Framlingham College and the Cullinan Diamond

A query from Fred Limer (S56-65) about the Cullinan diamond replica in the old College Museum was passed onto Neville Marsh (S53-61), who dug out (pun intended) the necessary information.  Neville has done an amazing job over the last couple of years in researching everything to do with the College Museum and this work will be shortly published on the website.

Neville write : For those of you with memories which can reach back to the 70s, will remember the replica of the original uncut Cullinan Diamond, one of the most fascinating artefacts in the College Museum. This glorious piece of glass which sat on a blue velvet cushion in a wood box, represented the 3106 carat diamond discovered in 1905 by Frederick Wells, the surface manager of the Premier No.2 Diamond Mine in Transvaal. How it got to Fram and the links with the College make an interesting story.

The 621 gm. uncut diamond was named after the mine owner, Sir Thomas Cullinan. Prior to being cut, Sir Thomas decided that replicas of the diamond should be made for presentation purposes. Legend has it that 12 replicas were made which he presented to his guests at a dinner party. One of these presentation cases made its way to London, to the offices of the Premier Diamond Mining Company. Situated at the quaint address of 6 ½ Austin Friars, London EC 1, the London Secretary of the company was a man called John Alfred Stevens. John attended Framlingham College from 1888 to 1889. He joined the company in his mid 20s, just a handful of years after leaving Framlingham and the Framlinghamian for 1911 reveals his donation to the College. There is a brief note to the effect that a ‘contribution was made to the Museum’ by ‘J STEVENS, 0.F. (1888-9) – An exact model of the famous Cullinan diamond.” John’s son, also John Stevens, went to Fram in 1916 but the connection with the Cullinan family  does not end there.

Now, for those readers whose memories go back yet further, may remember Richard Cullinan and his brother Arthur who were in Kerrison House at the College in the mid-50s. Over the years, Old Boys have asked if they are related to the diamond family. To answer that question, a search on Ancestry.com has revealed that Richard and Arthur’s father, John Henry Cullinan, was a GP who served as Squadron Leader in World War II. His father was Arthur William Cullinan, brother to none other than Sir Thomas Cullinan, the first owner of the famous gem. The Cullinan brothers are, thus, great-nephews of the eponymous diamond magnate.

In the 1970s, the College Museum was broken up and its contents scattered: we have no idea what happened to the Cullinan diamond replica.  One of the original replicas is held by the Royal Family, one is in the Cape Town Diamond Museum and one has been recently exhibited in Sunderland Museum. Has anyone seen the Framlingham Cullinan diamond? 

Caption 

The College Museum in 1959 showing the impressive albatross, South Seas spider crab and huge pike. There is no sign of the diamond replica. Roger Cocksedge (G56-61) is showing Tim Charsley (S56-61), an animal horn. Can anyone else be identified in the photo?