Saturday October 17th

Thackeray somewhere in the ‘Book of Snobs’ remarks that we are all snobs at heart and that if one walked down St. James Street with a Duke on either side, it wouldn’t be human not to wish to meet all ones friends. My ‘blushing honours’ are sufficiently young to give me something of a thrill to find myself making a ‘three’ up fields with the Captain of the School (Barrington-Ward) and the Princeps Oppidanorum (Low) to give them their full titles.

I enjoyed the afternoon. We talked much on School matter and history. We quoted from memory the Town Boy and King’s Scholar’s Ledgers on ancient rows; to compare the two was quite funny, each written with a strong bias to say the least of it. Barrington-Ward tells me the Dean want to get more in touch with the School and has offered to give lectures on anything we like to a select few only he doesn’t quite know how to set about it, and wanted to get the opinions of people in the School. I strongly urged Barrington Ward to try and work it as I think it would be most interesting. I was also told the Duchess of Albany is going to be asked to the Play.

We were all very annoyed with G. G. Williams who played the fool in Bug Soc. this afternoon and also for that matter in Deb. Soc. on Thursday; he really should know better. Barrington-Ward read a paper on ‘bats’ which was not uninteresting and I proposed a vote of thanks and remarked ‘That he had added very considerably to our knowledge of bats and that in future when one flew into our bedrooms at night we should no longer look upon him as a stranger and an enemy but welcome him as a friend’. I also quoted the fact that Tennyson prided himself on being able to hear ‘the shriek of a bat’ which he said was the test of a fine ear.

Meesrs Whitmore and Collier are amusing themselves by seeing just how far they can go and how much I will stand in the way of silliness; a dangerous game as the limit is very nearly reached. I refuse to be outstared by Whitmore at lunch, he fixes me with an eye expressive of calm cheek which is most exasperating. I answer with an icy stare straight through him, he doesn’t like that…

Hobson really is most revolting; he has produced a human back-bone which he persists in leaving about Inner. We shall have skulls and skeletons next.

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Friday October 16th

. With superlative energy I played Fives this afternoon with Hobson, Rawson and Tunnecliffe. Considering I hadn’t played for over a year I got on better than expected. Tunnecliffe had never played before.

Barrington-Ward this morning showed me the ‘History of Scholarship’ by Sandys which has just been published and which has an appreciation of Rutherford [Head Master of Westminster School 1883-1901]. We were both annoyed to find Peter Elmsely put down as a Wykehamist and I strongly advised Barrington-Ward to write and correct this, he was of course a Westminster.

Speaking of Rutherford there are two things I shall always be glad of, one that I was a year at Westminster under his commanding and awe-inspiring personality and the other that ‘Suts’ was still going and I tasted the delights of ‘Sherbet’ and ginger biscuits to the accompaniment of ‘Comic Cuts’ which was always laid on the little counter of her shop. It was the last of the old shops of Westminster.

This evening I went over and saw Mrs Boult at the flat. She was very nice but I missed Adrian and they have refurnished his room for Miss Patterson which rather grieved me.

Great excitement this evening — Sorley got locked in the Bath Room. I wondered why he wasn’t in his Dormitory. I now hear Sedgwick climbed in from the Lavatory and affected a gallant rescue. He has a resourceful mind. I successfully stopped somewhat noisy play in Yard after 9 o’clock. I thought as College was having its Literary Society in the Raynor Drawing Room with the windows open I had better do so or we should have the ‘little man’ complaining.

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Thursday October 15th

Hobson went into breakfast with Father this morning so I was left alone. ‘Middle’, perhaps only my imagination, seemed rather constrained and I was quite glad when the meal was over. We had a somewhat unexpected ‘play’ today so we got off Forbes this afternoon. Father took prayers as Gow, as he confessed, had forgotten all about them, however ‘you ought to be able to sing by now’ says he to Father!!

At lunch Marriott, in a cold tone, asked Hobson to pass the salt, this I believe being the first word he had said to him since Tuesday. Rawson sprung on me a yard-tie so I braced myself for an effort and said I would play. Borrowed a pair of Hobson’s ‘footer bags’ [football boots] and changed for first time in Upper Changing Room. My Yard-tie consisted of Hodgson (substitute for Whitmore), Smurthwaite and myself against Miles, Smith and Sedgwick. Of course they were too good for us and beat us 17-5 but as Miles (who is at present desperately anxious to please me) remarked at tea it wasn’t a bad game. I was secretly pleased at the great applause when we got a goal. I myself developed into a Back as being least in the way there and did not make a hopeless fool of myself. I told Tunnecliffe afterwards how energetic I had been and he remarked that ‘it was jolly sporting of you to play at all’. I am sorry but little remarks like that quite cheer me up…

Rawson told me that Brown cut Gym yesterday, as he is a Chiswickite I only warned him by asking him why he didn’t go. He said he had been drilling and then had P.T. [Physical Training]. I asked him what time he got out from P.T., a nasty one, for he looked comfortable and said ¼ to 3 and hastily mumbled he had hurt his arm. I then pointed out to him the fact that at the time Gym had just begun and there was no reason why he should go late, and if his arm was so bad he had only to come to me to get leave off and furthermore as long as he was on the Station List he had to keep ordinary station.

