 Hollingworth, G.P. 57, 58, 63, 83, 88, 91, 93, 95, 108, 113, 124, 139, 141 Holmes, C.J. 30-32, 39, 52, 63, 95 Hooley, T. 141 Horton, Revd Melanie J. 137, 142 Houghton, Revd E.J.W. 43-46 House system/names 44, 57, 105, 117, 138 Howlett, B. 64 Hughes, A.M.D. 113 Hughes, G. 19 Hughes, H.G. 80 Humphreys, J.N. 66 Iliff, G.D. 39 Inscoe, W.G. 147 Ironside, J.C. 126 Jackman, C.W. 65 Jackman, R.C. 95, 99, 113, 131, 134 Jackman, R.D. 104, 113, 126, 138 Jackman, Revd H.C. 57 Jeans, C.G. 25, 39 Jeffery, D.M. 137 Jeffery, N.A.E. 126 Jeffrey, M.B.H. 141 Jelley, M.J. 147 Jenkyns, J.T.W.B. 65 Jephson-Jones, R.L., G.C. 66, 86 Jesson, E.W. 96 Jesus College, Cambridge 17, 65 Johnstone (-Brodie), C.H.C. 58 Jones, Revd Evan 6, 7 Jones, Heather A. (née Stewart) 126 Jones, H.C.P. (‘Muggy’) 16, 18, 21, 22, 25, 38

Jones, J.W.P. (‘Bear’) 12, 16, 18, 25 Jones, P.S.P. 18 Juckes, Ralph 78, 85 Kahn, Dr E. 88, 90, 98, 106 Kay-Robinson (Robinson), H.T. 39 Keble College, Oxford 17, 65, 93 Kedge, B.G. 57, 58, 82, 88, 90, 95, 96, 97, 105, 108, 112, 125, 141 Kedge, Mrs D. 89, 108 Kefford, D. 140, 141 Kefford, Wendy 140 Kelk, Mr 13, 16 Kemp, B.W. 143 Kempf, F.A. 126, 132, 147 Kendall, R. 10 Kennedy (Mackenzie-Kennedy), E.C.W.M. 39 Kerr, W.S. 127 Kiddy, D. 120, 125, 141 Kirkby, P.J. 32, 40 Kirkconnell, A. 65, 66 Kitson, C.H. 42 Klomp, F.J.P. 126 Knight, A.G. 45, 52 Knight, D.E. 133, 138, 140, 141, 144 Knight, Gilly 146 Kohloff, C.E 18, 21 Kroiter, Rosemary H. 146 Landsberger, Yvonne 146 Last, Revd H.W. 99 Latter, F.W. 89, 90, 96 Lea, Patricia A. (née Thoseby) 95 Leech, C.T.G. 124 Lees, M.E. 91 Leggat, D.A. 89, 98, 141 Lendrum, J.F. 65, 89, 134 Leon, B. 136 Leonard, Bishop G.D. 106, 111 Lingens, M.R. 126 Little, Tasmin 147 Littlebury, H.W. 88 Lloyd, Kathy L. 146 Lobeck, Ron 120, 127 Loder, D.W. 108 Loft, E.M.B. 70-75 Long, C.G.D. 65 Lord, T. 7 McDade, C.F. 141 Macdonald, A.D. 56, 57, 80, 124 McEvoy, M.N. 112, 126 Mackie, P.A. 94 Maclean, A.J. 39 MacMillan, General Sir Gordon H.A. 65, 95, 102, 104, 113, 125, 138 McNie, Rebecca J. 136 McVarish, R. 80 Maitin, D.P. 126 Mander, Janet E. 144, 146 Manley, J.B.S. 109 Manson Dr G. 143 Margarett, Emma L. 147 Marsh, Revd R. 142 Marshall, A.E.W. 59, 68, 95 Marshall, H.B.D. 16 Martin, T.C. 12, 22, 38 Matheson, Revd C. 18, 23-33, 34, 41 Matheson, E. 28, 40 Matthews, R.E.J. 38, 42, 59 Mayor, W.F. (Fred) 39, 62, 95 Mead-Briggs, Revd C.D. 89, 90, 99 Measor, E.O. 55-56

