Frederic Nash letters, 1843-1898.

Format:

Manuscript

Author/Creator:

Nash, Frederic, 1827-1898, creator.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Education.

Students.

Teachers.

England.

India.

India--History--British occupation, 1765-1947.

Penn Provenance:

Sold by Pickering & Chatto Antiquarian Booksellers (London, England), 2020 and 2021.

Physical Description:

1 box (.33 linear feet)

Place of Publication:

1843-1898.

Biography/History:

Frederic Nash was a teacher and schoolmaster born in Deal, Kent in 1827.He worked at the Berkeley Vila School in Cheltenham before becoming assistant teacher at Southampton Diocesan School from 1846 to 1849. In 1849, the headmaster of Southampton, William Sidney Wright, went to Madras, India and became the headmaster of Vepery Grammar School. At this time, Nash moved to London and gave lessons at Denmark Hill Grammar School, but soon followed Wright to Madras and became his assistant at Vepery. The school was supported by the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts but closed in1854. After Vepery's closure, Nash opened his own school in the British imperial vacation town of Ootacamund, Neilgherries, India. Though his school was successful, he closed it around 1861 to move back to England both for his wife's health and because he had earned enough money to start his own school in England. By 1862, Nash was back in London and had established Kensington Collegiate School in Kensington Square to prepare students for the "preparation for the Indian or home civil service, the Liberal Professions, the Universities, the Military Colleges." At this time, Frederic and his wife, Susan, lived at a house they called "Farrington" in Beckenham. Susan died in 1893, and Frederic continued to teach until his death in 1898.

Summary:

The Frederic Nash letters include three volumes, containing around 250 letters and additional ephemera related to Nash's career as a teacher and schoolmaster in England and India from 1843 through 1898. Nash titled these volumes, "A-F: Not about schoolboys"; "D-H: From or about schoolboys"; and "Speech days, etc., etc. Early English schools at Madras and Ootacamund.""A-F: Not about schoolboys" is a bound volume containing letters sent to Nash arranged alphabetically by the sender's last name. These letters are not from or about his students but do touch on his career. There are letters from a woman named Edith Appleyard regarding a job Nash posted in 1896; letters with Moritz Behr regarding a job for Nash in Madras and the possibility of relocating to India; letters from Mrs. Bowles, who is identified as "Lady Principal" of Lucia's College and Queen's College; letters regarding academic and music lessons; and various receipts and invoices. "D-H: From or about schoolboys" is a bound volume containing letters sent to Nash arranged alphabetically by the sender's last name. These letters are mostly from Nash's students and the parents of his students. There is a significant number of letters from A. de Wet and his son, Victor de Wet, regarding Victor's schooling; from William Bennett Doubleday and his son, Herbert Arthur Doubleday, regarding Herbert's schooling; from Charles S. Edmonds about a "row" with Doubleday and Edmonds' poor performance in school; and letters from W.H. Fryer expressing frustration with the school's tuition and Nash's leadership. These letters with Fryer become an ongoing dispute, with Fryer refusing to pay what Nash is owed. This is one of the few instances of Nash's voice in this collection, as drafts of his return letters are included. "Speech days, etc., etc. Early English schools at Madras and Ootacamund" is a bound volume containing a variety of material related to Nash's early career in England and his time teaching in India. His early positions in England at Southampton Diocesan School and Denmark Hill Grammar School are represented, but most of the material is related to his time in India at Vepery Grammar School and Farington House School. This material includes manuscripts of speeches given by Nash; printed material mostly relating to the schools' examinations; class lists; letters; an illustration of Denmark Hill; newspaper clippings; and material relating to Nash's founding of Farington House School.

OCLC:

1458794597