Inkwell and Cigarette Box of Sir Arthur Porritt WCS 1914-18

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Whanganui Collegiate School Museum and Archives

Silver ink well and cigarette box of the Lord Arthur E Porritt. The ink well had been a wedding gift from past headmaster the Reverend Julian L Dove who married Arthur Porritt and Mary Bond in July 1926 Items donated by Old Boy Jeremy Heath-Caldwell in 2022 The Full Story Back in May 2020 Jeremy Heath-Caldwell (Gn 1975-76) emailed us advising he was writing a book of his life in New Zealand titled The Life and Times of Jeremy James, requesting photos of his time at WCS. He also advised he had a couple of items with WCS connections purchased at auction in the UK and that he would bring them when he next visited NZ. Along came Covid and lock down, so no visit. However, on December 3rd last year he advised he would send the items by post. Arriving a few days before Christmas, the parcel contained a silver inkwell and cigarette box. On the lid of the inkwell was engraved A.E.P. From J.LL.D 15th July 1926. The inkwell had been a wedding present to Arthur Porritt (DB & G 1914-18) from his past Headmaster Rev Julian Llewellyn Dove (WCS 1909-14). Dove had returned to the UK after his term as Headmaster and Porritt had asked Rev Dove to marry him and his fiancée Molly. PHOTO 1a Jeremy Heath-Caldwell had seen the items at an auction back in 2011, made the WCS connection and secured them. ‘Big Thanks’ Jeremy. And now the uncanny co-incidence of timing… Ten days after the items arrived we received an email from Lord Porritt’s son Sir Jonathan Porritt advising he and his wife were in New Zealand and would like to visit his father’s old School, which they did on December 28th. The items were on the main table and I asked if he recognised them - he said he recalled as a child that his father had something similar on his desk and was astounded to learn that they were in fact his father’s. Sir Jonathan and Lady Porritt were delighted to see the detail of information and photos linked to Arthur’s Register entry - House and School photos plus many from his exploits as an athlete at Oxford and the 1924 Paris Olympics, as well as the trophies Arthur had won at school, including athletics cups and the Christie Rose Bowl English Essay Cup.