Busby was probably the most formidable headmaster of the world famous Westminster School. Of Lincolnshire descent, he was educated at the School himself, before moving on to Oxford. He was granted the rectory of Cudworth in Somerset as a reward for the loyalty with which he defended the Stuarts against Parliamentary zeal. Before long he became the Head of Westminster School, a position he held for life - even through the vissicitudes of the Civil War and the Interregnum. Eminent pupils who attended the School under his regime include John Dryden, Christopher Wren, Charles Sackville, John Locke, Matthew Prior, Robert South and Francis Atterbury. His use of corporal punishment was legend, and he was satirised by Pope in 'The Dunciad' as 'dripping with infants blood and mothers tears'. An anecdote exists of a French tourist who stopped one day to watch the boys of the school playing football. The ball was kicked through the window of the headmaster's study. When a thunderous Busby emerged, demanding to know the culprit, the terrified pupils instantly pointed at the hapless tourist who, above his protests, was dragged into the study by the enraged Busby and given six of the best! Richard Busby dominated the School for half a century and died there, to be awarded a Westminster Abbey burial.
Busby was probably the most formidable headmaster of the world famous Westminster School. Of Lincolnshire descent, he was educated at the School himself, before moving on to Oxford. He was granted the rectory of Cudworth in Somerset as a reward for the loyalty with which he defended the Stuarts against Parliamentary zeal. Before long he became the Head of Westminster School, a position he held for life - even through the vissicitudes of the Civil War and the Interregnum. Eminent pupils who attended the School under his regime include John Dryden, Christopher Wren, Charles Sackville, John Locke, Matthew Prior, Robert South and Francis Atterbury. His use of corporal punishment was legend, and he was satirised by Pope in 'The Dunciad' as 'dripping with infants blood and mothers tears'. An anecdote exists of a French tourist who stopped one day to watch the boys of the school playing football. The ball was kicked through the window of the headmaster's study. When a thunderous Busby emerged, demanding to know the culprit, the terrified pupils instantly pointed at the hapless tourist who, above his protests, was dragged into the study by the enraged Busby and given six of the best! Richard Busby dominated the School for half a century and died there, to be awarded a Westminster Abbey burial.
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