La Martiniere Lucknow
Encyclopedia
La Martinière College is an educational institution located in Lucknow
, the capital of the India
n State of Uttar Pradesh
. The college consists of two schools on different campuses for boys and girls. La Martinière Boys' College was founded in 1845 and La Martinière Girls' College was established in 1869. The Boys' College is the only school in the world to have been awarded royal battle honours for its role in the defence of Lucknow during the mutiny of 1857. The two Lucknow colleges are part of the La Martinière family of schools founded by the French adventurer Major General Claude Martin
. There are two La Martinière Colleges in Kolkata
and three in Lyon
. La Martinière provides a liberal education
and the medium of instruction is the English language
. The schools cater for pupils from the ages of five through to 17 or 18, and are open to children of all religious denominations. The schools have day scholars and boarders.
La Martinière Boys' College was founded by an endowment from the wealthy eighteenth-century Frenchman, Major-General Claude Martin
(1735–1800), who was an officer in the French and later the British East India Company. Martin acquired his fortune while serving Asaf-ud-Daula, the nawab
wazir
of Awadh
, and was reputedly the richest Frenchman in India. Constantia, the palatial building which now houses the Boys' College, was built in 1785 as Martin's country residence, but was not completed until 1802, two years after Martin's death on 13 September 1800. Historians believe that the house takes its name from the school motto Labore et Constantia (Work and Constancy) which represents Martin's personal philosophy. There is a more romantic, though unproven, notion that the building was named after Constance, a young French girl who was supposedly Martin’s first love.
Martin never married and he had no heirs. In his will, dated 1 January 1800, he left the bulk of his estate to provide for the establishment of three schools to be named La Martinière in his memory. The schools were to be located in Lucknow, Calcutta and at Lyon
, his birth place in France
. The residue of his estate after bequests had been made was to be used for the maintenance of these schools. He directed that the school in Lucknow should be established at Constantia and that the house should be kept as a "school or College for learning young men the English language and Christian religion if they found themselves inclined".
Image:PolierMartinWombwellZoffany.jpg|thumb|Antoine Polier
, General Claude Martin
, John Wombwell, assay master, and Johann Zoffany
, the painter, surrounded by servants and Polier's art collection.
rect 269 140 344 305 Claude Martin
rect 124 147 181 298 Antoine-Louis Polier
rect 208 146 253 217 Johann Zoffany
desc none
Martin instructed in his will that his 'body be salted, put in spirits or embalmed', and placed in a lead coffin in a vault beneath the house. His tomb should carry a plaque bearing the following inscription:
Major-General Claude Martin.
Arrived in India as a common soldier
and died at Lucknow on the 13th of September,
1800, as a Major-General.
He is buried in this tomb.
Pray for his soul.
It is popularly believed that Martin was motivated not just by vanity but by a desire to protect his property after his death and to prevent his friend the nawab from acquiring it. By having himself, a Christian, buried beneath Constantia, he knew that the building would be permanently desecrated in the Muslim nawab's eyes. Chandan Mitra, in his book Constant Glory, thinks otherwise. He writes "Constantia's plans show that the basement mausoleum was part of the original scheme for the building and not included as an afterthought to guard against requisition."
Martin was duly interred in a specially prepared vault in the basement of the house. Thus Constantia became both a school and a mausoleum. It is the largest European funerary monument in India, and the historian William Dalrymple has described it as "the East India Company's answer to the Taj Mahal
".
and consequently his will was not proved until 1840. In the interim the Constantia building was used as a guest house for visiting Europeans. The school finally opened on 1 October 1845 with some seventy boys on roll. The first Principal was John Newmarch. Initially, the school was only open to Europeans and Eurasians.
Unlike the Calcutta La Martinière, the Lucknow school was technically established outside British territory so right from its inception its interaction with local society was frequent. There was also a native branch of the school in the Maqbara
Umjid Ali Shah at Hazratgunj in the centre of Lucknow. There were plans to move the native school to a different location, although it is not known whether this actually took place.
The first major challenge for the La Martinière School was the events of 1857 when it had to leave its premises and assisted in the defence of the Lucknow Residency.
The events of 1857
saw the making of the Martinian military legend. For the first time in history, Britain called on schoolboys to assist in the military conflict - namely the defence of the Lucknow Residency. The names of eight staff members, sixty seven boys and one ensign (old boy) are inscribed on the 'Roll of Honour, defence of the Residency 1857' at La Martinière Lucknow. The siege began on the 30 June 1857. Early in June, the Chief Commissioner of Oudh, Sir Henry Lawrence
ordered the Martinière be evacuated and for several days the boys travelled from the Residency to the College collecting provisions. The force within the Residency then consisted of British and Indian troops and civilian volunteers including a number of Anglo-Indians. The Martinière contingent was commanded by the Principal, Mr. George Schilling. The Residency was under siege for eighty-six days, until relieved by Sir Colin Campbell
in November 1857.
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The role of the boys and masters of La Martinière has been well documented in Chandan Mitra
's 1987 book titled Constant Glory - La Martinière saga 1836-1986. The Residency fortifications and defended houses were about a mile in circumference, and the Martinière contingent, along with a detachment of the 32nd Regiment of Foot
, were garrisoned in a strongly built house containing tykhanas (cellars) and adjoining outhouses. The position became known as The Martinière Post and was a mere thirty feet distant from Johannes House, held by the rebels, and as a consequence, was exposed to heavy shelling.
Apart from actual fighting, the boys performed a number of tasks within the Residency compound - some ran messages to the hospital, watched over the sick and wounded, ground corn and manned the telegraph connecting the Residency to Alam Bagh; others were seconded to domestic duties in place of native servants who had absconded. Despite the dangers, casualties among the boys were few. Two died of dysentery
and two others were wounded in action. Their diet consisted of mutton and buffalo-head soup. On one occasion, a mine blew down the outer room of The Martinière Post, but the boys defended the breach and after several days of bitter fighting managed to drive off the enemy housed opposite their camp.
Major Gorman in his Great Exploits - The Siege of Lucknow wrote that the Martinière boys erected an amateur semaphore on the Residency tower from instructions given in a number of the Penny Encyclopaedia
. The semaphore enabled General Outram
to advise the commander of the relieving force Sir Colin Campbell ‘to give the city a wide berth’, avoiding the heavy enemy batteries on the direct road to the Residency. The fiercest fighting of the advance that followed was at the Martinière College, strongly defended by the mutineers. Sir Colin dislodged them, occupied the college, setting up another semaphore on its roof to communicate with Outram. The Martinière contingent took part in the secret evacuation of the Residency, and the rambling journey of six weeks across India which followed, until finally arriving by boat at Benares. After the Siege the college was temporarily moved to Benares. Classrooms were established in bungalows and the school routine recommenced.
, or noble of Oudh, with an estate worth £30,000, thereby ensuring a comfortable retirement in England. The Martinière contribution was officially recognised in Queen Victoria’s (1858) proclamation. The staff and the boys who served during the Mutiny were all awarded the Indian Mutiny Medal
, inscribed with the words "Defence of Lucknow", in recognition of their courage and steadfastness.
The awards were notified to the principal on 5 February 1861 by a letter from the chief commissioner of Oudh. However, it was not until 1932, following a request by the College, that the British Government recognised Martinière's role in 1857. The school was granted the right, on ceremonial occasions, to carry a British Army regimental-style 'colour' or flag bearing its own coat of arms with a picture of the Residency and the words "Defence of Lucknow, 1857". It thus became the only school in the world to be awarded a British battle honour
. McGill University
in Canada is the only other educational institution in the British Empire to be awarded the same honour for its role in World War I.
Bishop Cotton
made the following reference to the Martinière action at St. Paul's Cathedral
, Calcutta
on 28 July 1860:
The flag has not been displayed publicly since 1947 as the subject caused some ambivalence. Satish Bhatnagar, author of Bright Renown: La Martinière College Lucknow comments: "I once asked the principal why the school is hiding the honour. He said he didn't know how the Indian government would take it."
, Mirzapur
, Gorakhpur
, Allahabad
, Kanpur and Etawah
.
The records show that in 1865 over 120 boys qualified for admission to the higher department of the Civil Engineering College at Roorkee
.
In the years following the Mutiny the city of Lucknow, now under the British Crown, the whole city was redesigned. La Martinière emerged as an outpost of the British Empire and it acquired the traditions of English public schools.
In 1869, the La Martinière Girls' School was founded and in 1871 it moved to its present location in the compound of Khurshid Manzil. Initially the Girls' School was under the management of the Boy's School. The La Martinière College Principal was in overall charge of both the Boys' and Girls' Schools, with the Girls' school headed by a Lady Superintendent.
The late nineteenth century and the early twentieth century saw the emergence of the school as an exclusive school preferred by the landed aristocracy of Awadh.
In 1945, the College celebrated its Centenary.
In wake of threat of invasion by the Japanese during the Second World War the Calcutta Schools was re-located to Lucknow.
After Indian Independence, the curriculum was changed in 1947 with Urdu
being dropped as a compulsory subject and replaced by Hindi
. Many Anglo-Indians both students and Masters left for Britain and Australia. This trend was to continue till almost the mid seventies
In 1951, Mr. Meredith Doutre was appointed as the first Indian Principal of the College. He was succeeded by Col HRH Daniels in the 1960s and then by Mr. DEW Shaw in the mid 1970s. The bulk of the students were drawn from the upper middle and middle classes.
In 1960, there was flooding of the grounds by the Gomti River
resulting in the evacuation of staff and boys to higher ground. In 1962 and 1971 again major floods occurred which threatened the building. The Government constructed a protective bund in 1973-74 which separated the school lake from the main vista thus substantially reducing the earlier picturesque setting.
In 1976 the school was affiliated to the Indian Council for Secondary Education system of education. This entailed the exam for the Certificate of Secondary Education (class X) and the School Leaving Certificate (class XII).
In 1995 the school celebrated its Sesquicentennial Anniversary. Former principals, old Martinians from all over the country and abroad, and delegations from Lyon and Calcutta, came to Lucknow for this once in a lifetime event. To commemorate the occasion, a history of the college "Bright Renown" was released, an exhibition on the history of the school was organized, and for several days the Constantia was lit up in the night. The President of India released a postage stamp to recognize the contribution of La Martiniere Lucknow.
