A ‘Simmaries’ Quiz: How Well Do You Know Your College History?
The Institution: “Strawberry Hill”, “Simmery’s”, “Simmies”, “Simms” or “SMUC”, The Alumni: “Simmarians” or “Simmies”.
1. Who was behind the Catholic Church’s Restoration in England and the establishment of St. Mary’s College?
2. Who is credited with the foundation of the College?
3. In what year and where was the College first established?
4. Who was initially in charge of the College?
5. Who, and in what year was the first appointed Principal of the College?
6. Six students first entered the College from Ploermel in Brittany. To which Religious Order did they belong?
7. In what year did the first ‘lay’ students enter the College and what was their background?
8. When did the College move to its present site and who was its Principal at the time?
9. How did the College’s present location come to be known as “Strawberry Hill”?
10. ‘Chopp’d Straw Hall’ (1748-1790) was made into what type of residence? in which architectural style? and by whom?
11. In 1846 the next major phase of development “Strawberry Hill” was begun by whom?
12. The stained glass window of the Chapel in the Woods is dedicated to which three major occupants of Strawberry Hill?
13. Identfy the ownership and translate each of the following mottos: 1) “Fari Quae Sentiat”, 2) “Coelum Non Animum”,
and 3) “Monstra Te Esse Matrem”.
14. How many Vincentians priests were College Principals from 1899 to 1992 and what was the designation of their Order?
15. The so-called ‘Twelve Apostles’ entered College after WW1, under what special circumstances?
16. From where in Europe were the first groups of students admitted to College in 1880, 1925 and 1944 respectively?
17. The high altar of the present College Chapel was erected in memory of which group of students?
18. Two former students, Joseph O’Sullivan and Reginald Dunne, were convicted and executed for which crime in 1922?
19. Which member of the ‘Twelve Apostles’ had the distinction of becoming a Vice Principal of the College in the 1960’s?
20. Where are the Tablets of Remembrance to students who fell in WW1 and WW2? How many are named on each?
21. What event in the autumn of 1940 led to the only time the College being closed to students in its history?
22. Which staff member later said of the WW2 air raids: “there was a kind enjoyment we that we all felt at the time”?
23. Only part of Strawberry Hill House was damaged in WW2. a) which part? b) by what? c) who dealt with it? d) how?
24. Name the two units which were formed at College in 1941 to provide military training for students.
25. In 1947 which groups of students almost exclusively formed the first year entry into the College?
26. Which annual gathering was begun in 1949, and subsequently led to future reunion activities held at College?
27. The ‘Simmarin Union’, founded in 1950 for all former students, became known as which subsequent organisation?
28. The ‘Simmarian’ was the original College Magazine from 1905, but it was replaced in 1950 by which other magazine?
29. Traditionally when was annual ‘The Simmarian’ produced, and for what particular event?
30. Affiliated to the ‘Simmarian Association’ were 6 UK ‘Simmarian Clubs’ and 3 overseas groups, name each of the latter.
31. Which UK ‘Simmarian Club’ was formed in 1904 and is still active today?
32. Who is the entertainer and Honarary Fellow, who was one of the last Chairmen of the former ‘Simmarian Association’?
33. Who was the architect of the impressive and imposing College Chapel, and which famous building influenced its design?
34. In a unique design, how was it possible to build the Chapel on the Library, and unite ‘Faith over Reason’ in a visible way?
35. Who designed the 15 stained glass Chapel windows to illustrate the traditional Mysteries in the Life of Our Lady?
36. Who painted the distinctive ‘Reredos’ featured behind the original high altar in the College Chapel?
37. When was the first mass celebrated in the College Chapel and who was the celebrant?
38. What did Pope Benedict xvi present to the College on his visit 17th August 2010, and where is it located?
39. Name one student and one staff member from our era, who have been made ‘Honorary Fellows’ by the College.
40. During our era, what were the three progressively severe sanctions for breaches of the College Regulations?
41. When were the first women students admitted to College, and who was appointed Vice-Principal for Women?
42. To the question when would ‘mixed visiting’ be allowed, who said; “Never, not while there is Original Sin in the World!”
43. When the Intercollegiate Sports Competition was introduced in 1898, which three London Colleges participated?
44. Which two famous middle/distance runners met on the College athletics track in 1967, and who acted as ‘interpreter’?
45. In 1999 “S.M.U.C.” acquired 30 acres of land in the nearby Teddington Lock area, to be use for what purposes?
(See the accompanying sheet for recording you answers. The answers to the questions will be distributed later)
Answers To The ‘Simmaries’ Quiz.
1. Cardinal Nicholas Wiseman (1802-1865).
2. Dr. Steven Gary Stahlmann, on the initiative of Cardinal Wiseman.
3. 1) In 1850, 2) In a former girls school at Brook Green House in Hammersmith.
4. A French Brother, Brother Melanie, a member of Les Freres d’Instruction Chretienne, at Ploermel in Brittany.
5. 1) The English Principal Reverend John Melville Glennie, M. A., 2) In 1851.
