_Bidding Prayer used at Tonbridge School at the Annual
Commemoration Service on Skinners’ Day at the end of the
Summer Term._
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_This prayer follows the anthem, the congregation all standing._
INASMUCH as, by the Providence of Almighty God, from whom all good
things do come, on this day our School is gathered together here, now as
of old, to thank Him for all His blessings, it is right that we should
remind ourselves once more of all that we owe to those who have gone
before us.
And first you are to remember your Founder, Sir Andrew Judd, Knight.
He was born at Tonbridge on the estate of his ancestors called “Barden,”
situated by the river side below Quarry Hill. He was apprenticed in
London into the Company of Skinners, and became himself a Skinner and a
Merchant of Muscovy. He went with the ships of the Merchants’ Company,
which rounded the North Cape to the coast of Russia. He crossed the
country in sledges a seven days’ journey to the River Volga, and so to
Astrakan on the Caspian Sea. He also went to the West Coast of Africa,
to Guinea, at the request of King Edward VI, and brought thence gold
dust to be coined into guineas, and many natural curiosities. In the
year 1544 he was Sheriff of London, and in the year 1550–1 he was Lord
Mayor, in which office he bore himself with loyalty and with valour. On
six several occasions he was Master of the Skinners’ Company—in the
years 1533, 1538, 1542, 1547, 1551, and 1555. In 1554 he was called upon
to make stand for Queen Mary against the rebellion of Sir Thomas Wyatt.
He was, moreover, Mayor of the Staple of Calais, and held many public
offices of trust, under both Edward and Mary, so that he is rightly
accounted one of “the Worthies of England.” He died in 1558, and is
buried in the Church of St. Helen’s, in Bishopsgate, in London, where
stands a monument to his memory in marble.
Five years or more before he died he founded, not by will, but at his
own expense during his lifetime, besides his almshouses near to St.
Helen’s Church, “a stately Free School” at Tonbridge. This he diligently
fostered, and framed for it Statutes under which it was governed for 327
years: Statutes full of kindly wisdom. Further, he endowed it with
certain houses in Gracechurch Street, and with the estate of the
Sandhills in the parish of St. Pancras, and afterwards by will in 1558
with other gifts, whence the School is to this day supported and
increased. For all these good deeds, and because this School hath for
its Founder so manly and so worthy a gentleman, you shall thank God.
And, secondly, you are to remember the grandson of your Founder, the son
of his daughter Alice, Sir Thomas Smythe, a great benefactor to the
School and to the poor of Tonbridge. He was born about 1558, and dwelt
near Southborough. He was for fifteen years Governor of the East India
Company, and took part in establishing the Colony of Virginia. He
founded four Exhibitions from this School to the Universities of Oxford
and Cambridge. He died in 1625, and was buried at Sutton-at-Hone, in
Kent.
Furthermore, you are to remember Henry Fisher, the faithful servant of
Sir Andrew Judd, who founded a Scholarship at Brasenose College, Oxford;
Sir Thomas White, founder of St. John’s College, Oxford, who, “_propter
eximium amorem in Andream Judd_,” gave to Tonbridge School a Fellowship,
now a close Scholarship, at his College, also _Robert Holmdon_, the
founder of the Leathersellers’ Exhibitions, _Thomas Lampard_, _Lady Mary
Boswell_, _Mr. Worrall_, _Mr. Strong_, all of them Benefactors of the
School, and many others whose names are not recorded.
Nor shall you forget all those who, as Governors, or as Masters, or as
Boys, or in whatever station in this School, during more than 350 years
have striven with faithful hearts to serve it; their noble deeds and
character are ours by inheritance.
Finally, let us pray, that, when our time shall come to fall asleep, we,
too, after their example may have faithfully served our generation by
the will of God: To whom be all honour and glory, world without end.
_Amen._
_Let us Pray._
[_The two following prayers were written in Latin for the use of
Tonbridge School very shortly after its foundation in 1553_, A.D.]
ÆTERNE Deus, a quo solo omne bonum consilium, omnis bona cogitatio
procedit, gratias tibi maximas agimus, quod viris optimis, et Andreae
Judd, militi, Scholam hanc pie instituendi, magnoque sumptu suo
exstruendi et dotandi, et quod Thomae Smythe, militi, eam nec minore
sumptu suo augendi et in perpetuum faciendi consilium inspirasti; Teque
suppliciter oramus, ut eam a calamitate omni tuearis; et Ecclesiae
regnoque tuo utilem semper facias; et ut nos cum omni diligentiâ eo
contendamus quo pii illi nos pervenire voluerunt, ut bene pieque eruditi
Ecclesiae tuae et Reipublicae tandem utiles evadamus, per Iesum
Christum, Dominum nostrum. _Amen._
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CLEMENTISSIME Pater coelestis, qui coelum et terras et quae in iis sunt
omnia summâ sapientiâ condidisti, eâdemque providentiâ tuâ perpetuo
regis et conservas,—concede, quaesumus, quemadmodum optimi illi, Andreas
Judd, et Thomas Smythe, milites, spectatæ societatis Pellipariorum fide
et providentiâ freti, eorum curae hanc Scholam commiserunt,—ut et ipsi,
fidei suae his defunctis debitae semper memores, Scholam hanc diligenter
curent et tueantur; tandemque, post huius vitae cursum honeste
confectum, aetemum fidelissimae illius procurationis suae proemium in
coelis consequantur, per Iesum Christum, Dominum nostrum. _Amen._
[_Then follow (in Latin) the Prayer of St. Chrysostom and the
Blessing._]
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