In 1997 one of the teachers was murdered in the early hours of the morning on 7 March. Thirty-year-old Anglo-Indian Frederick Gomes, the College's assistant warden and physical training instructor, was murdered in his bungalow on the perimeter of the school grounds. Two people were seen firing shots through a broken window at the back of the building, but the culprits were not identified and the murder remains unsolved. However, the murder created a sensation in India at the time, especially when it was found that the school's students had access to guns. Newspaper columnist Saeed Naqvi
, Ashank Mehrotra former pupils at the school commented: "The killing is a metaphor of our times. For such a level of violence to reach the sacred precincts of La Martinière is symbolic of the way that Lucknow, like so much of India, has completely ceased to be what it once was."
La Martinière Boys' College occupies the central portion of the Constantia building and is set in a campus of around 200 acre (0.809372 km²), part of which is now used by Lucknow Golf Club. The sprawling estate also includes a village called Martin Purwa
, named after Claude Martin, and part of the Lucknow Zoo.
Constantia stands on a landscaped terrace overlooking what was once a lake, from the centre of which rises a solid fluted column with a Moorish cupola known as 'the Laat'. The monument is about forty metres (~125 feet) high, and is thought either to be a lighthouse or a marker for the grave of Claude Martin's horse. Over the years, the Gomti River
has edged closer, necessitating the construction of a river bund between the front terrace and 'the Laat'. In 1960, the grounds were flooded and the 1803 and 1934 earthquakes caused several statues to fall from their pedestals where they crown the architecture. The statues are in modern and older antique styles.
The building is constructed in an unusual mix of styles. The rooms are decorated in bas reliefs, arabesques and other Italian styled ornamentation. The eighteenth-century English potter Josiah Wedgewood was said to be responsible for the plaster of Paris plaques decorating the library and the chapel. However, the plaques which depict classical and mythological subjects are thought to be of local construction. Orders for tons of imported plaster of paris were discovered in Martin’s letters, it is believed that they are in fact based on just one or two original models. What was imported was the large mirrors, French carpets, inlaid marble tables and paintings including some by Johann Zoffany
who was a friend of Claude Martin. The building has been described as, "part Enlightenment mansion, part Nawabi fantasy, and part Gothic colonial barracks. Its facade mixes Georgian colonnades with the loopholes and turrets of a mediaeval castle; above, Palladian arcades rise to Mughal copulas."
Philip Davies writing on Architecture of the Raj in the illustrated London News of May 1982 has this to say about the Constantia:
" Built in the 1790s it is a bizarre building in a country renowned for extravagant eccentricities. Even more incongrously it now houses an eminent Indian Public school blessed with all the tribal rituals of Eton or Harrow. It is a disturbing building of the most peculiar design. The central tower has bridge links and the entire central range has a strange array of statues dominated by two huge lions whose eyes were supposedly lit by red lanterns."
. The Lucknow Girls' School, as it was then known, was run by Mrs. Saunders Abbott. Following a land grant from the government the school was moved to its present location at Khursheed Manzil in 1871 and incorporated and established as a branch of La Martinière College. The adoption and endowment was facilitated by the distribution by the High Court of Calcutta of the surplus funds of the legacy for the release and relief of prisoners for debt left by General Claude Martin.
Khursheed Manzil, or the House of the Sun, is a large double-storeyed mansion marked by towers at the corners. The building was begun by Saadat Ali Khan, and completed by his son, Ghazi-ud-Din Haidar. The property was built in the form of a fortified castle. There is a 12 feet (4 m)-wide moat, over which there was formerly a drawbridge. After the annexation of Oudh, in 1856, Khursheed Manzil was used as a mess house by officers of the 32nd Regiment, and it became known as the Mess House.
During the Mutiny it was the scene of some stubborn fighting, in which both Lord Wolseley
, then a captain, and Lord Roberts
, as a lieutenant bore an active part. The latter planted the flag of the 2nd Punjab Infantry on the west turret as a sign of capture. The building was stormed and taken on the 17th November 1857. In constant reminder of those days, a small pillar stands just inside the gate to the left. It bears the following inscription: "It was here that Havelock, Outram and Sir Colin Campbell met on 17th November 1857".
In 1889 Government raised the school to the High or Final Standard of Education for Europeans. Later the school was recognized for the Overseas Examination Board of Cambridge University
.
In 1907, on the recommendation of Mr. S. H. Butler, C.I.E
, the Deputy Commissioner, The Government gave the Trustees and Governor of the school a piece of land adjoining the compound on the west of the Bank of Bengal (now the State Bank of India
) considerably increasing the size of the estate and greatly improving the playground.
's 1901 novel Kim
tells of the adventures of Kimball O'Hara, the orphaned son of a British soldier. Kim is given the chance to go to St Xavier's School in Lucknow, the most prestigious school in British India. St Xavier's is a fictional creation but Kipling authorities believe that the school is modelled on La Martinière.
La Martinière Lucknow is discussed in Qurratulain Hyder
's magnum opus Aag ka Darya (River of Fire). This book has the same status in Urdu literature as that of One Hundred Years of Solitude
in Hispanic literature.
Valerie Fitzgerald's 1981 historical novel Zemindar features the siege of Lucknow in 1857 and uses La Martinière as the backdrop. The novel has an interesting character, a Martinian boy called 'Lou'.
The Indian writer Allan Sealy
, a former pupil of the school, set his first novel Trotter-Nama in the old house, which he renamed as Sans Souci (carefree). The school has also featured in short stories.
On 1 October 1995, on the 150th anniversary of the school's opening, Dr. Shankar Dayal Sharma
, the then President of India, released a two-rupee postage stamp in the school's honour.
In 2007 when the girls' school celebrated its 138th anniversary it was given a similar honour and a first day cover was issued by Department of Posts with a picture of Khursheed Manzil on it.
The academic curriculum includes Mathematics, both English Language and Literature, History and Civics, Geography, Principles of Accounts, Commercial Studies, Science, Art, Craft and Woodwork, Choral Singing, Hindi, Sanskrit (up to Class VIII), Computer Studies and Physical Education (three times a week until Class 10).
Class 10 students are prepared for the Indian Certificate of Secondary Education
and for the Indian School Certificate
Examination when they are in Class 12.
The four streams at 10+2 stage are Humanities, Commerce, Life Sciences and Physical Sciences.
The original Constantia building houses the main library, the Blue Room, the College chapel, the Principal's residence and the Senior Dormitory.
There is a large assembly hall, known as Spence Hall, which is used for school ceremonies. The College has a theatre-style Art Room, a Music Room, a Geography Room and a Computer Centre. There is a separate science block with theatre-style classrooms, and chemistry
, physics
and biology
laboratories for the senior boys. Each house has its own common room or "Housie" or House Room, and the school has a tuck shop selling snacks, confectionery and soft drinks.
There are three dormitories for the boarders, and they also have their own college kitchen. The boarders have their meals in Sykes Hall which is a huge dining hall. The College has a hospital and nursing staff, and a visiting college doctor.
The Principal and Vice-Principal both have houses on the campus and there are also a number of campus cottages for the teachers. There is a Teachers' Centre and staff rooms for the faculty. Bachelor teachers have their own mess room.
The College has extensive facilities for sports. There are two sports fields, known as the Polo Ground and the Fairy Dale Ground. The polo ground, as its name suggests, was originally used for polo
games. Today it is the setting for cricket
and athletics
. It is also the venue for the physical training
displays on Sports Day. Football
and hockey
are played at the Fairy Dale Ground. There is a large gym for gymnastics, a skating rink and an indoor swimming pool. The College also has a volleyball
court, a basketball
court and lawn tennis
courts.
and with the Nawab of Oudh
The setting sun behind the castellated building to the right of the shield has been said to point to the sunset of his days and the large part which the building of "Constantia" played in his later years. The coat of arms and the accompanying motto Labore et Constantia are now shared by all the schools founded by Martin.
The La Martinere College flag consists of the coat of arms on a blue and gold background. The flag is flown above the buildings, and used for formal events and celebrations, such as the annual Founder's Day.
The Annual Prize Day is held at the end of each academic year, usually in March or April. There is a formal assembly in the afternoon during which the Principal reads out the school report. There is a speech by a prominent guest or alumnus and the College choir sing the school song and a selection of hymns. Prizes are presented for academic excellence and success in extracurricular activities. The most prestigious awards are: the Sir George Thomas Medal for example and service; the Governor's Trophy and the Principal's Medal for Leadership; the A. K. Das Memorial Medal for the Best All-Round student; the Sykes Memorial Prize for English; and the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Award for Histrionics and the Vivian Jacob Memorial Medal for the best scholar in classes 7 and 8.
Founder's Day is observed on 13 September every year to commemorate the anniversary of the death of Claude Martin in accordance with the detailed instructions left in his will. Classes are suspended for the day, which is generally followed by a school holiday. Founders' Day begins with an extended formal assembly in the morning involving a faculty march, a speech by a guest or alumnus, and the playing of bagpipes. The school choir, wearing Eton
jackets and broad school ties reserved for such occasions, sing the school song and a collection of hymns. Finally a wreath is laid at Claude Martin's tomb and statue.
In the afternoon the entire senior school and staff are treated to an elaborate sit-down meal known as the Founder's Day dinner. During the feast a toast is raised in memory of the Founder. A Founder's Day Social is held in the evening.
A Founder's Day Play is also organized around this time which is a big event in the cultural calendar of the school. Another tradition that has recently begun is to organise Silver Jubilee Class Reunions during Founder's Day Week.
Sports Day is held in November on the College's polo ground. The day includes a military-type march around the school grounds, a performance by the school bagpipe band, PT display , athletic competition between the school houses and a cycle race. The event ends with the 'Beating the Retreat' ceremony.
Cock House - the House that scores the maximum number of points for academic performance and sporting prowess is declared the "Cock House" of the year and receives the Cock House Trophy. They are also treated to a Social.
