St Cyprian's School was an English preparatory school for boys, which operated in the early 20th century in

Eastbourne Eastbourne () is a town and seaside resort in East Sussex, on the south coast of England, east of Brighton and south of London. Eastbourne is immediately east of Beachy Head, the highest chalk sea cliff in Great Britain and part of the la ...

, East Sussex. Like other preparatory schools, its purpose was to train pupils to do well enough in the examinations (usually taken around the age of 13) to gain admission to leading public schools, and to provide an introduction to boarding school life.

History

St Cyprian's was founded in 1899 by Lewis Vaughan Wilkes and his wife Cicely Comyn, a newly married couple in their twenties. It originally operated in a large house in Carlisle Road, but by 1906 had grown sufficiently to move into new purpose-built facilities with extensive playing fields behind Summerdown Road. The school ran with the prevailing ethos of

Muscular Christianity Muscular Christianity is a philosophical movement that originated in England in the mid-19th century, characterized by a belief in patriotic duty, discipline, self-sacrifice, masculinity, and the moral and physical beauty of athleticism. The mov ...

which had typified private education since the time of

Thomas Arnold Thomas Arnold (13 June 1795 – 12 June 1842) was an English educator and historian. He was an early supporter of the Broad Church Anglican movement. As headmaster of Rugby School from 1828 to 1841, he introduced several reforms that were wide ...

Rugby Rugby may refer to: Sport * Rugby football in many forms: ** Rugby league: 13 players per side *** Masters Rugby League *** Mod league *** Rugby league nines *** Rugby league sevens *** Touch (sport) *** Wheelchair rugby league ** Rugby union: 1 ...

, and placed much emphasis on developing self-reliance and integrity ("Character"). In these and many other respects St Cyprian's was little different from the other leading prep schools of the time. The school submitted itself annually to an independent academic assessment, conducted by Sir

Charles Grant Robertson Sir Charles Grant Robertson (1869 – 29 February 1948) was a British academic historian. He was a Fellow of All Souls College, Oxford, and Vice-chancellor of the University of Birmingham. Biography Grant Robertson was born in 1869 and educated ...

fellow of All Souls College, Oxford. The school uniform was a green shirt with a pale blue collar, corduroy breeches and a cap with a

Maltese Cross The Maltese cross is a cross symbol, consisting of four " V" or arrowhead shaped concave quadrilaterals converging at a central vertex at right angles, two tips pointing outward symmetrically. It is a heraldic cross variant which developed f ...

for a badge. The high success rate in achieving scholarships to leading public schools including

Eton Eton most commonly refers to Eton College, a public school in Eton, Berkshire, England. Eton may also refer to: Places *Eton, Berkshire, a town in Berkshire, England * Eton, Georgia, a town in the United States * Éton, a commune in the Meuse dep ...

and Harrow attracted ambitious parents. However, the Wilkeses appreciated that public school scholarships were really intended for talented children from less well-off families, and so they provided places at St Cyprian's at significantly reduced fees for deserving cases, in the hope that they would attain these scholarships. Two further features distinguished St Cyprian's. The first was the proximity to

South Downs The South Downs are a range of chalk hills that extends for about across the south-eastern coastal counties of England from the Itchen valley of Hampshire in the west to Beachy Head, in the Eastbourne Downland Estate, East Sussex, in the east. ...

, which was fully exploited to give opportunities to the boys for running wild, studying natural history, walking, picnics, riding and even golf on the adjacent links. The second was the overwhelming impact of Mrs Wilkes (known as "Mum"). She was in total control of the school and in the days before female emancipation this made a great impression on her charges. The resulting ambivalence was exacerbated by a fiery temper and by the way her mood flipped between firm discipline and generous indulgence. Mrs Wilkes was a great believer in history teaching and saw the Harrow History Prize as an opportunity to bring it into the classics-dominated curriculum. Mrs Wilkes also taught English, and stimulated generations of writers with her emphasis on clear, high quality writing. In addition to Mrs Wilkes, a major influence was the second master R. L. Sillar, who joined the school staff soon after it opened and stayed for 30 years. With his interest in natural history, his skill at shooting, his art teaching and his magic lantern shows he broadened the curriculum considerably and is revered in Old Boy's accounts. In its fortieth year, the school building was gutted by fire on 14 May 1939, and a housemaid died in a fall from an upper window. Emergency accommodation was arranged at Ascham St. Vincent's School, the buildings of a preparatory school in Eastbourne which had recently closed. On 20 July 1939, St Cyprian's moved to Whispers, near