Milburn, Karen A. (née Stringer) 126, 143 Mills, B.C. 147 Minter, G.M. 70, 113 Mitchell, Arthur 124 Mitchell, J.A.I. 124 Moelwyn-Hughes, Louise J. 144, 145-148 Molony, C.G. 89, 96, 102, 111, 124 Montgomery, Field Marshal B.L. 78, 84 Musgrave, C.F. 104, 132 Narburgh, Eileen 140 Narburgh, I.F. 136,140, 141 Nicholson, T.R. 48 Nickols, C.M. 138, 148 Nickols, H.A. 89, 90, 104, 111, 124, 137, 147 O’Connor, E.G. 147,148 Offredi, V. 146 O’Leary, RSM H.M. 88, 89, 96, 100,108, 112, 113, 124 O’Sullivan, WO2 J. 124, 140 Owen, Maj-Gen J.I.H. 120, 124, 130, 133, 134, 150 Pakenham-Walsh, E. 103 Palmer, Sgt Maj. 73, 79 Pape, B.J. 143 Pare, Revd Clive 112 Parker, C.R.E. 89, 119, 125 Parsons, R.M. 139, 141 Pass, L.G. 89, 105, 125, 140, 141 Payne, A.U. 58, 64 Payne, S.J. 147 Peacey, J.R. 64, 113 Pearce, T.N. 141 Perkins, R.J. 97 Perry, H.B. 51 Peto, C.H. 89, 91, 98, 104, 105, 110, 112, 113, 140 Phillis, T.J.W. 147 Philpot, Alice 95 Pickersgill, C.E.P. 138 Pilch, Fuller 21, 28 Pinsent, J. 66 Plant, Mr 19, 38 Pontigny (Cistercian abbey) 127 Porter, C.H.A. 46 Powers, C. 46, 54, 62, 69, 71, 72, 78, 88, 89, 103, 141 Prance, Revd R.P. 142 Princess Alexandra, H.R.H. 91, 92, 120 Princess Margaret, H.R.H. 90, 91 Pughe, J.H.R.C. 84 Pullen-Baker (Pullen), R.C.W. 46, 58, 62, 79, 95, 141 Pyrke, J. 2 Queen Adelaide, H.M. 8 Radford, Jane (née Munro) 112, 118, 141 Ramsey, Archbishop Michael 109 Rapkin, B.A. 93 Rattray, E.A.C. 93 Rawcliffe, G.H. 66, 113, 124 Rawes, F.R. 60, 106-115, 116, 117, 124, 140 Rawes, Joyce 114 Razé, L.L 19, 38 Reade, J.A.D. 56, 57, 58, 88, 106, 141 Relton, H.E. 4, 6 Relton, J.R. 4 Renshaw, A.J. 105 Reynish, T.J. 93

157

Rhodes, R. 38 Richardson, Zoë A.F.K. (née Etherton) 119 Rickards, Emily E. 138 Rickards, W.J. 53 Richmond, J.P. 16 Ridley, A.N. 129-138 Roberts, P. 147 Robinson, K.D. 58 Roe, W.N. 28, 39, 40 Roebuck, R.F. 126, 136 Rose, Judith 118, 138 Roundhill, J. 92, 105 Rouse, M.H. 136, 138 Routh, Revd A. 1 Rowley, Mr & Mrs B.J. 126 Royle, Revd Roger M. 93, 94, 119, 132 Rudd, C.T. 37 Runcie, Archbishop Robert 123 Rupp, A.E. 126 Rupp, Jackie M. 135 Rupp, M.G. 105, 135, 141 Rustat Scholarships 18, 65 Saben, L.W. 89 St Edmund’s School (name change) 34 St Leger, Warham 29 St Margaret’s School/Girls’ School 6, 11, 14, 34, 56, 91 Saunders, W.G. 111 Sawtell, G.A.C. 104 Schofield, J.F.W. 90, 93, 104 School Crest and Motto 38 Scott-Kilvert, N.C. 147 Sell, M. 141 Selmon, Amanda 146 Selwyn College, Cambridge 17, 65, 93 Sheldon, Jessica A. (née Rickards) 53 Shepherd, Dr 9, 65 Shipley, C.D. 105 Shirley, Canon F.J. 58, 61, 68, 78, 81, 85, 96 Simmonds, Revd M.J. 1, 2, 38 Slater-Williams, Alison A. 142 Sloan, C.A. 126 Smith, Calvert H.E. 95, 113 Smith, R.S. 142 Sola, W.G. 86 Southey, E.J. 141 Sparks, H.F.D. 66, 104, 134 Spillett, John 51 Spry, W. 2 Staehler, T.L. 147 Stannard, Mary T. 137, 142 Stapley, Revd C.G. 88, 89 Stephen-Jones, W. 7, 58, 72, 73, 81, 83, 88, 94, 95, 100, 101, 105, 108, 125, 141 Stephens, E.T. 65 Stephenson, F.L. 32 Stevenson, D. 142 Stewart, M.G. 147 Stocks, E.W. 28 Stoddart, G.R. 31 Stone, R.J. 143 Strachey, C. 88, 89 Strand, Sidney 51, 58, 79, 89, 95 Stromberg, C.W. 74 Strudwick, M.J. 137 Sutcliffe, I.P. 132, 141 Swallow, Liz A. 146 Swatman, I.G. 147 Swift, E.M. 86 Symonds, A.W.B. 65 Taylor, F.St B. 11, 18, 19, 21

