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Merchant Taylors’ and the Royal Family

Winter 2022

Welcome

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Sandy Lodge, Northwood, Middlesex, HA6 2HT Telephone: +44 (0)1923 820644 Email: alumni@mtsn.org.uk www.mtsn.org.uk Editor: Jon Rippier editor@mtsn.org.uk Contributing editors: Nick Latham, Emma Bindloss, Jonny Taylor Photography: Patricia Rayner, Sonal Galaiya, Emma Bindloss Designed & produced by: 3Sixty Creative www.3sixty-creative.com Front cover photo: HRH Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother visits Merchant Taylors’ in 1962

Sixth Formers receiving their Arkwright Engineering Scholarships at the IET London

Dear reader

T his edition is marked by the death of Queen Elizabeth II. We publish tributes from OMTs and an article on the support Merchant Taylors’ has received over the last century from the House of Windsor. As illustrated by our front cover, this link has been a strong one with HRH Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother visiting Sandy Lodge twice, in 1962 and 1975. On the second occasion the Queen Mother opened the Music Block and most recently HRH The Duke of Gloucester opened the Design Centre in 2015. We can now look forward to another new building with ground having been broken for the Julian Hill Cricket Centre – please see the Development section for more details. Once finished it will be the best-equipped such centre in the country – indeed it has already featured in The Cricketer magazine – and will allow both MTS boys and the wider community a state-of-the-art training base. On a personal note, as I hand over the editorship of Concordia, I would like to say what a privilege it has been editing the magazine since its inception in 2008. I would like to thank all OMT contributors for their insightful articles and generosity of spirit as well as my colleagues for their invaluable support. Jon Rippier Editor

Do you know a missing alumnus? Add a friend to Concordia’s mailing list: alumni@mtsn.org.uk

Introduction

In this issue

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An introduction from the Head Master:

4 Current OMT Society President Andy Rose (1973-1977) reflects on the enduring association between OMTs and the school 6 OMTs Lanre Ige (2007-2014) , Andrew Gold (2002-2007) and Simran Kumar (2009-2016) look back at their time at MTS and their respective career paths 14 David Farthing (1953-1957) reflects on the many connections between Merchant Taylors’ and Winchester Cathedral 20 Registrar Jonny Taylor looks back at the history of the Merchant Taylors’ Company in the Lord Mayor’s Show and Senior Master Caron Evans-Evans describes the role of MTS boys in this year’s event 28 Registrar Jonny Taylor relates the story of Merchant Taylors’ and the Royal Family over the past century 34 The Platinum Jubilee Concert 36 Tributes from OMTs to Queen Elizabeth II 38 Diplomat and author Ameer Kotecha (2005-2010) writes of the importance of fine dining in the world of diplomacy 40 News fromMerchant Taylors’ and Merchant Taylors’ Prep 44 Development 54 Class Notes 58 Obituaries We have made every attempt to locate copyright ownership of archive photography but have not always succeeded in doing so. Any owner of copyright of individual images is invited to contact the editor.

A great deal has happened at Sandy Lodge since my last update. We had a successful return to a normal exam season. It was very gratifying to see that at both A Level and GCSE, the boys’ exam results are the best MTS has ever attained. The A Level candidates deserve a special commendation as these were the first public exams they had ever sat – their GCSEs had been cancelled by Covid. Our sport this term has been very successful as well. This year, the rugby programme comprises 12 teams (U14A-D, U15A-C, U16A-B, 1s, 2s, 3s) that have so far played 62 matches, winning 48. Rugby Week was a huge success (you can watch the video on the school’s YouTube channel), with 22 fixtures played from Monday to Friday and just under 1000 players running out under the lights. This included all of our teams from U14D to 1st XV - we are the only school in the country where every rugby player gets that experience. The week concluded with the 1st XV game which featured the CCF band, Phab fundraising and approximately 450 pupils, staff and parents in attendance with many more tuning into the NextGenXV live stream on YouTube. After an exciting conclusion to the county cricket season, we were all delighted to see Middlesex promoted to the top tier of county cricket. Our existing links with MCCC are already strong, and they will be yet stronger when MCCC and the school begin to share the elite Julian Hill Indoor Cricket Centre. The centre will further secure our place as one of the top cricket schools in the country and will ensure that every pupil has a place to practise and hone their skills. Indeed, you can read more about our campaign progress on page 46. In addition, MCCC have also installed new grass nets at the end of the Long Drive. These nets replicate the slope of the wicket at Lord’s and will provide a useful training area for the team as they use Lord’s less and less and move to make MTS their main site. You may well have seen MTS pupils performing in the Lord Mayor’s Show. The Merchant Taylors’ float was full of music and celebration as the school supported the Merchant Taylors’ Company in acknowledging the achievement of Nicolas Lyons, a member of the Merchant Taylors Company, as he became the 694th Lord Mayor of London. Our Bhangra group danced beside the float and we were all led by the Chairman of Governors atop a well-behaved camel. It is always a joy to connect closely with our Livery Company and put the talents of our pupils on a wider stage. I believe that the Company were delighted with the contribution and enthusiasm shown by the school in supporting this important occasion. Of course, no school, company or individual is exempt from the implications of the current levels of high inflation and the soaring energy prices. As a consequence, we are further enhancing our commitment to sustainability and reducing wastage. We have installed electric car charging points and all of the school’s waste goes to a biofuel facility, so we are a zero-waste site. Further, all cooking oil is made into biofuel and all waste food is composted. Our development plans are ambitious; we intend to harvest rainwater, protect the grounds from the increasing summer droughts and develop the use of renewable energy, thus saving money and helping the school thrive in the future. Finally, and on a more formal note, I should acknowledge the way in which the school mourned the loss of Queen Elizabeth II. As the news broke on the evening of 8th September, our flag flew at half-mast and our website carried a tribute. On the following morning the school gathered in the Great Hall to commemorate her life of constancy and public service with a special assembly. A Book

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of Condolence was placed in the Undercroft; it has been signed by staff, pupils, OMTs, governors and visitors. Now closed, it has been placed in the archive as a permanent memorial of the school’s gratitude to an exemplary national leader.

