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College, the home of the Queen’s Scholars and the oldest house at Westminster, was effectively founded in 1560 when the school’s charter stipulated that there should be 40 Queen’s Scholars. Special weight in their selection was to be given to ability, good character and poverty. To become Scholars, boys had to pass an oral examination known as ‘The Challenge’, which shifted to paper in 1856.
Scholars had special privileges not accorded to other boys, such as the right to enter the Palace of Westminster.
The Scholars include John Dryden, the first Poet Laureate (1631-1700); John Locke (1632-1704), the empiricist philosopher; A. A. Milne (1882-1956), creator of Winnie-the-Pooh; and Kim Philby (1912-1988), of the Cambridge spy ring. The first female scholars were admitted to College in 2017.

YGLESIAS, FRANCIS MICHAEL, son of Miguel Yglesias, Stamford Hill, London, and Ellen Maude, dau. of John Barnes, Willesden, Middlesex; b. 16 Jul 1867 (christened as Francisco Miguel Yglesias); adm. 16 Jun 1881 (D, G), exhibitioner; QS Nov 1882; elected head to Trinity Coll. Cambridge 1886, adm. pens. 6 Oct 1886; BA 1889; MA 1893; ordained deacon 1890, priest 1891 (both Lincoln); Curate, Coningsby, Lincs., 1890-4, Gedney, Lincs., 1894-5, Skegness, Lincs., 1896-8; Vicar of Tattershall, Lincs., 1898-1920; Rector of Langton, Lincs., 1920-33; m. 8 Oct 1912 Alice, dau. of John Short, Tattersall, Lincs.; d. 4 Dec 1950.

ALSOP, ANTHONY, son of Anthony Alsop, Darley, Derbs., by Anne Lowe; bapt. 4 Jan 1668/9; adm.; KS 1686; elected head to Christ Church, Oxford 1690, matr. 12 Jul 1690, Westminster Student 22 Dec 1690 - void 12 Aug 1713 (expiry year of grace as R. Nursling), Tutor 1698-1709, Junior Censor 1701-2, Senior Censor 1703-5, Catechist 1706-7, 1711; BA 29 Jan 1694/5; MA 23 Mar 1696/7; BD 1706 (incorp. at Camb. 1707); ordained; Rector of Nursling, Hants. 31 Jul 1712-5; Rector of Alverstoke, Hants. 25 Mar 1715 (dispensation to hold with Nursling, 1715); Rector of Brightwell, Berks. 1715; Prebendary of Winchester from 21 May 1715; left England in 1718 on losing an action brought against him for breach of promise of marriage, but returned in 1720; is alluded to in the Dunciad; with Francis Atterbury (KS 1674 (qv)) and George Smalridge (qv) assisted Charles Boyle in the production of Dr. Bentley’s Dissertations on the Epistles of Phalaris, 1698; editor, Fabularum Aesopicarum Delectus, 1698, in the preface to which he attacked Bentley; his Latin Odes were published posthumously by Sir Francis Bernard (qv) in 1752; m. c. Dec. 1715 Margaret, widow of Rev. Francis Bernard, Rector of Brightwell, Berks. (and mother of Sir Francis Bernard (qv)), and dau. of Richard Winlowe, Lewknor, Oxfordshire; accidentally drowned 16 Jun 1726. DNB.

ALDRICH, HENRY, son of Henry Aldrich, Westminster, and Judith Francis (IGI); b. 15 Jan 1647/8; in school lists 1656; KS (aged 10) 1658; elected to Christ Church, Oxford 1662, matr. 19 Jul 1662, Westminster Student 22 Dec 1662 - void 1682 (Canon), Tutor 1670-81, Catechist 1681; BA 1666; MA 1669; BD and DD 2 Mar 1681/2; ordained; Canon of Christ Church 13 Feb 1681/2 - Jun 1689, Dean from 17 Jun 1689; Vice-Chancellor 1692-5; Prolocutor, Lower House of Convocation; a Busby Trustee from 21 Dec 1704; at his request in 1693 Charles Boyle edited the Epistles of Phalaris, which led to the famous controversy between Richard Bentley and the Christ Church wits; an amateur architect who designed Peckwater Quadrangle, Christ Church, and perhaps also All Saints Church, Oxford, and made a good collection of architectural and other books and prints, bequeathed by him to Christ Church; composed or adapted numerous anthems, services and catches; author, Artis Logicae Compendium, 1691, and one of the editors of Clarendon’s History of the Rebellion, 1702-4; d. unm. 14 Dec 1710. Buried Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford. DNB.

