Coronations and Jubilees
Wellington College has seen five coronations since its foundation. The first four were marked by exeats from Wellington, rather than special events held at College. It must be remembered that in those days there was no weekend leave and few half terms, so time away from College in term-time was a rare treat. King Edward VII’s coronation was scheduled for 26 June 1902, and Wellington students were looking forward to a three-day exeat to celebrate it. However, the ceremony was postponed at only two days’ notice because the King was ill and needed an emergency operation. The news was not believed when it was first announced at College; it was then followed by bitter disappointment as the exeat was cancelled, and panic in the catering department as they hurriedly organised meals for the next few days. The coronation eventually went ahead in August, meaning that it was in the school holidays, so was not marked at College. A two-day exeat was granted for the coronation of King George V on 22 June 1911, and a special train was laid on to take most students to London. A small contingent from the Corps formed part of the troops which lined the processional route. The sixteen students who remained at College had a programme of treats arranged for them, including tennis, cricket, and a picnic on the Thames. By order of the King, an extra week was also added to the summer holidays. The coronation was also commemorated in November 1911 by the planting of an oak tree at College. The whole school assembled and the Corps provided a guard of honour for Lord Redesdale, the Governor who carried out the ceremony. The tree is still standing today: now a large and mature specimen, it can be seen on the mini roundabout outside the Driver Rooms. George VI’s coronation took place on 12 May 1937, and again a two-day exeat was granted, with only a few students remaining at College. The coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1952 was a moment of national celebration: she was young, popular and beautiful, and the country finally felt it was emerging from nearly 15 years of wartime and subsequent rationing. On Speech Day, the Duke of Wellington stated that never before in his lifetime had he known ‘such a spirit of hope throughout the country.’ Wellington students were again granted an exeat, and most left College, many going to witness the proceedings in London. A small party from the CCF was granted a position as privileged spectators immediately outside Buckingham Palace. One of them wrote many years later: ‘We were based on the Victoria Memorial just outside the Palace, where we had fantastic views of everything. We had to be there by dawn and were not allowed to leave until it was all over. We had haversack meals, but there were no “loos,” so the lions on the Memorial provided cover and got their feet very wet.’ The Speech Day Concert was given a coronation flavour by the inclusion of the two anthems, Handel’s Zadok the Priest and Parry’s I Was Glad. The band of the Punjab Regiment came over from Pakistan for the ceremony and, thanks to the efforts of OW Claude Auchinleck, came to perform on South Front the day before the coronation itself. They gave an incredible display of precision drumming and after lunch, the bandsmen were shown around College by students. One spectator remembered the event nearly seventy years later: ‘The very tall and magnificently dressed men marched up and down in front of the school – a totally unforgettable sight and sound. A very good day.’ The coronation of King Charles III in 2023 was the first for which no exeat was granted. As we now have early May Bank Holiday and a week at half term, further time away from school during examination season was not thought desirable. Instead, students were invited to watch the televised ceremony in their Houses, after which the day was celebrated with a barbeque, garden games and ice cream vans. An old tradition was revived, however, when former Chair of Governors Sir David Scholey planted a commemorative oak tree on Speech Day. The tree stands outside the Driver Rooms (former Art School), only fifty metres from its 1911 counterpart. Like coronations, royal jubilees were also celebrated with extra holidays at Wellington. For Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee in 1887, this took the form of an extra week added to the summer break. On Jubilee Day itself, the College entertained a party of seventy working men from the Wellington Mission Club in Walworth, London to lunch, tea, and a variety of activities including cricket, swimming and fishing. At the Diamond Jubilee in 1897, the school sent a beautiful handwritten congratulatory address to Her Majesty, ‘packed in a handsome red morocco case with the College arms on the outside.’ This time, as well as the extra week in summer, students were given two days’ leave at the time of the main celebrations. The majority left to see the festivities in London, but the ninety who remained in College enjoyed a very relaxed programme of entertainments including a river trip from Reading. They returned to find the cricket pavilion decorated with a banner reading ‘Victoria, 60 not out,’ and that evening climbed Finchampstead Ridges to witness the multitude of celebratory beacons which were being lit across the country. King George V’s Silver Jubilee in 1935 was again marked by beacons, but the celebrations fell during the Easter holidays. Nevertheless, two teachers who ran the College’s Scout Troop ingeniously created a huge fire-bucket on an eleven-foot pole on the top of Reservoir Hill, and duly set fire to it that evening. The College marked Elizabeth II’s Silver Jubilee in 1977 by hosting an athletics tournament. Sixteen prep schools and the four local primary schools were invited to take part with the College Under 14s, making 200 competitors in total. On this occasion, and also for the Queen’s Golden Jubilee, the Governors sent Her Majesty a message of congratulations from the College. 2022 was the first year in which the UK has seen a Platinum Jubilee. A special exhibition on Speech Day highlighted the College’s royal connections throughout its history, its centrepiece being original letters from many members of the royal family to our 3rd Master, Bertram Pollock. The College also joined the national ‘Queen’s Green Canopy’ project by planting an orchard of forty apple trees in the area behind the Stanley.