Supporting MTS To find out more about how you can support the school, please go to: https://development.mtsn. org.uk/supporting-MTS

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The OMT Society: Past, Present, and Future I am now halfway through my year as President of the OMT Society and it is exciting to have such a close association with the school again 45 years after leaving in the summer of 1977. be true to suggest that such visits back then were for the Head Master to commend me for my academic performance.

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However, on closer inspection, it is readily apparent that the school has developed impressively, with modern facilities in the classroom, a range of excellent sporting facilities and even an indoor swimming pool. Indeed, my most recent visit to the Head Master’s office proved to be a pleasant experience. While reminiscing on my time at Sandy Lodge I should probably touch on what I have been up to in the intervening 45 years between leaving school and this year. As President of the Society, I have had the opportunity to reacquaint myself with many old (in both senses of the word) school friends. As I lived overseas for the years after leaving MTS, I had not seen many of my classmates since leaving school. At first it is hard to recognise each other, but as we have reintroduced ourselves, the years disappear and the 17-year-old that I knew becomes highly recognisable. In most cases, I am greeted with “you were the golfer”, which was indeed true at the time. While I thoroughly enjoyed my days at Sandy Lodge, my passion was golf and by the time I left the school I had represented my country at schoolboy level. In 1978 I went to the University of Texas on a golf scholarship and spent the next four years playing golf against many future

My overarching impression is how much has changed over this period and yet how much has stayed the same, both in terms of the school and in many ways the critical issues that we face in the outside world. In 1977, we were facing high inflation, a cost of-living crisis, industrial unrest, and geopolitical tensions between the western world and the then Soviet Union. In the intervening years, many of us believed or at least hoped that these were well in the past and yet 2022 has been a stark reminder that history has a way of repeating itself and that boom-and-bust cycles and wars in Europe have not been consigned to the past. In terms of Merchant Taylors’, the school in so many ways appears similar to how I remembered it in my days there from 1973 1977. One could be accused, driving down the Long Drive with the School ahead and the magnificent playing fields on the left, of believing that time had stood still. Indeed, when I went to the Head Master’s office in March to discuss my upcoming year as the incoming President of the OMT Society, the memories of my visits to the HM’s office came flooding back, and not in an entirely positive way! It would not

One of the duties of the President is to select a theme and mine for this year is ‘Fit for the Future’. By this I mean focusing on the remarkable changes we are experiencing as technological advances in a digital age mean that we all, at all stages of life, need to learn new skills to adapt to this turbulent and fascinating era. Artificial Intelligence, robotics, digital currency, and climate change resilience were not topics that were on the agenda in my school days but are central themes in the world in which we live today. In February, we will be holding a webinar with select experts talking about this topic and what it means to be fit for the future. There will be more details in due course, and I hope as many readers of this piece as possible will listen in. In conclusion, it is an honour to represent the OMT Society and witness the on-going successes of the school and the life-long associations that the Society offers to its students. Andy Rose (1973-1977)

champions such as Fred Couples, Payne Stewart and my teammate and US PGA Champion, Mark Brooks. I spent six years playing full-time golf with a highlight being playing in the Open Championship at Troon in 1982, competing as an amateur. I ultimately decided that my future was not in golf and entered the world of banking in Texas in the mid-1980s. From 1988 I spent over 16 years in investment banking, working for the Canadian bank CIBC, initially in Dallas, then Chicago and finally in London from 1993. During those years I married my South African wife Bernie, and we have three sons, ranging in ages from 26 to 31. In 1997 I was asked by the bank to start the Infrastructure Investment Banking Business which turned out to be the most significant development in my working life. I ran the unit for seven years and as infrastructure plays such a critical role in many elements of public life, my work brought me in close proximity to governments in the UK and further afield. In 2005 I took a new career path working in government and was fortunate enough to run delivery entities for the UK Government, namely Infrastructure UK in HM Treasury and the Homes & Communities Agency, the country’s then housing land and regeneration delivery body. While many ex-banker friends rolled their eyes at the concept of being so close to politics and the frustrations this would entail, I found the years fascinating, challenging, meaningful and stimulating (and yes, occasionally frustrating) and remained in such roles for over ten years. After a brief stint back in the private sector I “retired” at the end of 2019 and now keep myself busy with an interesting combination of non-Executive roles in social impact investing, infrastructure and housing, some pro bono roles, playing a little bit of golf and making sure our terrier, Gracie, is well fed, walked and cuddled. The lack of a full-time role has also enabled me to be the OMT Society President. It has been a privilege to take on the role, meet so many OMTs and represent the Society at functions in the City and across the country. Recent OMT dinners Bernie and I have attended include ones at York, Pembrokeshire, Bristol, and Kent earlier in the year. Consistent with my earlier comments, the Society faces the challenge of both embracing the wonderful traditions of the past while adapting to the present day. For me, the Society is so important as it provides the opportunity to turn the association with the school from a five to seven year experience into a life-long attachment. Education is one of society’s most important functions and we are fortunate to have a close association with such a fine institution.

