DR. R. SIMPSON : PRINCIPAL 1933-1937. FAR AHEAD OF HIS TIMES?

 DR. R. SIMPSON : PRINCIPAL 1933-1937. FAR AHEAD OF HIS TIMES? 

Filling in the shoes of the Rev WHG Padfield was a huge challenge. An entire generation knew no other Principal of the Lawrence Memorial Royal Military School, Lovedale. The Rev Padfield had epitomized the school from 1908 to 1932 - nearly a quarter of a century. 

The man who succeeded him turned out to be an achiever too. One who brought in a lot of progressive reform, particularly in the eyes of the students. He was the Rev R W Simpson, M Sc,  D Phil (Oxon), FRES who took charge as the Principal in 1933.

In the picture below, Rev Simpson is seen with Sir Norman Marjoribanks KCIE, CSI, former Governor of Madras during his visit to Lovedale in 1934.

After his first year in office, Dr Simpson wrote, “ I felt at the beginning of the year soon after my arrival...that the Public School System of England....might be adopted to the needs of Lovedale School and after a full year of trial I feel more optimistic. The running of the School out of class hours is now practically entirely in the hands of the Prefects who have shouldered their responsibilities admirably.”

An Old Lawrencian remembered, " My last years at school took place under the ‘reign’ of Dr. Simpson who, in four short years, changed the whole concept of Lovedale’s development towards the ideals of a public school. Before his time it was run like an orphanage (and I should know!) Dr. Simpson (affectionately known as ‘Boss’) was responsible for (would you believe?) introducing crockery to replace ‘tin’ mugs and plates, the paneling of the dining hall (it used to look like a Victorian railway station), the building of flush toilets (they didn’t exist before), the introduction of baths (only showers before then), the building of chemistry, physics and biology labs and a host of other physical alterations, too numerous to mention here.”

He gave more emphasis to cultural activities and the students presented more plays including one in French- for the first time in Lovedale. 

The Large Hall was renovated during this period as was the Church. 

Another Old Lawrencian of those times recalled : " Well, he revolutionized the school. The food was dramatically improved, and so were the uniforms. Instead of eating off Aluminum plates and mugs we now had crockery imported from London, plates and mugs were of white china with blue rims and the school crescent on all the china. The girls had terrible uniforms of khaki! Black wool stockings and black boots . We now were dressed like English school girls, in brown tunics, cream blouses, and brown shoes and stockings - no more boots and no more khaki! "

The pictures below accentuate the point made by this OL. 

Here's an account of Dr Simpson from an Old Lawrencian: "He was an outspoken man. For church services, instead of wearing the usual vestments he wore his red Oxford Doctor of Divinity Gown and looked very dramatic and imposing. Both Girls and Boys admired him enormously. We cried buckets when he was terminated. I remembered what the school was like before Dr. Simpson came and I was terrified that conditions would revert to the former Dickensian style. Remember the school was founded for orphan children of British soldiers (not officers) and the boys were encouraged to join the British army into the Boys Service - not as officers - and sent to Chepstow in Wales, England at the age of 14. Dr. Simpson wanted the boys to stay longer in school, get the Senior Cambridge, and be trained for the Indian Army as Officers."

It is said that Dr Simpson wanted to widen the scope of the school to include Indians amongst both staff and pupils. This apparently did not endear him to the Board of Governors of those days. There was also a controversy in his spending on items which they considered were not essential. Perhaps he wanted to bring about many changes too soon! 

Dr Simpson resigned in 1937 after four years as the Principal of the school. Some believed his services had been terminated. It was obvious the students missed him terribly, less so the Board of Governors! 

Writing of Dr Simpson 85 years after he left the School, we are left pondering :  Was he far ahead of his times? 

Pictures here are courtesy the Holdaway Family website and used with gratitude and with no commercial or profit motive whatsoever. "My Life Story" is a fascinating account of those times by Derek Holdaway, who is sadly no more. He studied in Lovedale from 1943 to 1948. His parents Walter Holdaway and Barbara Holdaway (nee Walton) were Old Lawrencians too and his mother was at school during the Simpson era. 

