Arthur Hendley was a typical Abingdonian and, whilst at school, made the most of everything on offer. He participated in many sports, was a keen member of the Officer Training Corps and an active debater. Arthur joined Barclays Bank when he left school but volunteered for Army service in 1940, was commissioned in 1941, served in India and was repatriated as Major in 1946. He then rejoined Barclays and worked in Eritrea, Libya, the Sudan, Egypt, Cyprus, Nigeria and Malta, besides spells in London. Arthur retired in 1973 and he, and his wife Thelma who he married in Simla in 1945, were elected as Stewards of the School in 2000 due to their continuous generosity and support of many of Abingdon’s appeals.
Arthur sadly passed away in 2001 and it was only in 2009, when his wife also passed away, that the School became aware of his most recent act of generosity - a reversionary legacy of £250,000.
This allowed the School to equip a new science laboratory and the residual funds will be used towards the Head’s development plan which will be published in 2012.