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A career in the world of cryptocurrency

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Lanre Ige (2007-2014) is the Senior Research Associate at Menai Financial Group, a market maker and asset management firm in the digital assets industry. With an academic background in philosophy, economics and statistics, he has been conducting research and data analysis on the digital asset and cryptocurrency market over the past five years.

heavily involved with the digital asset (or cryptocurrency) industry. It’s very tempting to paint a cohesive narrative of how I first developed an interest in economics, philosophy, and computer science whilst at Merchant Taylors’, before developing said interest to a higher academic standard at Warwick, and then actualizing that interest in the industry I now work in. However, the reality is that my career path to this point has been quite haphazard and poorly-thought-out, although, when I reflect on my (interesting and enjoyable) current position I am very grateful for many of the lessons I learned during my formative academic years. Current role I’ve had several roles within the digital asset industry over the last eight years, but they have mostly been within a “research” capacity, namely producing reports and analysing data to help educate others on my industry, in addition to using this research to help

Memories of MTS I studied at Merchant Taylors’ from 2007 to 2014 and still retain many fond memories from my time there. Studying there gave me the opportunity to develop a somewhat fleeting interest in Computer Science (done for GCSE) and a stronger interest in Economics, which I carried with me through my university days and beyond. After my A Levels, I went to the University of Warwick to study Philosophy, Politics, and Economics and ended up focusing on modern philosophy and mathematical logic, given the breadth of courses the university offered me. It was also whilst I was in my first year at university that I did a research fellowship with the Institute of Economic Affairs. During this fellowship I learned about Bitcoin and ended up writing a research paper on it, linking some of the asset’s obviously libertarian philosophical roots with the work of Friedrich Hayek on private monies. From that point on and for the last eight years I’ve been

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(or the fallback of a well-functioning legal system). A lot of examples where such a use case is most compelling tend to be economic or financial in nature as blockchains allow users to generate self-enforcing contracts (or programmes) on the internet – an obvious case of where this may be useful is for creating financial contracts, for example. The prevalence of scams within the industry is a function of the permissionless nature of the technology, wherein anyone can interact with a blockchain without being stopped (in a similar way to how one can easily post on the internet without being stopped). Strong and smart regulation will help weed out a lot of the issues within the digital asset industry whilst also promoting productive use cases, such as using blockchains as the financial rails for derivative settlement (or more esoteric asset classes like fine art) or even to help facilitate the economic layer of virtual worlds and online games (experiences vaguely characterised by the mysterious word “Metaverse’). Working inside an industry should ideally help one be able to separate the signal from the noise – my role is exactly that in fact. It’s undoubted that the digital asset industry has its issues but, from the inside, it’s also clear that there are a number of extremely talented people working on interesting problems, a combination of which is bound to add tangible value to our world. It may just take some time. I truly believe that having a holistic and open education where one is supported in exploring niche interests from Brahms to “Blockchain” has helped me substantially in my career and I hope it still does the same for the many boys who arrive at Merchant Taylors’ each morning. If you would like to contact Lanre, his e-mail address is ige.lanre.jonathan@gmail.com

formulate investment ideas. My current role is that of Senior Researcher at a digital asset trading and asset management firm. At a very high level the firm market-makes and provides liquidity on a variety of trading venues which offer digital assets (on a proprietary basis i.e., with the firm’s own money). In addition, the firm runs investment funds which accept external capital which we use to offer our investors exposure to the digital asset market. My job sits squarely within the second half of my firm’s function and my day job generally involves staying on top of the digital asset market, conducting research deep dives into particular digital assets, and carrying out more involved data analyses on various aspects of the market. This is quite similar to the role of a hedge fund analyst at an investment firm which may trade equities or commodities, the primary difference being the many idiosyncrasies in the digital asset market compared to others. Reflections on crypto At this point, I will assume that most readers (and most people) are at least familiar, on a general level, with the concepts of “Bitcoin”, “Cryptocurrencies” or my preferred term, “Digital Assets”. Most, however, are less familiar with what exactly the point of digital assets is or what value they may bring to society, especially given the number of frauds and scams there are. Even for someone impartial towards the industry, it is easy to dismiss digital assets as pure financialization for the sake of financialization. Although it’s hard to articulate this in a few words (and even my own opinion changes), I see digital assets and blockchain technology as a way to allow individuals to coordinate over the internet more effectively and with greater scalability without necessarily having to rely on or trust on the goodwill of a single intermediary

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Andrew Gold

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Andrew Gold (2002-2007) is a journalist and hosts the award-winning podcast On The Edge. He writes of his varied journey so far which has taken him from the daunting atmosphere of the MTS Exam Hall to interviewing famous personalities.

