Stuart Townend (headmaster)
OBE | |
|---|---|
| Personal details | |
| Born | 29 April 1909 |
| Died | 26 October 2002 (aged 93) |
| Political party | Liberal (later) Conservative |
| Children | Richard Townend |
| Education | |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United Kingdom |
| Branch/service |  British Army |
| Years of service | 1933–1947 |
| Rank | Lieutenant-Colonel |
| Unit | Royal Artillery |
| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
| Men's Athletics
| ||
Representing  England
| ||
| British Empire Games | ||
 |
1930 Hamilton | 4×440 yd relay |
OBE (24 April 1909 – 26 October 2002) was a British military officer, athlete, headmaster, and politician. Townend was the first headmaster to educate an heir to the British throne, having founded Hill House School
in 1949.
Early life
Born at
St Edmund's School, Canterbury, Brasenose College, Oxford and the University of St. Gallen, Switzerland.[1][2]
Sporting career
Townend went up to Oxford in 1928, where he became president of the Oxford University Athletic Club and winner of six Oxford University blues.[citation needed] In 1930 he won a gold medal at the British Empire Games in Hamilton, Ontario, in the 4x440 yard relay.[3]
Professional career
After university, Townend joined the
Prince Charles attended the school as pupil. It was the first time an heir to the British throne had been sent to school, as opposed to being educated by private tutors.[citation needed] Townend championed a "stripped down to basics" approach to independent education that enabled him to keep his fees among the lowest in the country.[citation needed] He continued to run the school until his death in 2002 aged 93. At that time it was reportedly the world's largest private junior school with over 1100 pupils.[8]
Political career
He was for 10 years a member of
Paddington Borough Council.[9] He was Liberal candidate for the Torquay division of Devon for the Liberal Party at the 1950 General Election
;
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Charles Williams | 29,153 | 53.6 | +4.7 | |
| Labour | Robert Briscoe | 14,287 | 26.2 | +0.1 | |
| Liberal | Henry Stuart Townend | 10,987 | 20.2 | -4.8 | |
| Majority | 14,866 | 27.3 | +4.6 | ||
| Turnout | 82.8 | +11.4 | |||
| Conservative hold | Swing | +2.3 | |||
He was Liberal candidate for the Falmouth and Camborne division of Cornwall for the Liberal Party at the 1950 General Election;
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labour | Frank Harold Hayman | 20,850 | 46.3 | +3.1 | |
| Conservative | Nigel Nicolson | 19,847 | 44.1 | +5.4 | |
| Liberal | Henry Stuart Townend | 4,343 | 9.6 | -8.5 | |
| Majority | 1,003 | 2.2 | -2.3 | ||
| Turnout | 83.6 | +1.0 | |||
| Labour hold | Swing | -1.1 | |||
He did not stand for parliament again.[10] He left the Liberal Party and joined the Conservatives. In 1958 he was elected to the London County Council as a member for Chelsea.[citation needed] He served two terms before standing down in 1965.
References
- ^ The Times House of Commons 1951
- ^ Rev. Frederick William Townend, 1911 United Kingdom census return for The Parsonage, Tilney St Lawrence, 2 April 1911, ancestry.co.uk, accessed 29 January 2021 (subscription required)
- ^ Website of the Commonwealth Games Archived 23 July 2008 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ The Times House of Commons 1950
- ^ The Times House of Commons 1951
- ^ The Times House of Commons 1951
- ^ The Times House of Commons 1950
- ^ Stuart Townend's obituary at The Telegraph
- ^ The Times House of Commons 1950
- ^ British parliamentary election results 1950–1973, Craig, F.W.S.
Further reading
- Sullivan, Neil. (2011) The King of Hans Place: The Story of a Remarkable Man and a Remarkable School. Tenterden: Gresham Books.
