At the outbreak of the First World War, Rev. Canon William Dawson was Brighton College’s Headmaster. The Chief, as he was known, remains our longest serving Head, having lead the school between 1906 and 1933.
He instigated a significant rise in pupil numbers and saw several additions to the school grounds – the Great Hall, the swimming pool and an extension to the chapel. It is tragic to realise that Dawson’s attempts to bolster numbers are now mirrored in the school’s roll of honour. In a recent blog post, I reflected on how a large percentage of the boys in some of our house photographs lost their lives. During the centenary years of this tragic conflict, Brighton College has been working hard to remember every pupil who sacrificed his life.
Commemoration is not without its difficulties, as is acknowledged on the Brighton College Remembered website:
‘One question looms large: what exactly should we remember? The Great War has disappeared from living memory, and has been reduced to some conveniently-packaged, bitesize chunks: mud, trench foot, shellshock, No Man’s Land, barbed wire, machine guns, lions, donkeys, gas, poetry, poppies, futility, waste.’
With this in mind, we wanted our tribute to reveal the individual, rather than stereotypical, experience of war. And so, the 2014/2015 Fourth Form pupils and their families were each assigned one name from the Roll of Honour as part of our Lest We Forget Project. Their task was to discover all they can: where he was born, where he lived, when he was at Brighton College, and how and where he died. The quality and depth of the research undertaken, and the amount of time taken by some pupils and families, has been truly inspirational. We have discovered more than we thought possible about the lives of these boys, and this will ensure that our commemoration will leave a lasting legacy.
This in-depth research has fed into our online roll of honour, and inspired the publication of a book, which will be available later in the year. It has also led to new relationships forming between living descendants, the families who completed the research, and the school. As one living relative emphasised to us, it is vital that these stories are told, re-told, and never forgotten.
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- Images courtesy of Brighton College.
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- Images courtesy of Brighton College.
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- Images courtesy of Brighton College.
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- Brightonian Magazine April 1915 – Images courtesy of Brighton College.
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- Frederick Bartley, boys cricket team – Images courtesy of Brighton College.
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- Frederick Bartley, boys football team – Images courtesy of Brighton College.
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- Chichester House, 1911 – Frederick Bartley, boys cricket team – Images courtesy of Brighton College.
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- Reverend Canon Dawson, c1920 – Frederick Bartley, boys cricket team – Images courtesy of Brighton College.
This story was submitted by Abby Wharne, archivist for Brighton College. All images courtesy of Brighton College.