Midhurst Midhurst () is a market town, parish and civil parish in West Sussex, England. It lies on the River Rother inland from the English Channel, and north of the county town of Chichester. The name Midhurst was first recorded in 1186 as ''Middeh ...

in West Sussex. It stayed there for 18 months until the building was requisitioned by the army during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. As a result of this double blow, numbers dwindled and after a brief combination with Rosehill School in

Gloucestershire Gloucestershire ( abbreviated Glos) is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn and the entire Forest of Dean. The county town is the city of Gl ...

the remaining boys went with the then-headmaster, W. J. V. Tomlinson (Bill), to join the old rival

Summer Fields School Summer Fields is a fee-paying boys' independent day and boarding Preparatory school (UK), preparatory school in Summertown, Oxford. It was originally called Summerfield and used to have a subsidiary school, Summerfields, St Leonards-on-Sea (kn ...

, in

Oxford Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...

. The school playing fields were sold to

Eastbourne College Eastbourne College is a co-educational independent school in the British public school tradition, for day and boarding pupils aged 13–18, in the town of Eastbourne on the south coast of England. The College's headmaster is Tom Lawson. Over ...

. In April 1997, Eastbourne Civic Society (now The Eastbourne Society), in conjunction with the County Borough of Eastbourne, erected a

blue plaque A blue plaque is a permanent sign installed in a public place in the United Kingdom and elsewhere to commemorate a link between that location and a famous person, event, or former building on the site, serving as a historical marker. The term i ...

at the house in Summerdown Road which was connected with the school and which was Mrs Wilkes's residence in later years.

Former pupils

The school was attended, among others, by: *Sir

Cecil Beaton Sir Cecil Walter Hardy Beaton, (14 January 1904 – 18 January 1980) was a British fashion, portrait and war photographer, diarist, painter, and interior designer, as well as an Oscar–winning stage and costume designer for films and the theat ...

(1904–1980) – photographer, stage designer *

Douglas Blackwood George Douglas Morant Blackwood, (11 October 1909 – 2 March 1997) was a British publisher and a fighter pilot in the Royal Air Force during World War II. Early life Douglas Blackwood was a great-great-grandson of William Blackwood who founded ...

(1909–1997) –

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fighter pilot, publisher *

Derwent Hall Caine Sir Derwent Hall Caine, 1st Baronet (12 September 18912 December 1971) was a British actor, publisher and Labour politician. Biography Caine was the son of British novelist Hall Caine and his wife Mary Chandler. He was born at Keswick in Cumb ...

(1891–1971) – actor, publisher and Labour politician * Walter John Christie (1905–1982) –

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civil servant *

Alan Clark Alan Kenneth Mackenzie Clark (13 April 1928 – 5 September 1999) was a British Conservative Member of Parliament (MP), author and diarist. He served as a junior minister in Margaret Thatcher's governments at the Departments of Employment, Tra ...

(1928–1999) – military historian, Conservative politician and diarist *

Cyril Connolly Cyril Vernon Connolly CBE (10 September 1903 – 26 November 1974) was an English literary critic and writer. He was the editor of the influential literary magazine ''Horizon'' (1940–49) and wrote '' Enemies of Promise'' (1938), which combin ...

(1903–1974) – literary critic and writer *

John Edmondson, 2nd Baron Sandford Commander John Cyril Edmondson, 2nd Baron Sandford, DSC (22 December 1920 – 13 January 2009) was a decorated Royal Navy officer, Church of England clergyman, conservationist and Conservative politician. As a junior minister charged with a rev ...

(1920–2009) – naval commander, clergyman, politician (

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) * John D. Eshelby (1916–1981) – scientist in micromechanics ("Eshelby's Inclusion") * Henry R B Foote, VC (1904–1993) – Major-General; awarded the Victoria Cross for World War II service in North Africa *

Ian Fraser, Baron Fraser of Lonsdale William Jocelyn Ian Fraser, Baron Fraser of Lonsdale, (30 August 1897 – 19 December 1974) was a British Conservative Party politician, a Governor of the BBC, a successful businessman and the first person to be awarded a life peerage under t ...

