John Dudley Carleton

The ashes of John Dudley Carleton, Head Master of Westminster School, are buried in the vault of the Islip chapel in Westminster Abbey. His stone was inscribed in 1982 and reads:

John Dudley Carleton 1908-1974 Head Master of Westminster School 1957-1970

He was born on 29th August 1908, a son of Brigadier General Frederick Carleton and his wife Emma (Lloyd). He was associated with Westminster School for many years being educated there, an assistant master, Master of the Queen's Scholars 1949-1957 and then Head Master. During the war he was attached to Special Forces and afterwards helped get the School back to normal after war damage to some of its buildings and acquired gifts and donations, including the Purcell organ. In 1965 he married Janet Smith. He published two books about the School and was a great friend of Old Westminster and Abbey archivist Lawrence Tanner. A fountain in Little Dean's Yard was given by the Westminster School Society to commemorate his headmastership in 1971. He died on 6th November 1974 and had a memorial service in the Abbey.