Own a piece of Wellington College history

During the 1920s and 1930s, the College invited Wellingtonian families to pay for an oak chair for Old Hall. These could be inscribed with the name of the Wellingtonian in question, or that of a previous Wellingtonian family member, as a memorial. Many people chose to pay for one as they left the College. Our photograph shows these chairs in place in Old Hall in the 1920s. Some of you may remember sitting on them during your time at Wellington!

During eighty or more years of use, the chairs obviously suffered some wear and tear. Therefore, when the Hall was refurbished some years ago, new chairs were provided and these older ones put into storage. We are now offering you the opportunity to take a chair, free of charge, as a memento of Wellington College.

The chairs have been in storage for several years and their condition varies considerably, but we can select one in better condition for you if you wish. There are around 55 chairs available; most are plain wood, but there are also 9 which were refurbished at a later date for use in the Library, with the addition of a red velvet seat and a coat of varnish. The two options can be seen here:

You would need to arrange collection and transport of the chair yourself, either in person or through a courier. If you are coming to the Pre-1975 OW Reunion on 27^th September, you would be able to collect a chair then if arranged beforehand. If you would like to know more, including receiving a list of the names available, then please contact our College Archivist, Caroline Jones, on cacj@wellingtoncollege.org.uk or 01344 444176.