Michael George MacDonald Kidson (24 August 1929 – 20 June 2015) was a British schoolmaster who taught history at

Eton College Eton College () is a public school in Eton, Berkshire, England. It was founded in 1440 by Henry VI under the name ''Kynge's College of Our Ladye of Eton besyde Windesore'',Nevill, p. 3 ff. intended as a sister institution to King's College, ...

. Among Kidson's pupils was former Prime Minister David Cameron. Kidson was born in

Belgravia Belgravia () is a district in Central London, covering parts of the areas of both the City of Westminster and the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. Belgravia was known as the 'Five Fields' during the Tudor Period, and became a dang ...

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

. His parents separated when he was an infant and his father died a few years later. He was brought up in

Shropshire Shropshire (; alternatively Salop; abbreviated in print only as Shrops; demonym Salopian ) is a landlocked historic county in the West Midlands region of England. It is bordered by Wales to the west and the English counties of Cheshire to ...

by his grandfather until the age of seven. Following his grandfather's death he was placed into the care of the Royal Wolverhampton School, which at that time was a charitable institution for children who had lost one or both parents.Michael Kidson, schoolmaster – obituary
''Daily Telegraph'', Obiits. 3 July 2015. (Retrieved 15 July 2015). After five months’ training at the

Mons Officer Cadet School Mons Officer Cadet School was a British military training establishment for officer cadets in Aldershot from 1942 to 1972, when it was closed and all officer training concentrated at Sandhurst. Until 1960, it was known as the Mons Officer Cade ...

, Kidson served in the

King's Shropshire Light Infantry The King's Shropshire Light Infantry (KSLI) was a light infantry regiment of the British Army, formed in the Childers Reforms of 1881, but with antecedents dating back to 1755. It served in the Second Boer War, World War I and World War II. In 19 ...

as a national service officer, then went up to

Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge Gonville and Caius College, often referred to simply as Caius ( ), is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge in Cambridge, England. Founded in 1348, it is the fourth-oldest of the University of Cambridge's 31 colleges and one of t ...

, where he read economics and history. In 1956, he joined

Shell Shell may refer to: Architecture and design * Shell (structure), a thin structure ** Concrete shell, a thin shell of concrete, usually with no interior columns or exterior buttresses ** Thin-shell structure Science Biology * Seashell, a hard o ...

as a graduate trainee, but soon moved into teaching, initially at

Papplewick Papplewick is a village and civil parish in Nottinghamshire, England, 7.5 miles (12 km) north of Nottingham and 6 miles (10 km) south of Mansfield. It had a population of 756 at the 2011 census. In the Middle Ages, the village marked ...

, a private school, and then at Eton. He retired in 1994. Commenting on Kidson, David Cameron said: "If he caught you napping, he’d throw this block of wood at your head .... Health and safety means you can’t do this anymore."''The Nation,'' Pakistan, 18 October 2014. "Cameron to become first Tory PM sending his children to a state school" http://nation.com.pk/snippets/18-Oct-2014/cameron-to-become-first-tory-pm-sending-his-children-to-a-state-school Kidson's life is portrayed in the book ''The Enigma of Kidson'' (), by

Jamie Blackett James William Beauchamp Blackett (born 17 October 1964) is a British politician, writer, landowner farmer and political activist, with articles appearing in ''The Daily Telegraph'', ''The Spectator'' and other publications. He writes a monthly co ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kidson, Michael 1929 births 2015 deaths Alumni of Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge Graduates of the Mons Officer Cadet School Schoolteachers from Shropshire King's Shropshire Light Infantry officers People from Belgravia People educated at the Royal Wolverhampton School Teachers at Eton College