Queen Elizabeth II
The Queen’s visit was the centrepiece of Wellington’s Centenary celebrations in 1959. Accompanied by the Duke of Edinburgh, Her Majesty spent a full day at the College. After inspecting the CCF Guard of Honour, she was introduced to the Prefects and had lunch in the Dining Hall. In the afternoon the royal party toured the College, including the Beresford dormitory and the Science buildings, finishing at Grubbies where the Duke tried his hand at selling sweets. Queen Elizabeth next visited in 1974 to open Queen’s Court, named in her honour. The whole school assembled in the new building’s outdoor amphitheatre to see her unveil the commemorative plaque and present the Queen’s Medal. The royal party then toured the building before returning outside to hear the Choral Society and the Orchestra performing, appropriately, Haydn’s Achieved is the Glorious Work. In 1993 Her Majesty came to Wellington again. On this occasion she opened the new Hopetoun building, attended a Service of Thanksgiving in Chapel, and met students in the Newsome Sports Hall. In Combermere Quad she presented the Queen’s Medal and addressed the whole school. The Queen’s last official visit was in 2009, to commemorate the College’s 150th anniversary. Escorted by the Master and the Head Boy and Girl, she opened the Modern Languages Institute, visited the V&A Café, and saw displays of art and drama. Her Majesty’s keen memory and attention to detail have been evident on each occasion. Each time she has made reference to her own previous visits and those of her predecessors. Wellington College has indeed been privileged to call her our Visitor.
Our Modern Presidents
When the Duke of Connaught died in 1942, Prince Henry was an obvious choice to take his place as President. He visited later that year to inspect the Wellington Air Training Corps, and the following two years for the slimmed-down wartime Prize-Giving. After a period as Governor-General of Australia, he returned in 1947 and thereafter attended Speech Day every two years up to 1959, often accompanied by the Duchess. Several times they arrived by helicopter, unusual at that date. The Duke also lent his support to the post-War appeal to raise new funds for the Foundation, and hosted a reception at Apsley House for the College’s centenary. The Duke visited twice more in the 1960s, but by 1967 he was in poor health and the Duchess of Gloucester attended Speech Day on her own. Two years later he resigned the Presidency, which was taken over by his nephew, the Duke of Kent. At Speech Day 1971, the new President recalled his first visit to Wellington, as a ‘very nervous officer cadet’ sitting his Army entrance exam twenty years before, and spoke of his honour in following ‘all those illustrious predecessors and forbears of mine who have held this office in the past.’ He has gone on to become our longest-serving President, having held the post for over fifty years. As well as fourteen Speech Days, he has made numerous other visits, many of which reflect his particular interest in music. He was also Patron of Wellington’s School/Industry Liaison Scheme in the 1970s and 80s. In 1987 the Duke opened the Kent Building, named in his honour. He played an important role in the events to celebrate the College’s 150th anniversary, and continues to visit the College regularly. We very much appreciate his interest and support over such a long span of Wellington’s history.
