The Register of Preachers 1712-66 in the Cathedral Archives notes: 8 December 1714: ‘School Feast Mr Smith the Mr preach’d the first Sermon’. Up to 1864 the Preachers were organised by the Feast Society.
1714 John Smith (Headmaster)
1715 Richard Marsh (KS 1680-85), Vicar of St Margaret-at-Cliffe
1716 John Johnson (KS 1672-77), Vicar of Cranbrook
1717 Edward Lunn (KS 1692-96)
1718 Stephen Hobday (KS 1694-99)
1719 William Young (KS 1689-94), Vicar of Chislet
1720 John King (KS 1700-05)
1721 Sir Francis Head (probably Commoner c1703)
1722 John Francis (KS 1705-10), Lower Master
1723 John Le Hunt, Headmaster
1724 Isaac Terry (Commoner c1699), Curate of Chartham
1725 Simon Hughes (KS 1691-94), Rector of Smarden
1726 Henry Waddell (KS c1696-1702), Vicar of Preston
1727 Julius Deedes (Commoner c1703), Rector of Dymchurch
1728 David Jones, Vicar of Upper Hardres, former Headmaster
1729 Herbert Taylor (Commoner c1708), Rector of St Alphege, Canterbury
1730 Silas Drayton (KS 1703-08), Rector of Crundale
1731 Richard Monins (KS 1706-11), Rector of Ringwould
1732 Herbert Randolph (Commoner c1705), Rector of Woodchurch
1733 Thomas Randolph (Commoner c1711),
1734 James Evans, Second Master
1735 Oliver Battely (KS 1708-12)
1736 David Turner (KS 1715-20), Curate of Hardres
1737 John Denne (KS 1703-07), Archdeacon of Rochester
1738 John Marsh (KS 1716-22), Vicar of West Cliff
1739 Richard Monins, Headmaster
1740 Richard Monins, Headmaster
1741 James Allett (KS 1732-35), Curate of Pluckley
1742 Richard Nairn (KS 1710-15), Dean of Battle
1743 William Marsh (Commoner c1730-38), Rector of Bicknor
1744 Thomas Baker (KS 1729-34),
1745 Jacob Omer (KS 1731-35)
1746 James Allett (KS 1732-35),
1747 James Lawson (KS 1731-36)
1748 Johnson Lawson (KS 1730-35),
1749 John Tucker (KS 1733-37)
1750 George Hearne (KS 1736-41),
1751 John Denne (Commoner c1738-42), Fellow of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge
1752 Francis Lernoult (KS 1735-40), Fellow of Wadham College, Oxford
1753 James Bate (KS 1712-16), Rector of St Paul’s, Deptford
1754 Edward Lunn (KS 1692-96), Rector of Denton
1755 John Head (Probable Commoner c1711), Archdeacon of Canterbury
1756 John Tucker (KS 1733-37), Lower Master
1757 Osmund Beauvoir (KS 1731-35), Headmaster
1758 William Halford (KS 1720-23), Rector of St Thomas, Southwark
1759 John Tucker (KS 1733-37), Lower Master
1760 Richard Harvey (KS 1750-54), Curate of Lambeth
1761 Wheler Bunce (KS 1746-51), Curate of Hauxton with Newton
1762 Mr [Johnson] Lawson [(KS 1730-35), Vicar of Throwley]
1763 Henry Shove (KS 1741-45), Curate of Adisham
1764 William Abbot (KS 1743-48), Fellow of St John’s College, Cambridge
1765 Thomas Gurney (KS 1748-53), Vicar of Seasalter
1766 Christopher Naylor (KS 1752-57),
1767 Thomas Morphett (KS 1753-58), Chaplain of Smallhythe Chapel
1768 James Evans (KS 1748-52), possibly Rector of Authorpe
1769 Hopkins Fox (KS 1750-59), Vicar of Lynsted
1770 Richard Halke (KS 1753-62), Curate of Ospringe
1771 William Hassell (KS 1751-57)
1772 Charles Adams (KS 1747-50), Curate of St Dunstan’s, Canterbury
1773 John Gostling (KS 1735-40), Rector of Brooke and of Milton
1774 William Thomas (KS 1755-58)
1775 Thomas Hey (KS c1740-46), Rector of Wickhambreaux
