Wixenford School, also known as Wixenford Preparatory School and Wixenford-Eversley, was an

independent Independent or Independents may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups * Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in the New Hope, Pennsylvania, area of the United States during the early 1930s * Independ ...

preparatory school for boys near

Wokingham Wokingham is a market town in Berkshire, England, west of London, southeast of Reading, north of Camberley and west of Bracknell. History Wokingham means 'Wocca's people's home'. Wocca was apparently a Saxon chieftain who may ...

, founded in 1869. A

feeder school A college-preparatory school (usually shortened to preparatory school or prep school) is a type of secondary school. The term refers to public, private independent or parochial schools primarily designed to prepare students for higher education ...

for Eton, after it closed in 1934 its former buildings were taken over by the present-day

Ludgrove School Ludgrove School is an English independent boys preparatory boarding school. Ludgrove was founded in 1892 at Ludgrove Hall in Middlesex by the Old Etonian sportsman Arthur Dunn. Dunn had been employed as a master at Elstree School, which sent b ...

History

The school was founded in 1869 at Wixenford House,

Eversley Eversley is a village and civil parish in the Hart district of Hampshire, England. The village is located around northeast of Basingstoke and around west of Yateley. The River Blackwater, and the border with Berkshire, form the northern bo ...

Hampshire Hampshire (, ; abbreviated to Hants) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in western South East England on the coast of the English Channel. Home to two major English cities on its south coast, Southampton and Portsmouth, Hampshire ...

, by its first head master, Richard Cowley Powles (1819–1901), a

Church of England The Church of England (C of E) is the established Christian church in England and the mother church of the international Anglican Communion. It traces its history to the Christian church recorded as existing in the Roman province of Britai ...

cleric, and has been described as "successful and fashionable". Among the school's first intake of boys, in May 1869, was

George Nathaniel Curzon George Nathaniel Curzon, 1st Marquess Curzon of Kedleston, (11 January 1859 – 20 March 1925), styled Lord Curzon of Kedleston between 1898 and 1911 and then Earl Curzon of Kedleston between 1911 and 1921, was a British Conservative statesman ...

, a future

Viceroy of India The Governor-General of India (1773–1950, from 1858 to 1947 the Viceroy and Governor-General of India, commonly shortened to Viceroy of India) was the representative of the monarch of the United Kingdom and after Indian independence in 19 ...

. Before being attached to the school, "Wixenford" was the name of its first home, a new house built for Powles at Eversley in 1868–69. Powles, who in his youth had been a

fellow A fellow is a concept whose exact meaning depends on context. In learned or professional societies, it refers to a privileged member who is specially elected in recognition of their work and achievements. Within the context of higher education ...

Exeter College, Oxford (Let Exeter Flourish) , old_names = ''Stapeldon Hall'' , named_for = Walter de Stapledon, Bishop of Exeter , established = , sister_college = Emmanuel College, Cambridge , rector = Sir Richard Trainor ...

, had previously operated a school at Blackheath, and he came to Eversley to be near his lifelong friend Charles Kingsley. After Kingsley's death in 1875, Powles became less active in the school and retired as headmaster in 1879. He moved to

Chichester Chichester () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and civil parish in West Sussex, England.OS Explorer map 120: Chichester, South Harting and Selsey Scale: 1:25 000. Publisher:Ordnance Survey – Southampton B2 edition. Publi ...

in 1881, where he became a

prebendary A prebendary is a member of the Roman Catholic or Anglican clergy, a form of canon with a role in the administration of a cathedral or collegiate church. When attending services, prebendaries sit in particular seats, usually at the back of th ...

of the cathedral. One of his boys at Wixenford, Albert Baillie, writing in the 1950s, recalled Powles as "a genuine educator and a remarkable man" and noted that he had worn his hair "neatly brushed up into two horns above his ears". Powles was succeeded in 1879 by Ernest Penrose Arnold, a graduate of Balliol College, Oxford, the son of Charles Thomas Arnold (1817–1878) who taught at

Rugby School Rugby School is a public school (English independent boarding school for pupils aged 13–18) in Rugby, Warwickshire, England. Founded in 1567 as a free grammar school for local boys, it is one of the oldest independent schools in Britain. ...