BAGSHAW, EDWARD, son of Edward Bagshaw MP, barrister, of Moreton Pinkney, Northants., and Prudence ---; bapt. 20 Dec 1629; adm.; KS in 1644; elected to Christ Church, Oxford 1646, but was detained at school “through the exigence of warre”, matr. 1 Feb 1646/7, aged 17, Westminster Student to 1662; submitted to the Parliamentary Visitors (see Register of Visitors of the University of Oxford 1647 to 1658, Camden Society, 2nd series, vol. xxix, 74, 268, 484); BA 1649; MA 1651 (incorp. at Cambridge 1654); took a prominent part in an agitation for the abolition of caps and gowns; adm. Gray’s Inn 2 Feb 1651/2; Under Master of the School May 1656; quarrelled with Richard Busby (qv), the Head Master (Barker, Memoir of Richard Busby, 1905, 55-76); suspended by the Governors 1 Dec 1657 and resigned in May 1658; ordained (Exeter) 3 Nov 1659; Vicar of Ambrosden, Oxfordshire 25 Aug 1659 – 1662 [or 1660 ?], when ejected for nonconformity under the Bartholomew Act; also ejected from his Studentship at Christ Church Hilary term 1662; Chaplain to Arthur, Earl of Anglesey 1661; accompanied him to Ireland Jul 1662; returned to England Sep 1662; imprisoned in Tower of London for abusing the King and Government 1663-4 and in Southsea Castle 1664-7; thrown into Newgate Prison for refusing to take the Oath of Supremacy, but was subsequently allowed out on parole; a man of learning and intellectual accomplishments which were rendered useless by his ungovernable temper and overweening conceit; author, A true and perfect narrative of the differences between Mr Busby and Mr Bagshaw, the First and Second Masters of Westminster School, 1659, and several controversial and religious works; m. Margaret, second dau. of John Peacock, Chawley, Cumnor, Oxfordshire, “a blind gentlewoman who had fallen in love with him for his sermons”; d. 28 Dec 1671. DNB.

BARBER, JOHN, son of John Barber, St. Giles’s [check], London; b. 1696; adm.; Min. Can. (aged 15) 1711; QS 1712; Capt. of the School 1716; spoke the Latin oration in College Hall at the funeral of Robert South (qv), for the unlicensed printing of which Curll was tossed in a blanket by the boys; elected to Christ Church, Oxford 1717, matr. 27 Jun 1717, Westminster Student 20 Dec 1717-25 (void); BA 1721; MA 1724; Master of the Grammar School, Ripon, 1721-30.

BISSET, WILLIAM, son of William Bisset, London; b.; adm.; KS 1684; elected head to Trinity Coll. Cambridge 1687, adm. pens. 5 Jun 1687, aged 17, scholar 27 Apr 1688; BA 1690/1; described in a letter from William Gale, who was endeavouring to procure a Fellowship for Bisset, as “an extraordinarily learned man, but without friends, was Captain of Westminster School and senior of his year at Cambridge” (HMC Report, i, 22); ordained priest (London) 23 May 1692; Perpetual Curate of Iver, Bucks.; Rector of Whiston, Northants., from 3 Sep 1697; an Elder Brother of St. Katherine’s by the Tower, 1699; a fierce opponent of Dr Sacheverell; Chaplain to Queen Caroline; Cole describes him as “almost a madman”; author, The Modern Fanatick, 1710, and other works; m. 5 Nov 1704 Hennaretta Panier; d. 7 Nov 1747. DNB.

