Literary masters
Cyril Connolly
In 1916 Cyril Connolly won the prize with Eric Blair second, both from St Cyprian’s, Eastbourne. Cyril Connolly was an influential English literary critic and writer, founder and editor of Horizon and author of Enemies of Promise and The Unquiet Grave.
Eric Blair (George Orwell)
Pen name George Orwell – English novelist and essayist, best known for Animal Farm and 1984.
Political figures
Kwasi Kwarteng
He won the prize in 1988. A Conservative MP since 2010, he was appointed in July 2019 as Minister of State for Business and Energy and a Privy Councillor. He has written Ghosts of Empire and A Five-Hundred-Year History of Empires.
Do you know about the careers of other past winners?
Anyone with information – including the winners themselves – should contact the Administrator.
University Academics
Jeremy Butterfield
Winner in 1968, is a philosopher at the University of Cambridge, noted for his work on the philosophical aspects of physics and science. He is senior research Fellow at Trinity College, Cambridge.
Scott Mandelbrote
Winner in 1980 and 1981, is Fellow and Director of Studies in History at Peterhouse, Cambridge and Fellow of All Souls, Oxford. He has published widely, especially on Sir Isaac Newton.
University Challenge
Alexander Guttenplan
Winner in 2003, captained Emmanuel College, Cambridge to win University Challenge in 2010,
Ralph Morley
Winner in 2005 and 2006, captained Trinity College, Cambridge to win in 2014.
Kwasi Karteng
He was a member of the Trinity College, Cambridge team that won in 1995.
Previous Townsend-Warner Prize Winners
| Date | Name | School |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Conrad Lai | Shrewsbury House |
| 2021 | Johnny Moesel | Cothill House |
| 2020 | Luke Parker | Westminster Under |
| 2019 | R Leon-Villapolas | Westminster Under |
| 2018 | R Leon-Villapolas | Westminster Under |
| 2017 | H Collins | St Paul's Preparatory |
| 2016 | F Firoozye | Wetherby Preparatory |
| 2015 | J Orly | Westminster Under |
| 2014 | J McGuire | St Paul's Preparatory |
| 2013 | J McGuire | St Paul's Preparatory |
| 2012 | W Monaghan | King's Junior Wimbledon |
| 2011 | J Hagger | King's Junior Wimbledon |
| 2010 | W Drake | King's College Cambridge |
| 2009 | D de Silva | Quainton Hall |
| 2008 | J Mendelsohn | Arnold House |
| 2007 | J Mannion | Vinehall |
| 2006 | R Morley | King's Junior Canterbury |
| 2005 | R Morley | King's Junior Canterbury |
| 2004 | S Gilbert | Vinehall |
| 2003 | A Guttenplan | The Hall |
| 2002 | M Ostrowski | St Paul's Preparatory |
| 2001 | J Medland | The New Beacon |
| 2000 | H Smith | Vinehall |
| 1999 | E Blain | Summer Fields |
| 1998 | H Ellis | Wellesley House |
| 1997 | N Johnston | King's Junior Wimbledon |
| 1996 | N Johnston | King's Junior Wimbledon |
| 1995 | J Neicho | The Hall |
| 1994 | K Morton | The Hall |
| 1993 | T Edlin | Lyndhurst House |
| 1992 | A Hadley | King's Junior Wimbledon |
| 1991 | P Roberts | Eagle House |
| 1990 | D Cameron | Wellesley House |
| 1989 | SPM Allen | Mowden Hall |