Republic Day and Independence Day parades - the National Cadet Corps
wings of the school present a march past in front of the Constantia on Indian Republic Day
(26 January) and Indian Independence Day
(15 August). The national Tricolour
is hoisted and the salute is taken by the Chief Guest on the occasion.
Annual inter-Martinière meet the Martinière Lucknow Schools and the La Martinière Schools in Kolkata have an annual competition. The boys compete with each other in swimming, soccer and debating while the girls compete in debating, swimming and basketball. One year the Lucknow Schools go to Kolkata and the following year the Kolkata Schools travel to Lucknow.
The School Publications - the school publishes the annual Constantia magazine and the monthly Martiniere Post. All the work is done by pupils, with assistance from staff coordinators. The Martiniere Post is published online, and has two separate sections, English and Hindi. The Pubication is controlled by the Publications Club.
to celebrate Founder's Day. This unofficial gathering was the genesis of the present-day Old Martinians' Association (OMA) which now has chapters spread across the globe. The OMA chapters in Australia, the UK, and Canada are the more active ones.
The Bolst Fund
Bolst died in 1947 and in his will left instructions that a sum of Rs. 5,000 be handed over to the OMA as an 'Endowment Fund'. The interest accruing from this investment was to be used to provide a scholarship to pay the fees for a needy and deserving Anglo-Indian day scholar boy. Since then, some 50 recipients of the scholarship have reason to be thankful to Hubert Bolst.
Lucknow
Lucknow is the capital city of Uttar Pradesh in India. Lucknow is the administrative headquarters of Lucknow District and Lucknow Division....
, the capital of the India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n State of Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh abbreviation U.P. , is a state located in the northern part of India. With a population of over 200 million people, it is India's most populous state, as well as the world's most populous sub-national entity...
. The college consists of two schools on different campuses for boys and girls. La Martinière Boys' College was founded in 1845 and La Martinière Girls' College was established in 1869. The Boys' College is the only school in the world to have been awarded royal battle honours for its role in the defence of Lucknow during the mutiny of 1857. The two Lucknow colleges are part of the La Martinière family of schools founded by the French adventurer Major General Claude Martin
Claude Martin
Major General Claude Martin was an officer in the French, and later the British, army in India. He rose to the position of Major General in the British East India Company...
. There are two La Martinière Colleges in Kolkata
Kolkata
Kolkata , formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, it was the commercial capital of East India...
and three in Lyon
Lyon
Lyon , is a city in east-central France in the Rhône-Alpes region, situated between Paris and Marseille. Lyon is located at from Paris, from Marseille, from Geneva, from Turin, and from Barcelona. The residents of the city are called Lyonnais....
. La Martinière provides a liberal education
Liberal education
A Liberal education is a system or course of education suitable for the cultivation of a free human being. It is based on the medieval concept of the liberal arts or, more commonly now, the liberalism of the Age of Enlightenment...
and the medium of instruction is the English language
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
. The schools cater for pupils from the ages of five through to 17 or 18, and are open to children of all religious denominations. The schools have day scholars and boarders.
Claude Martin - the founder
Claude Martin
Major General Claude Martin was an officer in the French, and later the British, army in India. He rose to the position of Major General in the British East India Company...
(1735–1800), who was an officer in the French and later the British East India Company. Martin acquired his fortune while serving Asaf-ud-Daula, the nawab
Nawab
A Nawab or Nawaab is an honorific title given to Muslim rulers of princely states in South Asia. It is the Muslim equivalent of the term "maharaja" that was granted to Hindu rulers....
wazir
Vizier
A vizier or in Arabic script ; ; sometimes spelled vazir, vizir, vasir, wazir, vesir, or vezir) is a high-ranking political advisor or minister in a Muslim government....
of Awadh
Awadh
Awadh , also known in various British historical texts as Oudh or Oude derived from Ayodhya, is a region in the centre of the modern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, which was before independence known as the United Provinces of Agra and Oudh...
, and was reputedly the richest Frenchman in India. Constantia, the palatial building which now houses the Boys' College, was built in 1785 as Martin's country residence, but was not completed until 1802, two years after Martin's death on 13 September 1800. Historians believe that the house takes its name from the school motto Labore et Constantia (Work and Constancy) which represents Martin's personal philosophy. There is a more romantic, though unproven, notion that the building was named after Constance, a young French girl who was supposedly Martin’s first love.
Martin never married and he had no heirs. In his will, dated 1 January 1800, he left the bulk of his estate to provide for the establishment of three schools to be named La Martinière in his memory. The schools were to be located in Lucknow, Calcutta and at Lyon
Lyon
Lyon , is a city in east-central France in the Rhône-Alpes region, situated between Paris and Marseille. Lyon is located at from Paris, from Marseille, from Geneva, from Turin, and from Barcelona. The residents of the city are called Lyonnais....
, his birth place in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. The residue of his estate after bequests had been made was to be used for the maintenance of these schools. He directed that the school in Lucknow should be established at Constantia and that the house should be kept as a "school or College for learning young men the English language and Christian religion if they found themselves inclined".
Image:PolierMartinWombwellZoffany.jpg|thumb|Antoine Polier
Antoine Polier
Colonel Antoine-Louis Henri de Polier was a Swiss adventurer, art collector, military engineer and soldier who made his fortune in India in the eighteenth century.-Early life:...
, General Claude Martin
Claude Martin
Major General Claude Martin was an officer in the French, and later the British, army in India. He rose to the position of Major General in the British East India Company...
, John Wombwell, assay master, and Johann Zoffany
Johann Zoffany
Johan Zoffany, Zoffani or Zauffelij was a German neoclassical painter, active mainly in England...
, the painter, surrounded by servants and Polier's art collection.
rect 269 140 344 305 Claude Martin
Claude Martin
Major General Claude Martin was an officer in the French, and later the British, army in India. He rose to the position of Major General in the British East India Company...
rect 124 147 181 298 Antoine-Louis Polier
Antoine Polier
Colonel Antoine-Louis Henri de Polier was a Swiss adventurer, art collector, military engineer and soldier who made his fortune in India in the eighteenth century.-Early life:...
rect 208 146 253 217 Johann Zoffany
Johann Zoffany
Johan Zoffany, Zoffani or Zauffelij was a German neoclassical painter, active mainly in England...
desc none
Martin instructed in his will that his 'body be salted, put in spirits or embalmed', and placed in a lead coffin in a vault beneath the house. His tomb should carry a plaque bearing the following inscription:
Major-General Claude Martin.
Arrived in India as a common soldier
and died at Lucknow on the 13th of September,
1800, as a Major-General.
He is buried in this tomb.
Pray for his soul.
It is popularly believed that Martin was motivated not just by vanity but by a desire to protect his property after his death and to prevent his friend the nawab from acquiring it. By having himself, a Christian, buried beneath Constantia, he knew that the building would be permanently desecrated in the Muslim nawab's eyes. Chandan Mitra, in his book Constant Glory, thinks otherwise. He writes "Constantia's plans show that the basement mausoleum was part of the original scheme for the building and not included as an afterthought to guard against requisition."
Martin was duly interred in a specially prepared vault in the basement of the house. Thus Constantia became both a school and a mausoleum. It is the largest European funerary monument in India, and the historian William Dalrymple has described it as "the East India Company's answer to the Taj Mahal
Taj Mahal
The Taj Mahal is a white Marble mausoleum located in Agra, India. It was built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his third wife, Mumtaz Mahal...
".
La Martinière: the early years
After Martin's death there were protracted disputes in the Calcutta High CourtCalcutta High Court
The Calcutta High Court is the oldest High Court in India. It was established as the High Court of Judicature at Fort William on 1 July 1862 under the High Courts Act, 1861. It has jurisdiction over the state of West Bengal and the Union Territory of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The High Court...
and consequently his will was not proved until 1840. In the interim the Constantia building was used as a guest house for visiting Europeans. The school finally opened on 1 October 1845 with some seventy boys on roll. The first Principal was John Newmarch. Initially, the school was only open to Europeans and Eurasians.
Unlike the Calcutta La Martinière, the Lucknow school was technically established outside British territory so right from its inception its interaction with local society was frequent. There was also a native branch of the school in the Maqbara
Maqbara
The Arabic word Maqbara is derived from the word Qabr, which means grave. Though maqbara refers to the graves of all Muslims, it refers especially to the graves of religious figures or Waliyullahs who dedicated their life to Islam, striving to be true Muslims and training others to follow Islam...
Umjid Ali Shah at Hazratgunj in the centre of Lucknow. There were plans to move the native school to a different location, although it is not known whether this actually took place.
The first major challenge for the La Martinière School was the events of 1857 when it had to leave its premises and assisted in the defence of the Lucknow Residency.
La Martinière during the 1857 uprising
Siege of Lucknow
The Siege of Lucknow was the prolonged defense of the Residency within the city of Lucknow during the Indian Rebellion of 1857. After two successive relief attempts had reached the city, the defenders and civilians were evacuated from the Residency, which was abandoned.Lucknow was the capital of...
saw the making of the Martinian military legend. For the first time in history, Britain called on schoolboys to assist in the military conflict - namely the defence of the Lucknow Residency. The names of eight staff members, sixty seven boys and one ensign (old boy) are inscribed on the 'Roll of Honour, defence of the Residency 1857' at La Martinière Lucknow. The siege began on the 30 June 1857. Early in June, the Chief Commissioner of Oudh, Sir Henry Lawrence
Henry Montgomery Lawrence
Sir Henry Montgomery Lawrence was a British soldier and statesman in India, who died defending Lucknow during the Indian Mutiny.-Career:Lawrence was the brother of John Lawrence, 1st Baron Lawrence and was born at Matara, Ceylon...
ordered the Martinière be evacuated and for several days the boys travelled from the Residency to the College collecting provisions. The force within the Residency then consisted of British and Indian troops and civilian volunteers including a number of Anglo-Indians. The Martinière contingent was commanded by the Principal, Mr. George Schilling. The Residency was under siege for eighty-six days, until relieved by Sir Colin Campbell
Colin Campbell, 1st Baron Clyde
Field Marshal Colin Campbell, 1st Baron Clyde GCB, KSI was a British Army officer from Scotland who led the Highland Brigade in the Crimea and was in command of the ‘Thin red line’ at the battle of Balaclava...
in November 1857.