Mid-Century Monarchs
In 1900, the Duke and Duchess paid a ‘strictly private’ visit, intending to see the College ‘in its plain working order.’ In this capacity they toured classrooms, dormitories and sports facilities. As Prince of Wales, George continued as a Governor, and welcomed his father the King to College in 1907. King George surprised the College community in 1916, announcing his intention to inspect the Cadet Corps with only a day’s notice. Arriving on horseback, he reviewed the Corps on Bigside, before presenting the King’s Medal to the Head of College. Ten years later, the King and Queen attended Sunday morning service in Chapel, and chatted to staff and students. In January 1936, Wellington cadets had the honour of lining the route of the King’s funeral procession at Windsor. George V’s son, Prince Edward, became a Governor of the College in 1918, and in a letter to former Master Bertram Pollock expressed his pleasure at being the third Prince of Wales to hold the position, describing the Old Wellingtonians he had met as ‘splendid and efficient.’ He paid an informal visit to College in 1926, watching cricket and racquets matches and having tea at Grubbies with the Prefects. His brief reign as Edward VIII and abdication provided no further opportunity for visits. When King George VI succeeded his brother in 1936 he knew little about Wellington, but was glad to accept the monarch’s position as Visitor. His only visit was in December 1940, just weeks after the College had been damaged and the Master killed by a German bombing raid. King George, Queen Elizabeth and their two daughters attended morning service in Chapel and then visited the Combermere, the Air Raid Precautions headquarters, and the Stanley air raid shelter. Coming at a time of great shock and sadness for the College, their visit was much appreciated. The College CCF was again honoured to be among those who lined the route at the King’s funeral in 1952. The same year his widow, Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, visited us for the dedication of the new Chapel windows.
The Duke of Connaught
Prince Arthur’s first public engagement was when, aged six, he accompanied his parents and siblings as his mother laid the foundation stone of Wellington College. He was also present at the College’s official opening in 1859, and the first Speech Day the following year. The Prince developed an interest in the military and had a long and distinguished career as an Army officer. Made Duke of Connaught in 1874, he became a Governor of Wellington the following year, and from then on was a regular visitor, often presenting the prizes for the Athletic Sports events. When his elder brother became King Edward VII in 1901, the Duke took his place as President of the College, a position he held for the next forty years. During this time he attended twenty-five Speech Days and became a much-loved figure. His letters to Bertram Pollock, the third Master, show his interest in many aspects of school life, from demand for student places to rugby matches. He was a great supporter of the Rifle Corps (now the CCF) and always enjoyed inspecting its parades. Addressing the school for the last time in 1938, the Duke spoke of ‘the deep interest and affection that I have for Wellington College.’ Even when too infirm to attend the prizegiving, he would still visit on the afternoon of Speech Day to watch cricket and other sports. His last visit was in 1941, at the age of 91. His death the following year marked the end of an era: a living link with the College’s foundation and the Great Duke.
King Edward VII
As Prince of Wales, Edward visited the College several times, mostly on Speech Day when he presented the prizes and complimented those students who performed in French, German, Latin and Greek. Royal visits were frequently celebrated by an extra day’s holiday for the students. During his reign, Edward VII attended three Speech Days, in 1904, 1907 and 1909. On their first two visits, the King and Queen did not attend for the whole day, but arrived in the afternoon at Great Gate where they were received under ‘a pretty pavilion, in broad bands of the Wellington colours of pale blue and gold.’ The King presented the King’s Medal before touring the College. During his 1907 visit, Edward VII unveiled the South African War Memorial in Chapel, opened the new Dining Hall, and presented the Toye Challenge Trophy for the first time. He sent instructions that the Master’s sermon was not to exceed five minutes. In 1909, Speech Day was postponed at the King’s request, to ensure his attendance for the College’s 50th anniversary. This time the royal party had lunch in Waterloo Hall, then known as the ‘Royal Room’, and attended the entire prize-giving ceremony. The Master, Bertram Pollock, made sure to obtain the recipe for the King’s favourite drink, and to ensure his every comfort. The event was commemorated by a carved inscription, added to the foundation stone in Front Quad which had been laid by Queen Victoria. Edward VII remains the only reigning monarch to have visited on Speech Day.
Royal Students
Prince Christian Victor joined Mr Penny’s House, later known as the Picton, and later became Head of House. A lifelong cricket enthusiast, he was in the College team for three years and Captain of Cricket in 1885. In 1893 he endowed a prize for bowling which has been awarded ever since. Princes Adolphus and Francis of Teck came to Wellington shortly after Christian Victor and were in Mr Kempthorne’s House, now the Stanley. Great-grandsons of George III, they were low in the line of succession and enjoyed a somewhat colourful school career, as shown in the many letters from their mother to Kempthorne in the College archives. Both boys got into trouble for being disorderly in Mathematics classes, and eventually the younger one was removed from Wellington. It is not known whether his crime was in fact, as was rumoured, throwing his Housemaster over a hedge. The last British princes to come to Wellington were Alexander and Maurice of Battenberg, the sons of Queen Victoria’s youngest daughter, Princess Beatrice. They were in Mr Bevir’s House, now the Benson, in the early 1900s. Beatrice’s letters to the Master of Wellington, Bertram Pollock, show her concern for their progress. Alexander left after two years in preparation for joining the Navy, but Maurice stayed for five years and became a College Prefect. When Prince Maurice was killed in the First World War, Pollock was invited to speak at his memorial service and Beatrice greatly appreciated his continued sympathy. Wellington has also had the honour of educating royal students from many other countries, including Thailand, India, Ethiopia, Malaysia and Greece.
