Rhubarb 2021

ST EDWARD’S

non-teaching staff over the years on a whole variety of topics has been a joy. I’ve had the pleasure of working with some very professional and pleasant people whose own work at the School is directly related to the Archives.

After nine years, the space was needed for other uses (the Archives’ curse!) and the Archives were moved into the Estates Building close by, where it remains today with promises of bigger premises on the horizon.

So, looking back on what was initially meant to be a two- or three-year fill-in appointment, twenty years later I’m still in post and still very much enjoying it. The opportunity to contact so many OSE and former teaching and

FEATURE

Highlights include...

three delightful daughters of ‘GI Brides’, now living in the US, whose grandfathers were OSE killed inWW1 and who reminded me every year to place a poppy on their respective shields in Chapel on Remembrance Sunday. I have met the family descendants of some very distinguished OSE, some killed in one of the twoWorldWars. I have found long lost images of people at the School for families who had never seen them before. I have helped complete various village war memorials up and down the country and abroad. It was a joy to put together four photographic sporting historical sporting albums for the new Martyrs Pavilion. There have been pleasant surprises like a chance phone call from a complete stranger in TunbridgeWells, who noticed a near-complete set of framed Menzies’ (pre Segar’s`) House group pictures in a local bric-a brac shop window, resulted in our obtaining these very rare historical items for the princely sum of £20!

B eing able to speak with some very high-profile historical authors and biographers about key OSE. I have enjoyed dealing with

Three mysteries have not been resolved so far, despite long term in-depth searches.

I have yet to find a front-on picture of the original schoolhouse building, Mackworth Hall, in New Inn Hall Street, Oxford. I’m in good company asWilfrid Cowell, Harold Rogers (OSE) and Jack Tate also tried and failed! We lack photographic images of the original two Oxford-based architects,WilliamWilkinson and HarryWilkinson Moore, who were hired by Algernon Simeon to design correspondence and plans between them at the time.We have a little but by no means all. In 2015 a family photograph album featuring life at the School in the early 1900s sold on eBay at an exorbitant price (we dropped out when our bid of £500 failed). Just who was prepared to pay this amount for a very specialised item remains a mystery. and build the first main Quad buildings; also, the pertinent

To be in a position to quickly and efficiently respond to historical enquiries from all over the world is not only efficient but shows the School in a good light. Inevitably the busy pace of School focuses predominantly on the here and now but I hope my books and articles have at least brought a greater understanding of what this great school has always stood for, its traditions and the sacrifices made to enable St Edward’s to be where it is today. “When I want to understand what is happening today or try to decide what will happen tomorrow, I look back”. (Omar Khayyam).

If you would like to find out any more about the history of St Edward’s School or about the role of

School Archivist, please contact nathanc @ stedwardsoxford.org

41