We started quite a good rag motion in Deb. Soc. this evening, ‘That this house would welcome the turning of Green into a Kitchen Garden.’ Proposed by Bonner and opposed by Troutbeck and seconded by G. G. Williams, and caused much amusement. I had a hard experience in the Debate on the Licensing Bill after the proposer, seconder and Opposer had spoken I got up and found myself speaking quite fluently and also that the house was listening to me with great attention punctuated ‘Hear hears,’. I had called some not uninteresting facts from an article in ‘The April Quarterly’ which I retailed [sic] to the House. The Debate fizzled out after ‘my speech of the evening’? owing to the absence of Barrington-Ward who was indisposed I knew he was feeling very seedy and apparently he had had neuralgia. I amused myself this evening by writing up the Deb. Soc. Ledger up to date.

Hobson found 3 apple cores on his table tonight. Middleite idea of humour!

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Wednesday October 14th

I cannot fathom the latest turn affairs have taken. To all intents and purposes I am forgiven by all concerned while poor Hobson still remains under a cloud. At lunch today Father left us and it was a little awkward but I found Marriott willing to talk quite ordinarily to me though obviously doubtfully at ease. There was a little bread throwing which I said must cease. Rawson sees too much; he is always saying: ‘did you see this or that’ probably I did but it is not always wise to see everything. I cannot conceive what Marriott meant; I put out a letter for him and asked him afterwards if he got it ‘Yes’ he answered ‘Why? Did you think the writing looked fishy?’ I still don’t know what he meant, probably a grievance.

I had a long talk with Cockerell Hobson the builders’ foreman, about having the names of my predecessors painted up in Hall on boards. I walked round to his yard and saw some boards he was making for the Young Men’s College at the back, which I rather liked. It will be a somewhat expensive job I am afraid about ┬ú20. I shall have rather a business to raise the money.

He was quite interesting on the age of Grant’s. He himself has not the smallest doubt that the Raynor’s [Number 3, Little Dean’s Yard] and Grant’s were built at the same time. Partly by internal evidence; by the fact the measurements of the two houses are the same and the chimnies are built into each other. He places the date from the windows being in this form [see illustration below] with the bricks narrowed over the window at about 1730-40 which is earlier than I expected. He also told me the roof of College rested on a bed of oyster shells which I didn’t know…

There was a good deal too much ‘cackle’ in hall about 7. I ‘halled’ to get someone to take my candle down and get it refilled, but no one came and I ‘halled’ again furiously and when Smurthwaite appeared I remarked severely that if they made a little less noise in Hall they might perhaps hear my ‘hall’ better.

I was actually asked two questions in Prep one by Colquhoun on a beastly Latin sentence out of Hillard and North and the other by Whitmore on a sum, my suggestion seemed to be successful in the latter case for he murmured it had come out which I was relieved as it was not ‘coming out’ for me, for I was trying it on a scrap of paper.

The house was quite quiet between 9 and 10 and I tried to write out an account of the debate on ‘Fagging’ last week in the Deb. Soc. Ledger. One sentence I wrote pleased me ‘he (the opposer) drew a pathetic picture of clothes stained and sticky with jam which oozed from the pot which the Fag had been Fagged to fetch’. There is a beautiful alliteration running through the sentence which is most pleasing!

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Tuesday October 13th

‘Oh! What a crocodilian world is this’ as Quarles sings.

I was late for Prep for the first time this morning. Hobson told me that not a word was said to him about the row in the Big Dormitory last night. I knew the difficulties of the day would arrive with Marriott so I got down into Chiswicks as soon as I could (I always get ready in my own room) to support Hobson. As I thought, all was safe so I went back to the house and as I passed through Outer I looked back and saw Marriott go into Inner and shut the door. I hesitated a moment and then went back, but the harm was done. Subsequently Hobson told me Marriott had said ‘Did you go and tell the Old Man yourself?’ Hobson replied he did not and Marriott then called him a liar and a d***ed cad. Hobson taken by surprise had to make up his mind in a minute and though as he said ‘it made one boil’ he eventually said absolutely nothing. It is easy to be wise afterwards but I think I should have said some remark like ‘I think you are rather forgetting yourself’, but perhaps silence was best. What I objected to was the fact that he carefully waited until I was not there. It is the sign of a mean and dirty little mind which will say such things before one person and is afraid, for that I take to be the reason, to say it before the other, for he must know any insult like that is as much against me as it is against Hobson. I wondered all day if they would say anything to me, but they didn’t though it was not through any lack of opportunities and once or twice I thought they were going to do so.