Readers may also like to see Glimpses of A Glorious Past of August 2021 in the OL Assembly show. 

THE PADFIELD YEARS - PART II

 THE PADFIELD YEARS - PART II

In the last blog post we saw how the Rev William Herbert Greenland Padfield, MA (Cantab) became the Principal of The Lawrence Asylum in Lovedale in 1908. He served in this capacity till 1932, his record of 24 years at the helm of affairs remains unbroken to this day.

In this post, we record more of his achievements.  While much of the credit for the success of an institution has to go to the leader, in this case the Rev Padfield, we are sure he would have acknowledged the sterling role played by the Head Master, Mr. W R Ramshaw. He held that important post, from 1908 to 1930, almost totally overlapping Rev Padfield’s tenure.

Reflective of the many improvements that had taken place over the last 55 years, the Lawrence Asylum was renamed “The Lawrence Memorial School” on January 15, 1913. 

That year, borrowing from the English Public School system, three Houses were formed in the Upper School. The Houses were called Lawrence, ( after Sir Henry), Hope Grant, ( after General Sir James Hope Grant, who played a leading role in choosing Lovedale as the location for the expanded Asylum at Ootacamund, when he was the Commander in Chief of the Madras Army) and Murray Hammick, ( after Sir Murray Love Hammick KCSI, CIE a Madras Civil servant and a great friend of the School, who was the Acting Governor of the Madras Presidency in 1912). 

 Lovedale was far removed from the pitched battles fought in mainland Europe during World War I .The School Honour Board recorded some of the Old Lawrencians who distinguished themselves. Lt H R Vaughan IARO ( Indian Army Reserve Officer) attached to the 41st Dogras, part of the Indian Corps commanded by General Sir James Willcocks was wounded in the battle of Festubert in May 1915. #

We also now know that Capt. William Noel Atkinson, 2nd/10th  

Gurkha Rifles, Indian Army was killed by a sniper when leading his men to repel a fierce counter attack by the Turks at Gallipoli on June 29, 1915. He was the eldest son of  The School’s former Principal, the Rev. A.W. Atkinson. He was a graduate of the Royal Military College, Sandhurst, gazetted as 2 nd Lieutenant in 1903 when his father held office at Lovedale.

 

An article by Annamalai Palaniappan in The Lawrencian in June/July 1983, contains this interesting information, “ The School played its part during the Great War of 1914 – 1918 , when the boys and staff garrisoned Wellington. It is interesting to note that for the service rendered, over 40 General Service Medals were awarded. The Principal heard from 220 boys serving on different fronts, among whom 18 subsequently sacrificed their lives on various battlefields, and 17 gained honours and distinctions. At that time over 2,500 students of the school were scattered in the four corners of the Empire.”

Some of you may have seen a panel in the School Church that honours the memory of those who laid down their lives for King and Country during the First World War. Contributions for this came from the Old Lawrencians Club which Rev Padfield was instrumental in setting up. This was the forerunner of our current Old Lawrencians Association. 

In those days of Empire one of the most coveted trophies was the Lord Milner Trophy awarded at the close of the annual Imperial Challenge Rifle Shooting competition, open to boys and girls across the British Empire. It was a matter, therefore of immense pride for the Rev Padfield when the School won this prestigious trophy in 1919.

In January, 1921, the School was presented The King's Colors in an impressive ceremony at Madras by HRH The Duke of Connaught and Strathearn, uncle of the reigning Monarch, King George V. 

The cadets, 40 rank and file, 2 N.C.Os. (and 5 N.C.Os. for the colour party) under Sergt. Major Light, and the Band, (37 in number,) under Band Instructor Muddle, with Sergt. Munford, travelled to Madras. They stayed at the Royal Artillery Barracks in Fort St. George, where everything had been very kindly arranged for them by Q.M.S. Jeffery. 