. E. P. Arnold remained as head master of the school until 1903. At six feet, five inches, in height, Arnold has been described by

Rupert Croft-Cooke Rupert Croft-Cooke (20 June 1903 – 10 June 1979) was an English writer. A prolific creator of fiction and non-fiction, including screenplays and biographies under his own name and detective stories under the pseudonym of Leo Bruce. Life The ...

as "a kindly but rather frightening bearded man". Wixenford was still small, as most such schools were at the time, and a school photograph of the early 1880s shows thirty-nine boys, plus Arnold and five other masters.Maurice Francis Headlam, ''Bishop and friend: Nugent Hicks, sixty-fourth bishop of Lincoln'' (1945), p. 17 The school moved to Luckley Park, Wokingham, Berkshire, in 1887. Throughout its history, it had a close connection with Eton, to which many boys progressed at about the age of thirteen.About Us
at stneotsprep.co.uk, accessed 12 March 209 A few boys stayed longer, and at least one,

Peter Anson Peter Frederick (Charles) Anson (22 August 1889 – 10 July 1975) was an English non-fiction writer on religious matters and architectural and maritime subjects. He spent time as an Anglican Benedictine monk before converting to Catholicism. B ...

, was almost fifteen when he left the school in the summer of 1904.'Anson, Peter Frederick', in ''

Oxford Dictionary of National Biography The ''Dictionary of National Biography'' (''DNB'') is a standard work of reference on notable figures from British history, published since 1885. The updated ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'' (''ODNB'') was published on 23 September ...

'' (OUP, 2007) In 1903 Arnold was succeeded by Philip Howard Morton (1857–1925), who had been a

Cambridge Cambridge ( ) is a College town, university city and the county town in Cambridgeshire, England. It is located on the River Cam approximately north of London. As of the 2021 United Kingdom census, the population of Cambridge was 145,700. Cam ...

cricketer, and in 1910 '' Country Life'' magazine noted that he kept a private golf course at the school and that his boys played golf "vigorously" in the

Easter term Easter term is the summer term at the University of Cambridge, University of Wales, Lampeter, University of Durham, and formerly University of Newcastle upon Tyne (before 2004 triumvirate A triumvirate ( la, triumvirātus) or a triarchy is a political institution ruled or dominated by three individuals, known as triumvirs ( la, triumviri). The arrangement can be formal or informal. Though the three leaders in a triumvirate are ...

. By 1920, Morton had retired and had been replaced by Charles Mansfield, but Wallis and Garnett remained. By 1924, Mansfield was acting as the sole head master, with the other two men as partners. In September 1931 Garnett withdrew from the partnership. Amid the Great Depression of the 1930s, Wixenford suffered a decline in numbers and finally closed in 1934. With its demise, its former buildings presented an opportunity for another fashionable prep school,

Ludgrove Ludgrove, or Ludgrave, or Ludgraves, was an estate and farm in Middlesex between Monken Hadley in the west and Cockfosters in the east in what is now north London. It was centered on Ludgrove Farm (the Blue House) near to Cockfosters. History The ...

, until then based at

Cockfosters Cockfosters is a suburb of north London to the east of Chipping Barnet, lying partly in the London Borough of Enfield and partly in the London Borough of Barnet. Before 1965, it was in the counties of Middlesex and Hertfordshire. Origins ...

, which moved onto the site in 1937. While retaining its existing school name, Ludgrove initially kept "Wixenford" as the name of its new premises. The original Wixenford House, in which the school was begun, is now the home of St Neot's Preparatory School.