A n exorcist threatened to kill me; police tear-gassed and water-cannoned me; and Viggo Mortensen called me a virgin in front of millions on live TV. But I’ve never felt quite as stressed as I did during my A Levels. Fifteen years ago this May, I handed in my final assignment for MTS. Or so I thought. As I write this unexpected addendum, I’m now 33, and working as an author and podcaster – a mix of the traditional and avant-garde that typifies the Taylors’ ethos (they should pay me for marketing). I love my job – I get to interview famous people online in my pyjamas. But I must confess: I still have that dream where I’m about to enter the Exam Hall unprepared for a paper that will shape my future. I think it’s all the uncertainty at that age. With those dreaded exams out of the way, I went to Leeds University to study English Literature, a subject that did little to establish a clearer path. I had no idea what to do with my life, until an email changed everything. There was an unanticipated space on the Erasmus study-abroad year up for grabs … so Montpellier soon became my home. This was ironic, because French was my weakest A Level: a C (murky waters at Taylors’). In the luminous Côte d’Azur, I became obsessed with French. Evenings passed practising the difference between beaucoup (a lot) and beau cul (nice bottom), and I befriended locals too proud to speak English. I had been terrible – both academically and behaviourally – at school, but there I was,

chatting away with new friends over drinks in the language of Voltaire and David Ginola. I took a job at a publisher of art books in Bordeaux for several months, and later completed a six-month journalism course, finding night shift work at The Sun. At times, I – at 21 – was responsible for the tabloid’s entire website. I resisted the temptation to delete all the articles. That language itch returned. To my parents’ chagrin, I moved to Medellín in Colombia to work on coffee farms, before getting into freelance writing. My 20s played out across Colombia, Argentina, Brazil and Germany, and I now speak five languages. In Buenos Aires, I made and hosted documentaries (I was besotted with Louis Theroux). The films – which went to HBO – covered fringe topics, including infidelity and porn. My highlight was a trip to Córdoba to search with crazed believers for aliens ‘from the fifth dimension’. Soon, I stumbled across an exorcist – as you do – who was gaining prominence in Buenos Aires, and took the idea to the BBC. They said yes; then nothing happened. So, I went with a friend to film the priest for two months. I took part in the exorcisms, and exposed his inappropriate relations with young schizophrenic women. With no budget, we borrowed equipment and learned to edit (integral to my start in podcasting later). The BBC bought the film, which you can find on iPlayer as ‘Exorcism: The Battle for Young Minds’. Those were heady times. I was flown to Texas to

“An exorcist threatened to kill me; police tear-gassed and water cannoned me; and Viggo Mortensen called me a virgin in front of millions on live TV. But I’ve never felt quite as stressed as I did during my A Levels.”

Those touches made me brazenly believe I could learn languages without lessons and make documentaries without a background in film. So why not podcasting? Despite doubting many of my abilities, I considered myself a good listener and conversationalist – I’ve always been fascinated by other people – so podcasts provided the perfect platform. I invested in a camera and microphone, and sent guests invitations. My first was a formerly homophobic Westboro Baptist Church fanatic. Another favourite is the Coffin Confessor, who crashes funerals to reveal the deceased’s secrets. Then there’s the extremist who planned the Boston marathon bomb, and a neuroscientist who realised he was a psychopath. I adopted certain values in my interviewing, reminding myself to be curious not judgemental, and to prize people over ideologies.

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receive an award, and interviewed by Adrian Chiles on BBC 5Live. The film placed in BBC’s ‘Best of 2018’. But I was brought down to earth weeks later, when the BBC declined my next project about a pro-lifer known as the Crazy Baby Lady. Embittered by gatekeepers, I started my own podcast, On the Edge with Andrew Gold. Odds were against me – the average podcast episode gets 27 listens, and the top 1% get 3,200. I’d need 15,000 listens per episode to make a living. I wonder if that was where my MTS schooling helped. I was in the bottom sets, and spent more time in Saturday Detention than the library. But perhaps just being there instilled in me a belief (guided or otherwise) that I could do anything if I worked hard. I recall teacher David Lawrence urging me to take Advanced Extension Award English. It was an exam relevant only to Oxbridge candidates, so was alien to someone like me. But David pushed for weeks, until I took the exam. I got a Distinction. It did little for my university prospects, but a lot for my self-belief.

As my podcast grew, it was curated for promotion by Apple. It attracted bigger names, such as Richard Dawkins, David Baddiel, Jon Ronson and Amanda Knox. And after 18 months, I went full-time. I have a book deal now with Pan Macmillan about the psychology of secrets, and do two weekly podcast episodes, videos of which I upload to YouTube. My ambition is to grow my channel large enough to be able to produce my own documentaries online, without the say-so of TV gatekeepers. Subscribe to On the Edge with Andrew Gold on Apple, Spotify or YouTube, and let me know that you read this. It seems many students saunter through the halls of MTS with unflinching confidence, and become the doctors and lawyers they were born to be. Others, like me stumble awkwardly out the back, and need a little time to adjust to the light. Doubts continue to haunt. But it is our uncertainty – much like that which still slithers into the exam halls of my dreams – that spurs us all on. Maybe.

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The Artist

Simran Kumar (2009-2016) recalls his time at MTS and writes about his journey towards becoming an artist.

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Despite this, I have no regrets about taking Natural Sciences at university. I developed invaluable skills as a scientist and thinker that I continue to benefit from and, now that the pressure gauge has released, I am beginning to fall in love with the subject again. I took on the challenge, learnt a huge amount about myself and my subject, and left university with a conviction to return to the arts. Picking up an art practice that had dried up considerably since A Level was a daunting task, but my break came in February 2021, when I was offered the chance to return to MTS for four months as an Art teacher and artist-in-residence. It was during these four months that I re-built the work ethic necessary for a fulfilling art practice and when I conceived the project that I am working on today. Returning to MTS was an extraordinary experience; I learnt to appreciate the school in a way I had not as a student, and I am still so grateful for the support of Ingrid Lumsden and Sasha Leech. Thanks to them, I am now in a position to begin commercialising my art practice. I have set up a website, www.simrankumar.com, which displays my main work. My current art practice My current project focuses on a re-imagining of scenes and ideas from the Hindu spiritual canon.

