Totally Inspirational

Henry Richardson (CR 1870-1905) is remembered by Terry Rogers (CR 1964-2014).

Henry Richardson was one of the very last Beaks to be appointed to Marlborough by George Bradley (Master 1858-70), and HR – known to other Beaks as Dick – arrived at Marlborough at a very auspicious time. Over the previous 12 years, Bradley had completed the reforms started by George Cotton (Master 1852-58) and by 1870 had not only raised the reputation of the College to very high levels, but had also presided over the clearance of all the College’s debts, enabling the purchase of the freehold of its site from the Marquess of Ailesbury. Bradley’s reputation was illustrated by Alfred, Lord Tennyson who, when asked why he had sent a son to Marlborough, is alleged to have replied, ‘I sent him to Bradley rather than to Marlborough!’ Henry initially taught Lower School Forms and, although Frederic Farrar (Master 1871-76) asked him to run B2 for a short while, he was soon moved to A House and given the title of Master of the Lower School. HR was a very conscientious schoolmaster both in and out of the classroom. He cared for the welfare of the junior boys and one of his initiatives was to have a significant consequence for the whole of MC: the College had adopted cricket and rugby almost from its start, but HR noticed that in mid-winter the younger boys got bored by endless paperchases or cross-country runs and he decided to encourage the playing of hockey by A House boys in the mid-1870’s. This proved popular and caught the interest of older boys, with the result that MC’s earliest Hockey XI is dated to 1883. In 1880, he was assigned to teaching Modern School forms where the curriculum involved less study of the Classics and there was more emphasis on Geography, History, Modern Languages and the preparation for Army entry exams. That year, he became the President of the prestigious MC Natural History Society, supervising the creation of a new home for the NHS in Museum Block (built in 1883), in what is now the Garnett Room. As a result, the NHS was able to expand and flourish under HR’s interest and encouragement until he resigned his Presidency in 1886 on his appointment as Housemaster of Littlefield.

Unsurprisingly, bearing in mind his genuine interest in and care for everyone he encountered, Littlefield under HR was both a popular and happy house. And he also must have been a very efficient administrator because, on his retirement from MC after 19 years as a Housemaster, he produced a book called Annals of Littlefield, in which are printed details of every Littlefield boy, together with House Lists, prizes awarded and the results of every house match played. When he died, in May 1914, he left instructions that nobody should write an obituary of him. His request was honoured, but when OMs heard that there was to be no printed tribute, a flood of letters reached the Editor of The Marlburian and were duly printed. The following is a small representative selection of comments from them:

‘All boys, either in Littlefield or taught by him, considered themselves most fortunate, and he was universally respected by everyone.’ ‘By example and by his gift of understanding he seemed to bring out all that was good in people.’ ‘I, along with hundreds of others, owe him an unpayable debt.’ Clearly, Henry Richardson was an outstanding Beak who set high personal standards for himself. If one were ever in doubt as to the character of the man, one has only to read his personal motto: Money lost, little lost, Honour lost, much lost, Heart lost, all lost.