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
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 1981 | S Mandlebrote | The Dragon |
| 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 |
| J Sturgess | Wellington House | |
| 1959 | RJ Waterlow | Port Regis |
| 1958 | TC Hasler | Abberley Hall |
| 1957 | TC Hasler | Abberley Hall |
| 1956 | JR Archer | Bramcote |
| 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 Dunbabin | 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 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 |
| The Prize was known as the | ||
| Harrow History Prize | ||
| from 1885 to 1923 | ||
| 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 |
| 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 | ||
| 1906 | D Hussey | St Cyprian's |
| 1905 | Winner unkown | |
| 1904 | CH Rose | The Dragon |
| 1903 Winner unknown | ||
| 1902 | R Haigh | The Dragon |
| Miss Kit Lynam | The Dragon | |
| 1901 | R Laffan | The Dragon |
| 1900 Winner unknown | ||
| 1899 | J Gamlen | The Dragon |
| 1898 | CH Rose | Elstree |
| 1897 Winner unknown | ||
| 1896 | WE Moberly | The Dragon |
| 1894 and 1895 Winners unknown | ||
| 1893 | HB Wilson | Elstree |
| 1892 Winner unknown | ||
| 1891 | AC Medd | Elstree |
| 1890 | LE Berman | Elstree |
| 1889 | LE Berman | Elstree |
| 1888 | LE Berman | Elstree |
| 1886 and 1887 Winners unknown | ||
| 1885 | M Glibart Smith | Elstree |
Past Team Winners of the Batsford Shield
First presented in 1981
| 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 | Shrewsbury House |
| 2003 | King's Junior Wimbledon |
| 2002 | King's Junior Wimbledon |
| 2001 | St Paul's Preparatory |
| 2000 | Twyford |
| 1999 | King's 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 | King's Junior Wimbledon |
| 1989 | King's Junior Wimbledon |
| 1988 | St Paul's Preparatory |
| 1987 | St Paul's Preparatory |
| 1986 | Holmewood House |
| 1985 | The Hall |
| 1984 | Wellesley House |
| 1983 | King's Junior Wimbledon |
| 1982 | Cranleigh Preparatory |
| 1981 | King's Junior Wimbledon |
Top 30 Winners
2019
| 1 | Rafael Leon-Villapolas | Westminster Under | 177 |
| 2 | James O'Connell Nash | Chorister School Durham | 170 |
| 3 | Jack van den Heuvel | Marlborough House | 165 |
| 4 | Thiv Tharmarasa | Westminster Under | 161 |
| Rory O'Hare | King's Junior Wimbledon | 161 | |
| 6 | Maximus Walker | Westminster Under | 158 |
| 7 | Vinicius Greene | Homefield | 155 |
| Theo Smith | The Prebendal | 155 | |
| 9 | Rajesh Pakrashi | Westminster Under | 153 |
| 10 | Mani Collins | St Paul's Juniors | 150 |
| Alvin Zhou | Summer Fields | 150 | |
| 12 | Jonny Brown | Arnold House | 149 |
| Fergus Pim | Cargilfield | 149 | |
| Edgardo Quintavelle | Westminster Under | 149 | |
| 15 | Denis Goshchansky | The Hall | 148 |
| Felix Peerless | Rokeby | 148 | |
| 17 | Rohan George | St Paul's Juniors | 147 |
| Alexander Lee | Westminster Under | 147 | |
| Anshuman Nautiyal | Westminster Under | 147 | |
| Joshus Reiniger | King's Junior Wimbledon | 147 | |
| Rishik Vishwanathan | Westminster Under | 147 | |
| 22 | Oliver Sexton | Vinehall | 146 |
| 23 | Kit Harrison | Knightsbridge School | 145 |
| Ayan Nandi | Dulwich Prep | 145 | |
| 25 | Blake Morris | The Hall | 144 |
| 26 | Sebastian Eatwell | Arnold House | 143 |
| 27 | Ben de Laszlo | Twyford | 142 |
| Alexander Pang | Westminster Under | 142 | |
| Luke Parker | Westminster Under | 142 | |
| 30 | Oliver Boscawen | Sunningdale | 141 |