6. The Brothers of Christian Instruction.
7. 1) In 1855, 2) They were all ‘pupil teachers’.
8. 1) In 1925, 2) The Principal Father James Doyle C.M.
9. It was named after the rising area of ground which formed the strawberry patch of Walpole’s fruit garden.
10. 1) It was a ‘Summer Villa’, 2) It was built in the ‘Strawberry Hill Gothic Style’, 3) By Horace Walpole (1717-1797).
11. The Lady Frances Elizabeth Anne Waldegrave (1821-1879).
12. 1) Hugh Walpole, 2) Lady Waldegrave, and 3) St. Mary’s College, with each of their heraldic emblems and mottos.
13. 1) Hugh Walpole: “Say what you think”, 2) Lady Waldegrave: “You can’t escape your troubles by running away
from them”, 3) St. Mary’s College: “Show yourself to be mother”.
14 1) There were ten Vincentian Principals 2) Their designated Order was ‘C.M.’ i.e. ‘Congregation of the Mission’.
15. They were all ‘de-mobbed’ early after WW1 to enter college and completed their training in just 18 months.
16. They were from 1) Malta, 2) Northern Ireland and 3) Gibraltar.
17. It was erected in memory of the former students who fell during WW1.
18. The political assignation in London of Field Marshal Sir Henry Wilson (1864-1922), Security Adviser to N. Ireland.
19. The Academic Vice-Principal William A. McGuire, B. Sc. (Econ.).
20. 1) They are at the rear of the College Chapel, 2) 65 students named from WW1 and 3) 75 students named from WW2.
21. A German fire bomb destroyed 96 of the College rooms.
22. The former history lecturer, and later Principal, The Very Rev. Kevin Cronin, C.M., C.B.E., M.A. (1907-1992).
23. 1) The Waldegrave Dinning Room, 2) By a fire bomb, 3) The College Matron, 4) Using a fire extinguisher.
24. 1) A Home Guard Unit and 2) A London University Air Squadron.
25. Those young men who had served in the various branches of the Armed Forces during WW2.
26. The ‘Pastmen’s’ Easter Liturgical Retreat, which was also a social occasion for old friends to meet, talk and reminisce.
27. The ‘Simmarian Association’, with the affiliated regional ‘Simmarian Clubs’ around the UK and abroad.
28. It was replaced by the Simmarian ‘Newsletter’.
29. 1) It was produced at Whitsuntide each year, 2) The annual ‘Pawst’ weekend of sporting activities.
30. Simmarian Groups and Societies from 1) Malta, 2) Gibraltar and 3) Southern Ontario.
31. The Liverpool Simmarian Club, which still meets on a monthly basis, and has over 40 members.
32. The Liverpool comedian Tom O’connor, at College 1958-1960, and member of the Country Dance Band.
33. 1) Sir Albert Richardson (1880-1964), 2) It was based on the Cathedral of St. Cecilia in Albi, Southern France.
34. The Principal persuaded the D.E.S. to fund strong Library foundations and walls to support a non-D.E.S. funded Chapel.
35. Gabriel Loire (1914-1996), the master glazier of Chartres Cathedral in France.
36. 1) Peter Gallichen and 2) Albert Rose, who were two former Art Lecturers at the time.
37. 1) The Feast of the Assumption, 15th August 1963, 2) The Right Reverend George A. Beck (1904-1978), Bishop of Salford.
38. 1) A copy of the Mosaic Icon of the Madonna del Popolo, the Santa Maria Church in Rome, 2) It is located in the Chapel.
39. 1) The actor Peter Postlethwaite (1965-68), 2) The former Head of P.E., Dr. John E. Kane (1944-46 and 1953-1973).
40. The sanctions were 1) ‘Gated’, or 2) ‘Rusticated’ for a fixed period of time, or 3) Dismissal by being ‘Sent Down’.
41. In September 1966, with Vice Principal (Women) Miss Margaret M. Hogan, M.A.
42. The Executive Vice-Principal, The Reverend P. J. Dunning, C.M., M.A., Ph.D., F.R. Hist. Society.
43. 1) Borough Road College, 2) St. Marks and St Johns College, Westminster and 3) St. Mary’s College.
44. 1) Emil Zatopek of Czechoslovakia, 2) Gordon Pirie of England, 3) Aleks Mineyko (64-67) as Anglo/Russsian ‘interpreter’.
45. It is now the Teddington Lock Sports Campus with playing fields, all weather pitches and parking & changing facilities.
And remember…“No matter what ‘developments’ may take place, there will always remain at Strawberry Hill, a college which is forever Simmaries”, L.D. Remmett Peay, the College Registrar, in the Simmarian Newsletter, No. 50, March 1974.
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Single Questions Score out of 22: ___ , Multiple Questions Score out of 57: ___ , Total Question Score out of 79: ___.
(N.B. there is no prize for this quiz, only the appreciation of how much or how little you know about your ‘Alma Mater’)