Second Deputy Head, Will Dawe, Personal Reflections on Commem

"I want to take a few moments to talk about Commemoration or Commem.

I am going to talk about its importance, its history and my personal reflections on Commemoration over 17 years.

Commem is important. This Saturday at 11.00am in St Mary’s, the annual Commemoration Service takes place. The Commemoration Service is the most significant event in the School year. It is the occasion when we celebrate our history, now stretching back 500 years, and honour those founders and generous benefactors without whom we would not be here today. Commem was originally known as Corpus Christi because it took place on Corpus Christi Day, the first Thursday after Trinity Sunday. Originally, Commem involved a church service, a procession and then a feast, with plenty of wine, for the Governors and Headmaster, in the Blue Ball on Bruton High Street. Since 1976, the date of Commem has been fixed on the Saturday which signals the start of half-term.

On 29^th September 1519, three men signed a document which started King’s School Bruton. The three men were:

• Richard Fitzjames, Bishop of London
• His nephew John Fitzjames, later Chief Justice of the King’s Bench, one of the country’s most senior judges
• Dr John Edmundes, Chancellor of St Paul’s Cathedral.

When these three men signed the Foundation Charter, the history of King’s Bruton was underway. The document gave the Abbot of Bruton money and land to build a free school in Bruton. Two more individuals were vital in the development of the School in the 20^th Century. Lord Blackford and James Lyon. They both gave considerable sums of money and served the school for many years as Governors. These five key men in the School’s history could not have imagined the dark shadows and radiant successes which would accompany the School over the next five hundred years.

King’s has passed through sombre chapters over the past 500 years:

• Henry VIII closed the school down in 1540
• Edward VI granted the re-foundation of the school in 1550
• The school struggled for many years. Around 1750, the school had no pupils at all and in 1811 the school only had one pupil. John Hoskyn Abrahall, Headmaster from 1826-1864, saved the school and during his 38 years in charge of the school, pupils numbers rose to 60.
• The school lost 55 ex-pupils in the First World War.

By contrast, King’s has experienced many landmark and joyous moments.  Few can beat 28^th March 2019, the opening of The Queen Elizabeth Music School by Her Majesty The Queen. None of us will ever forget that day.

It is important to commemorate the founders and benefactors of this school. It is our opportunity to remember and give thanks for the vision, generosity and courage of the founders and to give thanks for the countless Old Brutonians, staff, parents and governors who have shaped and made King’s Bruton’s history what it is. The whole academic community of the school - pupils, staff of King’s and Hazlegrove and governors have processed down Plox, all wearing button-holes, since 1809. By continuing this tradition, we celebrate the School’s rich past and become worthy participants in the school’s history.

This is my 16^th Commemoration Service. Here are my memories over the years.

• There used to be a crèche in the Headmaster’s House where the children of staff were looked after during the service and lunch. I remember the children waving and smiling at the procession, many of them tots and babies being held aloft so that they could see.
• For the Commem Rehearsal of 2003, I was on duty at the road crossing. A car screeched to a halt and the driver told me to get in. It was my next-door neighbour. My wife had gone into labour. An hour later my daughter was born.
• In 2004, the heavens opened just as the procession left the Fitzjames Hall. We ran to the church, buttonholes flattened and hair bedraggled by the deluge.  
• The Commem Rehearsal of 2005 was unforgettable for a different reason. The night before Liverpool Football Club had done the seemingly impossible. Trailing 3-0 at half-time to AC Milan in the Champions League Final, I was in the pit of despair. I promised a colleague that if Liverpool turned the game around, I would wear an outfit of his choosing to school the next day. Liverpool won and I wore a mustard yellow suit, turquoise shirt decorated with pink seafood creatures and a red Liverpool tie. At the Commem Rehearsal the next morning, I was in a tired and emotional state after a sleepless night. Mr Evans, Deputy Head, was not impressed: 'Oh dear. Mr Dawe what are your wearing? Go back home and put something decent on.'  

What will I be thinking on Saturday?

My mind will wonder to where have the past 17 years gone. I will think about those Old Brutonians who died far too young. I will remember those Old Brutonians who I knew personally and whose lives were tragically cut short.: Alex Edwards, of Old House, whose circular bench is by the 2^nd VX pitch. David Dieppe, Rory Watson, Ben Conlin, Yousuf Fouladinejad of New House, Harry Corbett. Alex Buckler of Old House: I will remind myself to put my flower next to Alex Buckler’s tree. Alex was a phenomenal squash player and so I promise myself to dust down my squash racket and start playing again.  

During the service I will look around at the staff, the pupils and guests and give thanks to God for all that he has done for King’s over the past 500 years and ask for his watch over the School for the next five hundred years."   

Will Dawe - Second Deputy Head