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In Memoriam: Arthur Reginald Deane

Photograph of Arthur Reginald Deane in uniform.
Arthur Reginald Deane

Arthur Reginald Deane died on the 14th November, 1917 of wounds received in the War, aged 22 years.

He was born at Szcheun, China in 1895.  In 1905 he entered Saffron Walden School and then proceeded to Bootham School, having gained an entrance scholarship in 1910.  He was at Bootham from 1910 to 1912.

The school magazine, “Bootham” of November 1912 reported:

“A. R. DEANE leaves from the College Class, having passed Matriculation last January. He was two years at Bootham, during the whole of which time he played cricket and football for the 1st XI, being captain of the former for his last term. He won the Senior Cup at athletics this year, after a close fight. He represented the School against St. Peter’s at Fives. He was a reeve during his last year.”

The football captain wrote of him:

“DEANE, A. R.—Has faithfully served the school both as secretary, and as centre forward. He is a clever and a dashing player and shoots well.”

Photograph of Bootham School 1st X1, Spring 1912.
Bootham School Football 1st XI, Spring 1912.

and a cricket captain:

“A. R. DEANE.—A close competitor for the O.S. bat, having scored well in many useful and attractive innings. An effective, though risky, on stroke off the leg stump is his favourite. Ought to make a good medium bowler; very successful once or twice. Neat and quick in the field and in return.”

Photograph of Bootham School 1st XI, 1912. A R Deane front row, third from left.
Bootham School Cricket 1st XI, 1912. A R Deane front row, third from left.

After Bootham, Arthur was pupil to H. F. Knight & Co., Chartered Accountants, living in Middlesex.  He became a Second Lieutenant in the Royal Sussex Regiment in October 1915.  In June 1917, “Bootham” reported:

“A. R. DEANE writes from the 2nd Riding Sussex in France to say that he must say nothing.”

Then in December 1917 issue of “Bootham” reported:

“DEANE.—On the 14th November, 1917, died of wounds, Arthur Reginald Deane (1910-12), of 36, Essex Road, Enfield Town, Middlesex, aged 22 years.”

In the following May, “Bootham” included the following “In Memoriam” piece:

“A. REGINALD DEANE was a boy of a shy and sensitive temperament, whom it was not easy to get to know, but with whom friendship was a great privilege.

Coming to Bootham at a fairly advanced age, and going straight into the Matric. class, he won his way to a leading position in the School by ability and industry, for he had few of those more striking qualities which readily command the homage of other boys.

He did not easily do himself justice, and needed two tries for Matric. But I always felt that he had plenty of mathematical ability, with a keen, clear mind. He made an excellent but unobtrusive Reeve, played for the football, fives and cricket teams (being Captain of the latter), and won the Athletics Championship. He was a keen sportsman at them all.

In 1912 he was articled to a firm of chartered accountants, and there he displayed a cheerful industry and efficiency, gladly accepting- any task, however humdrum. His writing and neatness were admirable, and typical of the courtesy and thoughtfulness of his nature as well as of the gentlemanliness of his whole bearing. Though sensitive, he never showed resentment.

His experience in France had developed him remarkably —physically, mentally, and every way. Still entirely devoid of “side”, he was devoted to his duty, and most considerate of his men. He was in very deed an officer and gentleman.    F. H. K.”

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Stories from the Archive – Leisure Activities (Part 2 – cricket)

In February 2016 I gave a talk about the archives as part of the Thursday lunchtime Recital Room series (click here for the full programme). I’ll put the talk on the blog in a series of posts. The second installment is below. Click here for the first installment (about Arthur Rowntree’s views about leisure activities).

I’ll start with sport. Cricket seems to have been played from the very early days of the school. Here are some of the rules of the cricket club about 1834 when the school was still at the Lawrence Street site – the question of who paid for broken windows appears to have been particularly important.

  1. That the Club shall pay for no windows broken by non-subscribers.
  2. That all non-subscribers playing when a window is broken, shall pay 1d. for a 1s. window, and 3d. for a 3s. 6d. window.
  3. That the Club will pay for no windows broken at single wicket, or when less than four subscribers are playing.
  4. That if a subscriber breaks a window or bat, or loses a ball, he shall pay half, and the Club the other half, but if a non-subscriber he shall pay all.
  5. That the balls or bats shall not be lent to play at any other game but cricket, under penalty of one penny.
  6. That if any other subscriptions should be afterwards wanted, those subscribers who do not pay them shall be subscribers no longer.
  7. That no non-subscriber shall play when there are more than eight subscribers playing, unless he is particularly wanted to make sides.
  8. That whoever throws any of the bats shall be fined the sum of 1d.
  9. That none of the bats and balls shall be used, except there are two subscribers playing.
Sketch of Lawrence Street site (by Edwin Moore).
Lawrence Street site (by Edwin Moore)

Walter Sturge, who was at the school between 1844 and 1846, therefore was at both Lawrence Street and Bootham, didn’t play cricket until the school moved to the Bootham site, suggesting that at some point after the rules had been written, cricket was banned.

