Chris Lawrence

(died 13 October 1914)

Chris Lawrence was at Eton from 1906 to 1912. He had a keen appreciation for literature and strong artistic feelings; he had a real gift for acting. Possibly he was the finest cricketer who ever failed to get into the Eleven; unfortunately he cherished a belief that he could make no runs in June and when July came it was too late. He often quarrelled with masters, but never succeeded in being disliked by any of them. All the boys knew him by sight, and some, perhaps, only thought of him as a giant who walked very slowly with his hat tilted very far back; the boys in his own house loved him and delighted in him always.

He was unreasonable and knew it; he was rather spoilt and confessed it, he liked comfort, even luxury. To cure himself of this he went as steerage passenger in January to Canada, but he did find himself in Canada, or even at Trinity College Cambridge. At the end of July came his great opportunity; how he welcomed it a few sentences of his last letter to Eton will show. “I will try, if I get the chance, to be worthy of the House, and of the School, though it is a difficult task with so much to compete against. I’m afraid I wasn’t an ornament at school, or of much use to the House, but now I’ve got the biggest chance possible; I will try and be worthy of it. This seems to me pretty rotten but I think you will understand what I mean Chris Lawrence”.

An old school fellow wrote “His great charm and worth lay in his loyalty to his friends and his unwavering devotion”. Perhaps we may add to this the splendid generosity which made him so readily admit that he was wrong.

He died, fighting for his country, doing his duty as a Lawrence was bound to do.

(From The Eton College Chronicle )