1776 John Lynch (KS c1742-49), Rector of Adisham
1777 John Nairn (KS 1741-47), Rector of Kingston
1778 Richard Sandys (KS 1756-63)
1779 Edward Tymewell Brydges (KS 1758-66)
1780 Edward Beckingham Benson (KS 1766-69)
1781 Thomas Johnson (KS 1755-61), Vicar of Seasalter
1782 Joseph Porter (KS 1765-74)
1783 John Tucker (KS 1763-75), Rector of Gravesend
1784 George Horne, Dean of Canterbury
1785 Charles Sawkins (KS 1767-75)
1786 Martin Benson (KS 1770-71 and 1773-78), Vicar of King Charles the Martyr, Tunbridge Wells
1787 Henry Pix Heyman (KS 1773-80)
1788 Christopher Naylor (KS 1752-57), Headmaster
1789 Cooper Willyams (KS 1772-80)
1790 George Naylor (KS 1783-86)
1791 John Gregory (KS 1774-84)
1792 John Barwick (KS 1778-85), Curate of Charing and Egerton
1793 Charles Eaton Plater (KS 1779-86), Curate of Swingfield and Acrise
1794 Richard Harvey (KS 1775-85), Vicar of St Lawrence, Thanet
1795 Thomas Downe (KS 1778-87)
1796 James Young (KS 1782-84), Perpetual Curate of Leeds with Broomfield
1797 Christopher Naylor (KS 1752-57), Headmaster
1798 Christopher Naylor (KS 1752-57), Headmaster
1799 John Bowes Bunce (KS 1786-92)
1800 Philip Le Geyt (KS 1783-93)
1801 William James Porter (KS 1786-93), Curate of Nonington, Womenswold and Lydden
1802 Joshua Dix (KS 1788-94)
1803 James Ford (KS 1788-97)
1804 William Chafy (KS 1788-96)
1805 John Pechey Francis (KS 1789-91), Vicar of Holy Cross and St Peter’s, Canterbury
1806 William Williamson (KS 1795-1800), Curate of Littlebourne and Westbere
1807 Henry John Hutchesson (KS 1791-?), Curate of St Alphege’s with St Mary Northgate
1808 William Wodsworth (KS 1792-97),
1809 Richard Osborne Tylden (KS 1793-1801), Vicar of Chilham
1810 James Halke (KS 1796-1805)
1811 Henry Turmine (KS 1793-99), Curate of Rodmersham and Teynham
1812 Edwin Sandys (KS 1794-99),
1813 William Elwyn (KS 1799-1808), Curate of St Clement’s and St Mary’s, Sandwich
1814 Charles Wodsworth (KS 1794-1802), Curate of Griston
1815 Christopher Packe (KS 1799-1809), Curate of Ruckinge and Kenardington
1816 George Abbot (KS 1789 -96), Curate of St Lawrence, Thanet
1817 Gerrard Andrewes, Dean of Canterbury
1818 John Birt, Headmaster
1819 William Grant Broughton (KS 1797-1804), Curate of Hartley Wespall
1820 Robert Rowe Knott (KS 1810-14), Curate of Ruckinge and Kenardington
1821 Charles Eaton Plater (KS 1809-15),
1822 George Gilbert (KS 1809-15), Curate of Grantham
1823 William Pitman Jones, Lower Master
1824 John Birt, Headmaster
1825 William Tolbutt Staines (KS 1785-93), Vicar of Shorne
1826 Charles Henry Baker Bazely (KS 1819-20),
1827 Ambrose Smith (KS 1814-20), Curate of Sawley with Long Eaton
1828 John Birt, Headmaster
1829 Jackson Delmar (KS 1814-15 and 1817-22), Curate of Elmstone
1830 John Edward Nassau Molesworth, Rector of St Martin’s and St Paul’s
1831 John White (KS 1817-24),
1832 George Shepherd (KS 1780-82), Rector of St Bartholomew by the Exchange
1833 George Edward Downe (KS 1816-25), Curate of Lydden
1834 Rowland Smith (KS 1818-23),
1835 William Grant Broughton (KS 1797-1804), Archdeacon of New South Wales
1836 John Russell, Canon of Canterbury
1837 John Henry Spry, Canon of Canterbury
1838 William Edward Hoskins
