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ST EDWARD’S
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A History of the
School Archives
by
Chris Nathan
School Archivist (G, 1954-1957)
took many photographs and also archived
those taken by the famous Victorian
Oxford photographer Henry Taunt and
others. Included are many of the earliest
sporting groups that survive till this day. He
maintained a whole host of handwritten
notes of his ‘historical observations’ over the
years he was involved (1880-1937) and set
up a modest archive ‘and museum’ in what
is today’s Macnamara’s as early as 1883. His
records, memory and knowledge enabled
him to edit the first ever School Rolls in
1890, 1898 and 1907 and, he was considered
an invaluable historian and archivist for the
School, priding himself in remembering every
pupil ever to attend.
Cowell certainly did not carry the burden
alone and was assisted by John Millington
Sing and the Reverend William Ferguson,
the fourth and fifth Wardens, Harold Rogers
(B, 1888-1895), an architect who designed
many of the School’s buildings and Dallas
Wynne-Wilson, an early Set Tutor, who all
donated their own extensive photograph
albums to the school Archives. Later
Housemasters John Gauntlett and Peter
Corlett were also prolific cameramen and
chroniclers whose extensive photographic
collections were bequeathed to the School.
Without these gentlemen and others like
them our archives today would be very
lacking in strong visual evidence of times
gone by.
Between Cowell’s death in 1937 and
the next full-time archivist Jack Tate in the
1960s, there are no records of who was
responsible for the archives or even where
they were housed, although Corfe was
definitely used for a time. What is known
is that several members of the Common
Room took an interest in such matters and
were often quoted or deferred to especially
in the
Chronicle
. Bill Eardley (E, 1914-1921)
was always known for his encyclopaedic
memory of the School’s history as were
Philip Whitrow, Desmond Hill (author of the
School
History
in 1963), Hubert Beales (D,
1929-1932) and Roger Northcote-Green
(D, 1926-1931) – all of whom played some
part in the production of the School Rolls
between 1907 and 1963 and were noted
for their specific interest in the School’s
past. Without reference to and knowledge
of the school Archives, they could not have
completed their various publications.
There is historical evidence that from the
School’s earliest days, archival records
were established, originally by Algernon
Simeon the first Warden and then, over
many years, by Wilfrid Cowell the School’s
longest ever serving teacher. Cowell, in
addition to his many other duties, set about
the work most diligently ensuring he both
A R C H I V E S