(1897–1974) – World War I veteran, who lost his eyesight at the Somme; Chairman of St Dunstan's Charity; MP; BBC Governor; first Life Peer *

Dyneley Hussey Dyneley Hussey (27 February 1893 – 6 September 1972) was an English war poet, journalist, art critic and music critic. Life Hussey was born in India and was the son of Colonel Charles Edward Hussey. He was educated at St Cyprian's School Eastbo ...

(1893–1972) – war poet, music critic *

Alan Hyman Alan Maurice Hyman (10 January 1910 – 23 February 1999) was an English writer, journalist, and film writer. Life and work Alan Hyman was the son of A. Hyman. He was educated at St Cyprian's School, Repton School, and Magdalene College, Cam ...

(1910-1999) – author, journalist and screenwriter *

Alaric Jacob Harold Alaric Jacob (8 June 1909 – 26 January 1995) was an English writer and journalist. He was a Reuters correspondent in Washington in the 1930s and a war correspondent during World War II in North Africa, Burma and Moscow. Early life Alar ...

(1909–1995) – journalist, writer *

David Kindersley David Guy Barnabas Kindersley MBE (11 June 1915 – 2 February 1995) was a British stone letter-carver and typeface designer, and the founder of the Kindersley Workshop (later the Cardozo Kindersley Workshop). His carved plaques and inscription ...

(1915–1995) – stonecutter, letterer, typographer *

Henry Longhurst Henry Carpenter Longhurst (18 March 1909 – 21 July 1978) was a British golf writer and commentator. For 45 years, he was golfing correspondent of the '' Sunday Times''. During World War II, Longhurst was also a member of parliament (MP) for Ac ...

(1909–1978) – MP, golfer, golf correspondent *

Rupert Lonsdale Rupert Philip Lonsdale (5 May 1905 – 25 April 1999) was a British submarine commander, prisoner of war and Anglican clergyman. He was forced to surrender his boat in World War II after he had succeeded in rescuing her and her crew from the s ...

(1905–1999) – World War II submarine commander/POW, Anglican clergyman * Seymour de Lotbiniere (1905–1984) – BBC Director of outside broadcasting who initiated Test match commentary and masterminded the televising of the 1953 Coronation * Patrick de Maré (1916–2008) – British Army psychiatrist; consultant psychotherapist who specialized in group psychotherapy * John Marsden (1915–2004) – British intelligence officer, Eton schoolmaster and sculler *

Gavin Maxwell Gavin Maxwell FRSL FZS FRGS (15 July 19147 September 1969) was a British naturalist and author, best known for his non-fiction writing and his work with otters. He wrote the book ''Ring of Bright Water'' (1960) about how he brought an otter ...

(1914–1969) – naturalist, writer * E. H. W. Meyerstein (1889–1952) – writer, scholar *

Anthony Mildmay Sir Anthony Mildmay (died 1617) of Apethorpe Palace, Northamptonshire, served as a Member of Parliament for Wiltshire from 1584 to 1586 and as English ambassador in Paris in 1597. Origins Mildmay was the eldest son of Sir Walter Mildmay ( ...

(1909–1950) – amateur steeplechase jockey who rode in the Grand National *

Russi Mody Rustomji Homusji Mody, known to most as Russi Mody (17 January 1918 – 16 May 2014) was a chairman and managing director of Tata Steel and a leading member of the Tata Group. Early years Russi was born on 17 January 1918 in Bombay (now Mum ...

(1918-2014) – Indian businessman *Sir

Cedric Morris Sir Cedric Lockwood Morris, 9th Baronet (11 December 1889 – 8 February 1982) was a British artist, art teacher and plantsman. He was born in Swansea in South Wales, but worked mainly in East Anglia. As an artist he is best known for his portra ...

Bt. (1889–1982) – artist, horticulturalist *

Jagaddipendra Narayan Sir Jagaddipendra Narayan Bhup Bahadur, (15 December 1915 – 11 April 1970) was Maharaja of Cooch-Behar, in India. He served in British forces during World War II and ceded full ruling powers to the Government of India in 1949. Early l ...