Prince Albert and the Foundation
Albert was the College’s first President, and chaired most Governors’ meetings from 1853 until his death. He was intimately involved in the choice of the College’s site and design, its curriculum, and the first Master. He paid no fewer than 23 visits to Wellington, 12 of them private ones to inspect the site and buildings before the College had even opened. In 1858, Albert sent the newly appointed Master, Edward White Benson, on a tour of German schools to study their approach to learning. Although Benson was privately unimpressed with what he saw, it was because of the Prince that, from the beginning, Wellington taught subjects such as Science, Mathematics, History, Geography and Modern Languages, all extremely innovative at the time. Albert was generous with gifts as well as his time. He personally chose and donated over 450 books to form the nucleus of the College library. These volumes bear his own bookplate and are now displayed in the Benson. He also gave the Wellingtonia trees which form such a feature of North Front. In 1860 he endowed the Prince Consort’s History Prize, awarded on Speech Day ever since. On Speech Day 1861, Albert laid the foundation stone of the College Chapel. His last visit to Wellington was in November 1861, to see how the Chapel building was progressing, and at a meeting later that month he supported Benson’s proposal to enlarge it. His untimely death in December 1861 prevented him seeing the full fruition of the school he had so carefully planned and sponsored.
Queen Victoria
The Queen’s laying of the College’s foundation stone on 2nd June 1856 was a grand occasion. Victoria, Albert and seven of their children attended, and in the afternoon watched a review of nearly 12,000 troops. The foundation stone can still be seen in Front Quad. In January 1859 the Queen visited again and formally opened the College, touring the building before signing the Rules and Regulations in the Dining Hall (now Waterloo Hall). In her journal she declared the building ‘handsome and admirably arranged,’ and the students ‘promising.’ The Queen announced her intention to give an annual gold medal for good conduct, and regulations for selecting the student ‘of the finest and most noble character in the College’ were drawn up. The Queen’s Medal has been awarded every year since the College opened. After Prince Albert’s death, Victoria withdrew from public engagements for several years, but as Wellington had been so close to his heart, she declared that it would be ‘under Her special and personal protection and patronage.’ In November 1864, three years to the day since Albert’s last visit, she had a private tour of the College. Benson, the Master, was deeply embarrassed when the Queen witnessed the dormitory sheets being changed and floors being scrubbed, but she was ‘much gratified by all she saw.’ The Queen’s last visit was in May 1900. Aged 80, she arrived by carriage to inspect the Chapel, Library and Hall, and had tea at the Master’s Lodge. The Head of the Blücher wrote that ‘words cannot express the scenes of wild enthusiasm which the visit produced.’ Seven months later he recorded the College’s feeling of sorrow at the death of ‘the most beloved monarch who has ever reigned.’
Change and Continuity
Edwardian mourning sensibilities led to the day’s cancellation four times between 1900 and 1910, and a simpler, low-key event was held during the two World Wars. In 2020 and 2021, in response to the global Covid-19 pandemic, Speech Day went online and became a virtual event. With these exceptions, the day has been held annually since 1859. The venue used has also varied, as College numbers grew and the buildings expanded. Great School, Waterloo Hall, Old Gym, the Dining Hall, Christopher Lee Theatre and Newsome Sports Hall have all been used for prize-giving over the years. The current Big Top was introduced in 2013. n earlier times women did not play an active role, but thankfully this has now changed. In 1967 the Duchess of Gloucester may have been the first woman to present the prizes, while in 1997, chef Prue Leith was the first to give a speech. For many years Old Wellingtonians have been a key part of the day, with a College v OW cricket match and telegrams from OWs around the world. During the 1940s and 1950s, the OW swimming match was followed by a ‘General Bathe’ during which anyone who wished could pile into the swimming pool. The entertainment on offer has grown year on year. Exhibitions of students’ artistic, musical and physical talents have been supplemented with displays showcasing societies, expeditions, and service. On occasions when Speech Day was not followed by a holiday, there were evening entertainments such as film shows or fireworks. always formed the central part of the day, and some prizes including the Queen’s Medal, Lord Derby’s Gift and Prince Consort’s History Prize have been awarded ever since the 1860s. The Master’s Speech is another indispensable feature. Callover, at first the regular ‘register’ of students taken daily, has become gradually more ceremonial and now forms a unique and special end to the day.