‘Hall’ was really rather amusing. The humorous side struck me, there were Marriott and myself sitting straight opposite one another with Hobson on my right, all obviously thinking of the same thing, all desperately anxious to seem at ease, I making frantic spasmodic attempts at conversation with Hobson. Except perhaps by Marriott and Graham I seem so to say to be forgiven and I find myself talking and being answered quite naturally by the Chiswickites and even Tomlinson is smiling again. All the storm seems to fall on Hobson for which I am most sorry. I told him he could lay any responsibility he liked on me but he said he didn’t much mind.

Father, Aunt Mary and myself sallied out to see the Suffragettes but the row was more or less over and except for police in Victoria Street etc. was practically deserted. The moment we went out a policeman asked us our business! During Prep it was quite exciting the crowd emerged along College Street shouting and yelling and the Gates of Dean’s Yard had to be shut. Earlier in the evening the whole Chapter, except perhaps the Dean who I expect watched from his roof, came out. When Father went out earlier Broad Sanctuary was a surging mass.

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Monday October 12th

War! War! War! I thought everything was going too smoothly so tonight we have had a regular ‘bust up’ before which all the events of the day pale into insignificance, while Hobson and myself are fairly ‘in the Soup’.

Put shortly the cause was this, as I first heard of it. On Saturday after the match, Graham and Marriott went up and had a bath in the top bathroom, an extremely cheeky thing to do on Marriott’s part since he is a ┬¢ boarder and no ┬¢ boarder ever comes upstairs in Grant’s. Furthermore they were in the bathroom together (never allowed) when Mrs Thresher came up. She was exceedingly indigent and told me. I advised her to tell Father when he came back which she did and Father lectured Graham and Marriott this morning and told them what he thought and forbad them to use the bath again. The incident appeared closed though I heard some talking.

This afternoon Hobson just before School when we were in Inner together said he had come to the conclusion I ought to know that the affair was much more serious. Not only had Graham and Marriott had a bath but also Wyatt (an OW who was up-Homeboarders) had come ‘up’ the House at their invitation (in itself a gross offence as no-one but myself has the right to ask anyone and then only Old Grantites) and had also had a bath whilst Miles had kept ‘cave’.

Photographs of Marriott, Miles and Graham
Poor Hobson, Miles is a personal friend of his and has stayed with him in the holidays. He had a bad time all this morning making up his mind whether he ought to tell me. I am so glad he did and I told him so and thanked him saying that he had done quite right but that I knew the effort it must have cost him. In consequence I was frightfully worried all the afternoon what I ought to do. After thinking the matter over very carefully in all its bearing and with all the alternatives I reluctantly came to the conclusion that I should have to act and have them all three up and tan them.

At 7 o’clock after tea I went and told Father when he came in exactly what had happened since the morning, and though he perfectly agreed with me he thought the matter almost too serious for the Monitors and decided to take the matter into his own hands. Thus a great burden was lifted off my shoulders.

At 9 Father had Graham ‘up’ and tanned him and then talked to Miles for some time. Hobson and myself sitting were in Inner and ostensibly working, though in reality both thinking of one thing. At 9.30 I went round the Dormitories and when I came back (I couldn’t help smiling at the expectant faces of the Outerites when I came back, they expected Miles) Hobson told me Graham had come in and asked him point blank ‘Did you tell the Old man?’ to which Hobson replied ‘Yes I did’. All Chiswicks were buzzing like a steam engine and, as Hobson remarked ‘we shall come in for our fair share of hatred’. Outer are supporting Middle as far as I can make out and Hobson and myself I suppose are most unpopular.

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Sunday October 11th

Photograph of CargillLast night at 9.30 I was up in my room with the light on when whoever it was who had had a bath came out of the bathroom. Seeing the light he scuttled up stairs and I heard a loud whisper ‘Look out Lawrie’s up there in his room!’ I was amused at the use of my name. I suppose I am habitually spoken of as ‘Lawrie’.

I gave Smurthwaite leave to go out for a walk but refused Cargill, subsequently I gave them both leave as Father had told Smurthwaite if he wanted to go out he could ask me so I took it Cargill might do the same. Just before they started off for South Kensington Museum, Smurthwaite appeared and said ‘May we get a bun if we are hungry?’ I said I doubted if they could but though they might hold out till they got back.