Chandan Mitra
Chandan Mitra is an Indian journalist, presently editor and managing director of The Pioneer newspaper in Delhi, India. He was nominated as a member of the Rajya Sabha during August 2003 to August 2009...
's 1987 book titled Constant Glory - La Martinière saga 1836-1986. The Residency fortifications and defended houses were about a mile in circumference, and the Martinière contingent, along with a detachment of the 32nd Regiment of Foot
32nd Regiment of Foot
The 32nd Regiment of Foot of the British Army was first raised in 1702 as a regiment of marines to fight in the War of Spanish Succession.It won its first battle honour in 1705 for the siege and capture of Gibraltar....
, were garrisoned in a strongly built house containing tykhanas (cellars) and adjoining outhouses. The position became known as The Martinière Post and was a mere thirty feet distant from Johannes House, held by the rebels, and as a consequence, was exposed to heavy shelling.
Apart from actual fighting, the boys performed a number of tasks within the Residency compound - some ran messages to the hospital, watched over the sick and wounded, ground corn and manned the telegraph connecting the Residency to Alam Bagh; others were seconded to domestic duties in place of native servants who had absconded. Despite the dangers, casualties among the boys were few. Two died of dysentery
Dysentery
Dysentery is an inflammatory disorder of the intestine, especially of the colon, that results in severe diarrhea containing mucus and/or blood in the faeces with fever and abdominal pain. If left untreated, dysentery can be fatal.There are differences between dysentery and normal bloody diarrhoea...
and two others were wounded in action. Their diet consisted of mutton and buffalo-head soup. On one occasion, a mine blew down the outer room of The Martinière Post, but the boys defended the breach and after several days of bitter fighting managed to drive off the enemy housed opposite their camp.
Penny Cyclopaedia
The Penny Cyclopædia of the Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge was a multi-volume encyclopedia edited by George Long and published by Charles Knight alongside the Penny Magazine. The volumes were published from 1833 to 1843.-External links:...
. The semaphore enabled General Outram
Sir James Outram, 1st Baronet
Lieutenant General Sir James Outram, 1st Baronet GCB KSI was an English general who fought in the Indian Rebellion of 1857, and is considered a British hero.-Early life:...
to advise the commander of the relieving force Sir Colin Campbell ‘to give the city a wide berth’, avoiding the heavy enemy batteries on the direct road to the Residency. The fiercest fighting of the advance that followed was at the Martinière College, strongly defended by the mutineers. Sir Colin dislodged them, occupied the college, setting up another semaphore on its roof to communicate with Outram. The Martinière contingent took part in the secret evacuation of the Residency, and the rambling journey of six weeks across India which followed, until finally arriving by boat at Benares. After the Siege the college was temporarily moved to Benares. Classrooms were established in bungalows and the school routine recommenced.
Rewards and battle honours
Principal Schilling’s leadership was well rewarded. He became a taluqdarTaluqdar
A taluqdar or talukdar , is a term used for Indian land holders in Mughal and British times, responsible for collecting taxes from a district...
, or noble of Oudh, with an estate worth £30,000, thereby ensuring a comfortable retirement in England. The Martinière contribution was officially recognised in Queen Victoria’s (1858) proclamation. The staff and the boys who served during the Mutiny were all awarded the Indian Mutiny Medal
Indian Mutiny Medal
The Indian Mutiny Medal was a campaign medal approved in 1858, for issue to officers and men of British and Indian units who served in operations in suppression of the Indian Mutiny....
, inscribed with the words "Defence of Lucknow", in recognition of their courage and steadfastness.
The awards were notified to the principal on 5 February 1861 by a letter from the chief commissioner of Oudh. However, it was not until 1932, following a request by the College, that the British Government recognised Martinière's role in 1857. The school was granted the right, on ceremonial occasions, to carry a British Army regimental-style 'colour' or flag bearing its own coat of arms with a picture of the Residency and the words "Defence of Lucknow, 1857". It thus became the only school in the world to be awarded a British battle honour
Battle honour
A battle honour is an award of a right by a government or sovereign to a military unit to emblazon the name of a battle or operation on its flags , uniforms or other accessories where ornamentation is possible....
. McGill University
McGill University
Mohammed Fathy is a public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The university bears the name of James McGill, a prominent Montreal merchant from Glasgow, Scotland, whose bequest formed the beginning of the university...
in Canada is the only other educational institution in the British Empire to be awarded the same honour for its role in World War I.
Bishop Cotton
George Edward Lynch Cotton
George Edward Lynch Cotton was an English educator and clergyman, known for his connections with British India and the public school system.-Life in England:...
made the following reference to the Martinière action at St. Paul's Cathedral
St. Paul's Cathedral, Kolkata
St. Paul's Cathedral is an Anglican cathedral of the Church of North India - a united church which is part of the Anglican Communion - in Kolkata, West Bengal, India. It is the seat of the Diocese of Calcutta, and the incumbent bishop is the Rt. Revd...
, Calcutta
Kolkata
Kolkata , formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, it was the commercial capital of East India...
on 28 July 1860:
Public thanksgiving to Almighty God for deliverance from the sepoy revolt should take expression in the form of schools for the children of the Community that had stood so nobly by England in her hour of need and which shed its blood for kinsmen across the seas.
The flag has not been displayed publicly since 1947 as the subject caused some ambivalence. Satish Bhatnagar, author of Bright Renown: La Martinière College Lucknow comments: "I once asked the principal why the school is hiding the honour. He said he didn't know how the Indian government would take it."
La Martinière after 1857
La Martinière Lucknow, like its counterpart in Calcutta, expanded rapidly after the Mutiny. There were 148 students on its rolls in 1859, but the number had increased to 277 by 1862. Boarders came from all over the province from districts like PratapgarhPratapgarh, Uttar Pradesh
Pratapgarh also called Bela, Bela Pratapgarh, Partapgarh or Partabgarh, is a city and nagar panchayat of Uttar Pradesh, India. It is the administrative headquarters of Pratapgarh district, part of the Faizabad Division...
, Mirzapur
Mirzapur
Mirzapur is a city in the heart of North India, nearly 650 km between Delhi and Kolkata and also equidistant from Allahabad and Varanasi. Located in the state of Uttar Pradesh, Mirzapur has a population of a little over 205,264 and is renowned for its famous carpet and brassware industry...
, Gorakhpur
Gorakhpur
Gorakhpur is a city in the eastern part of the state of Uttar Pradesh in India, near the border with Nepal. It is the administrative headquarters of Gorakhpur District and Gorakhpur Division. Gorakhpur is one of the proposed capitals of the Purvanchal state which is yet to be formed...
, Allahabad
Allahabad
Allahabad , or Settled by God in Persian, is a major city of India and is one of the main holy cities of Hinduism. It was renamed by the Mughals from the ancient name of Prayaga , and is by some accounts the second-oldest city in India. It is located in the north Indian state of Uttar Pradesh,...
, Kanpur and Etawah
Etawah
Etawah is a city on the Yamuna River in the state of Uttar Pradesh in India. It is the administrative headquarters of Etawah District. The city was an important center for the Revolt of 1857 . Also is the place of sangam or confluence between Yamuna and Chambal...
.
The records show that in 1865 over 120 boys qualified for admission to the higher department of the Civil Engineering College at Roorkee
Roorkee
Roorkee is a city and seat of a municipal council in Uttarakhand, in far northern India. It is located on the banks of the Ganges canal on the national highway between Delhi and Dehradun. Roorkee is known for Roorkee Cantonment, one of the country's oldest cantonments, and the headquarters of...
.
In the years following the Mutiny the city of Lucknow, now under the British Crown, the whole city was redesigned. La Martinière emerged as an outpost of the British Empire and it acquired the traditions of English public schools.
In 1869, the La Martinière Girls' School was founded and in 1871 it moved to its present location in the compound of Khurshid Manzil. Initially the Girls' School was under the management of the Boy's School. The La Martinière College Principal was in overall charge of both the Boys' and Girls' Schools, with the Girls' school headed by a Lady Superintendent.
The late nineteenth century and the early twentieth century saw the emergence of the school as an exclusive school preferred by the landed aristocracy of Awadh.
In 1945, the College celebrated its Centenary.
In wake of threat of invasion by the Japanese during the Second World War the Calcutta Schools was re-located to Lucknow.
After Indian Independence, the curriculum was changed in 1947 with Urdu
Urdu
Urdu is a register of the Hindustani language that is identified with Muslims in South Asia. It belongs to the Indo-European family. Urdu is the national language and lingua franca of Pakistan. It is also widely spoken in some regions of India, where it is one of the 22 scheduled languages and an...
being dropped as a compulsory subject and replaced by Hindi
Hindi
Standard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi...
. Many Anglo-Indians both students and Masters left for Britain and Australia. This trend was to continue till almost the mid seventies
In 1951, Mr. Meredith Doutre was appointed as the first Indian Principal of the College. He was succeeded by Col HRH Daniels in the 1960s and then by Mr. DEW Shaw in the mid 1970s. The bulk of the students were drawn from the upper middle and middle classes.
In 1960, there was flooding of the grounds by the Gomti River
Gomti River
The Gomti, Gumti or Gomati River is a tributary of the Ganges River. According to Hindu mythology the river is the daughter of Sage Vashist, and bathing in the waters of the Gomati on Ekadashi can wash away one's sins...
resulting in the evacuation of staff and boys to higher ground. In 1962 and 1971 again major floods occurred which threatened the building. The Government constructed a protective bund in 1973-74 which separated the school lake from the main vista thus substantially reducing the earlier picturesque setting.
In 1976 the school was affiliated to the Indian Council for Secondary Education system of education. This entailed the exam for the Certificate of Secondary Education (class X) and the School Leaving Certificate (class XII).
