A 135-year-old letter written by the then-Prime Minister asking that a friend’s son be allowed time off school has come to light ahead of an historic auction.
William Gladstone wrote to the Reverend Herbert William Sneyd-Kynnersley in 1883 asking that his colleague be allowed to take his son out of school for a week.
The Liberal Party MP Arthur Hamilton-Gordon was just about to move to Ceylon, now Sri Lanka, to become governor of the island.
His son would remain a boarder at St George’s School in Ascot, Berkshire, meaning they would not see each other for another seven years, the length of his term.
William Gladstone wrote a letter (pictured) to the Reverend Herbert William Sneyd-Kynnersley in 1883 asking that his colleague be allowed to take his son out of school for a week
The Rev Sneyd-Kynnersley was not one for sentiment and refused to grant the ‘indulgence’ in a letter (shown left) back to the Prime Minister (pictured right)
Gladstone wrote on Downing Street headed paper: ‘I venture to ask a favour of you. I should be much obliged if you will give the boy an extra week’s holiday.’
But the Rev Sneyd-Kynnersley, the son of a magistrate and infamous for his severe floggings of pupils, was not one for sentiment.
He told the Prime Minister he would not heed to his ‘indulgence’ and therefore would not allow the boy to have time off school.
He wrote: ‘I am sorry that I cannot accede to your request. I cannot do otherwise than decline to grant the indulgence for which you ask.’
The letters have been put up for sale with auctioneers Sworders by the descendants of the Rev Sneyd-Kynnersley, who lived at Loxley Hall near Uttoxeter, Staffs.
Boarding school where Churchill ‘was abused’
Sir Winston Churchill was a pupil at St George’s School in Ascot, Berks, from 1882 to 1884, at the time when the letter was written.
Earlier this year it was reported that the Reverend Herbert William Sneyd-Kynnersley, who founded the school in 1877, may have abused Churchill during his time there.
Churchill was aged just seven-years-old when he started at the boarding school.
Novelist Lord Dobbs claimed the future Prime Minister was stripped naked aged eight by the founder of his boys’ school and repeatedly thrashed.
Churchill was removed from St George’s School in 1884 and joined Brunswick School in Hove, East Sussex, before going on to prestigious Harrow.
St George’s School was converted into an all girls school in 1904, which it remains to this day.
Sir Winston Churchill (pictured)
They are part of a larger collection of 200 letters which is tipped to sell for up to £1,200.
Michael Kousah, consultant at Sworders, said: ‘It is an extraordinary letter and an extraordinary response from the headmaster to talk to the Prime Minister in such a way.
‘He was known as a great disciplinarian and didn’t care that the poor young boy was not going to see his father who was being sent to the other side of the world as part of the diplomatic service.
‘Since Gladstone made the approach on behalf of his friend perhaps the friend had already spoken to the headmaster and been refused.
‘The letter has remained in the headmaster’s family and emerges for auction from his descendants.’
St George’s School in Ascot, Berkshire, was founded in 1877 and its famous alumni included Sir Winston Churchill, who began boarding there aged seven in 1882.
Gladstone was Prime Minister on four separate occasions between 1868 and 1894, serving for 12 of those years including between 1880 and 1885.
Last year, Jon Platt, a father from the Isle of Wight, was given a 12-month conditional discharge and ordered to pay £2,000 costs and a £20 surcharge after losing a high profile legal battle over his decision to take his child out of school for a holiday to Disneyland Florida.
The sale takes place on September 11.
St George’s School was converted into an all girls school in 1904, which it remains to this day