St Edward's Rhubarb Issue 5

16 ST EDWARD’S r h u b a r b

A History of the School Archives

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.

by Chris Nathan School Archivist (G, 1954-1957)

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

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

A R C H I V E S