(1915–1970) –

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*Sir

Hugh Norman-Walker Sir Hugh Selby Norman-Walker (17 December 1916 – 28 August 1985) was a British colonial official. He served in India from 1938 to 1948. Joining the Colonial Office in 1949, he successively served as an Administrative Officer and an Assistant ...

(1916–1985) – Colonial Office official whose posts included Governor of the Seychelles and Colonial Secretary of Hong Kong * Toby O'Brien (1909–1979) – public relations expert who led Britain's efforts to counter Nazi Germany's propaganda *

David Ogilvy David (; , "beloved one") (traditional spelling), , ''Dāwūd''; grc-koi, Δαυΐδ, Dauíd; la, Davidus, David; gez , ዳዊት, ''Dawit''; xcl, Դաւիթ, ''Dawitʿ''; cu, Давíдъ, ''Davidŭ''; possibly meaning "beloved one". w ...

(1911–1999) – Advertising executive – known as the "Father of Advertising" *Sir David Ormsby-Gore, KCMG (1918–1985) – politician; British Ambassador to the USA *

George Orwell Eric Arthur Blair (25 June 1903 – 21 January 1950), better known by his pen name George Orwell, was an English novelist, essayist, journalist, and critic. His work is characterised by lucid prose, social criticism, opposition to totalitar ...

(né Eric Blair) (1903–1950) – writer, journalist, Spanish Civil War loyalist, author of ''

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'' *

Kenneth Payne Kenneth Martin Payne (8 September 1912 – 24 April 1988) was a British rower who competed in the 1932 Summer Olympics. Payne was the son of Dr John Ernest Payne, a surgeon, and his wife psychoanalyst Sylvia Payne. His father had rowed for Cam ...

(1912–1988) – Olympic rower * Alec Pearce (1910–1982) – cricketer for Kent CCC, MCC and Hong Kong *

Geoffrey Pidcock Air Vice Marshal Geoffrey Arthur Henzell Pidcock, (6 November 1897 – 12 February 1976) was a senior officer in the Royal Air Force. After becoming a flying ace in the First World War, credited with six aerial victories, he remained in the newl ...

(1897–1976) – World War I RAF ace * H. Q. A. Reeves (1909–1955) – engineer (

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secret weapon) *

Charles Rivett-Carnac Charles Edward Rivett-Carnac (August 31, 1901 – July 18, 1980) was a Commissioner of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Biography Early life A descendant of Sir James Rivett-Carnac, Rivett-Carnac, was born in Eastbourne, Sussex, England ...

(1901–1980) – Commissioner, Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) * Robert de Ropp (1913–1987) – biochemist, cancer research, writer on spiritual enlightenment *

James Collingwood Tinling James Collingwood Burdett Tinling (24 March 1900 – 1983) was an ex-RAF officer who joined with Rolf Dudley-Williams and Frank Whittle in 1936 to set up Power Jets Ltd, which manufactured the world's first working jet engine. Tinling was born i ...

(1900–1983) – RAF Officer, who co-built the first jet engine *Sir Charles Hyde Villiers (1912–1992) – Businessman; one-time Chairman of British Steel *Sir

Lashmer Whistler General Sir Lashmer Gordon Whistler, (3 September 1898 – 4 July 1963), known as "Bolo", was a British Army officer who served in both the world wars. A junior officer during the First World War, during the Second World War he achieved senior ...

(1898–1963) – General in British Army at El Alamein, Normandy landings and Operation Market Garden *

John Vaughan Wilkes John Comyn Vaughan Wilkes (30 March 1902 – 24 January 1986) was an English educationalist, who was Warden of Radley College and an Anglican priest. Wilkes was born in Eastbourne, the eldest son of Lewis Chitty Vaughan Wilkes and his wife Ci ...

(1902–1986) – Warden of Radley College and clergyman * Richard Wood, MP (1920–2002) – Conservative politician and minister *

Philip Ziegler Philip Sandeman Ziegler (born 24 December 1929) is a British biographer and historian. Background Born in Ringwood, Hampshire, Ziegler was educated at St Cyprian's School, Eastbourne, and went with the school when it merged with Summer Field ...