1839 Joseph Hobart James (KS 1826-31),
1840 Edwin Sandys Lumsdaine (KS 1794-99), Rector of Upper Hardres
1841 Thomas William Bennett (KS 1820-29),
1842 William Nassau Molesworth (KS 1829-35)
1843 Godfrey Kingsford (KS 1832-37)
1844 James Brothers (KS 1829-35)
1845 John Darby Birt (KS 1821-33)
1846 John Levett Bennett (KS 1824-33)
1847 Thomas Scott Huxley (KS 1831-41)
1848 Joseph George Jessep (KS 1835-38)
1849 Philip Alexander Longmore (KS 1837-43)
1850 James Watson (KS 1832-44)
1851 John David Glennie (KS 1841-44)
1852 Herbert Waddington (KS 1838-47)
1853 James Wallace (KS 1843-47)
1854 Thomas Castle Southey (KS 1833-43)
1855 James Roberts Holmes (KS 1841-44)
1856 Philip Menzies Sankey (KS 1840-48)
1857 Henry Benson (KS 1839-48)
1858 Arthur Penrhyn Stanley, Canon of Canterbury
1859 Francis Harrison (KS 1842-47), Dean of Oriel College, Oxford
1860 George Wallace, former Headmaster
1861 Philip Snaith Duval (KS 1848-56), former assistant master
1862 John Mitchinson, Headmaster
1863 Marshall Wild (KS 1845-53), Curate of Newark
1864 Arthur Penrhyn Stanley, Dean of Westminster
1865 John Yarker Barton (KS 1839-49), Chaplain to the Forces
1866 James Augustus Hessey, Headmaster of Merchant Taylors’ School
1867 Frederick Brisbane Butler (KS 1855-59)
1868 Edward Thring, Headmaster of Uppingham School
1869 John Kemp (KS 1858-62)
1870 William Blissard, former assistant master, Vicar of Seasalter
1871 Charles Leslie Dundas (KS 1861-66)
1872 Augustus Jessopp, Headmaster of Norwich School
1873 John Mitchinson, former Headmaster, Bishop of Barbados
1874 William Kyle Westwood Chafy (KS 1852-59)
1875 Henry Lewis Thompson, Student and Censor of Christ Church, Oxford
1876 Harry Wright Russell (KS 1857-62), former assistant master,
1877 Alfred Whitehead, Vicar of St Peter’s, Thanet
1878 John Mitchinson, former Headmaster, Bishop of Barbados
1879 Leonard Beatson (KS 1845-55), Rector of St Margaret’s, Canterbury
1880 Henry Benson (KS 1840-48), Vicar of Farncombe, Surrey
1881 Clement Thomas Hales (KS 1861-64), Headmaster of Aysgarth School
1882 John Reginald Corbett (KS 1854-??63), Vicar of St Botolph, Colchester
1883 Francis Henry Archer (KS 1855-61), Vicar of Christchurch, Newport, Monmouthshire
1884 Herbert Thomas Maitland (KS 1859-64), Vicar of St Saviour’s, Walthamstow
1885 Francis Edward Carter, former assistant master, Canon of Truro
1886 George Blore, Headmaster
1887 Thomas Field (KS 1867-73), Headmaster
1888 Henry Montagu Butler, Master of Trinity College, Cambridge
1889 Herbert Swithinbank (KS 1866-72), Vicar of St Saviour’s, Denmark Park
1890 Henry George Woods, President of Trinity College, Oxford
1891 Robert Ottley (KS 1867-74), Principal of Pusey House
1892 Prebendary Gibson, Vicar of Leeds
1893 Charles Mackeson (KS 1854- ?), Vicar of All Hallows, St Pancras
1894 Robert James Wilson, Warden of Keble College, Oxford
1895 Frederic William Farrar, Dean of Canterbury
1896 Mosse Macdonald (KS 1870-75), St Alban the Martyr, Birmingham
1897 John Mitchinson, former Headmaster, Rector of Sibstone
1898 Bertram Pollock, Master of Wellington College
1899 William George Mosse (KS 1871-79), Vicar of the Lickey, Worcester
1900 William Haighton Chappel, Headmaster of the King’s School, Worcester