BOUGHEN, EDWARD, of Buckinghamshire; b. 1587; adm.; QS; elected to Christ Church, Oxford 1605, matr. 13 Dec 1605, Westminster Student to 1615; BA 1609; MA 1612; DD 1646; ordained; Chaplain to Right Rev. John Howson DD, Bishop of Oxford; Rector of Wargrave, Oxfordshire 1620; Vicar of Bray, Berks., 1621-40; Vicar of Stoke Talnage, Oxfordshire, 1627/8; Rector of Woodchurch, Kent, 13 Apr 1633-40; deprived of his livings for having acted as a justice of the peace in 1640; Prebendary of Chichester from 6 Dec 1638; a learned divine and a staunch defender of the Church of England; author, The Principles of Religion, 1646, and other works; m. Margaret ---; d. 9 Nov 1653. DNB.

BRADY, NICHOLAS, son of Maj. Nicholas Brady, Bandon, co. Cork, and Martha, dau. of Luke Gernon, Second Justice, Presidentiary Court of Munster, Ireland; b. 28 Oct 1659; adm.; KS (Capt. ) 1673; elected to Ch. Ch. Oxford 1678, matr. 4 Feb 1678/9, Westminster Student 26 Dec 1678 - deprived 1682; Trinity Coll. Dublin; BA 1685; MA 1686; BD and DD 1699; ordained priest (Cork) 28 Sep 1687; Chaplain to Right Rev. Edward Wetenhall (qv), Bishop of Cork; actively resisted the pro-Roman Catholic policy of James II; Prebendary of Cork, 9 Jul 1688- Sep 1692; held incumbencies in co. Cork 1688-92; Rector of St. Catherine Cree, London, 13 Jul 1691 – 30 Jun 1696; Chaplain to William III and Mary II, and to Queen Anne; Perpetual Curate of Richmond, Surrey, from 1696; kept a private school there, referred to in no. 168 of The Spectator; Rector of Stratford-on-Avon, Warwickshire, 10 Nov 1702 – Jun 1705; Rector of Clapham, Surrey, from 21 Feb 1705/6; Chaplain to Caroline, Princess of Wales; joint author with Nahum Tate of a metrical version of the Psalms; author, The Rape, or the Innocent Impostors, 1692, and other works; m. 29 Jun 1690 Letitia, dau. of Ven. Richard Synge, Archdeacon of Cork; d. 20 May 1726. DNB.

BLADEN, MARTIN, son of Nathaniel Bladen, Bolton Percy, Yorks., and Isabella, dau. of Sir William Fairfax, Kt., Steeton, Yorks.; b.; adm.; KS 1695; left 1697; St. John’s Coll. Cambridge, adm. pens. 17 Apr 1697, aged 16, matr. 1697; adm. Inner Temple, 23 Mar 1696/7; Ensign, Col. T. Fairfax’s Regt. of Foot, 12 Dec 1697; Ensign of a company added to this Regt. in Ireland, 1 Mar 1702; Capt., Sir Charles Hotham’s new Regt. of Foot, 25 Mar 1705; served in Low Countries and Spain; ADC to Lord Galway; attained rank of Brevet Col.; Col. of a British Regt. raised in Spain, 26 Oct 1709; sold out 26 Jun 1710; Comptroller of the Mint, 23 Dec 1714-27; MP Stockbridge 1715-34, Maldon 1734-41, Portsmouth from 1741; Joint Secretary to Lord Justices of Ireland and to Lord Lieut. of Ireland Sep 1715 - Apr 1717; MP (I) Bandon Bridge 1715-27; Privy Councillor (I) 1 Nov 1715; director, Royal African Company, 1717-26; a Commissioner of Trade and Plantations from 13 Jul 1717; Joint Commissioner to Court of France for settling plantation boundaries in America, 1719-20; First Commissioner and Plenipotentiary to the Conference for settling commerce at Antwerp, Jun 1732 - Feb 1742; one of Sir Robert Walpole’s steadiest supporters in the House of Commons; author of Solon (a tragi-comedy), 1705, and of an English translation of Caesar’s Commentaries, 1712; m. 1st, Mary, dau. of Col. --- Gibbs; m. 2nd, 29 Mar 1728 Frances, widow of John Foche, Aldborough Hatch, Essex, and niece of Col. Joseph Jory, West India merchant; d. 15 Feb 1745/6. DNB.