In 1995 the school celebrated its Sesquicentennial Anniversary. Former principals, old Martinians from all over the country and abroad, and delegations from Lyon and Calcutta, came to Lucknow for this once in a lifetime event. To commemorate the occasion, a history of the college "Bright Renown" was released, an exhibition on the history of the school was organized, and for several days the Constantia was lit up in the night. The President of India released a postage stamp to recognize the contribution of La Martiniere Lucknow.
In 1997 one of the teachers was murdered in the early hours of the morning on 7 March. Thirty-year-old Anglo-Indian Frederick Gomes, the College's assistant warden and physical training instructor, was murdered in his bungalow on the perimeter of the school grounds. Two people were seen firing shots through a broken window at the back of the building, but the culprits were not identified and the murder remains unsolved. However, the murder created a sensation in India at the time, especially when it was found that the school's students had access to guns. Newspaper columnist Saeed Naqvi
Saeed Naqvi
Saeed Naqvi is senior Indian journalist, television commentator, interviewer, and a Distinguished Fellow at Observer Research Foundation, New Delhi...
, Ashank Mehrotra former pupils at the school commented: "The killing is a metaphor of our times. For such a level of violence to reach the sacred precincts of La Martinière is symbolic of the way that Lucknow, like so much of India, has completely ceased to be what it once was."
Constantia
Martin Purwa
Martin Purwa is a village in the city of Lucknow in the state of Uttar Pradesh, India. The village has a population of around 4,000. Martin Purwa is part of the La Martiniere College estate...
, named after Claude Martin, and part of the Lucknow Zoo.
Constantia stands on a landscaped terrace overlooking what was once a lake, from the centre of which rises a solid fluted column with a Moorish cupola known as 'the Laat'. The monument is about forty metres (~125 feet) high, and is thought either to be a lighthouse or a marker for the grave of Claude Martin's horse. Over the years, the Gomti River
Gomti River
The Gomti, Gumti or Gomati River is a tributary of the Ganges River. According to Hindu mythology the river is the daughter of Sage Vashist, and bathing in the waters of the Gomati on Ekadashi can wash away one's sins...
has edged closer, necessitating the construction of a river bund between the front terrace and 'the Laat'. In 1960, the grounds were flooded and the 1803 and 1934 earthquakes caused several statues to fall from their pedestals where they crown the architecture. The statues are in modern and older antique styles.
The building is constructed in an unusual mix of styles. The rooms are decorated in bas reliefs, arabesques and other Italian styled ornamentation. The eighteenth-century English potter Josiah Wedgewood was said to be responsible for the plaster of Paris plaques decorating the library and the chapel. However, the plaques which depict classical and mythological subjects are thought to be of local construction. Orders for tons of imported plaster of paris were discovered in Martin’s letters, it is believed that they are in fact based on just one or two original models. What was imported was the large mirrors, French carpets, inlaid marble tables and paintings including some by Johann Zoffany
Johann Zoffany
Johan Zoffany, Zoffani or Zauffelij was a German neoclassical painter, active mainly in England...
who was a friend of Claude Martin. The building has been described as, "part Enlightenment mansion, part Nawabi fantasy, and part Gothic colonial barracks. Its facade mixes Georgian colonnades with the loopholes and turrets of a mediaeval castle; above, Palladian arcades rise to Mughal copulas."
Philip Davies writing on Architecture of the Raj in the illustrated London News of May 1982 has this to say about the Constantia:
" Built in the 1790s it is a bizarre building in a country renowned for extravagant eccentricities. Even more incongrously it now houses an eminent Indian Public school blessed with all the tribal rituals of Eton or Harrow. It is a disturbing building of the most peculiar design. The central tower has bridge links and the entire central range has a strange array of statues dominated by two huge lions whose eyes were supposedly lit by red lanterns."
History of the Girls' School
Unlike the schools in Calcutta and Lyons there had been no provision to found a girls' school in Lucknow. However funds were found from a female education fund and a school was started at Moti MahalMoti Mahal
Moti Mahal Pearl Palace, may refer to:* Moti Mahal Delux Tandoori Trail* Moti Mahal , in Lucnow, Uttar Pradesh, India* Moti Mahal , in Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan* Moti Mahal , in Bharatpur, Rajasthan, India...
. The Lucknow Girls' School, as it was then known, was run by Mrs. Saunders Abbott. Following a land grant from the government the school was moved to its present location at Khursheed Manzil in 1871 and incorporated and established as a branch of La Martinière College. The adoption and endowment was facilitated by the distribution by the High Court of Calcutta of the surplus funds of the legacy for the release and relief of prisoners for debt left by General Claude Martin.
Khursheed Manzil, or the House of the Sun, is a large double-storeyed mansion marked by towers at the corners. The building was begun by Saadat Ali Khan, and completed by his son, Ghazi-ud-Din Haidar. The property was built in the form of a fortified castle. There is a 12 feet (4 m)-wide moat, over which there was formerly a drawbridge. After the annexation of Oudh, in 1856, Khursheed Manzil was used as a mess house by officers of the 32nd Regiment, and it became known as the Mess House.
During the Mutiny it was the scene of some stubborn fighting, in which both Lord Wolseley
Garnet Wolseley, 1st Viscount Wolseley
Field Marshal Garnet Joseph Wolseley, 1st Viscount Wolseley, KP, GCB, OM, GCMG, VD, PC was an Anglo-Irish officer in the British Army. He served in Burma, the Crimean War, the Indian Mutiny, China, Canada, and widely throughout Africa—including his Ashanti campaign and the Nile Expedition...
, then a captain, and Lord Roberts
Frederick Roberts, 1st Earl Roberts
Field Marshal Frederick Sleigh Roberts, 1st Earl Roberts, Bt, VC, KG, KP, GCB, OM, GCSI, GCIE, KStJ, PC was a distinguished Indian born British soldier who regarded himself as Anglo-Irish and one of the most successful British commanders of the 19th century.-Early life:Born at Cawnpore, India, on...
, as a lieutenant bore an active part. The latter planted the flag of the 2nd Punjab Infantry on the west turret as a sign of capture. The building was stormed and taken on the 17th November 1857. In constant reminder of those days, a small pillar stands just inside the gate to the left. It bears the following inscription: "It was here that Havelock, Outram and Sir Colin Campbell met on 17th November 1857".
In 1889 Government raised the school to the High or Final Standard of Education for Europeans. Later the school was recognized for the Overseas Examination Board of Cambridge University
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
.
In 1907, on the recommendation of Mr. S. H. Butler, C.I.E
Order of the Indian Empire
The Most Eminent Order of the Indian Empire is an order of chivalry founded by Queen Victoria in 1878. The Order includes members of three classes:#Knight Grand Commander #Knight Commander #Companion...
, the Deputy Commissioner, The Government gave the Trustees and Governor of the school a piece of land adjoining the compound on the west of the Bank of Bengal (now the State Bank of India
State Bank of India
The State Bank of India is the largest Indian banking and financial services company with its headquarters in Mumbai, India. It is state-owned. The bank traces its ancestry to British India, through the Imperial Bank of India, to the founding in 1806 of the Bank of Calcutta, making it the oldest...
) considerably increasing the size of the estate and greatly improving the playground.
La Martinière in cinema
The Boys' College has been the setting for films, including:- KimKim (film)Kim is a 1950 adventure film made in Technicolor by MGM. It was directed by Victor Saville and produced by Leon Gordon from a screenplay by Helen Deutsch, Leon Gordon and Richard Schayer, based on the classic novel of the same name by Rudyard Kipling....
, a 1950 MGM adventure film starring Errol FlynnErrol FlynnErrol Leslie Flynn was an Australian-born actor. He was known for his romantic swashbuckler roles in Hollywood films, being a legend and his flamboyant lifestyle.-Early life:...
, Dean StockwellDean StockwellDean Stockwell is an American actor of film and television, with a career spanning over 65 years. As a child actor under contract to MGM he first came to the public's attention in films such as Anchors Aweigh and The Green Years; as a young adult he played a lead role in the 1957 Broadway and...
(as Kim), Paul LukasPaul LukasPaul Lukas was an Austrian-Hungarian-born actor.-Biography:Born Pál Lukács in Budapest, he arrived in Hollywood in 1927 after a successful stage and film career in Hungary, Germany and Austria where he worked with Max Reinhardt. He made his stage debut in Budapest in 1916 and his film debut in 1917...
and Robert DouglasRobert DouglasRobert Douglas may refer to:*Robert Douglas , minister in the Church of Scotland*Robert Douglas, Count of Skenninge, , Scottish-born field-marshal in the Swedish army*Robert Douglas , , Scottish prelate...
. - Shakespeare WallahShakespeare WallahShakespeare Wallah is a 1965 Merchant Ivory Productions film. The story and screenplay are by Ruth Prawer Jhabvala. Madhur Jaffrey won the Silver Bear for Best Actress at the 15th Berlin International Film Festival for her performance...
, the 1965 Merchant Ivory ProductionsMerchant Ivory ProductionsMerchant Ivory Productions is a film company founded in 1961 by producer Ismail Merchant and director James Ivory. Their films were for the most part produced by the former, directed by the latter, and scripted by Ruth Prawer Jhabvala, with the noted exception of a few films. The films were often...
film loosely based on the real-life adventures of Felicity KendalFelicity KendalFelicity Ann Kendal, CBE is an English actor known for her television and stage work.Born in 1946, Kendal spent much of her childhood in India, where her father managed a touring repertory company. First appearing on stage at the age of nine months, Kendal appeared in her first film, Shakespeare...
's family. - Shatranj Ke KhiladiShatranj Ke KhiladiThe Chess Players is a genre painting of 1876 by American artist Thomas Eakins . It is a small oil on wood panel depicting Eakins' father Benjamin observing a chess match. The two players are Bertrand Gardel , an elderly French teacher, and the somewhat younger George Holmes, a painter...
(The Chess Players), the 1977 film by Satyajit RaySatyajit RaySatyajit Ray was an Indian Bengali filmmaker. He is regarded as one of the greatest auteurs of 20th century cinema. Ray was born in the city of Kolkata into a Bengali family prominent in the world of arts and literature...