1901 Charles Leslie Dundas (KS 1861-66), Canon of Salisbury and Vicar of Charminster
1902 Henry George Woods, late president of Trinity College, Oxford
1903 Thomas Field (KS 1867-73), former Headmaster
1904 Herbert Wace, Dean of Canterbury
1905 John William Horsley (KS 1855-63)
1906 John Huntley Skrine, Rector of Itchen Stoke and Honorary Canon of St Ninian’s, Perth
1907 Francis Harrison (KS 1842-47), Rector of North Wraxall, Wiltshire
1908 William Saumarez Smith, Lord Bishop of Sydney
1909 John Mitchinson, former Headmaster
1910 Arthur James Mason, Master of Pembroke College, Cambridge
1911 James Grove White Tuckey (KS 1874-83), Senior Chaplain to the Forces
1912 Arthur John Galpin, former Headmaster
1913 Francis Leonard Perkins (KS 1877-84), Rector of Monkgate, York
1914 John Storrs, Dean of Rochester
1915 Edward Lewis Augustine Hertslet (KS 1891-97), Vicar of Ramsgate
1916 William Page Roberts, Dean of Salisbury
1917 Thomas Karl Sopwith (KS 1887-89), Vicar of Ashford
1918 Harold Bilbrough, Bishop of Dover
1919 William Telfer (KS 1900-05), late Chaplain to the Forces
1920 Charles McDowall, former Headmaster
1921 Austin Henry Thompson (KS 1886-89), Vicar of St Peter’s, Eaton Square
1922 Donald Tait, Archdeacon of Rochester
1923 Melville Scott (KS 1875-80), Vicar of Castlechurch, Stafford
1924 George K A Bell, Dean of Canterbury
1925 Arthur Robert Bellars (KS 1898-1908), Chaplain to the Bishop of Wakefield
1926 Bishop King, Canon of Rochester
1927 Thomas Field (KS 1867-73), former Headmaster
1928 Hon Edward Lyttelton, late Headmaster of Eton [but Speech Day was cancelled]
1929 Clement Mallory Ricketts (KS 1896-1905), Vicar of Holy Trinity, Weymouth
1930 Harry Oswald Hubble, Honorary Canon of Worcester
1931 William Telfer (KS 1900-05), Dean of Clare College, Cambridge
1932 Kenneth Escott Kirk, Trinity College, Oxford
1933 Robert William Haines Moline (KS 1903-09), Rector of North Cadbury, Yeovil
1934 George Bell, Bishop of Chichester
1935 Thomas Karl Sopwith (KS 1887-89), Archdeacon of Maidstone
1936 Horace Spence (KS 1904-11)
1937 Edward Worsfold Mowll (KS 1895-1900), Provost of Bradford
1938 William Maundrell (KS 1890-95), Rector of Ringwould
1939 Kenneth Davenport Knowles (KS 1888-90), Archdeacon of Huntingdon
1940 ————
1941 Joseph Wellington Hunkin, Bishop of Truro
1942 Henry Fynes-Clinton (KS 1892-94), Rector of St Magnus-the-Martyr, London
1943 Richard Cartwright (KS 1927-32)
1944 Frederick John Shirley, Headmaster
1945 Morris Gelsthorpe (KS 1908-11), Bishop in the Sudan
1946 Clement Mallory Ricketts (KS 1896-1905), Bishop of Dunwich
1947 Laurens Christopher Sargent (KS 1907-10)
1948 Howard West Kilvinton Mowll (KS 1903-09), Archbishop of Sydney and Primate of Australia
1949 Alexander Sargent (KS 1905-14), Archdeacon of Canterbury
1950 William Telfer (KS 1900-05), Master of Selwyn College, Cambridge
1951 Morris Gelsthorpe (KS 1908-11), Bishop in the Sudan
1952 Bernard Wigan (KS 1931-37), Vicar of East Malling
1953 Henry Burdett (KS 1902-07), Rector of Compton
1954 Anthony Pritchard (KS 1917-22), Vicar of St John’s, Newbury
1955 James Drake Brockman (KS 1914-17), Vicar of Wingham
1956 William Scott (KS 1926-31), Principal of St Aidan’s College, Birkenhead