An article in The Lawrencian notes, " We should like to thank Q.M.S. Jeffery most warmly for all his help, and for the very excellent catering arrangements which he made for us, giving the cadets absolutely the time of their lives. Drill starts at once, under the supervision of Captain Mc Enroy, M.C., who most kindly devoted himself to this task morning and evening, and to whom our thanks are largely due for the precision and accuracy which the cadets showed on “ the day.”  

 Punctually, on Saturday at 8 a.m., H.R.H arrived at the entrance to the pandal and was met by Their Excellencies, The Governor and Lady Willingdon. His Excellency then presented Sir. William Marshall, Mr.Knapp and Mr.Berridge as representing the School Committee and the Principal to His Royal Highness. H.R.H then  proceeded to the dais, where he was met by the Bishop of Madras. The School Band played“ God Save the King” and the cadets presented arms.

      The Bishop then consecrated the colours- which rested on an altar of drums kindly lent by the Leicester Regiment (The Royal Canadians). 

    

 H.R.H. then spoke as follows:“ It is a great pleasure to me to present these colours to the Lawrence Memorial School for I well know how close and honorable is the connection that binds you to the British Army.

          I congratulate your Principal and your Officers on the distinguished record your school has achieved and on the very smart appearance of the cadets whom I see before me now. I trust you will look upon these colours as the emblem of your duty to your school and country and I hope that many of those who are henceforth to serve under these colours will live to serve, The King Emperor with honour and distinction in the larger spheres of life.”

        The colours unfurled and turned towards the centre of the line were given a general salute – the colour party marched in slow time to its place in line, the band playing “God Save the King”. The platoon headed by the band, then marched passed in line.

        After the presentation, H.R.H. expressed to the Principal the pleasure which it had given him to present the colours to a school with such a splendid history and complimented him on their smartness and efficiency. His Excellency then sent for Mrs. Padfield and presented her to H.R.H.  The large and distinguished gathering present were loud in their commendations. A letter received by the Principal in his Excellency’s own handwriting will no doubt help to inspire succeeding generations to keep up to the standard set by the present boys. 

Encouraged by the favorable reports he received about the School, HRH kindly consented to become the Royal Patron of the School in 1923. 

In 1925, came what perhaps was the crowning point in Rev Padfield's tenure. The School was accorded the status of a Royal Military School by His Majesty King George V- it was only the fourth School in the British Empire to be bestowed with this honour.  

The first school to be so honored was the Duke of York’s Royal Military School at Dover, founded by Royal Warrant in 1803 as The Royal Military Asylum . It became the Duke of York’s Royal Military School in 1892. Next, the privilege was accorded to the Royal Hibernian Military School in Dublin , established in 1769 and accorded this honour in 1806. It merged with its sister school The Duke Of York's Royal Military School in 1924.

 

The third in the British Empire to be bestowed this honour was our very own Sister School at Sanawar, established in 1847 which was given the title of The Lawrence Memorial

Royal Military School in 1920.

 

This good news was reflected in The Rev Padfield’s report to the Chairman and Members of the Board of Governors of the School when he wrote with justifiable pride that His Imperial Majesty the King Emperor George V had “been graciously pleased to approve of the Lawrence Memorial School, Lovedale, being designated  ‘The Lawrence Memorial Royal Military School (Lovedale).”

After serving as the Principal for 24 years, the Rev Padfield retired and went back to England in 1932 leaving behind a lasting legacy.

As mentioned in the last blog post, under Rev Padfield the School had grown considerable in stature. An Asylum for  the children of British soldiers serving in India, especially the orphans, had grown to become a Royal Military School. 

We would encourage you to see the two episodes about Rev Padefield aired in the segment on "Glimpses of a Glorious Part " in the OLA's OL Assembly of  June 2021 and July 2021. 

# From : “The Indian Corps in France during the First World”, by John Walter Beresford Merewether CIE).

## Extract from the “Statesman” January 18, 1921