Special guests
The young prince was named Arthur in honour of the Duke, who became his godfather. A painting in the Royal Collection, entitled ‘The First of May’, shows the aged Duke presenting Arthur with a gift on his first birthday. Queen Victoria when she laid the foundation stone of the College. He returned with her in 1859 for the official opening. At the age of twenty-five he became a Governor of the College, and in 1901 took over the Presidency when his elder brother became king. forty years as President he was at twenty-five Speech Days, often presenting the prizes. His last visit was in 1941, at the age of ninety-one. Prince Arthur’s love for the College was sincere and much reciprocated by the Wellington community. Sir Ian Hamilton Ian Hamilton was a student at Wellington from 1867 to 1870. He had fond memories of his schooldays despite being regularly beaten by the Master. In a notable military career he fought in Afghanistan, India, and the First and Second Boer Wars and was awarded the Distinguished Service Order. By 1915 he was a senior general, and was put in command of the difficult and ultimately unsuccessful Gallipoli campaign. On Waterloo Day 1915, the College sent him a telegram reading ‘Your old school thinks of you with pride this June 18th, and wishes you God-speed in your great undertaking.’ Hamilton replied with a letter reproduced here, still in the College Archives, in which he writes of the difficulty of the campaign and his desire to live up to ‘the standards of effort and conduct inculcated at Wellington College.’ was in 1943, aged ninety, when in a short speech he reminded those present that he had ‘seen Queen Victoria here, in action, on our Quadrangles… and the fright I got in my youth has given me inspiration ever since, and courage in my old age.’
Golden Age
During this era, parents and honoured guests would be served lunch in Waterloo Hall and Great School before the prize-giving took place in the Gymnasium (now Old Gym). This was followed by tea in the form of a garden party for up to 2000 guests on Turf, ‘where tea and fruit were dispensed from numerous tents.’ The VIP visitors were served tea in the Master’s garden. On their first two visits, the King and Queen did not attend for the whole day, but arrived in the late afternoon at Great Gate where they were received under ‘a pretty pavilion, in broad bands of the Wellington colours of pale blue and gold.’ The King presented the King’s Medal before touring the College. During his 1907 visit, Edward VII unveiled the South African War Memorial in Chapel, opened the new Dining Hall, and presented the Toye Challenge Trophy for the first time. The events of 1909 were the most brilliant of all, marking the College’s 50th anniversary. Speech Day was postponed to July at the King’s request, to ensure his attendance. This time the royal party had lunch in Waterloo Hall, then known as the ‘Royal Room’, and attended the entire prize-giving ceremony. Bertram Pollock’s notes show that he considered every detail, including making sure the King was served his favourite drink, and hiring in equipment and waiting staff from Harrods. Speech Day was cancelled four times during Pollock’s sixteen years as Master, due to the deaths of two monarchs (Queen Victoria and Edward VII) and two College Vice-Presidents. However, those Speech Days which were held reached heights of elaborateness and splendour not seen again until the 21st century.
Early Years
Early Years As a school with a more modern curriculum, Wellington’s Speech Days included not only Greek and Latin recitations, but also performances of scenes from plays in French, German and English. Prizes were awarded for various subjects including sciences, languages and drawing, as well as the top prize, the Queen’s Medal, for general character. In the early years it was not usual for parents to attend Speech Day, but royal patronage and the College’s distinguished Board of Governors meant that VIP guests were usually present. In 1861 Albert, the Prince Consort, laid the Chapel foundation stone on Speech Day. Three years later the Prince of Wales, later Edward VII, made the first of numerous Speech Day visits. By 1871 the Wellingtonian was remarking on the absence of royalty as something unusual! Vice-Presidents the Earl of Derby and the Duke of Wellington were also regular guests. A special train bringing the important visitors from London to Crowthorne soon became normal. The prize-giving ceremony took place in what is now Waterloo Hall, and guests then had lunch in a marquee on South Front. In 1872 the first Speech Day Concert took place after lunch. The first students’ Art Exhibition was held in 1881, while in 1889 the newly opened Gymnasium (now the Old Gym) housed a Physical Training display for the first time. The date for Speech Day rapidly became established as 18th June, the anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo. This tradition continued well into the 20th century, although guests frequently lamented the resulting clash with Ascot races.