Old Wixenfordians

Old boys of the school are called Old Wixenfordians. The following, in chronological order, are among the most notable. * George Nathaniel Curzon, 1st Marquess Curzon of Kedleston (1859–1925), Viceroy of India and British Foreign Secretary *

Thomas Gibson-Carmichael, 1st Baron Carmichael Thomas David Gibson-Carmichael, 1st Baron Carmichael, (18 March 1859 – 16 January 1926), known as Sir Thomas Gibson-Carmichael, 11th Baronet, between 1891 and 1912, was a Scottish Liberal politician and colonial administrator. He was also a k ...

(1859–1926), Liberal politician and colonial administrator *

Sir Wilfrid Lawson, 3rd Baronet, of Brayton Sir Wilfrid Lawson, 3rd Baronet, of Brayton (21 October 1862 – 28 August 1937) was an English Liberal politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1910 to 1916. He was also a keen sportsman who excelled at cricket and steeplechasing. Ear ...

(1862–1937), Liberal member of parliament * Cyril Maude (1862–1951), actor-manager * Albert Victor Baillie (1864–1955),

Dean of Windsor The Dean of Windsor is the spiritual head of the canons of St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle, England. The dean chairs meetings of the Chapter of Canons as ''primus inter pares''. The post of Dean of Wolverhampton was assimilated to the dea ...

* Lord Alfred Douglas, or "Bosie" (1870–1945), poet and translator, intimate friend of Oscar Wilde *

Frederick Pethick-Lawrence, 1st Baron Pethick-Lawrence Frederick William Pethick-Lawrence, 1st Baron Pethick-Lawrence, PC (né Lawrence; 28 December 1871 – 10 September 1961) was a British Labour politician who, among other things, campaigned for women's suffrage. Background and education B ...

(1871–1961), Labour politician, Secretary of State for India * R. C. Trevelyan (1872–1951), poet * Hugh Law (1872–1943), Irish politician

, ''Fate Has Been Kind'' (1943), p. 20 *

Nugent Hicks Frederick Cyril Nugent Hicks (1872 – 10 February 1942) was a Church of England bishop and author who served as Bishop of Gibraltar from 1927 to 1933, and Bishop of Lincoln from 1933 to 1942. Life Born on 28 June 1872, Hicks underwent early edu ...

(1872–1942),

Bishop of Lincoln The Bishop of Lincoln is the ordinary (diocesan bishop) of the Church of England Diocese of Lincoln in the Province of Canterbury. The present diocese covers the county of Lincolnshire and the unitary authority areas of North Lincolnshire and ...

* Sir Walter Wilson Greg (1875–1959), Shakespeare scholar *

George Macaulay Trevelyan George Macaulay Trevelyan (16 February 1876 – 21 July 1962) was a British historian and academic. He was a Fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge, from 1898 to 1903. He then spent more than twenty years as a full-time author. He returned to the ...

(1876–1962), historian *

Arnold Wienholt Arnold Wienholt (25 November 1877 – 10 September 1940) was an Australian grazier, author and politician. He was a Member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly and a Member of the Australian House of Representatives. Early life Arnold Wien ...

(1877–1940), Australian politician *

Edmund Parker, 4th Earl of Morley Edmund Robert Parker, 4th Earl of Morley JP (19 April 1877 – 10 October 1951), styled Viscount Boringdon from his birth until 1905, was a British peer and Devon landowner. Early life Edmund Parker was the son of Albert Parker, 3rd Earl of Morle ...

(1877–1951), soldier and landowner * Sir Howard Kennard (1878–1955), British diplomat *

William Leveson-Gower, 4th Earl Granville William Spencer Leveson-Gower, 4th Earl Granville, (11 July 1880 – 25 June 1953), styled The Honourable William Leveson-Gower until 1939, was a British naval commander and governor from the Leveson-Gower family. Background Leveson-Gower was ...