1957 David Edwards (KS 1942-47), Fellow of All Souls’ College, Oxford
1958 Robert William Haines Moline (KS 1903-09), Archbishop of Perth, Western Australia
1959 Charles Buckwell (KS 1918-24), Vicar of St Michael’s, Croydon
1960 Morris Gelsthorpe (KS 1908-11), Bishop in the Sudan
1961 John Shirley, Headmaster
1962 Alexander Sargent (KS 1905-14), Archdeacon of Canterbury
1963 Richard Cartwright (KS 1927-32), Vicar of St Mary Redcliffe
1964 Christopher Bryant (KS 1918-22), SSJE
1965 Ian White-Thomson, Dean of Canterbury
1966 Gordon Strutt, Bishop of Stockport
1967 Christopher Donaldson (KS 1931-34), Vicar of St Martin’s and St Paul’s, Canterbury
1968 John Kelly, Principal of St Edmund Hall, Oxford
1969 Charles Buckwell (KS 1918-24), Vicar of St Michael’s, Croydon
1970 Peter Newell, Headmaster
1971 Antony Curry (KS 1945-50), Rector of Penshurst
1972 Joseph Poole (KS 1922-28), Precentor of Coventry Cathedral
1973 Michael Mayne (KS 1943-49)
1974 Michael Ramsey, Archbishop of Canterbury
1975 Peter Newell, Headmaster
1976 Peter Pilkington, Headmaster
1977 Don Cupitt, Dean of Emmanuel College, Cambridge
1978 Douglas Webster, Canon of St Paul’s Cathedral
1979 Robert Runcie, Bishop of St Albans
1980 John Fenton, Canon of Christ Church, Oxford
1981 Edward Knapp-Fisher, Archdeacon of Westminster
1982 Derek Ingram Hill (KS 1925-31), Canon of Canterbury
1983 Basil Hume, Archbishop of Westminster
1984 Trevor Huddleston
1985 Richard Harries, Dean of King’s College, London
1986 Colin James, Bishop of Winchester
1987 Michael Mayne (KS 1943-49), Dean of Westminster
1988 David Conner, Vicar of Great St Mary’s, Cambridge
1989 Priscilla Chadwick, Head Teacher of Bishop Ramsey C of E School, Ruislip
1990 Rowan Williams, Lady Margaret Professor of Divinity and Canon of Christ Church
1991 Robert Hardy, Bishop of Lincoln
1992 Charles Elliott, Dean of Trinity Hall, Cambridge
1993 Patrick Collinson, Regius Professor of History, Cambridge
1994 Gavin Reid, Bishop of Maidstone
1995 Richard Holloway, Bishop of Edinburgh
1996 Stephen Winkley, Headmaster of Uppingham School
1997 George Carey, Archbishop of Canterbury
1998 Dominic Milroy OSB, Ampleforth Abbey
1999 Christopher Everett
2000 John Simpson, Dean of Canterbury
2001 Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Wales
2002 Timothy Bavin OSB, sometime Bishop of Portsmouth
2003 Victor Stock, Dean of Guildford
2004 Stephen Oliver, Bishop of Stepney
2005 David Conner, Dean of Windsor
2006 Roger Symon (KS 1948-54), sometime Canon of Canterbury
2007 Christopher Jamison, Abbot of Worth
2008 Leslie Griffiths [Lord Griffiths], Superintendent of Wesley’s Chapel London
2009 Graham Knowles, Dean of St Paul’s
2010 William Scott, Sub-Dean of the Chapel Royal
2011 John Pritchard, Bishop of Oxford
2012 Peter Price, Bishop of Bath & Wells
2013 Martin Warner, Bishop of Chichester
2014 Laurence O’Keeffe, Abbot Emeritus of Chilworth Abbey
2015 Peter Doyle, Bishop of Northampton
2016 Timothy Thornton, Bishop of Truro
2017 Trevor Willmott, Bishop of Dover
2018 Nicholas Papadopulos, Canon Treasurer of Canterbury Cathedral
2019 Catherine Ogle, Dean of Winchester
2020 Stephen Conway, Bishop of Ely [Speech Day cancelled, but sermon delivered ‘virtually’]