WEARE, THOMAS WILLIAM, elder son of Col. Thomas Weare KH, Hampton House, Hereford, ADC to Queen Victoria, and Anne, dau. of John Pugh, Gaer, Radnorshire; b. 2 Nov 1813; adm. 16 Jan 1826 (G); KS 1828; rowed v. Eton 12 May 1831; elected to Christ Church, Oxford 1832, matr. 7 Jun 1832, Westminster Student; BA 1836; MA 1838; ordained deacon 1839, priest 1840 (both Oxford); Curate, East Sutton, Kent; Under Master of the School 27 Sep 1841 – Aug 1861; Rector of Isfield, Sussex, from 27 Aug 1867; gave evidence before the Public Schools Commission 21 Jun 1862 (Parliamentary Papers 1864, xxi, 402-11); composed the inscription on the Crimean War Memorial, and a number of epilogues and epigrams; author, The Trinummus of Plautus, translated into English Verse by an Old Westminster, 1860; m. 1st, 23 Aug 1853 Louisa Emma Mary, dau. of Henry Fynes-Clinton (qv), and his first wife; m. 2nd. 17 Apr 1866 Henrietta Maria, third dau. of Capt. William Henry Majendie, 1st Foot Guards; d. 24 Feb 1871.

Grant's was opened as an independent boarding house by Mrs Margaret Grant, or Mother Grant I, in 1749, when keeping boarders was one of the few respectable occupations for middle-class women. The house continued under the Grants’ management until Mrs Dixon, the last of the family, sold the building to the then housemaster, Charles Alfred Jones in 1868. As well as income from the sale of the house, Mrs Dixon also had a share of the profits of Dixon's antibilious pills, the world-famous 'pill to cure all ills'.

Many traditions survive at Westminster, but one that has been discontinued at Grant’s is the custom that saw new boarders ‘walk the mantelpiece’ in Hall. Lawrence Tanner, a pupil who kept a thorough diary of his time at Westminster, records his own experience of walking the mantelpiece here.

Grantites of particular interest include Lord John Russell (1792-1878), a Whig and Liberal Prime Minister and keen reformist; Charles Longley (1794-1868), Archbishop of Canterbury; Edgar Adrian (1899- 1977), winner of the Nobel Prize for Physiology; the actor John Gielgud (1904-2000) and Dominic Grieve MP (1956-).

ASTON, RANDOLPH LITTLETON, brother of William Clifford Aston (qv); b. 6 Sep 1869; adm. as exhibitioner (G) 31 May 1883, having previously been at Cheltenham Coll. ; left May 1884; at Berkhamsted Sch. 1884-5, Tonbridge Sch. 1885-8, Smythe exhibitioner 1888; Gonville and Caius Coll. Cambridge, adm. pens. 1 Oct 1888, matr. Mich. 1888; BA 1891; MA 1905; played Rugby football for Cambridge Dec 1889, Mar 1891, for England v. Scotland and England v. Ireland 1890, and for English team in South Africa 1891-2; member of committee, Rugby Football Union 1906-10; assistant master, Blairlodge Sch. , Perthshire 1891-2; assistant master, Tonbridge Sch. 1892-23, house master there 1910-23; 2nd Lieut. Tonbridge Sch. OTC 22 May 1915, temp. Lieut. 2 Oct 1915; d. 3 Nov 1930.

BARWELL, WILLIAM, son of William Barwell, EICS Bengal, Governor of Bengal, a director of the East India Company, and his third wife Elizabeth Pierce, Calcutta; bapt. 13 Oct 1740; adm. (aged 9) Jan 1749/50 (Grant's); in school list 1754.

BIGGE, THOMAS CHARLES, son of William Bigge, Little Benton, Northumberland, one of the Six Clerks in Chancery, and Mary, dau. of Charles Clarke, Ovingham, Northumberland; b. 24 Jan 1739; adm. Oct. 1750 (Grant's); in school list 1754; Christ Church, Oxford, matr. 31 Mar 1757; adm. Lincoln’s Inn 14 Apr 1755; Grand Tour (Italy) 1764-5; High Sheriff Northumberland 1771; contested Morpeth 1774; m. 6 Nov 1772 Jemima, dau. of William Ord MP, Fenham, Northumberland; d. 10 Oct 1794.

Abdela, Andrew David Russell, son of His Hon. Jack Samuel Ronald Abdela QC TD, Judge Central Criminal Court, and Enid Hope, d. of Edgar Dodd Russell of Richmond, Surrey; b. 24 Sept. 1946; adm. Jan. 1960 (G) left Dec. 1964; Trin. Coll. Camb., matric. 1965, BA 1968, MA 1975; called to the Bar, Gray’s Inn, July 1969; Sir Malcolm Hilbery Schol. 1969; d. 2 Jan. 1976.

CUMING, JOSEPH HENRY, son of William Cuming, Bognor, Sussex, Deputy Accountant-General, Royal Navy, and Cecily Kemp, dau. of Rev. Joseph Henry Cumming, Warden Queen’s Coll. Birmingham; b. 31 Jul 1870; adm. as exhibitioner (G) 31 May 1883; QS 12 Jun 1884; left Dec 1888; Trin. Coll. Camb. , adm. pens. 5 Oct 1889, matr. Mich. 1889; passed into Indian Civil Service after exam of 1889; arrived in India 3 Dec 1891; served North West Provinces and Oudh as Assist. Magistrate and Collector, and as Assist. Commissioner; Joint Magistrate Jan 1897; District and Sessional Judge, United Provinces Mar 1904 -; m. 23 Oct 1907 Céphise Marie, dau. of James Weller Maxwell, Raur Estate, Etah, United Provinces, India.

CUNNINGHAM, ROBERT NAPIER, son of William Richard Cunningham, Twickenham, Middlesex, merchant, and Caroline Elizabeth, dau. of Richard Cave, co. Cork, Ireland; b. 26 Jan 1868; adm. (G) 26 Jan 1883; left May 1884; went to Valencia, Spain, to complete his education; a fruit merchant in Canary Islands; m. ; d. in Canary Islands c. 1908.

DALE, GODFREY, brother of James Ernest Dale (qv); b. 28 Jul 1861; adm. 5 Apr 1875 (G); QS (Capt. ) 1876; elected to Christ Church, Oxford 1879, matr. 10 Oct 1879; BA 1885; MA 1897; ordained deacon 1886, priest 1887 (both Rochester); Curate, St. Peter’s, Rochester, Kent 1886-9; joined Universities Mission to Central Africa 1889; missionary in Zanzibar 1889-97; member, College of St. Saviour’s, Southwark 1897-9; Vicar of All Saints, Newmarket, Cambs. , 1899-1902; rejoined Universities Mission 1902; Canon of Zanzibar 1903 - , Chancellor 1908-18, Archdeacon 1917-22; Rector of Sternfield, Suffolk 1925-; author, The Contrast between Christianity and Mohammedanism, 1905, and of several translations from English into Swahili; m. 19 Sep 1899 Jane Hamilton, dau. of James Vincent Bell MD FRCS LRCP, Star Hill, Rochester.