Foundation on a Hill Taylor, I.D. 94, 140 Taylor, N.A. 58, 80, 88, 90, 94, 95, 105, 108, 111, 124, 141 Taylor, W.R. 54 Templeman, Dr G. 111 Terry, Revd I.A. 142 Terry, M.C.W. 131, 132, 148 Thomas, D.N. 89, 138 Thompson, Helen 141 Thompson, I.F. 141 Thompson, J.H. 61 Thorne, L.F.K. 88 Thoseby, Joan (née Dodd) 99, 105, 106 on a Hill Thoseby,Foundation W. M. 81, 85-100 Thrush, Lt-Col D.H.G. 109, 111, 130 Wallace, G.H. 26,59 Tisdale, Revd M-A.B. 142 Walpole, P.K. 138 Todd, Prof.J.F.J. 126, Walters, Revd130-131, R.E. 37 38132, 134 Wanstall, Tomlinson, R.P. 46Benjamin 13-14 Les63-64, 58,59,79,89,104,112,134 Townend,Wanstall, H.S. 53, 122, 132, 133-134 J.K. 9 Treen, C.Ward, 70, 81 Warneford, Revd Dr S.W. 12, 145 Trevis, J.E.Warneford 105, 112 Scholarships 12,16 Trinkwon,Warters, D’A.J. 126 Vivienne 113,117,125 Watson, H.G.81, 25,89, 39, 108 41, 51, 56, 58, 68, Trotter, N.B. 58, 79, 93, 141R.N.L. 131, 143 Tyndale-Biscoe, Watson, Joshua 8,12,13,17,145 Tyson, J.V. 115-128 Watson/Wagner Exhibitions 17,34,65,93 Tyson, Nigella 117, 127 Tyson, Rachel C. 118 Tyson, R.T.G. 121, 126

Tyson-Williams, J. 37 Upcott, Revd A.W. 33-42 Urry, William 13

Watson/Wagner Exhibitions 17, 34, 65, 93 Watts, B. 66

Watts, Rachael L. 119 Weighell, W.B. 39 Vandepeer, Ana 147 Weston, D.W.V. 113, 126 Voigt, F.H. 58, 79 Wharton, Revd T. 7, 8 White, Nancy 135 Wacher, Dr H. 51 Whitehouse, D.G. 141, 146 Wacher, Dr S. 51 Whittington, P.R.M. 131 Wade, Virginia 120 Wicks, Allan 121, 125 Wagner, Henry 17, 150 Wicks, Elizabeth 126 Wagner, Revd H.M. 17 Wilford, H.H. 83 Walden-Jones, A.D. 70, 71 Wilkinson, Joanna C. 141, 146 Walker, B.E.C. 47 Williams, Revd F.F.S. 78-86, 95 Watts, B. 66 Wilson, R. 9 Wallace, G.H. 26, 59 Willis, Dean Robert 147 Watts, Rachael L. 119 Winter, H. 127 Walpole, P.K. 138 Wilson, R. 9 Weighell, W.B. 39 Woolfenden, A. 98,99 Walters, M.G.B. 146 Winter, Weston, D.W.V. 113,126 Wrenford, H.J.W.H. 40127 Wharton,Revd R evd 7,838 Revd Wright, A.A. 44-45 Walters, R.E.TT..37, Woolfenden, A. 98, 99 White, Nancy 135 13-14 Wright, E.C. 37,38,39,40,44 Wanstall, Benjamin Wrenford, H.J.W. 40 Whitehouse, D.G. 141 Wright, E.P. 61 Wanstall, LesP.R.M. 58, 59, Wright, A.A. 44-45 Whittington, 13179, 89, 104, 112, 134 Wright, R.A. 84-85 Ward, J.K. 9121,125 Wright,H.V. E.C.5937, 38, 39, 40, 44 Wicks, Allan Wynne-Roberts, Wicks, Elizabeth Warneford, Revd126 Dr S.W. 12, 149 Wright, E.P. 61 Young, F.B. 48 Wilford, H.H. 83 Warneford Scholarships 12, 16 Wright, R.A. 84-85 Young, W.R. 109 Wilkinson, Joanna C. 141 Warters, Vivienne 113, 117, 125 Wynne-Roberts, H.V. 59 W illiams, R evd FF.F .F .S Revd .F.S .S.. 78-86 78-86,95 Watson, H.G. 25, 39, 41, 51, 56, 58, 68, 93, 141 Young, F.B. 48 Watson, Joshua 8, 12, 13, 17, 149 Young, W.R. 109

158 158