(1880–1953), admiral * Sir Stewart Gore-Browne (1883–1967), settler and politician in Northern Rhodesia *

Ralph Glyn, 1st Baron Glyn Major Ralph George Campbell Glyn, 1st Baron Glyn, Bt, MC, DL (3 March 1884 – 1 May 1960), known as Sir Ralph Glyn, 1st Baronet, from 1934 to 1953, was a soldier and Conservative Party politician in the United Kingdom. He was a Member of Pa ...

(1884–1960), soldier and Conservative politician *

(1889–1975), monk, writer, and artist *

Duff Cooper Alfred Duff Cooper, 1st Viscount Norwich, (22 February 1890 – 1 January 1954), known as Duff Cooper, was a British Conservative Party politician and diplomat who was also a military and political historian. First elected to Parliament in 19 ...

(1890–1954), Conservative politician and diplomat * William Howard, 8th Earl of Wicklow (1902–1978), clergyman, writer and translator *

Sir Edmund Bacon, 13th Baronet Lieutenant-Colonel Sir Edmund Castell Bacon, 13th and 14th Baronet (18 March 1903 – 30 September 1982), was a British landowner and businessman. Baronetcy As the Bacon baronetcy of Redgrave in the County of Suffolk is the oldest extant Eng ...

, KG (1903–1982), landowner and Lord Lieutenant of Norfolk *

Kenneth Clark Kenneth Mackenzie Clark, Baron Clark (13 July 1903 – 21 May 1983) was a British art historian, museum director, and broadcaster. After running two important art galleries in the 1930s and 1940s, he came to wider public notice on television ...

(1903–1983), art historian *

Prince Charles, Count of Flanders nl, Karel Theodoor Hendrik Anton Meinrad , image = Karel van België Charles de Belgique Karl von Belgien.jpg , image_size = 230px , spouse = Jacqueline Peyrebrune , issue = Isabelle , birth_date = , birth_place = Bruss ...

(1903–1983) *

Alfred Duggan Alfred Duggan (born Alfredo León Duggan; 1903–1964) was an English historian and archaeologist, and a well-known historical novelist in the 1950s. His novels are known for meticulous historical research. Background Though brought up in Brita ...

(1903–1964), historical novelist Grace Curzon, Marchioness Curzon of Kedleston, ''Reminiscences'' (1955), p. 45 *

Hubert Duggan Hubert John Duggan (24 July 1904 – 25 October 1943) was a British Army officer and politician, who was Conservative Party Member of Parliament for Acton from 1931 until his death. He was an opponent of appeasement and broke the whip on seve ...

(1904–1943), Conservative politician * James Stern (1904–1993), Anglo-Irish writer * Sir Harold Acton (1904–1994), historian *

Edward Ward, 7th Viscount Bangor Edward Henry Harold Ward, 7th Viscount Bangor (5 November 1905 – 8 May 1993), was an Anglo-Irish peer, journalist, war correspondent, and author. He worked under the name Edward Ward. Early life The son of Maxwell Ward, 6th Viscount Bangor, by ...

(1905–1993), BBC war correspondent and author * David Herbert (1908–1995), socialite, memoirist and interior decorator * Sir Frederick Warner (1918–1995), diplomat * Sir Guy Millard (1917–2013), British Ambassador *

William Whitelaw, 1st Viscount Whitelaw William Stephen Ian Whitelaw, 1st Viscount Whitelaw, (28 June 1918 – 1 July 1999) was a British Conservative Party politician who served in a wide number of Cabinet positions, most notably as Home Secretary from 1979 to 1983 and as ''de fac ...

, (1918–1999), Home Secretary * Henry Paget, 7th Marquess of Anglesey (1922–2013), author and peerAndrew Cox, Charles Roger Dod, Robert Phipps Dod, ''Dod's Parliamentary Companion'' (1999), p. 12

Notes

{{authority control Boys' schools in Berkshire Boarding schools in Berkshire Boys' schools in Hampshire Boarding schools in Hampshire Defunct schools in the Borough of Wokingham 1869 establishments in England Educational institutions disestablished in 1934 Preparatory schools in Berkshire Preparatory schools in Hampshire Defunct boarding schools in England