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Saturday October 10th

Photograph of Young GowThis morning the ‘Daily Graphic’ has got an article on Westminster Football and a picture of young Gow. The superlatives were a little exhausting to read.

Hobson made the brilliant suggestion that I should read a paper on ‘The migration of birds’ before Bug. Soc. (Westminster for Natural History Society). Furthermore he is going to write more of it for me. I went up to a meeting of Bug. Soc. This afternoon and heard a somewhat interesting paper by A. E. Wood (OW) on ‘Nests’. A large gathering of the Bug Soc being extraordinarily health numbering over 40 members.

Went ‘up Fields’. Saw several OWs and avoided several more. The match was against OWs and the School was badly beaten.

Came down at 4. Father went off to Cambridge for a Founders Feast at Pembroke so I took the opportunity of reading prayers especially as there were not many left in. Rather an ordeal, I turned over two pages and began a prayer I had meant to say later which was upsetting, but otherwise got on better than I expected.

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Friday October 9th

Photograph of John SargeauntNothing of especial interest has happened today. I employed Morning Prep in copying my predecessors as Head of Grants into the House Ledger.

Third hour we went to John Sargeaunt. Wood worried J.S. this morning so he couldn’t resist having a hit at him. Pope had just stated in the Satires that a poet’s estimate of his own works was very different from other peoples. J.S. turned to Wood as the bell went and said ‘Do you understand this?’

‘Yes I think I do’

‘There is a great difference’ sayeth J.S. ‘between your thinking you understand a poem and your doing so’ and just as we got up J.S. added ‘and I don’t think you do!’.

In prayers they have put a new organy thing round almost behind me on the Monitorial where it wheezes and squeaks away and comes out like an infuriated bee at intervals.

Afterwards I went over and heard Wootton‘s 2nd lecture which was more interesting than last week and most of the experiments came off.

A ‘dicte and saying of the Philosopher’ which I don’t think I have recorded. Father was talking to someone about washing ones hands and turned to the Professor and said ‘don’t you think it is a good thing?’

‘Well’ say he ‘I don’t know, you see by constant washing you may wash away some of the natural juices of the hand’!!

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Thursday October 8th

. Today the new boys commence fagging so I got hold of Smurthwaite and told him he needn’t fetch Father for lunch, little Tunnecliffe better do it — to which he replied in a disappointed manner ‘Oh needn’t I. I should so love to!’ I had to say ‘No I was afraid he couldn’t Tunnicliffe had better do it’. Then I found Sorley and gave him first choice whether he would take my boots down at 9 and tidy my table bringing my boots up again at 9 in the morning or whether he would make me my toast when fires begin. I advised him to do the former as I didn’t see him in my mind in the midst of the scrum round the fire. He chose as I suggested and turning to Smurthwaite I said ‘Then you will make my toast’ to which this remarkable child replied ‘Is that all, can’t I do something more, I should so love to’!! Much taken back I said ‘Well if you are so anxious you can bring up my boots in the morning at 9 if you like’ on which he thanked me profusely!

I asked Sorley how he was getting on and he seemed to think better again impressing on me the fact he got on well with his Dormitory. I think as a matter of fact he is settling down; the clouds on his face seem clearing.

I had a tremendous long talk with Barrington-Ward this afternoon. I find we have much in common and I think we shall get very friendly. I find he squirms as I do when I read Eton, Harrow, Winchester, instead of Eton, Westminster, Winchester and we are both anxious to advertise the School unobtrusively or rather keep it before the Public Eye as much as possible. He took me into College and showed me a series of notebooks kept by former Captains back to 1815 of Play Expenses, who were asked and why, accounts, rules and customs etc. which interested me intensely.

In Deb Soc this evening Forbes and G. B. Wilson came up. The Debate (That this House approves of the system of Fagging) was fair, not very good. Barrington-Ward got up and made an impassioned speech on the evils of the fagging system and the deceitfulness etc. it led to. The House drank it in open-mouthed to hear the Captain saying such things. I was intensely amused, when he sat down he passed across to me the laconic note ‘Exactly as I expected, the House is far too honest’!! In a pause I found myself upon my legs unknowing whether to speak for or against. Eventually I followed Barrington-Ward’s lead but was hampered by continually thinking of arguments the other way to which I was speaking. I told the House the incident of Lord John Russell and the glazier which amused them and enlarged on the misery a bad fag-master might produce. The motion was carried by acclamation.

‘Having up’ John has had a salutary effect and no whispering was indulged in in Prep which I took tonight.

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