Martin Taylor, Honorary OW

(18 October 1934 – 11 March 2024)

Born in Orpington in 1934, Martin attended prep school in Sevenoaks before moving on to Hurstpierpoint College in Sussex, where he was a competitive student, winning the cross-country and captaining the squash team. An all-rounder with a particular love for acting, he also became Head Boy. Martin continued his education at Lincoln College, Oxford, where his sporting talent earned him a role as squash captain, a half blue, and a Third.

Following university, he completed National Service in the 6th Gurkha Rifles, with postings in Malaya and Hong Kong. After demobilisation, he taught English and evening classes in Sweden, where the liberal Scandinavian approach to education left a lasting impression on his ideological outlook. In 1960, he earned a PGCE in London, leading to his first teaching role as Head of History and House Master at Kingham Hill School near Oxford. There, he immersed himself in school life, becoming a scoutmaster and directing plays.

In 1963, Martin joined MCS to teach English and history. While there, he pursued another degree in modern history through the University of London, completing it in just two years and earning an upper second. John Harrop, former MCS Usher, recalls that Martin succeeded Tam Swann upon his retirement. Passionate about local history, Martin introduced a local history course for the second form, which included field trips to archaeological digs, the Oxford Castle, and the city archives, culminating in student projects on Oxford’s history. This course continued for many years after Martin’s departure. He also made significant contributions by producing junior plays, including Storm over Otmoor by Maida Stanier.

Martin organised the first Magdalen College School ski trip, collaborating with Greycotes School to include ten of their girls alongside sixteen MCS boys, with a housemistress as a chaperone. They travelled by train to Söll, Austria, in a memorable journey that included a “dance wagon,” where students danced to the Rolling Stones as they crossed Europe. They even managed to gate crash a few New Year’s Eve parties, aided by one of the students, Hugh Sainsbury, who brought his bagpipes, much to the delight of the locals.

After leaving MCS, Martin became Head of History at Kent College, Canterbury, and later Deputy Head at the Geoffrey Chaucer School, a local comprehensive. In 1984, he was appointed Head of King’s School, Tynemouth, where his progressive ideas on education and school management met with resistance from some of the school’s governors, leading to his resignation two years later. He returned to Kent to teach history, ultimately joining the Junior School of St Edmund’s in Canterbury, where he remained until retirement.

In retirement, Martin enjoyed his lifelong passions for sports, travel, antiques, opera, theatre, and classical music. He briefly taught a Heritage unit for the Tourism course at Canterbury College and became deeply involved in local historical projects. He continued to share his historical expertise through city and festival walks, lectures, and guidebooks, publishing The First Code of English Law by Wormald in 2005 and The Grey Friars Canterbury in 2014.

Martin faced Alzheimer’s with remarkable courage, joining the organization Forget-Me-Nots and even giving a presentation on “Living Well with Alzheimer’s.” He approached life with equanimity to the end. Martin is survived by his wife, Sarah, and their children, George, Lucy, and Alice.