| 1988 | TC Pakrashi | King's Junior Wimbledon |
| 1987 | K Kwarteng | St Paul's Preparatory |
| 1986 | M Collins | Holmewood House |
| 1986 | CC Spink | Mowden Hall |
| 1985 | A Ormond | The Hall |
| 1984 | JW Hay | Wellesley House |
| 1983 | D Turner | King's Junior Wimbledon |
| 1982 | S Baker | Red House |
| 1980 | S Mandlebrote | The Dragon |
| 1979 | JR Lock | Dulwich College Junior |
| 1978 | JDR Kewley | Downside |
| 1977 | JDR Kewley | Downside |
| 1976 | GD Goodland | Lincoln Cathedral |
| 1975 | M Price | University College Junior |
| 1974 | G Philips | St Paul's Preparatory |
| 1973 | MW Ingleby | Woodleigh |
| 1972 | WP Ledward | Wellesley House |
| 1971 | MS Middleditch | Brambletye |
| 1970 | EJ Broadbent | Rossall Junior |
| 1969 | WA Featherby | Ripley Court |
| 1968 | JN Butterfield | King's House |
| 1967 | DAL Cranston | Locker's Park |
| 1966 | JP Simpson | Cheam |
| 1965 | PHB Thomas | Old Hall |
| 1964 | CPM Griffith | The Dragon |
| 1963 | DJ Habbakuk | The Dragon |
| 1962 | TH Cocke | Aldro |
| 1961 | TH Cocke | Aldro |
| 1960 | KM Kafetz | The Hall |
| 1959 | RJ Waterlow | Port Regis |
| 1958 | TC Hasler | Abberley Hall |
| 1957 | TC Hasler | Abberley Hall |
| 1956 | JR Archer | Bramcote |
| 1956 | JGR Martin | Ryleys |
| 1955 | F Lambert | The Dragon |
| 1954 | J Towse | St Michael's |
| 1953 | APM Wright | Chafyn Grove |
| 1952 | APM Wright | Chafyn Grove |
| 1951 | APM Wright | Chafyn Grove |
| 1950 | J Dunbabion | The Dragon |
| 1949 | J Dunbabion | The Dragon |
| 1948 | J Tulloch | Hordle House |
| 1947 | R Layard | The Dragon |
| 1946 | JS King | Terra Nova |
| 1945 | JS King | Terra Nova |
| 1944 | MK Simpson | Wellesley House |
| 1943 | Unkown | King's Canterbury Junior |
| 1942 | Unkown | Highfield |
| 1941 | Unkown | Highfield |
| 1940 | Unkown | Oakley Hall |
| 1939 | WB Norman | St Peter's Court |
| 1932 to 1938 | Winners unknown | |
| 1931 | C Powell-Cotton | Hawtreys |
| 1929 | 1929 and 1930 Winners unknown | |
| 1928 | W Emanuel | The Dragon |
| 1927 | W Emanuel | The Dragon |
| 1926 | Unknown | Oakley Hall |
| 1925 | C Mowat | The Dragon |
| 1924 | GJF Mackay | St Cyprian's |
| 1885 to 1923 | The Prize was known as the Harrow History Prize | St Cyprian's |
| 1920 | 1920 to 1923 -Winners unknown | |
| 1919 | WJL Christie | St Cyprian's |
| 1918 | SJ Lotbiniere | St Cyprian's |
| 1917 | No competition | |
| 1916 | Cyril Connolly | St Cyprian's |
| 1916 | Eric Blair | St Cyprian's |
| 1915 | JA Hamill-Stwart | St Cyprian's |
| 1912 to 1914 | Winners unknown | |
| 1911 | J Acheson-Lyle | St Cyprian's |
| 1907 to 1910 | Winners unknown | |
| 1911 | J Acheson-Lyle | St Cyprian's |
| 1906 | D Hussey | St Cyprian's |
| 1905 | Winners unknown | |
| 1904 | CH Rose | The Dragon |
| 1903 | Winner unknown | |
| 1902 | R Haigh | The Dragon |
| 1902 | Miss Kit Lynam | The Dragon |
| 1901 | R Laffan | The Dragon |
| 1900 | Winner unknown | |
| 1899 | J Gamlen | The Dragon |
| 1897 | Winner unknown | |
| 1898 | CH Rose | Elstree |
| 1896 | WE Moberly | The Dragon |