. - Stones Of The Raj: The French Connection, a 1997 documentary for Channel 4Channel 4Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
television by William Dalrymple. - Gadar: Ek Prem KathaGadar: Ek Prem KathaThe music is composed by Uttam Singh. The song listing is as follows:- Awards :Winner:*Filmfare Best Action Award - Tinnu Verma*Filmfare Special Performance Award - Amisha Patel*Sansui Best Actress Award - Amisha Patel...
, a 2001 Bollywood movie starring Sunny DeolSunny DeolSunny Deol often credited as "Action King of Bollywood" is an Indian film actor, producer and director. Deol was born to Bollywood actor Dharmendra. He has won two National Film Awards and two Filmfare Awards. He went to England to study acting...
, Amisha PatelAmisha PatelAmeesha Patel is an Indian actress who appears in mainly Bollywood movies. Making her acting debut in the blockbuster Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai , Patel won critical praise for her performance in Gadar: Ek Prem Katha , which became one of the biggest hits in the history of Hindi cinema, earning her a ...
, and Amrish PuriAmrish PuriAmrish Singh Puri , ; 22 June 1932 – 12 January 2005 was an iconic theater and film actor from India, who was a key player in the Indian theater movement that picked up steam in the 1960s. He worked with notable playwrights of the time, such as Satyadev Dubey and Girish Karnad...
. - IndraIndra (film)Indra is a Telugu language action film directed by B. Gopal. It stars Chiranjeevi, Sonali Bendre, and Arti Agarwal. It was dubbed into Hindi and Tamil as Indra- The Tiger and Indran respectively.- Cast :...
, a 2002 Tollywood movie starring ChiranjeeviChiranjeeviChiranjeevi is a Telugu film actor and a politician. He has appeared primarily in Telugu Cinema along with a few Tamil, Kannada and Hindi films. He made his acting debut in Punadhirallu . However, Pranam Khareedu released at the box office earlier...
and Sonali BendreSonali BendreSonali Bendre is an Indian actress and model. She has mostly starred in Bollywood films but has acted in many Telugu films as well as a number of Marathi, Tamil and Kannada films. She was also one of the four judges in the fourth season of Indian Idol and India's Got Talent...
. - Anwar, a 2007 Bollywood movie starring Nauheed CyrusiNauheed CyrusiNauheed Cyrusi is an Indian model of ethnic Parsi of Iranian descent, VJ and actress. She was born on 19 October 1982.- Early life :She studied in J.B...
. - Always Kabhi Kabhi Always Kabhi KabhiAlways Kabhi Kabhi is a 2011 Hindi romance film directed by Roshan Abbas, and produced by Shahrukh Khan under Red Chillies Entertainment. It introduces Ali Fazal, along with Giselli Monteiro while Zoa Morani, Satish Shah, Lilette Dubey, Vijay Raaz, Mukesh Tiwari and Manoj Joshi play supporting...
, a 2011 Bollywood movie starring Ali FazalAli FazalAli Fazal is an Indian actor who appears in Bollywood movies and can be caught on stage too.-Early life:Ali Fazal's acting career started from an early age. In high school he attend The Doon School, Dehradun, and performed on stage for the first time. He began his performances at the age of 16. In...
, Giselle Monteiro, Zoa Morani, Satyajit Dubey,a directorial debut for Roshan AbbasRoshan Abbas-Biography:Roshan Abbas is an alumnus of La Martiniere College, Lucknow. He is a radio and television game show host and head of an events management company.He studied at Hindu College, University of Delhi, graduating with a BA degree in 1992....
and was produced under Shahrukh KhanShahrukh KhanShahrukh Khan , often credited as Shah Rukh Khan, is an Indian film actor, as well as a film producer and television host. Often referred to as "the King of Bollywood", Khan has acted in over 70 Hindi films....
's production house Red Chillies Entertainment.
La Martinière in fiction
Rudyard KiplingRudyard Kipling
Joseph Rudyard Kipling was an English poet, short-story writer, and novelist chiefly remembered for his celebration of British imperialism, tales and poems of British soldiers in India, and his tales for children. Kipling received the 1907 Nobel Prize for Literature...
's 1901 novel Kim
Kim (novel)
Kim is a picaresque novel by Rudyard Kipling. It was first published serially in McClure's Magazine from December 1900 to October 1901 as well as in Cassell's Magazine from January to November 1901, and first published in book form by Macmillan & Co. Ltd in October 1901...
tells of the adventures of Kimball O'Hara, the orphaned son of a British soldier. Kim is given the chance to go to St Xavier's School in Lucknow, the most prestigious school in British India. St Xavier's is a fictional creation but Kipling authorities believe that the school is modelled on La Martinière.
La Martinière Lucknow is discussed in Qurratulain Hyder
Qurratulain Hyder
Qurrat-ul-Ain Haider was an influential Urdu novelist and short story writer, an academic, and a journalist. One of the most outstanding literary names in Urdu literature, she is most known for her magnum opus, Aag Ka Darya , a novel first published in Urdu in 1959, from Lahore, Pakistan, that...
's magnum opus Aag ka Darya (River of Fire). This book has the same status in Urdu literature as that of One Hundred Years of Solitude
One Hundred Years of Solitude
One Hundred Years of Solitude , by Gabriel García Márquez, is a novel which tells the multi-generational story of the Buendía family, whose patriarch, José Arcadio Buendía, founds the town of Macondo, the metaphoric Colombia...
in Hispanic literature.
Valerie Fitzgerald's 1981 historical novel Zemindar features the siege of Lucknow in 1857 and uses La Martinière as the backdrop. The novel has an interesting character, a Martinian boy called 'Lou'.
The Indian writer Allan Sealy
Allan Sealy
Irwin Allan Sealy is a writer born in 1951 in Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh, India. His novel The Everest Hotel: A Calendar was shortlisted for the 1998 Booker prize.-Biography:...
, a former pupil of the school, set his first novel Trotter-Nama in the old house, which he renamed as Sans Souci (carefree). The school has also featured in short stories.
La Martinière stamps
The two La Martinière Schools in Lucknow are among the few educational institutions in India, and possibly in the world, depicted on postage stamps.On 1 October 1995, on the 150th anniversary of the school's opening, Dr. Shankar Dayal Sharma
Shankar Dayal Sharma
Shankar Dayal Sharma was the ninth President of India serving from 1992 to 1997. Prior to his presidency, Dr Sharma had been the eighth Vice President of India, serving under President Ramaswamy Venkataraman...
, the then President of India, released a two-rupee postage stamp in the school's honour.
In 2007 when the girls' school celebrated its 138th anniversary it was given a similar honour and a first day cover was issued by Department of Posts with a picture of Khursheed Manzil on it.
Curriculum
Class 10 students are prepared for the Indian Certificate of Secondary Education
Indian Certificate of Secondary Education
The Indian Certificate of Secondary Education or ICSE examination is an examination conducted by the Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations, a private, non-governmental board of school education in India, for class 10, i.e., grade 10...
and for the Indian School Certificate
Indian School Certificate
The Indian School Certificate is an examination conducted by the Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations for Grade 11, i.e., year 11, until 1976....
Examination when they are in Class 12.
The four streams at 10+2 stage are Humanities, Commerce, Life Sciences and Physical Sciences.
Extracurricular activities
- Physical and military training - the college has a Senior Division National Cadet CorpsNational Cadet Corps (India)The National Cadet Corps is the Indian military cadet corps with its Headquarters at New Delhi. It is open to school and college students on voluntary basis....
(Rifles) Troop, and two troops of the junior Division (Naval and Air Wings), representing the three Defence Services. Younger boys belong to the School Scout Troop and Cub Pack. Thursday is the parade and Co-Curricular activities day when the NCC and Scout activities are performed. The Hashman Shield is held on the last working day before Winter Vacations and is awarded to the best wing of the NCC. - Games and sports - games include athletics, gymnastics, cricket, soccer, swimming, hockey and table tennis.
- Honing intellectual skills - debating, elocution, declamation, dramatics, creative writing and quizzing activities are conducted regularly.
La Martinière campus
La Martinière College is set in grounds of over 200 acre (0.809372 km²). There is a large lawn on the west side of Constantia known as the Principal's Lawn which is used for open air parties and special ceremonies. The founder, Claude Martin, is commemorated with a bust in the French-style Floral Garden.The original Constantia building houses the main library, the Blue Room, the College chapel, the Principal's residence and the Senior Dormitory.
There is a large assembly hall, known as Spence Hall, which is used for school ceremonies. The College has a theatre-style Art Room, a Music Room, a Geography Room and a Computer Centre. There is a separate science block with theatre-style classrooms, and chemistry
Chemistry
Chemistry is the science of matter, especially its chemical reactions, but also its composition, structure and properties. Chemistry is concerned with atoms and their interactions with other atoms, and particularly with the properties of chemical bonds....
, physics
Physics
Physics is a natural science that involves the study of matter and its motion through spacetime, along with related concepts such as energy and force. More broadly, it is the general analysis of nature, conducted in order to understand how the universe behaves.Physics is one of the oldest academic...
and biology
Biology
Biology is a natural science concerned with the study of life and living organisms, including their structure, function, growth, origin, evolution, distribution, and taxonomy. Biology is a vast subject containing many subdivisions, topics, and disciplines...
laboratories for the senior boys. Each house has its own common room or "Housie" or House Room, and the school has a tuck shop selling snacks, confectionery and soft drinks.
There are three dormitories for the boarders, and they also have their own college kitchen. The boarders have their meals in Sykes Hall which is a huge dining hall. The College has a hospital and nursing staff, and a visiting college doctor.
The Principal and Vice-Principal both have houses on the campus and there are also a number of campus cottages for the teachers. There is a Teachers' Centre and staff rooms for the faculty. Bachelor teachers have their own mess room.
Sports facilities
Polo
Polo is a team sport played on horseback in which the objective is to score goals against an opposing team. Sometimes called, "The Sport of Kings", it was highly popularized by the British. Players score by driving a small white plastic or wooden ball into the opposing team's goal using a...
games. Today it is the setting for cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
and athletics
Athletics (track and field)
Athletics is an exclusive collection of sporting events that involve competitive running, jumping, throwing, and walking. The most common types of athletics competitions are track and field, road running, cross country running, and race walking...