Memories of MTS My first memory of MTS was of the current Sixth-Form art studio prior to the 11+ exams, and the opportunity to do art there was the main reason MTS was my top pick amongst other schools. Memories along the road are countless, from getting lost on the way to the games fields, to finding new ways to skip the lunch queue, to working out what I actually enjoyed doing versus what I saw other people enjoy. All of this helped to develop my independence and sense of self. I took Maths, Physics, and Art at A Level, a choice that I am proud of. There should be no pressure on 16-year-olds to make premature decisions over their career paths, and picking the subjects that I enjoyed the most has really helped me down the line. My road to becoming an artist I studied Natural Sciences for my Bachelor’s degree. I was torn between pursuing Art or Physics after my A Levels; I was good at and enjoyed both, but Physics offered the more secure path through my career and more tangible routes to success. However, university-level Physics proved very challenging for me, and over time my passion for the subject was eroded by ruthless mathematical procedures.

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I am ethnically Indian and grew up in London so my art is a way of addressing my heritage and understanding how my identity fits between Western and South Asian cultures. A long-term goal of mine is to travel to India for an extended period and see how I can connect with the country through immersion. Academically, I have taken a great interest in the European Baroque (16th and 17th centuries), and in particular Caravaggio and Rubens, for their use of strong tonal contrast, harmonious group dynamics, and a commitment to tangible and corporeal figures. Chiaroscuro is a popular word amongst art historians; it indicates a dramatic use of lighting such that the strength of both shadow and illumination are exaggerated. This helps to create a sense of depth in the painting, as the illuminated portions are thrust outwardly toward the viewer, whilst the shadow creates deep recesses within the canvas.

Advice for a young artist In the beginning stages you will create very few “final pieces”. All work will be an illustration of progress and of a direction, rather than a landmark piece. This approach requires a level of detachment; you need to not fall too in love with the artwork you are working on at any one time because you need to see how it informs your next move as an artist. The end is never in sight. For the same reason, do not work on only one piece at a time. It is so easy to get bogged down in decision making, dragging out the timeline of your work. The concept of “finishing” an artwork is a dangerous one, because every constraint you apply to an artwork is self-imposed, and hence completely arbitrary. Give your mind space to breathe, look away from an artwork and return to it later, and lose the egotistical voice that tells you

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a work is not finished. You may work on a piece for several years, over several stages of your life. Work from emotion. If your desire to paint, write, sculpt or sing, does not come from something inside of you, then one day you will realise you cannot be bothered. You might be able to convince others of your prodigious skill, but your work will feel empty if you yourself do not know

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Chiaroscuro was one of several pioneering techniques mastered by my favourite Baroque artists, and the overall effect of these were to make for a more visceral experience for the viewer. In the 16th and 17th centuries, commoners were likely unable to read their own Bible, and so interacted with their faith through art. Contrastingly, when looking at typical Hindu art, I see a lot of flat, saturated colours, a more rigid sense of depth, and figures lacking visual realism. I think that by imparting a greater connection with the viewer through a more human and emotive visual language, as Caravaggio and Rubens did for Catholic art, I can help contribute to a growing renaissance in Indian love for its own culture; a self-love that was greatly damaged by British colonialism.

why you are doing it. That is why creativity is often partnered with meditation; it is about accessing your authentic inner states. Finally, if you want to make money from your art, you need to develop business skills. Set up a website, tell people about your work, look for opportunities everywhere, especially the ones that attract eyeballs rather than immediate cash. Building a commercial practice is about savviness and initiative; unfortunately, sometimes the art can’t do all the talking for you. Simran can be contacted by email – queries@ simrankumar.com.

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Merchant Taylors’ and Winchester Cathedral: A Rich History

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David Farthing (1953-1957) lives in Winchester, the ancient capital of England and the centre of royal power in Anglo-Saxon and Norman times. The City’s long history may be traced in the art and architecture of the Cathedral, where David has been a guide for almost 20 years. On a recent visit to Sandy Lodge he was minded to reflect on the many connections between the Cathedral and Merchant Taylors’.

In Mulcaster, Lancelot found a teacher whose educational ideas were centuries ahead of his time. Mulcaster taught not only Latin and Greek, but also Hebrew, oriental languages, and the art of declamation. His curriculum incorporated music, drama, and physical education, including what he named “footeball” with organised team games, involving referees, player positions and coaching. He also emphasized the potential of English even over Latin and Greek, saying “I do not think that anie language, be it whatsoever, is better able to utter all arguments, either with more pith, or greater planesse, than our English tung is, if the English utterer be as skillful in the matter, which he is to utter”.

Lancelot Andrewes: 1555-1626 Lancelot Andrewes (OMT 1571) became Bishop of Winchester in 1619. His intellectual promise was evident early on. Born in 1555 in All Hallows, Barking, he initially attended Cooper’s Free School in Stepney, where the Head Master, Dr Thomas Ward, immediately detected a potential scholar. Aged six, Lancelot became one of a hundred poor scholars at the newly founded Merchant Taylors’ School. The school laid stress on the opportunities offered by learning, and the Master, Richard Mulcaster, pushed Lancelot to excel. Lessons began at 7am, though Lancelot would have been at his books since 4am – something that became a lifelong habit. In fact, so congenial did he find study that he had to be ordered to take recreation.

