Floreat Etona: Anecdotes and Memories of Eton CollegeNevill, Ralph
History
Floreat Etona: Anecdotes and Memories of Eton College
Nevill, Ralph
Eton College
At the last celebrations of Montem the order of procession differed
somewhat from that observed in olden days. It was then headed by
the marshal, followed by six attendants; band; captain, followed by
eight attendants; sergeant-major, followed by two attendants; twelve
sergeants, two and two, each followed by an attendant; colonel,
followed by six attendants and four polemen; corporals, two and two,
followed by two polemen apiece; second band; ensign with flag, followed
by six attendants and four polemen; corporals, two and two, followed
by one or two polemen apiece; lieutenant, followed by four attendants;
salt-bearers, runners, and stewards; and a poleman brought up the rear
of the procession.
The flag was always solemnly waved in the school-yard before the
procession started, and on arriving at Salt Hill it was waved a second
time at the top of the mount, the boys all clustering round like a
swarm of bees and cheering with great vigour. Great importance was
always attached to the waving of the College standard in a proper
manner, and for a long time previous to Montem day the Ensign practised
for hours in Long Chamber. The old traditional way of manipulating
the banner was as far as possible followed, the custom being to wave
it round in every direction and conclude by one triumphant final
flourish which was the grand climax of the whole celebration.
[SN: AN ETON REGIMENT]
A complete military organisation with regular uniforms was adopted
by the school on Montem day, and Eton became a collegiate regiment.
The senior Colleger ranked as captain, the second salt-bearer as
marshal, the other Sixth-Form Collegers becoming ensign, lieutenant,
sergeant-major, and steward; any other Sixth-Form Collegers not
acting as runners were sergeants. The captain of the Oppidans was
always a salt-bearer by right, whilst the next to him on the school
list was colonel; the other Sixth-Form Oppidans ranked as sergeants.
All the Fifth-Form Oppidans were corporals and wore red tail-coats
with gilt buttons and white trousers. They had also crimson sashes
round their waists, black leather sword-belts, and swords hanging by
their sides. A cocked hat and plume of feathers exactly like that
worn by field-officers completed this martial attire. The Fifth-Form
Collegers’ dress was like that of the Fifth-Form Oppidans, insomuch
as they donned sash, sword, cocked hat, and plume; but their coats
were blue instead of red, so that they resembled naval officers more
than military men. The coats of the Sixth Form, both Collegers and
Oppidans, had distinctive details of uniform denoting rank, which could
be at once distinguished from the various forms of epaulet and great
or little prevalence of gilt. The steward wore the ordinary full dress
of the period. The Lower boys who acted as polemen wore the old Eton
costume--blue coats with gilt buttons, white waistcoats and trousers,
silk stockings and pumps. The pages of the Sixth Form and others were
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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