. It is also the venue for the physical training
Physical education
Physical education or gymnastics is a course taken during primary and secondary education that encourages psychomotor learning in a play or movement exploration setting....
displays on Sports Day. Football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
and hockey
Hockey
Hockey is a family of sports in which two teams play against each other by trying to maneuver a ball or a puck into the opponent's goal using a hockey stick.-Etymology:...
are played at the Fairy Dale Ground. There is a large gym for gymnastics, a skating rink and an indoor swimming pool. The College also has a volleyball
Volleyball
Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.The complete rules are extensive...
court, a basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
court and lawn tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
courts.
William Hodson's grave
Within the grounds is the grave and memorial to William Hodson who became famous during the rebellion of 1857.La Martinière coat of arms
The La Martinière coat of arms was designed by the founder Claude Martin. It is supported by seven flags, each bearing the design of a fish, the emblem of Oudh. The devices on the escutcheon appear to epitomise Claude Martin's life. The ship recalls his voyage to India where he established his fortune. The lion with the pennant represents his career as an officer in the East India CompanyBritish East India Company
The East India Company was an early English joint-stock company that was formed initially for pursuing trade with the East Indies, but that ended up trading mainly with the Indian subcontinent and China...
and with the Nawab of Oudh
Asaf-Ud-Dowlah
Asaf-Ud-Daula was the nawab wazir of Oudh from 26 January 1775 to 21 September 1797, and the son of Shuja-ud-Dowlah, his mother and grandmother being the begums of Oudh, whose spoliation formed one of the chief counts in the charges against Warren Hastings.-Life:A contemporary chronicler describes...
The setting sun behind the castellated building to the right of the shield has been said to point to the sunset of his days and the large part which the building of "Constantia" played in his later years. The coat of arms and the accompanying motto Labore et Constantia are now shared by all the schools founded by Martin.
The La Martinere College flag consists of the coat of arms on a blue and gold background. The flag is flown above the buildings, and used for formal events and celebrations, such as the annual Founder's Day.
La Martinière houses
The College is divided into four houses, mainly for promoting academic and athletic competition among the pupils. The houses were first given their names in 1913. The houses are Martin (blue), Lyons (yellow), Cornwallis (green) and Hodson (red). The House Master of each house is the seniormost master of the particular house. He is aided by House Prefects who are senior boys with leadership qualities.Martinian traditions
The school calendar is split into two terms - the Easter term runs from January to May and Founder's term runs from July to December.The Annual Prize Day is held at the end of each academic year, usually in March or April. There is a formal assembly in the afternoon during which the Principal reads out the school report. There is a speech by a prominent guest or alumnus and the College choir sing the school song and a selection of hymns. Prizes are presented for academic excellence and success in extracurricular activities. The most prestigious awards are: the Sir George Thomas Medal for example and service; the Governor's Trophy and the Principal's Medal for Leadership; the A. K. Das Memorial Medal for the Best All-Round student; the Sykes Memorial Prize for English; and the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc. is an American media company, involved primarily in the production and distribution of films and television programs. MGM was founded in 1924 when the entertainment entrepreneur Marcus Loew gained control of Metro Pictures, Goldwyn Pictures Corporation and Louis B. Mayer...
Award for Histrionics and the Vivian Jacob Memorial Medal for the best scholar in classes 7 and 8.
Founder's Day is observed on 13 September every year to commemorate the anniversary of the death of Claude Martin in accordance with the detailed instructions left in his will. Classes are suspended for the day, which is generally followed by a school holiday. Founders' Day begins with an extended formal assembly in the morning involving a faculty march, a speech by a guest or alumnus, and the playing of bagpipes. The school choir, wearing Eton
Eton College
Eton College, often referred to simply as Eton, is a British independent school for boys aged 13 to 18. It was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as "The King's College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor"....
jackets and broad school ties reserved for such occasions, sing the school song and a collection of hymns. Finally a wreath is laid at Claude Martin's tomb and statue.
In the afternoon the entire senior school and staff are treated to an elaborate sit-down meal known as the Founder's Day dinner. During the feast a toast is raised in memory of the Founder. A Founder's Day Social is held in the evening.
A Founder's Day Play is also organized around this time which is a big event in the cultural calendar of the school. Another tradition that has recently begun is to organise Silver Jubilee Class Reunions during Founder's Day Week.
Sports Day is held in November on the College's polo ground. The day includes a military-type march around the school grounds, a performance by the school bagpipe band, PT display , athletic competition between the school houses and a cycle race. The event ends with the 'Beating the Retreat' ceremony.
Cock House - the House that scores the maximum number of points for academic performance and sporting prowess is declared the "Cock House" of the year and receives the Cock House Trophy. They are also treated to a Social.
Republic Day and Independence Day parades - the National Cadet Corps
National Cadet Corps (India)
The National Cadet Corps is the Indian military cadet corps with its Headquarters at New Delhi. It is open to school and college students on voluntary basis....
wings of the school present a march past in front of the Constantia on Indian Republic Day
Republic Day (India)
The Republic Day of India commemorates the date on which the Constitution of India came into force replacing the Government of India Act 1935 as the governing document of India on 26 January 1950....
(26 January) and Indian Independence Day
Independence Day (India)
The Independence Day of India is celebrated on the fifteenth of August to commemorate its independence from British rule and its birth as a sovereign nation in 1947. The day is a national holiday in India. All over the country, flag-hoisting ceremonies are conducted by the local administration in...
(15 August). The national Tricolour
Flag of India
The National flag of India is a horizontal rectangular tricolour of deep saffron, white and India green; with the Ashok Chakra, a 24-spoke wheel, in navy blue at its centre. It was adopted in its present form during a meeting of the Constituent Assembly held on 22 July 1947, when it became the...
is hoisted and the salute is taken by the Chief Guest on the occasion.
Annual inter-Martinière meet the Martinière Lucknow Schools and the La Martinière Schools in Kolkata have an annual competition. The boys compete with each other in swimming, soccer and debating while the girls compete in debating, swimming and basketball. One year the Lucknow Schools go to Kolkata and the following year the Kolkata Schools travel to Lucknow.
The School Publications - the school publishes the annual Constantia magazine and the monthly Martiniere Post. All the work is done by pupils, with assistance from staff coordinators. The Martiniere Post is published online, and has two separate sections, English and Hindi. The Pubication is controlled by the Publications Club.
Boys' School
- John Newmarch was the first Principal of La Martinière, Lucknow, in 1845.
- Leonidas Clint (1812 - 21 July 1897), was the Principal of La Martinière, Lucknow, from about 1845 to 1854. He was a graduate of Trinity College, CambridgeTrinity College, CambridgeTrinity College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Trinity has more members than any other college in Cambridge or Oxford, with around 700 undergraduates, 430 graduates, and over 170 Fellows...
. After leaving Martinière Clint returned to the UK to take up holy orders. He was ordained as a deacon in 1859 and as a priest in 1861 (St David's). He was curate of LampheyLampheyLamphey is a village near the south coast of Pembrokeshire, Wales, two miles east of Pembroke.-History:Lamphey is a small village with an estimated population of 250 to 300 people, being located a short distance from the historic town of Pembroke, the birth place of Henry VII, father of Henry...
, PembrokeshirePembrokeshirePembrokeshire is a county in the south west of Wales. It borders Carmarthenshire to the east and Ceredigion to the north east. The county town is Haverfordwest where Pembrokeshire County Council is headquartered....
(1859–1861), HerefordHerefordHereford is a cathedral city, civil parish and county town of Herefordshire, England. It lies on the River Wye, approximately east of the border with Wales, southwest of Worcester, and northwest of Gloucester...
(1861–1863), PresteignePresteignePresteigne is a town and community in Powys, Wales. It was the county town of the historic county of Radnorshire, and is in the Diocese of Hereford...
, PowysPowysPowys is a local-government county and preserved county in Wales.-Geography:Powys covers the historic counties of Montgomeryshire and Radnorshire, most of Brecknockshire , and a small part of Denbighshire — an area of 5,179 km², making it the largest county in Wales by land area.It is...
(1863–1865), and BrockhamptonBrockhamptonBrockampton is the name of several villages in England:*Brockhampton, Gloucestershire*Brockhampton, Hampshire*Brockhampton, Bringsty in Herefordshire*Brockhampton-by-Ross in Herefordshire...
, HerefordshireHerefordshireHerefordshire is a historic and ceremonial county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Gloucestershire" NUTS 2 region. It also forms a unitary district known as the...
(1865–1874). He was the vicar of LingenLingenLingen is a town in Lower Saxony, Germany. In 2008 the population was 52,353, and in addition there are about 5,000 people who have registered the city as their secondary residence...
, HerefordshireHerefordshireHerefordshire is a historic and ceremonial county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Gloucestershire" NUTS 2 region. It also forms a unitary district known as the...
from 1874 to 1893. He was the editor of Dryden's Flower and Leaf and the author of Conic Sections. He died in DewsburyDewsburyDewsbury is a minster town in the Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees, in West Yorkshire, England. It is to the west of Wakefield, east of Huddersfield and south of Leeds...
, YorkshireYorkshireYorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
, aged 85. - George Schilling was promoted to Principal in 1854, having previously served as assistant master at La Martiniere CalcuttaLa Martiniere CalcuttaLa Martiniere Calcutta comprises two separate private schools in Kolkata, India. The schools were established in accordance with the will of Major General Claude Martin in 1836. They are day schools although they both have a small number of boarders...
. He was the Principal during the siege of Lucknow in 1857. - Lieutenant Thomas Percival Wood (1882 - 25 September 1915), Principal of La Martinière Boys' College (1910–1915) and officer with the Lucknow Volunteer Rifles. Wood was educated at Dulwich CollegeDulwich CollegeDulwich College is an independent school for boys in Dulwich, southeast London, England. The college was founded in 1619 by Edward Alleyn, a successful Elizabethan actor, with the original purpose of educating 12 poor scholars as the foundation of "God's Gift". It currently has about 1,600 boys,...