Left: Lancelot Andrewes memorial plaque in Presbytery Bottom: Lancelot Andrewes Creation Altar Frontal (photos Stephen O’Connell)

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No-one could have been a more suitable preceptor for the future translator of the Authorised Version. At 16, already possessed of a high academic reputation, Andrewes entered Pembroke College, Cambridge, graduating MA in 1578. He was to be Master of the College from 1589 to his death in 1626. (He was also awarded an MA at Oxford and named a founding Fellow of Jesus College). During his university years he would take a month’s vacation with his parents and learn a new language, eventually mastering six ancient and fifteen modern ones. He was priested in 1580. Lancelot Andrewes was greatly admired by James I. His name was first on the list of divines appointed to work on the King James Bible (published 1611). He headed the First Westminster Company, responsible for Genesis to 2 Kings, and acted as general editor for the whole project. His appointment as Bishop of Winchester in 1619 was a token of James’ gratitude and respect. It is also worthy of note that five other scholars of Merchant Taylors’ took part in the production of the King James Bible. Winchester Cathedral commemorates him in a statue on the Great Screen, (placed at the feet of St Gregory, patron of learned men) and by the Creation Altar Frontal (below) which quotes from one of his prayers – “Essence beyond essence, Nature Uncreate, Framer of the World”. The memorial to him by Simon Verity, pictured left, was placed in the Presbytery in 1994. It shows his image and symbols relating to his personal virtues and devotion to the Eucharist.

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Left: Bishop Peter Mews Plaque in Guardian Angels Chapel Below: Jane Austen Ledger Stone (Photos Stephen O’Connell)

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Bishop Peter Mews: 1619-1706 Peter Mews (1631-1636) was appointed Bishop of Winchester in 1684. He was educated at Merchant Taylors’ School and St John’s College, Oxford (where he was later a Fellow). He fought on the side of Royalty in the Civil War and was used as a messenger to the exiled Royal family during the Commonwealth period. He was always known as Captain Mews in Royalist circles. After the restoration of the monarchy, he continued with his studies and was then given several preferments, becoming a Canon at both St David’s and Windsor, and taking up the post of Bishop of Bath and Wells, before becoming Bishop of Winchester. At the age of 66, he went to fight on the side of King James II in Monmouth’s rebellion at the Battle of Sedgemoor. At some stage in his fighting career, he suffered injuries to his face and wore a black patch to cover them. This earned him the nickname “Old Patch”. He died in 1706 at Farnham Castle, then the residence of the Bishop of Winchester, and was buried in Winchester Cathedral.

Edward Thorpe and Jane Austen: 1775-1817 Jane Austen is buried in Winchester Cathedral (which is why there is a picture of the cathedral on the current Jane Austen £10 note). It may not come as a surprise that Jane was not actually an alumna of the school, but her father, the Reverend George Austen was a Fellow of St John’s College, Oxford. From him, she doubtless heard much of Fellows of Merchant Taylors’, and conceived the idea of having one of her characters, Edward Thorpe, attend the school in the book, Northanger Abbey. “From him, she doubtless heard much of Fellows of Merchant Taylors’, and conceived the idea of having one of her characters, Edward Thorpe, attend the school in the book, Northanger Abbey.”

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member, Winchester Talking Newspaper Association. I was privileged to meet with him on a regular basis when he would share with me some of his experiences. He told me that his retirement years in Winchester were proving to be the most enjoyable time of his life. After a long illness, Donald Coggan died peacefully in a nursing home in Winchester on 17th May 2000. A memorial service was held in Winchester Cathedral on 30th June 2000. The sermon was given by The Rt Revd Michael Turnbull, Bishop of Durham. The Bishop highlighted his work which contributed to the New English Bible and the Revised English Bible, the latter published when Donald Coggan was in his eightieth year. How strange that two OMTs worked on different English versions of the Bible, four centuries apart.

The Most Reverend and Right Honourable Donald Coggan: 1909-2000 Donald Coggan (1923-1928) attended Merchant Taylors’ from the age of 14, and went on to St John’s College, Cambridge. He eventually became Archbishop of York before being appointed Archbishop of Canterbury in 1974. After retiring, Dr Coggan and his wife Jean moved to Winchester in 1989, where he became an Assistant Bishop in the diocese. They chose Winchester because their two daughters, Ruth, formerly a missionary doctor in Pakistan, and Ann, formerly a teacher at Pilgrim’s School, were both living in the city. On a personal note, I was delighted when in 1990, he agreed to assume the role of President of a fledgeling charity of which I was a founder

Above: Dr Donald Coggan in 1975, pictured with HRH Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother at the opening of the Music Block

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once stood at the heart of the Anglo-Saxon city, the ancient capital of England. Buildings of the first importance, honoured by Anglo-Saxon and Norman kings, these great churches were later demolished, and their locations lost. Following almost ten years of excavation under his direction, from 1961 to 1971, the story of these lost minsters was revealed, bringing back to life the history, archaeology, and architecture of Winchester’s greatest Anglo-Saxon buildings. The Committee still exists today and publishes the results of the excavations in a series of Winchester Studies. Winchester is where Martin met Birthe Kjølbye. Due to her skills in the techniques and management of excavation, she was given charge of the site of Old Minster, the Anglo-Saxon cathedral. Birthe and Martin were married in 1966 and had two daughters, Signe and Solvej. Martin and Birthe formed an extraordinary archaeological team. They revolutionised the discipline of archaeological excavation, introducing new recording techniques, and they trained a whole generation of archaeologists. Birthe died in January 2010. Martin is now based at the Winchester Research Unit in Oxford where he acts as general editor of the Winchester Studies Series.