George Scarr Watson, at the school between 1853 and 1858 remembered that “Cricket was permitted; but we played no outside matches, and had to be content with the mild excitement of playing against ourselves. No flannel cricketing suits relieved the monotony of our black jackets, waistcoats and caps. No brilliant blazers, ribbons, ties or badges transgressed the Quaker rule.”

The earliest minute book we have for the cricket club starts in 1865 and runs till 1867, and the first outside match listed in that is against Ackworth in May 1865, although all the matches listed in that minute book are either internal matches, matches against Old Scholars or against Ackworth. The next record we have is a score book that runs from 1886, which contains a much wider range of opponents.

Photograph of the cricket team setting out to Ackworth, 1924.
The cricket team setting out to Ackworth, 1924
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Memories from the Archives – Part 4

In January I did a talk as part of the Thursday lunchtime recital room series. It was entitled ‘Memories from the Archives’ and I talked about a number of memories from Old Scholars. I’ll share the photographs and text from the talk in several parts on the blog. Read Part 1 here, Part 2 here and Part 3 here.

Photograph of Joshua Rowntree (1844-1915; Bootham 1856-60).
Joshua Rowntree (1844-1915; Bootham 1856-60)

Joshua Rowntree also attended Bootham at around the same time as Edward R. Allen (see Part 3). His entry in the 1914 Register includes some memories. “I started life at Bootham as a ‘brat’, subject, with eleven others, to a weekly foot washing by “Pea on a Broomstick”, as a tall housemaid with a small head was known amongst us.” We know very little about the non-teaching staff at the school from earlier years – often the only clues you have are brief mentions such as this.

Joshua goes on to talk about what he learned at school: “One thing I learned fairly well – to make fires. We might volunteer for stoking, receiving, I think, 6d. a week in recompense. It was a longish way from No. 2 bedroom to the schoolroom grates on cold, dark mornings, but a boy ought to know how to build up a fire quickly, and I never regretted the work.”

He also mentions games: “It was the pre-scientific period for games. Cricket was rather haphazard, and the junior club often resolved itself into discussions in the high key. Football had not come. Stag a rag was one of the best playground games with the rare exceptions of a big slide in time of frost, and Run-across was naturally enjoyable to a fair sized fellow. Boys who had sisters at the Girls’ school got a good run each week to accomplish their ‘visit’ in the half-hour after breakfast at Castlegate; and in after years in the hour before dinner at the Mount. The latter time was seriously curtailed when Mr. Hill and the old ferryman happened to be at the wrong side of the river with both boats together.”

It wasn’t until 1862 that the first football match was played, and Lendal Bridge wouldn’t open until 1863. As far as I can find out, Stag a rag appears to have been a version of tag.

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1914 Register – cricket, rats, fire and escape plans

This post continues from earlier posts with extracts from the 1914 edition of the Bootham School Register. Thanks to Claire, one of the volunteers, for researching the post.

Arthur Frederic Gravely (B. 1869-70)

Played in the annual cricket match with Schoolroom against the Seniors when, with I.H. Wallis as captain, they beat the Seniors in one innings: Remembers Septimus Marten’s great throw from the far side of the then adjoining field over the row of trees dividing that from the cricket field, the ball falling within a yard of the wicket: Postcards came into use whilst at Bootham, and he wrote and posted one the first day of issue to his sister at the Mount. Has a vivid recollection of J. Edmund Clark, then a teacher, learning to ride an early bicycle (“Boneshaker”) on the playground: also of a most enjoyable school excursion to Goathland, where he climbed a fir tree and brought down a nest of young squirrels for inspection, and afterwards with his clothes on slipped on a stone, and, to quote the words of an old song, “He caught a fine duck in the river”. Once when troubled with boils he went to Fielden Thorp, who welcomed him with the following “Come hither, come hither, my little boy, and do not tremble so, for I can prick the biggest boil that you ever did yet grow”.

Joseph Foster Lloyd (Lawrence St. 1844-45 and B.1846-49)

Became a Coal and Iron Merchant until his health broke down: Of rather retiring character, and as an invalid for some years before his death: At school he was a daring boy – watching a water rat in Langwith Long Lane, was greeted by John Ford with a “At him, Joe,” and without a moment’s hesitation he plunged into the ditch after the rat.

 Herbert Thomas Malcolmson (1897-1900)

At Bootham under John F. Fryer and Arthur Rowntree he remembers the “fire”, when he lost quite a number of Natural History specimens – in fact, some of his skulls were in the pot left boiling, and which is thought caused the fire, although he was not in charge.

George Mennell (Lawrence St. prior to 1829)

Arranged in conjunction with Henry Binns and John Bright to run away from school to America. H.B was caught on leaving the school premises and obliged to reveal the plan. JB., who had started second, pursued and caught on Tadcaster Road. G.M reached Leeds on foot, and was there found waiting for the others at the inn whence the coach to Liverpool was to start.