'Headmaster under fire':

the 1868 confrontation between Headmaster Abbott and the Lord Mayor of London

The Sermon

In the spring of 1868, Edwin A. Abbott gave a sermon at Westminster Abbey. Abbott was later accused of setting "the poor against the rich" in this sermon.

To see an excerpt of this sermon containing the part that most likely brought about the allegations against Abbott, click here.

City of London School Prize Day

In the weeks following the sermon, word spread to the Lord Mayor of London (William Allen) of what Abbott had said.

For the text of the July 25 1868 London Times article, click here.

This article details the City of London School Prize Day, as well as the controversy that almost ended with the Lord Mayor's refusal to distribute the prizes at the City of London School.

The Lord Mayor's Retirement

The Lord Mayor's threatened actions on Prize Day did not go unnoticed. When his term was complete, the fairly standard vote of thanks was met with a good bit of disagreement at the meeting of Common Council. Specifically, Mr. W. Hora cites the Lord Mayor's actions in the incident with Abbott as a reason to oppose the motion for a vote of thanks.

To see the November 21 1868 London Times article concerning this, click here.



For more information on this controversy, please see:

Douglas-Smith, AE. History of the City of London School. Oxford: Basil Blackwell, 1965.