Running at Wellington
For the first hundred years of Wellington’s history, running took two forms: steeplechases, such as the Kingsley, and the longer paperchases, which were more frequent. Paperchases (hares and hounds) Historically, most cross-country running at Wellington took the form of paperchases, in which a pack of runners known as the ‘hounds’ would follow a trail of ripped-up paper laid by two runners known as the ‘hares’. Thus the sport was as much a test of navigation across country as of running skills, and runners might have to negotiate hedges, ditches and ploughed fields. The pack would usually pause and gather together about 1 kilometre away from College before racing home in the final “run-in.” The hares carried the paper, known as “scent,” in large shoulder-bags, and photographs show extra paper being delivered to them half-way round the course by teachers on horseback or, later, in cars. Most paperchases covered a distance of between 11 and 13 miles (17 to 21km), and took around 2 hours, although in some cases the runners got lost and did not arrive back until after dark! For the Fleet Run, which started in about 1870, participants would take the train to Farnborough and run from there back to College. Steeplechases Like the horse race of the same name, steeplechases included natural obstacles such as fences, hedges, ditches and rivers. The course was much shorter than a paperchase, taking between 12 and 15 minutes to run, and was marked out with flags or rags tied to fences and trees. Wellington’s main steeplechases have always been the Kingsleys, begun in 1860, only a year after the College opened. These usually consisted of the “Big” and “Little” Kingsley, for senior and junior runners respectively. Initially they were run in November, but from 1883 onwards have generally been held in March or April. Until 1963, the Kingsleys were run in the Blackwater meadows and included crossing the Blackwater River. By 1964 the river was considered too polluted for the races to continue, and so from 1965 they have been held in the College grounds, with crossing of the lake replacing that of the river. The maps above and below show the old course, from 1957, and the first example of the new course in 1965. The Pancake Run During the 1880s, a paperchase for under-16s was initially held on Shrove Tuesday. This soon became an annual event known as the “Pancake Run.” It was compulsory, meaning that fields of between 200 and 400 regularly took part. It became the custom that the “hares” who laid the paper trail should be the Head of School and the Captain of the First XV. It was also traditional that other senior boys (often members of the XV) would take part and help the younger boys along, as shown in these illustrations from the Wellingtonian. The run became so much a part of Wellington tradition that in 1915 two Old Wellingtonians, serving as Army officers in northern France, decided to go for a run of their own when they realised it was Shrove Tuesday. The Pancake Run was the last school race to be a true paperchase, but by the 1950s, views on litter had changed and attempts were made to pick up the paper the following day. In 1954 sawdust was used instead of paper, but was found to be unsatisfactory, and the race was not run again. Brass and Wood Tankard The winner of the Kingsley in 1879, Marcus Henry Milner, had this tankard engraved to commemorate his victory. It must have inspired him, as he went on to win the race again for the next three years. The Lambton Cup This cup was presented to College in 1897 by the seven Lambton brothers (the “Septem Fratres” referred to in the inscription) who all attended Wellington between 1882 and 1898. In a play on their family name, it features seven sheep or lambs around the base, and ram’s-head handles. The cup was initially awarded for hockey, but in 1900 it became a trophy for running. Points were given for all senior runs, from 12 points for the winner down to 1 point for any finishers below 11th place, and the cup went to the House with most points at the end of the season. The cup continued to be awarded in this way until around 1994. Rainsford-Hannay Horn Because paperchases took the form of a hunt with ‘hares’ and ‘hounds’, it was the custom for the student in charge to be known as “Master of the Hunt” and to carry a hunting-horn. Ramsay Rainsford-Hannay was in the Combermere from 1898 to 1902. He was Masterof the Hunt, as well as a Prefect and Head of House. In 1917 he was killed while servingin Mesopotamia, and his family presented this silver horn to the College in his memory.The engraving reads: ‘In memory of Ramsay Rainsford-Hannay, Captain 45th Rattray’s Sikhs, killed in action Mesopotamia 1 Feb 1917. Master of the Hunt 1902 -1905. ‘non sibi soli sed patriae sed suis’ – ‘Not for himself alone, but for his country, for his people’.