Michael's poems as co-editor of the Eton College Chronicle

[mikewill]

On p. 278 of James Barrie & The Lost Boys is stated, "Michael was...co-editor of the Eton College Chronicle writing letters and POEMS galore..."

Question: Are any of these poems still extant, possibly in the archives of the Chronicle at Eton?

[Nicholas]

I looked through the back numbers of the Chronicle for Michael's time at Eton and there are occasional poems, but none is signed and some are in Greek or Latin!  There are quite a few humorous pieces too, but again they are unsigned. 

Michael's name does crop up in various sports teams and reviews of matches.  Of particular interest for me was that he played in his house Field Game team with Maurice Buxton, Rupert's brother. 

Some more Davies trivia, taken from the Chronicle:

Michael and Nico were both weighed for the Oppidan Wall, and Peter for College.  On 29 November 1913 Peter weighed 11st 5lb.  On 30 November 1918 Michael was a svelte 10st 8lb, and in November 1921 Nico weighed a plump 12st 5lb.

In 1915, Michael batted 19 innings with two maidens, scored 304 runs of which 54 was his highest score, and had an average of 17.88.
His bowling figures were: 230 overs, 36 maidens, 606 runs, 69 wickets with an average of 8.78 runs/wicket.  No doubt Barrie was delighted.

This is the Chronicle's immediate reaction to the bad news from Oxford, which I don't believe is quoted elsewhere:

Thursday 26 May 1921
In Memoriam
Just a week ago Michael Davies and Rupert Buxton were drowned while bathing in Sanford [sic] weir.  Exactly what happened can never be known: it is enough for us to be sure that either boy would gladly have given his life for his friend.  At both schools and at both [sic] universities there are some who feel that "the spring has gone out of the year".  To the brothers of both boys, to Michael's guardian, to Rupert's mother and sister, we would say with reverent sympathy that glory and loveliness cannot pass away into nothingness, and that in the end the victor is not Death but Love.

Generally, the Chronicle is rather difficult to read through and I could well have missed important details.  As far as I could make out, Michael did not gain a scholarship to study at Christ Church, Oxford. 

[mikewill]

Nicholas: Thank you so much for checking the archives of the Eton College Chronicle for any recognizable poems by Michael and for replying to my query about his letters. It is indeed sad and tragic that Peter evidently destroyed Michael's letters as being "too much" as scholars and laymen could have learned much from them.