, LondonLondonLondon is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, and Peterhouse CollegePeterhouse, CambridgePeterhouse is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England. It is the oldest college of the University, having been founded in 1284 by Hugo de Balsham, Bishop of Ely...
, CambridgeCambridgeThe city of Cambridge is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia about north of London. Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen – a play on Silicon Valley and the fens surrounding the...
. He was English 'Proviseur' at the Lycée Ampere in LyonLyonLyon , is a city in east-central France in the Rhône-Alpes region, situated between Paris and Marseille. Lyon is located at from Paris, from Marseille, from Geneva, from Turin, and from Barcelona. The residents of the city are called Lyonnais....
s from 1906-1907. He was appointed Principal of La Martinière Lucknow in 1910. Wood was an officer of the Lucknow Volunteer Rifles, and offered his services in August 1914. He was promoted to the position of lieutenant in the Indian Army reserve in February 1915. After spending four months with the 1/7th Gurkha Rifles7th Duke of Edinburgh's Own Gurkha RiflesThe 7th Gurkha Rifles started as a regiment of the British Indian Army, before being transferred to the British Army following India's independence.-Formation:...
in QuettaQuettais the largest city and the provincial capital of the Balochistan Province of Pakistan. Known as the "Fruit Garden of Pakistan" due to the diversity of its plant and animal wildlife, Quetta is home to the Hazarganji Chiltan National Park, which contains some of the rarest species of wildlife in the...
, he was drafted to the Expeditionary Force in France, where he joined the 3rd Queen Alexandra's Own Gurkha Rifles in September 1915. He was killed at the Battle of LoosBattle of LoosThe Battle of Loos was one of the major British offensives mounted on the Western Front in 1915 during World War I. It marked the first time the British used poison gas during the war, and is also famous for the fact that it witnessed the first large-scale use of 'new' or Kitchener's Army...
while gallantly leading his men in action. His name is commemorated on the Neuve-Chapelle memorial in France. - Colonel William Edgar Andrews, Principal of the Boys' College from 1926 to 1951. Andrews moved to India in 1914 to take up a post as senior history and geography master at La Martinière CalcuttaLa Martiniere CalcuttaLa Martiniere Calcutta comprises two separate private schools in Kolkata, India. The schools were established in accordance with the will of Major General Claude Martin in 1836. They are day schools although they both have a small number of boarders...
. In 1921 he was appointed Headmaster of the Boys' High School and College in AllahabadAllahabadAllahabad , or Settled by God in Persian, is a major city of India and is one of the main holy cities of Hinduism. It was renamed by the Mughals from the ancient name of Prayaga , and is by some accounts the second-oldest city in India. It is located in the north Indian state of Uttar Pradesh,...
. He was appointed Principal of La Martinière Lucknow in 1926. Andrews oversaw many changes and improvements to the College, including the construction of the modern well-equipped Spence and Sykes halls, the introduction of the school song, and the award of Battle Honours. - Meredith Doutre was the first Indian Principal. His daughter, Penelope Anne Doutre, was one of two girl students who studied briefly at the Boys' College in the early sixties, the other girl being Tessa Evelyn Dignum, who was the daughter of another member of the school staff.
- Colonel Hector R H "Danny" Daniels.
- Desmond Shaw was a former pupil of La Martinière Boys. Later he was Principal of the Cathedral & John Connon SchoolCathedral and John Connon SchoolThe Cathedral and John Connon School is a co-educational, private school located in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India, established in 1860.According to the Education World-C fore Survey of Schools 2010, the school has been ranked first in the all India ranking of the best schools in India.It was ranked...
, Mumbai. - Terence Phillips was also a former pupil and was briefly Principal of the school. He recently retired from his role as the Principal of Wynberg AllenWynberg Allen SchoolWynberg-Allen School was founded in 1888. It is located in the hills near Kulri, Mussoorie, India.- Historical Note :From a meeting in Kanpur in 1887 of friends, Mr. Powell, Mr. and Mrs. Foy and Brig. Condon, who became the Founders, came the first school at Jabarkhet along the Tehri road. This...
, MussoorieMussoorieMussoorie is a city and a municipal board in the Dehradun District of the northern Indian state of Uttarakhand. It is located about 35 km from the state capital of Dehradun and 290 km north from the national capital of New Delhi...
. - Elton d'Souza,retired recently. He is another Old Martinian who headed his alma mater.
- Carlyle Andre' McFarland is the current principal of the college.
Lady Superintendents
In the early years the Girls' School was led by a Lady Superintendent who reported to the Principal of the Boys' School.- 1869-1870 Miss Dixon
- 1870-1871 Mrs Marshall
- 1871-1872 Miss Wilson
- 1872-1878 Miss Auld
- 1879-1882 Miss Pennington
- 1883-1884 Miss Brenan Hayes
- 1885 Miss Mathews
- 1886-1889 Miss Granger
- 1890-1894 Miss Greenwood
- 1894-1897 Miss Young
- 1898-1901 Miss Edith Annette Gow
- 1902-1906 Miss Stephenson Jellie
Principals
- 1907-1908 Miss Lavinia Teasdale was the first Principal and Honorary Secretary of the Girls' School.
- 1909-1915 Miss Ida Williams
- 1916-1923 Miss D. B. Oolving
- 1924-1937 Miss M. Chick
- 1937-1948 Mrs Margaret Grayhurst
- 1948-1950 Mrs Ellen Howe
- 1948-1950 Miss Annette Gresseux
- 1951-1977 Miss Mary Annette Gresseux was the first Indian Principal. She was responsible for the expansion of the school and the building of the infrastructure.
- 1978- 1997 Mrs Florence Keelor
- 1997- present Mrs Farida Abraham (Incumbent)
Old Martinians' Association
Hubert S Bolst (1872–1947) was the founder of the Alumni Association. He was an old boy of the school who got together with several Martinians stationed at FaizabadFaizabad
City of Faizabad , previous capital of Awadh, is the headquarters of Faizabad District and a municipal board in the state of Uttar Pradesh, India, situated on the banks of river Ghaghra . Faizabad has a twin city of Ayodhya, which is considered to be the birthplace of Rama...
to celebrate Founder's Day. This unofficial gathering was the genesis of the present-day Old Martinians' Association (OMA) which now has chapters spread across the globe. The OMA chapters in Australia, the UK, and Canada are the more active ones.
The Bolst Fund
Bolst died in 1947 and in his will left instructions that a sum of Rs. 5,000 be handed over to the OMA as an 'Endowment Fund'. The interest accruing from this investment was to be used to provide a scholarship to pay the fees for a needy and deserving Anglo-Indian day scholar boy. Since then, some 50 recipients of the scholarship have reason to be thankful to Hubert Bolst.
Further reading
- Chandan MitraChandan MitraChandan Mitra is an Indian journalist, presently editor and managing director of The Pioneer newspaper in Delhi, India. He was nominated as a member of the Rajya Sabha during August 2003 to August 2009...
. Constant glory: La Martinière saga 1836-1986. Calcutta: Oxford University Press, 1987, 95pp. ISBN 0-19-562044-5. - Edward H HiltonEdward HiltonEdward Henry Hilton was a former pupil of La Martiniere Boys' College in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India, who was involved in the siege of Lucknow and the defence of the Residency during the Indian Mutiny of 1857. His father William Hilton was the Sergeant Instructor at the College and was also...
. The Martiniere boys in the Bailey Guard. Lucknow : American Methodist Mission Press, 1877, 18pp. - Rules and Regulations of La Martiniere, founded in Calcutta under the will of Major General Claude Martin with an extract of the will of the testator, the decree of the supreme court with regard to the same and other documents. Published by order of the Governors. Calcutta: La Martiniere College, 1835, 103pp.
- Rosie Llewellyn-Jones. A very ingenious man: Claude Martin in early colonial India. Delhi: Oxford University PressOxford University PressOxford University Press is the largest university press in the world. It is a department of the University of Oxford and is governed by a group of 15 academics appointed by the Vice-Chancellor known as the Delegates of the Press. They are headed by the Secretary to the Delegates, who serves as...
, 1993, 241pp. ISBN 0-19-565099-9.
See also
- La Martiniere CalcuttaLa Martiniere CalcuttaLa Martiniere Calcutta comprises two separate private schools in Kolkata, India. The schools were established in accordance with the will of Major General Claude Martin in 1836. They are day schools although they both have a small number of boarders...
- La Martiniere CollegeLa Martiniere CollegeLa Martiniere is a non-denominational public school in India and in France .La Martiniere Schools were founded posthumously by Major General Claude Martin in the early 19th century. Martin had acquired a large fortune while serving the Nawab of Awadh Asaf-ud-Daula and bequeathed a major part of...
- La Martiniere LyonLa Martiniere LyonLa Martiniere Lyon is the La Martiniere College branch in Lyon, France.Lyon hosts three La Martiniere colleges, which were all created by Claude Martin: La Martinière Monplaisir, La Martinière Duchère, and La Martinière Terreaux....
- Claude MartinClaude MartinMajor General Claude Martin was an officer in the French, and later the British, army in India. He rose to the position of Major General in the British East India Company...
- Martinians
- Martin PurwaMartin PurwaMartin Purwa is a village in the city of Lucknow in the state of Uttar Pradesh, India. The village has a population of around 4,000. Martin Purwa is part of the La Martiniere College estate...
- The will of Claude Martin
- Vive La Martiniere, the school song by Frederick James RoweF. J. RoweFrederick James Rowe was a Professor of English Literature and sometime Principal at the Presidency College in Calcutta, India. He has edited and written introductions for numerous collections of the works of Alfred Lord Tennyson...
- Claude Martin WadeClaude Martin WadeColonel Sir Claude Martin Wade C.B. Agent to the Governor- General for theAffairs of the Punjab and North-West Frontier, 1823-1840 accessed July...
, a Colonel named after Claude Martin - ZamindarZamindarA Zamindar or zemindar , was an aristocrat, typically hereditary, who held enormous tracts of land and ruled over and taxed the bhikaaris who lived on batavaslam. Over time, they took princely and royal titles such as Maharaja , Raja , Nawab , and Mirza , Chowdhury , among others...