It was in 1872 that the Old Pauline Club was founded, and over the last 150 or so years the Club has acted as the focus of alumni activity.
The School and the OPC has a lot of history, and thanks to the help of many Old Paulines and the School’s Archivist, who also acts as the OPC Archivist, there are plenty of fascinating materials to explore in the online History and Archives. Including decades worth of The Pauline magazine and centuries worth of School Registers.
There is a remote enquiry service for researchers, where enquiries can be submitted via the following methods:
Email: Archivist@stpaulsschool.org.uk
Telephone: 020 8748 9162
Address: The Archivist, St Paul’s School, Lonsdale Road, Barnes, London, SW13 9JT
On-site access to meet with the St Paul’s School Archivist is available to the public by appointment only, as follows:
Term dates can be found here. All users will be required to provide photographic ID in order to access the collection on-site.
Please be aware that, at present, there is a limited catalogue so enquiries may not be carried out quickly.
Enquiries about the development and early years of St Paul’s School should be sent to the Worshipful Company of Mercers.
The Archives is delighted to accept donations of relevant material to the collections, such as diaries, correspondence, and school memorabilia. Should you wish to donate any items, please contact the Archivist.
Please note the School’s Archives Access Policy, which can be viewed here.
An extract from The Pauline magazine, reporting Frank Safford’s speech to the OPC Golden Anniversary Dinner in 1922.
In November, 1871, a few Old Paulines, who had but recently attained that dignity, gathered together in a small top room of the Cathedral Hotel in St Paul’s Churchyard, at the instance of W.H. White, to consider the possibility of starting an Old Pauline Football Club. Besides White, A.G. Pollock, H.M. Powell, C.H. Pearson and F. Safford were there. One of them, impressed by the fact that a friend, especially an old school friend, is one of the best things in life, argued that opportunities for meeting together other than in the football season ought to be considered and that, in time, one was likely to become too old for football or rowing and only fit to dine. His eloquence was shortly concluded by being told to see to it, and see to it I did.
With (the High Master) Dr. Kynaston’s consent and the Mercers’ (Governors’) permission a meeting was held at the School. The Bishop of Llandaff was elected president, a committee was appointed, and I was named as captain and secretary, with Townsend as treasurer. A ground was obtained in Battersea Park, and on December 16, 1871, the first match was played. Fixtures with leading clubs rapidly followed. Such was the inception of the Old Pauline Football Club.
In the spring of 1872, with the permission of Dr. Kynaston, a meeting of Old Paulines was called at the School with the Bishop of Llandaff in the chair in order that, if possible, the Old Pauline Football Club might be extended into an Old Pauline Club, with rowing and football sections. I prepared some draft rules which were submitted to the meeting and, after a long sitting at which the Bishop worked very late at settling the rules, despite the repeated reminders of Dr. Kynaston who disliked being kept waiting for his dinner, the Old Pauline Club may be said to have been founded.
The Bishop of LIandaff was, of course, its first President; Sir James (afterwards Lord) Hannen Vice-President; Townsend Auditor; and I Honorary Secretary and Treasurer.
One object of the Club was to promote the general interest of the School, and it was not long before occasion arose. The struggle that we made to have St Paul’s numbered among the Public Schools is now ancient history. Unfortunately we were not assisted by the governing body and it was unsuccessful. The School consequently came within the Endowed Schools Act, and control ultimately passed to the Charity Commissioners.
These Commissioners, in January 1875, fired a bombshell in the shape of a scheme proposing to substitute for the existing establishment three distinct schools – a classical, a modern and a girls’ school – and to divide the 153 foundation scholarships among them. It was then that the Old Pauline Club operated with success. A meeting was held on February 2nd under the chairmanship of Sir James Hannen, and a resolution of protest was passed, and I cannot emphasize too strongly the gratitude which the School owes to him, Sir Charles Pollock, Mr. Shelly Eddis, Q.C., Sir Harry Poland, and to many other Old Paulines who assisted in thwarting that plan.
Frank Safford
The first Captain and Hon. Secretary of the OPFC and the first Hon. Secretary and Treasurer of the OPC
Former Presidents of The Old Pauline Club