School-life at Winchester College

by Robert Blachford Mansfield

Plan of College Buildings—Dons—College Præfects—Candlekeepers—Dress—Choristers—Commoner Buildings—Præfects—Coursekeeper.

Before entering into particulars it will be necessary to give the non-Wykehamist reader some idea of the arrangement of the College buildings, and of their various uses in the general economy of the institution.

The College of St Mary of Winchester (near Winchester, as it used to be called) was, in olden times, situated outside the town, but is now bounded on its west side by the buildings of Kingsgate Street and College Street. The entrance is from the latter street through a handsome portal called “outer gate,” which opens into a quadrangle, on the east side of which is the Warden’s house; passing through this court and another gateway (“middle gate,” above which is “election chamber”) we enter another spacious quadrangle, the southern side of which is formed by the chapel and hall, the western mainly by the kitchen, and the remaining two sides by the boys’ bed-chambers, (on the ground floor,) and the fellows’ and second master’s lodgings above. Underneath the hall, and close to the great hall staircase, a passage called “seventh-chamber passage” leads into a third quadrangle of smaller dimensions, called “school court,” on the south of which is the school, and on the east the outside wall of the chapel cloisters; along the entire western side of the College buildings, from College Street to the school, extend the buildings of Commoners, (the boys not on the foundation,) the communication of which with College is through a door on the west side of “school court.” A passage between the school and cloister wall leads to the playground or “meads,” adjoining the west side of which, and divided from it by a red brick wall, is the “sick house,” (hospital,) situated in another piece of ground called “sick-house meads.”

The chief of the whole establishment is the Warden, who has nothing to do with the teaching of the boys; he admits and when necessary expels them, confers on them the dignity of “Præfect,” listens to their complaints, and, in fact, in all matters appertaining to the management of the school and the society is omnipotent. There are also ten Fellows, but as their duties (if any) have nothing to do with the inner life of the school, of which alone I purpose to treat, I need say nothing more of them. The head master, or “the Doctor” as he is always called, lives in “Commoners’ buildings,” the inhabitants of which are supposed to be more particularly under his jurisdiction. The second master, who has the more immediate superintendence of the College boys, has, as above-mentioned, his apartments in “chamber court.” There was also an assistant master, who superintended the instruction of the boys in the lower classes, and who did not live in College; and three commoner tutors, who had lodgings in Commoners’, and whose services were called into requisition for general instruction in school as required. There was also a mathematical master.

The school was divided into college boys and commoners; there was a great competition to be enrolled among the former, as they have several privileges, the greatest of which was the chance of gaining a fellowship at New College, Oxford. I will introduce these first. There were seventy of them; of these the eighteen seniors were called “Præpostors,” or (more commonly) “Præfects,” and had the power of “fagging” all the rest, with some few exceptions. Among these eighteen, one, (generally, but not always,) the senior in school, was called the “Præfect of hall,” and was invested with almost absolute power, being looked upon by the “Inferiors” (i.e. those who were not præfects) with something more than a becoming awe and reverence. Some of his principal duties were to take the boys “on to hills,” call names there, pay for broken windows in hall, find the rods, &c. In school he had the seat of honour next to the doctor’s chair, and he always slept in sixth chamber. There were many little fees attached to this responsible office, which brought to the fortunate possessor an income of certainly not less than fifty pounds a year. Next to him in dignity was the “Præfect of tub,” (this title was derived from a box in hall called “tub,” the use of which will be hereafter explained,) whose office was more particularly connected with the dinner department. Then there were two “Præfects of chapel,” one of whom, on alternate weeks, called names there, and during that week was called Præfect of chapel “in course,” and, in case of absence of the Præfect of hall, undertook his duties. There was also a “Præfect of school,” who had to pay for all internal damage done to the interior of that edifice, including broken windows, to keep it clean, to light it, and once every year to renew the cushions of the masters’ seats. To all these offices some emolument in the shape of salary or fees was attached, but considerably less than that received by the Præfect of hall. The eight senior præfects were said to have “full power,” and had some slight privileges not enjoyed by the remaining ten, who were generally called “Bluchers.”

As mentioned above, almost all the inferiors were subject to these eighteen; there were, however, the following exceptions:—“The Senior inferior,” who was exempted from fagging, to give him an opportunity of calmly contemplating the dignity in store for him; and the seven “Candlekeepers,” (why so called, I have no idea, nor have I ever heard any interpretation of the appellation.) These were the seven inferiors who had been longest in the school, quite independently of their position in it; they were generally old and tough. Of these, the senior had almost as much power as a præfect; he had a “valet” in chambers, one or two “breakfast fags,” and the power of fagging the twenty juniors when in school, or in meads. The junior candlekeeper was called “the Deputy,” and had also some slight privileges besides that of having a valet and breakfast-fag, which was common to all of them. The organisation of the fagging department was supposed to be in the hands of the candlekeepers, but practically it was all arranged by the Senior and Deputy; and there was a theory, that if it at any time broke down, and no fags could be found, the præfects in full power had the right to fag the candlekeepers; this, however, was very rarely, if ever, acted upon.

It may easily be imagined, that the offices of Senior candlekeeper and Deputy were regarded with peculiar interest by the small juniors, as when these posts were filled by cross individuals, the lives of the latter were not seldom made a burden to them.

When a præfect required the services of a fag, he called out, “Junior!” and the junior, in hall or chamber, or wherever it might be, had to “run.”

The order of seniority in fagging depended, in College, solely on the length of time the boys had been at the school, and was entirely independent of their position otherwise. A certain number of boys were of “Founder’s kin,” to which certain privileges attached, which will be hereafter mentioned.