John Marriott (philatelist) facts for kids

Sir John Brook Marriott KCVO (born July 27, 1922, in Stretford – died July 3, 2001, in Godalming) was a British teacher and a very important stamp collector. He had a special job looking after the Royal Philatelic Collection from 1969 to 1995. This is the amazing stamp collection owned by the British Royal Family!

Early Life and Secret Work

Sir John studied mathematics at St John's College, Cambridge. During World War II, in 1943, he was sent to a secret place called Bletchley Park. This was where clever people worked to break enemy codes. Their work was super important for helping Britain win the war!

A Career in Teaching

After the war, from 1945 to 1982, Sir John taught mathematics. He worked at Charterhouse School in Godalming, Surrey. He was also a housemaster there from 1960 to 1975. A housemaster is like a head of a boarding house, looking after students who live at the school.

His Passion for Stamps

Sir John started collecting stamps when he was just twelve years old. He became a real expert in the postal history of Trinidad. This means he knew a lot about how mail was sent and stamps were used in Trinidad long ago.

In 1952, he sold some of his stamp collection. He did this to help set up a new home after he got married. But he soon started collecting again! He even won medals for his collection at big international stamp shows.

Looking After the Royal Stamps

In 1969, John Wilson, who was the previous keeper of the Royal Philatelic Collection, suggested Sir John take over. Sir John already knew a lot about the Royal Collection. He had been part of the Royal Philatelic Society London's Expert Committee since 1965.

From 1969 to 1995, Sir John split his time. He worked at Charterhouse School and also at Buckingham Palace in London. When he was at the Palace, his wife would help out at the school's boarding house.

The previous keeper, John Wilson, had let new stamps pile up. So, Sir John started putting the stamps from Queen Elizabeth II's reign into green leather albums. He also continued organizing the blue collection from King George VI.

Besides new stamps sent by postal services, Sir John also bought special stamps. These were called "errors, freaks, and oddities." These are stamps with mistakes, like missing colors or upside-down pictures. They are very rare and valuable!

Just like his predecessor, Sir John traveled many times with parts of the Royal Collection. He took them to international exhibitions around the world. He also helped organize two big international stamp exhibitions in London in 1980 and 1990.

Retirement and New Roles

Sir John retired from teaching in 1982. After that, he became the president of the Royal Philatelic Society London (RPSL). He held this important role from 1983 to 1986. He had been a vice-president of the society since 1979.

As the work grew, Sir John was the first keeper of the Royal Collection to have a helper. His deputy was Charles Wyndham Goodwyn. Charles helped Sir John organize the collection, prepare for exhibitions, and write articles. This helped the Royal Philatelic Collection become self-supporting. Sir John handed over his role as keeper to Charles Goodwyn in September 1995.

Awards and Recognitions

Sir John received many honors for his work:

• He became a Member of the Royal Victorian Order in 1978. He was made a Commander in 1991 and a Knight Commander in 1995.
• He won the Tilleard Medal in 1968 from the RPSL. This was for showing his Trinidad stamp collection. This collection also won gold medals at exhibitions in London (1960) and Amsterdam (1967).
• He signed the Roll of Distinguished Philatelists in 1972. This is a special honor for the world's most famous stamp collectors.
• He received the Alfred Lichtenstein Memorial Award in 1988. This award came from the Collectors Club of New York.