Mary Lawrence
Wednesday 30 April 2025
It is with great sadness that we share the news that former Hereford Cathedral School housekeeper, Mrs Mary Lawrence, died in hospital in last week.Mrs Lawrence was a beloved and formidable presence at the school for more than 40 years, first joining the HCS staff in 1973. Known affectionately by many as ‘Aunty Mary’ – and by some, half-jokingly, as ‘The Headmistress’ – she was a constant figure in the life of the school and left an indelible mark on all who knew her.Mary carried out a variety of roles over the decades, but it was in her long tenure as Housekeeper that she became a true HCS institution. She was a steady hand and a warm heart, offering practical support, wise words and the occasional sharp look to ensure standards were upheld. Her watchful presence in the Common Room was legendary, and even the most senior members of staff were known to fall silent under her gaze if they had, in her words, “stepped out of line”.Mary had a special place in her heart for the choristers. She was a constant behind the scenes at chorister teas and Sunday lunches, always ready with a needle and thread, a plaster or simply a listening ear. Many young pupils found in her a reassuring adult presence away from home – kind but never indulgent, and always ready to call things as she saw them.In 2015, Mary was awarded the Order of St Ethelbert by the Dean in recognition of her decades of devoted service to the school, the choir and the wider Diocese. Two years later, she overcame a serious illness with her trademark determination, and in 2018, she stepped down from her role – though her influence lingered long after her departure. Colleagues still recall catching themselves muttering 'Mary would not approve of this' when setting out coffee cups or moving furniture.In more recent times, Mary was often spotted out and about in town – never far from Marks & Spencer, always smartly dressed and happy to stop for a chat with a familiar face.Her presence at OH and staff reunions in recent years continued to delight former pupils and colleagues alike, who would gather to share memories and laughter about 'the good old days'.Mary was a unique and much-loved part of Hereford Cathedral School's story – someone who brought strength, care and character to every day. She will be deeply missed by generations of pupils, parents and staff, and fondly remembered always.Our thoughts and prayers are with Mark, Andrew, family and friends.
Agnes Mary Lawrence RIPI start composing my tribute to a great servant of our school in the hotel previously known as the Castle Pool, a building that HCS considered acquiring in the early 1980s. More appropriately for now, the Castle House brings back vivid recent memories for me of conversations with my late departed friend Mary Lawrence. For over the past year and more, it is where Heather and I regularly met up with her on a Sunday morning after the cathedral Eucharist. During this period, we must have listened to tens of hours of her reminiscences.Mary had an admirably sharp memory, retelling stories about HCS people and events, some of which had occurred long before I arrived as Headmaster. Such stories were always engaging, even if I was sometimes at a loss to know the names of staff and students from the earliest days of her remarkable forty-and-more year tenure at the school.Mary was appointed by Tony Hollingworth, the school's first bursar, in the early 1970s, at an initial wage (she vouchsafed) of half-a-crown (2s 6d or, in modern money, 12½ p.) an hour, a sum that today seems scarcely credible. From her earliest days, Mary worked as a housekeeper and matron in Number 1, where David Richards established a junior boarding house under Ege Parker's tutelage in September 1972. It soon became the term-time home for boarding choristers. It was probably then that Mary Lawrence gained the affectionate sobriquet of 'Aunty Mary', an aunt who despite insisting on the highest standards of dress and behaviour before long became the favourite of generations of boys. Following the conversion of Number 1 to day use, Mary transferred to the Old Deanery, where she held court as housekeeper and critical friend to the Common Room. While here, she also fulfilled a more formal pastoral role with the choristers, for which the dean and chapter instituted her into the Order of St Ethelbert in 2015. After her retirement, she remained a faithful member of the cathedral congregation.I cannot compute either the multifarious tasks that Mary undertook during her long Hereford career or the hours that she spent in serving both school and cathedral during this time. But tiny indications of her service are provided by some random memories: Ernie, her husband, patiently waiting in the Close to take his wife home in the late evenings, after she had finished clearing-up long after everyone else had left the scene following a school function; the time Mary spent in laundering the school and county rugby kit week-by-week in the autumn and winter months; her helping out at numerous OH reunions, where she was invariably welcomed by her former charges; and her tireless work during a Hereford Three Choirs.Throughout her life, Mary held to the timeless values of commitment, community and service. Over the generations – and not just in my time – HCS has been fortunate to have been served by staff who loved the place. None were more loyal than Mary Lawrence, who displayed an extraordinary affection for former pupils and their families over many generations that was, in my experience, unique. The school and cathedral foundations owe her an enormous debt. To Mark, Andrew and Mary's wider family, we extend our gratitude for her devotion and express our heartfelt condolences on her passing.Canon Dr Howard Tomlinson, Headmaster of HCS, 1987-2005