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Victorian Honours Revealed
School librarian Arabella Gonzalez was intrigued to find out what was on the large brown gloss-painted board on the wall of the library and made arrangements with a specialist to have the board carefully stripped and for the the writing revealed to be repainted. Just in time for the end of term, the "Honours Board" was returned, allowing visitors to the library on Speech Day to have a glimpse of Old Oswestrian Victorian academic success.
The board is for the year 1892-1893, the only year listed (there is a large gap beneath the writing). This was the first year of the headmastership of John Jordan Lloyd-Williams MA, said to be a very able headmaster and a good classical scholar.
In his book "A History of Oswestry School", Oakley states that, under Lloyd-Williams, "there was success at the Universities surpassing any other Public School of the same size".
Seven names are listed on the board. Where information is known, it is given here. More information may become available when school is open after the holidays.
E T Baines Oakley adds only a brief "very good cricketer".
E T Davies, Tom, was the elder brother of Sir Walford Davies, Master of the King's Music from 1934 until 1941. Oakley states that Tom was also a brilliant musician, emigrating to Australia where "he made his mark". Wikipedia tells us that Tom "followed a family tradition by entering the ministry".
A A Maclardy was the middle of three brothers, John, Archibald and Hugh, who all came to Oswestry School. For many years, according to Oakley, A A was a Master at King Edward's School, Birmingham, probably a Classics Master as he is also the author of two latin text books, first published in 1899, which are still in print today!
Interestingly, the boys were the sons of John Maclardy, born in Argyleshire in 1842, who settled in Shrewsbury but moved to Oswestry where he was a "Portrait and Animal Painter, Landscape and Art Photographer" (Industries of Shropshire and District Business Review of 1891) in premises above 4-6 Church Street, becoming a councillor in 1889 and mayor in 1902. One of Maclardy's employees was Harry Sheldon Whitford, son of Richard Whitford, "animal painter to the Queen".
Ever wondered what people did before there was Facebook, the social networking website where people can view each other's friends and social connections as well as their activities? In the 1860/70s there was a craze called "cardomania" where people traded carte de visite (CDV) amongst friends and visitors. CDVs were small, inexpensive photographs, each the size of a visiting card, which became enormously popular. "Cardomania" spread throughout Europe and then quickly to America. Albums for the collection and display of cards became a common fixture in Victorian parlours - sound familiar? Maclardy's studio produced many CDVs and also postcards of local scenes - examples are shown here.
E Armitstead "The Armitstead family is atypical of the gentry of East Cheshire in the late 18th and 19th centuries. The Reverend John Armitstead (grandfather of E Armitstead) came from a Yorkshire family and was a clergyman. He purchased land in the Cranage area and shortly before his death in 1814 he bought Cranage Hall. Three of the Armitsteads were clergymen associated with Sandbach continuously from 1828-1941 and also at various times with Holmes Chapel and Goostrey." CRANAGE AND THE ARMITSTEAD FAMILY
It seems that Edward and his older brother Lawrence were both educated at Oswestry - to their dismay. Here's what Kenrick Armitstead says about the brothers in "The Cheshire Armitsteads".
"Edward, born 10 September 1872, was educated at Oswestry. As his elder brother John had been superannuated from Westminster School after two years his father in a fit of pique decided to send his other sons to Oswestry Grammar School, for which, my father said, they never forgave him. He went up to Magdalen College, Oxford, and then succeeded his uncle Willy as vicar of Goostrey in 1907, remaining there until 1923.
"In 1918 he married Cecilia Mary, daughter and heiress of John Kirkland Glazebrook of Twemlow Hall, and they moved into Jodrell Hall, as the vicarage was considered too small for them! In 1923 he became vicar of Barthomley where he made a great impression. A keen sportsman, he retired in 1936 to Richards Castle. His wife died there without issue in 1938 and he died on 15 October 1950.
"Lawrence was born on 20 February 1870 and educated at Oswestry Grammar School and Magdelen College Oxford. He became rector of Malpas, Cheshire in 1894 and remained there until he retired in 1936. He was an honorary canon, and later emeritus canon, of Chester. He married Mary Elizabeth, daughter of Lt Colonel John Kennedy. He died on 19 July 1938 as a result of a road accident, leaving two sons."
It may not have just been pique that brought the boys to Oswestry; headmasters Dr Donne and his son, the Rev Stephen Donne, had brought the school an excellent reputation at this time, particularly amongst ecclesiastical families, resulting in pupils such as Col Fred Burnaby and the Rev Canon W A Spooner attending the school. There is also a link between the Armitstead family and the governors of Oswestry School during this period; in 1917, Edward officiated at the wedding of his sister to the Bishop of St Asaph (governor) when the best man was Sir Watkin Williams-Wynn (also a governor).
An interesting fact about this family - Edward's uncles Willy, John and Henry were very keen cricketers, founder members of the Free Foresters Cricket Club, and it was Willy who introduced the custom of umpires wearing a white coat. During a match between the United England XI and a team of 15 Free Foresters at Manchester in 1861, Willy stopped the game, complaining that he could not see the ball against the drab figure of the umpire. The complaint was upheld, and in the words of the day "the umpire was vested in a nightshirt." Ever since, umpires have worn white.
W St D Jenkins Sir Walter St David Jenkins CB CBE (1 March 1874 – 7 June 1951) was a senior British official in the Admiralty, serving as Director of Navy Contracts from 1919 to 1936.
Jenkins was born on 1 March 1874 and educated at Carmarthen Grammar School and Oswestry School. In 1893 he won a Meyricke Exhibition in Classics to Jesus College, Oxford where he rowed in his college boat and played rugby for his college under Conway Rees, the Welsh international and Oxford University captain. He obtained his Bachelor of Arts degree in 1897 before joining the Admiralty as a first-class clerk.
From 1902 to 1906, he was secretary of the committee that recommended the introduction of oil as the fuel for warships – he later drafted the Admiralty's report for presentation to the Royal Commission on Oil Fuel – whilst also spending time travelling to India and Burma to arrange for stores to be supplied to British naval stations in the Far East and to obtain teak for the Admiralty. He was commended by the First Lord of the Admiralty (Winston Churchill) for securing naval coal supplies in anticipation of a miners' strike in south Wales.
Jenkins was Admiralty secretary of the Railway Communications Board that drew up the railways mobilization programme in 1914 using the powers contained in the Defence of the Realm Act. He served on various inter-departmental committees during the First World War, and was appointed by the Government as a director of the Anglo-Persian Oil Company in 1918, resigning to become Director of Navy Contracts in 1919, remaining in this post until retirement in 1936, thereafter working in the commercial sector.
He also become the first independent chairman of the National Federation of Iron and Steel Merchants (1938–1944). He was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (1918) and a Companion of the Order of the Bath (1921) before being knighted on his retirement in 1936. He was also appointed an Officer of the Légion d'honneur (1918) and an Officer of the Order of the Crown of Italy (1918), as well as being awarded the Order of St Anne of Russia. He died in London on 7 June 1951.