Above: Professor Martin Biddle at

Martin Biddle Martin Biddle (1950-1955), CBE, FBA, FSA, is a British archaeologist and academic. He is an Emeritus Fellow of Hertford College, Oxford, and Honorary Fellow of Pembroke College, Cambridge. His work was important in the development of medieval and post-medieval archaeology in Great Britain. Martin conducted excavations of the Manor of the More, an important sixteenth-century palace of Cardinal Wolsey and Henry VIII near Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire, where Catherine of Aragon lived after the annulment of her marriage to Henry VIII. The excavations ran from 1952 to 1955 and were carried out on behalf of the Merchant Taylors’ School Archaeology Society. A report of the excavations was published in 1959 in The Archaeological Journal. In 1961 Martin was asked to excavate the site of the proposed new ‘Wessex Hotel’ on the Cathedral Car Park in Winchester. The results were so important that Martin suggested that excavations should continue in the city, and in 1962 The Winchester Excavations Committee was formed, followed by The Winchester Research Unit of which he has been director since 1968. The original cathedral of Old Minster and the abbey church of New Minster

Winchester Cathedral on site of Old Minster

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And finally A few thoughts about my own time at school. As I lived nearby in Northwood, I cycled to school and was thus spared that long walk up the drive which many boys found so tiring. I have been fortunate to be regularly in touch with three fellow pupils from my time, and together we were delighted to attend the Afternoon Tea event at the school in March this year. I was not academically successful, so did not sit A Levels, but I was awarded my 1st XV colours. Sadly, no success there either as our team lost all our matches! However, in 1971, I was awarded an MSc in Engineering by Salford University, a qualification which enabled me to follow a rewarding and interesting career as a civil engineer, working in UK and abroad in many challenging locations. One highlight of my time at school was witnessing what is now considered perhaps the most audacious prank in school history dreamt up by a group from Classical Sixth who included none other than Martin Biddle. A device was installed above the ceiling in the Great Hall so that a roll of toilet paper streamed down at the end of assembly to the consternation of the Head Master, Hugh Elder. In 2012, the group who called themselves “The Rollers”, met for a reunion at the school, an occasion described in the Winter 2012 edition of Concordia, and still meet each year. I would like to record my thanks to two fellow guides: Anna Withers for researching and writing the section on Lancelot Andrewes, and Stephen O’Connell, also an OMT (1959-1967), for contributing further information and for editing the entire article. If any of you happen to be in Winchester, do please contact me and I will be only too happy to arrange a tour of the Cathedral.

Above: Lancelot Andrewes statue on Great Screen

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In 1882 the Taylorian Magazine announced in its notes that the juxtaposition of the Lord Mayor’s Show and the anniversary of Sir Thomas White’s birthday would be the occasion of a two-day holiday, much to the delight one can imagine of the school population in Charterhouse Square. The announcement reflected the strength of a relationship that dates back many centuries, and which was again celebrated on November 12th when the school was part of the procession for Alderman Nicholas Lyons – a Merchant Taylor – who was installed as the 694th Mayor of London. Merchant Taylors’ and the Lord Mayor’s Show

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Sixes and Sevens “Lat nat this wrechched wo thyn herte gnawe, But manly set the world on sexe and seuene.” Chaucer, Troilus and Criseyde (1374) The Merchant Taylors’ Company is one of the “Twelve Great Livery Companies” of the City of London, so it is no surprise that it should be so closely linked to the position of Mayor, which was founded in 1189. In a charter of 1215, King John gave away the right to appoint the Mayor to the City itself and in 1354 the title Lord Mayor was instituted. Since 1435, the Lord Mayor has been chosen from amongst the aldermen of the City of London and in 2006 the title was changed to the Lord Mayor of the City of London to avoid confusion with the elected mayor, currently Sadiq Khan. For many Merchant Taylors’, the Lord Mayor’s intervention in the disagreement over precedence with the Skinners’ Company is the most memorable link between the Company and the Office. There are 110 livery companies in the City of London, and their precedence — or rankings — was a long-standing point of contention between the Merchant Taylors’ and Skinners’. They were squabbling over who would be ranked sixth, while the other would be left behind in seventh. Both companies received their first royal charters in 1327, and perhaps their coincidental beginnings gave both a sense of entitlement to seniority. It mattered not just from a ceremonial point of view but also in terms of appointments to key offices in the City. Things came to a rather nasty head in 1484 during the Lord Mayor’s river procession. The Livery Companies were supposed to travel behind the mayor in order of their rankings. Unfortunately, the Taylors’ and Skinners’ had not agreed who should be sixth and seventh, so they raced each other down the Thames,

with each trying to overtake the other. Things culminated in a brawl, which got so violent, it left apprentices from both companies dead. The dispute is said to have been resolved by the Mayor of the day, Robert Billesden, who decreed that every year the Master and Wardens of each Company should entertain the Master and Wardens of the other Company at dinner, and that the Companies should take precedence in alternate years between sixth and seventh. There remain many theories about the origins of the phrase “at sixes and sevens” but this has not stopped both Companies claiming the Billesden decision to be the origin. Those lucky enough to possess a tie emblazoned with 6s and 7s will defend the story to their grave. Current Head Master, Simon Everson, epitomises this spirit of cooperation, he has been a Head Master of both a Skinners’ and now a Merchant Taylors’ School.