(born 1929) – historian

Former teachers

Charles Edgar Loseby Charles Edgar Loseby (1881 – 1970) was a captain, lawyer and British politician being Member of Parliament for Bradford East. Before World War I, he was a teacher at St Cyprian's School, Eastbourne and in 1912 he taught at Winchester Hou ...

– National Democratic and Labour Party MP

Accounts and recollections

The school's three most prominent writers included accounts of the school in their works. Connolly recalled his time at St Cyprian's in ''

Enemies of Promise ''Enemies of Promise'' is a critical and autobiographical work written by Cyril Connolly first published in 1938. It comprises three parts, the first dedicated to Connolly's observations about English literature and the English literary world of ...

'', published in 1938 with the name of the school disguised as "St. Wulfric's". With wry humour, he mocked the Wilkes and the ethos of "Character building", writing ''"We called the headmistress Flip and the headmaster Sambo. Flip, around whom the whole system revolved, was able, ambitious, temperamental and energetic."'' Connolly questioned the practice of British parents sending young children to boarding preparatory schools but concluded ''"Yet St yprian'swhere I now went was a well run and vigorous example which did me a world of good."'' His friend,

, disagreed and wrote disparagingly and bitterly of the school in the quasi-autobiographical essay '' Such, Such Were the Joys'', first published in the ''

Partisan Review ''Partisan Review'' (''PR'') was a small-circulation quarterly "little magazine" dealing with literature, politics, and cultural commentary published in New York City. The magazine was launched in 1934 by the Communist Party USA–affiliated John ...

'' (Sept.- Oct. 1952). By Orwell's own admission this was too libelous to print and under British libel laws could not be published while the people described in it were still living. It appeared in print in the United States in 1952 with the name of the school changed to "Crossgates", but not in the United Kingdom until after the death of Mrs. Wilkes. The thrust of Orwell's criticism was directed at the system of boarding school education that sent children away from their homes when they were no more than 7 or 8 years old, and at the unreflective elitism and classism of Britain before the First World War. This is evident from one of the closing passages of Orwell's essay.

''"How would St Cyprian's appear to me now, if I could go back, at my present age, and see it as it was in 1915? What should I think of Sambo and Flip, those terrible, all-powerful monsters? I should see them as a couple of silly, shallow, ineffectual people, eagerly clambering up a social ladder which any thinking person could see to be on the point of collapse."''

Orwell attacked the presence of "nouveaux riches" and aristocrats at the school, who he thought received preferential treatment. In contrast, Gavin Maxwell's parents had chosen the school because it was less elitist and aristocratic than older prep schools. Maxwell found the school tough, but left primarily because he felt he was the target of resentment because of his aristocratic parents with their Scottish estates. Longhurst, who had great admiration for the school and for Mrs. Wilkes, described these authors' accounts of the school as unrecognizable, and would frequently defend ''"a very fine school"'' in response to reviewers of Orwell's work. His views were shared by W J L Christie, Indian Civil Service, who wrote a riposte to Orwell in defence of the school in ''

Blackwood's Magazine ''Blackwood's Magazine'' was a British magazine and miscellany printed between 1817 and 1980. It was founded by the publisher William Blackwood and was originally called the ''Edinburgh Monthly Magazine''. The first number appeared in April 1817 ...

'' (owned and edited by Douglas Blackwood). Both were particularly incensed by what in their opinion were totally inaccurate accusations against the Wilkeses. Cecil Beaton, who was at the school with Orwell, had a different reaction, describing the work as ''"Hilariously funny – but exaggerated"''. Orwell's essay has been dissected in detail and its reliability questioned by Pearce. Nearly all accounts of former pupils declare that the school gave them a good start in life but views of Mrs. Wilkes vary. David Ogilvy is critical, but Alaric Jacob praises her teaching, and Foote, Rivett-Carnac, and Wright refer to her with great affection. It was Connolly who, after reading his parents' papers, wrote apologetically: ''"The Wilkes were true friends and I had caricatured their mannerisms ... and read mercenary motives into much that was just enthusiasm"'' and he described Mrs. Wilkes as ''"a warm-hearted and inspired teacher"''.Cyril Connolly, ''The Evening Colonnade'' (1973) Walter Christie's cap and other items are currently displayed at the Chalk Farm Hotel in Willingdon.

References

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External links