| 1894 | 1894 and 1895 - Winners unknown | |
| 1892 | Winner unknown | |
| 1891 | AC Medd | Elstree |
| 1890 | LE Berman | Elstree |
| 1889 | LE Berman | Elstree |
| 1888 | LE Berman | Elstree |
| 1886 | 1886 and 1887 - Winners Unknown | |
| 1885 | M Glibart Smith | Elstree |
Past Team Winners of the Batsford Shield
First presented in 1981
| Date | School |
|---|---|
| 2022 | Westminster Under |
| 2021 | Feltonfleet |
| 2020 | Westminster Under |
| 2019 | Westminster Under |
| 2018 | Westminster Under |
| 2017 | Westminster Under |
| 2016 | King's Junior Wimbledon |
| 2015 | The Hall |
| 2014 | Westminster Under |
| 2013 | St Paul's Preparatory |
| 2012 | St Paul's Preparatory |
| 2011 | King's Junior Wimbledon |
| 2010 | King's Junior Wimbledon |
| 2009 | King's Junior Wimbledon |
| 2008 | The Hall |
| 2007 | Shrewsbury House |
| 2006 | Vinehall |
| 2005 | The Hall |
| 2004 | Shrewbury House |
| 2003 | Kings Junior Wimbledon |
| 2002 | Kings Junior Wimbledon |
| 2001 | St Paul's Preparatory |
| 2000 | Twyford |
| 1999 | Kings Junior Wimbledon |
| 1998 | The New Beacon |
| 1997 | The New Beacon |
| 1996 | The Pilgrims' |
| 1995 | Summer Fields |
| 1994 | Twyford |
| 1993 | Eagle House |
| 1992 | Summer Fields |
| 1991 | Summer Fields |
| 1990 | Kings Junior Wimbledon |
| 1989 | Kings Junior Wimbledon |
| 1988 | St Pauls Preparatory |
| 1987 | St Pauls Preparatory |
| 1986 | Holmewood House |
| 1985 | The Hall |
| 1984 | Wellesley House |
| 1983 | Kings Junior Wimbledon |
| 1982 | Cranleigh Preparatory |
| 1981 | Kings Junior Wimbledon |
| 2020 | Westminster Under |
Top 30 Winners
2022
| Ranking | Name | School | Overall Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Conrad Lai | Shrewsbury House | 159 |
| 2 | Imaad Nasir | Arnold House | 154 |
| 3 | Ray Acott | Westminster Under | 152 |
| Jeremy Adu-Poku | Westminster Under | 152 | |
| 5 | Zac Borthwick | Dorset House | 147 |
| Jack Cui | Sunningdale | 147 | |
| 7 | Sanjay Iyer | St Paul's Juniors | 145 |
| 8 | Emir Aksoy | Westminster Under | 143 |
| 9 | Edgar Hughes | Woodcote House | 141 |
| Lucian Walker | Westminster Under | 141 | |
| 11 | Jackson Chen | King's College School, Cambridge | 139 |
| Sam Knutson | Westminster Under | 139 | |
| 13 | John Zhou | Westminster Under | 138 |
| 14 | Thomas Bradkin | Westminster Under | 137 |
| Leo Ridge | Shrewsbury House | 137 | |
| 16 | William Exten-Wright | St Paul's Juniors | 136 |
| 17 | Thomas Russell | Hall Grove | 135 |
| Viggo Sweeney | St Paul's Juniors | 135 | |
| 19 | Tristan Anderson | Westminster Under | 134 |
| Thomas Gilbody | The Banda School, Nairobi | 134 | |
| 21 | Theo O'Donnell | Shrewsbury House | 133 |
| Betsy Wragg | The Ballard School | 133 | |
| 23 | Milo Thompson | Westminster Under | 132 |
| 24 | Oliver Blench | Homefield | 131 |
| 25 | Morgan Brown | Hall Grove | 130 |
| Max Henry | Arnold House | 130 | |
| Vincent Ji | Westminster Under | 130 | |
| Redmond Mares | Wetherby Prep | 130 | |
| Jasper Marshall-Lee | Highfield | 130 | |
| Frederick von Kaltenborn | Arnold House | 130 |