The Trusty Servant May 2015 No.119 | Page 8

NO.119 T H E T R U S T Y S E RVA N T to the school, not so much to interview him as to appoint him, which he did during Gray’s first visit. He probably said nothing to Gray about the school’s parlous financial position, but it is unlikely that Gray had no idea what he was taking on, as it seems to have been fairly common knowledge in academic circles. The situation was not good. Gray took over in the summer term of 1880. There were eight masters, four of whom were new, and 75 boys, a number which was falling rapidly (Bradfield had been founded with the aim of having 300). By Easter the following year Stevens could not pay the staff salaries, not for the first time, and creditors were petitioning for the bankruptcy of the school, which had debts of £160,000 (the annual fee for a commoner at the time was £126). The creditors had already seized over £400 of the fees paid for the summer term, and only the action of Stevens’ son, who set up a separate account into which the other fees were diverted, kept the school going. At the start of the summer term in 1881 only 55 boys returned, and only 13 of them were paying full fees; 14 were Founder’s Scholars and paid nothing at all. Gray had to give personal guarantees to their parents for board, lodging and tuition, and he also had to guarantee the staff salaries. The only solution was for the founder to be forced to give up as Warden and for Gray to become Warden as well as headmaster. Gray thought this was unlikely, and had already applied for headmasterships at Malvern and Glenalmond. On 13th June 1881 the Council met for the first time since Gray’s appointment, to make his acquaintance and deal with the crisis. He asked them whether they would take over financial control. They refused. They asked him whether he had withdrawn his candidacy for the headmasterships. He said that he had. ‘And is that because you believe in Bradfield?’ he was asked. ‘No sir’ replied Gray, ‘it is because I believe in myself.’ As production of a Greek play in Greek in Britain for over 50 years. Two other members of the cast of Agamemnon were given parts in Alcestis, and Gray himself took the role of Admetus. a gesture of goodwill, the council agreed to repay from their own pockets the fees seized by the creditors, but gave Gray the ultimatum that either he accept the Wardenship and full fin