Upper Renter Warden Nick Hunter Jones dons the 6s & 7s tie

Sir Thomas White, Lord Mayor of London 1553 Sir Thomas White, Merchant Taylor, was involved in the foundation of the school as well as St John’s College, Oxford. Members of the Upper Thirds will be interested to know that he was knighted by Queen Mary in 1553 and had served on the commission that decided the fate of Lady Jane Grey. Another Merchant Taylor, Henry Machyn, was a leading diarist of the times (sadly overshadowed by the likes of John Evelyn and Samuel Pepys but no less valuable) and he wrote a vivid description of the installation of Sir Thomas White as Lord Mayor. “The same day the new lord mayor went toward Westminster, attended by all the crafts of London in their best livery, and … with trumpets blowing and the waits playing … a goodly pinnace trimmed with banners and guns … waiting of my lord mayor’s barge unto Westminster. And all the crafts’ barges with streamers and banners of every craft. And so

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Below: Building in Cloak Lane, City of London, referencing the dispute between the Merchant Taylors’ and the Skinners’.

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to the exchequer and so homeward. My lord mayor landed at Baynard Castle. And in St. Paul’s churchyard did every craft were set in array. First were two tallmen bearing two great streamers of the merchant tailors’ arms. Then came one with a drum and a flute playing and another with a great fife—all they in blue silk. And then came two great woodmen armed with two great clubs, all in green and with squibs burning, with great beards and side hair and two targets upon their back. And then came sixteen trumpeters blowing. And then came in blue gowns and capes and hose and blue silk sleeves and every man having a target and a javelin to the number of seventy. And then came a devil and after came the bachelors, all in livery and scarlet hoods. And then came the pageant of St. John the Baptist, gorgeously with goodly speeches. And then came all the King’s trumpeters blowing and every trumpeter

having scarlet capes and the waits capes and goodly banners. And then the crafts. And then the waits playing. And then my lord mayor’s officer and then my lord mayor and two goodly henchmen and then all the aldermen and the sheriffs. And so to dinner. And after dinner to Paul’s. And all them that bore targets did bear after staff torches, with all the trumpets and waits blowing through Paul’s, through round about the choir and the body of the church, blowing. And so home to my lord mayor’s house.” Credit should go to Sir Thomas White as he was able to negotiate the delicate religious politics of the time, with Elizabeth I not penalising his loyalty to her Catholic sister. This must surely reflect White’s philanthropy – he set up a multitude of schools and colleges – and his popularity with the citizens of London.

Sir Robert Lee, Lord Mayor of London 1602 It would be fair to say that participation in the Lord Mayor’s show has been accompanied by some exotic requests by the incoming mayor. Aside from being the last Lord Mayor of Elizabeth I’s reign, Lee is notable for the cost and damage of his procession in 1602. As noted by Brian Rees in the St Barnabas Day speech of 1970, Lee’s procession involved the demolition of a shop to give it access: “In the bill which came in for the Lord Mayor’s Show in 1602 we find the item: 43. 6d. “for breaking up part of a shop for ye pageant to pass out of Christ Church”. Brian Rees related the anecdote as part of his review of the year in which the Army Section of the CCF had processed alongside the Lord Mayor’s Show in 1970. He compared their experience favourably to their predecessors

in 1602 who had been required to pose as the nine muses in Cheapside – in ancient Greek religion and mythology, the Muses are the inspirational goddesses of literature, science, and the arts. They were considered the source of the knowledge embodied in the poetry, lyric songs, and myths that were related orally for centuries in ancient Greek culture. Rees reflected that this was less of an ordeal than the drenching of the 1970 contingent in the November rain. Apparently, the Lord Mayor, Sir Peter Studd, Merchant Taylor, had suggested one of the rugby players attempt a drop goal over Ludgate Bridge. The 1973 Procession Sir Peter Studd became the Master of the Merchant Taylors’ Company in 1973 and, as a former Lord Mayor, we can assume that he would have instigated the participation of the school in the Lord Mayor’s Show of that year. The idea was for three members of each of the CCF sections and the Community Service section to process alongside the Merchant Taylors’ Company coach, with Sir Peter Studd in it. The coach arrived just in time for the procession to start: The procession made its way at a leisurely pace past St. Paul’s and the TV cameras soon after noon, and to the Law Courts, where a somewhat meagre lunch was taken in Electra House before the return trip. This took the party through large crowds along the Embankment, and eventually, somewhat footsore, to the Mansion House. This was the end of the parade, and the party returned to the Merchant Taylors’ Hall for further refreshment. It had certainly proved a worthwhile and enjoyable experience, and the cadets were most grateful to the Company for the opportunity to take part, and for their hospitality and generosity.

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Below: Ludgate Bridge – the police banned an attempt to launch a drop goal attempt In the 1970 Lord Mayor’s Show.

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Above: Sir Peter Studd

Right: The Merchant Taylors’ Coach, 1973