Durham E-Theses The life of Dr W. F. Hook with special reference to and assessment of his educational work Tate, J. R. How to cite: Tate, J. R. (1971) The life of Dr W. F. Hook with special reference to and assessment of his educational work, Durham theses, Durham University. Available at Durham E-Theses Online: http://etheses.dur.ac.uk/10017/ Use policy The full-text may be used and/or reproduced, and given to third parties in any format or medium, without prior permission or charge, for personal research or study, educational, or not-for-prot purposes provided that: • a full bibliographic reference is made to the original source • a link is made to the metadata record in Durham E-Theses • the full-text is not changed in any way The full-text must not be sold in any format or medium without the formal permission of the copyright holders. Please consult the full Durham E-Theses policy for further details. Academic Support Oce, Durham University, University Oce, Old Elvet, Durham DH1 3HP e-mail: [email protected] Tel: +44 0191 334 6107 http://etheses.dur.ac.uk 2 J.E. TATE. THE LIFE OF PR W.F. HOOK WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO AND ASSESSMENT OF HIS EDUCATIONAL WORK. M.A. THESIS. FEBRUARY 1971. The copyright of this thesis rests with the author. No quotation from it should be published without his prior written consent and information derived from it should be acknowledged. -i- Abstract of M.A. Thesis. The Life of Dr W.F. Hook with Special Reference to and Assessment of his Educational WorkT Chapter 1. Outlines his life commencing with his education and also his curacy at Whippingham, during which he studied theology intensively and began his pastoral work. His work at Moseley and Birmingham when his educational interest and close contact with the working classes first came to the fore. This work was continued on a larger scale at Coventry and then at Leeds. His relationship to The Tractarians is outlined and also his work of Church and School extension. Finally his literary and other work at Chichester is mentioned together with a brief assessment of his life. Chapter 2. Educational progress during Dr Hook's lifetime. The Monitorial system, the rise of the Voluntary Societies and the beginnings of State aid for education. The rise of Training Colleges, School inspection and the Pupil-Teacher system. Increased State provision, management and conscience clause controversies, the Revised Code and events leading up to the Education Act of 1870. The 1870 Act with its sequel and other Educational developments 1800-1875. Chapter 3. A survey of the practical and theoretical educat• ional work of Dr Hook throughout his Ministry with special reference to his letter to the Bishop of St David's on the means of rendering more efficient the education of the people (1846). Dr Hook's practical educational work is shown to be very -ii- comprehensive while his educational theory is shown to have changed considerably over the years. Chapter 4. The impact of Dr Hook's letter to the Bishop of St David's (1846) on contemporaries as revealed in biographical material and Reviews. A critique of the Reviews and also an assessment of Dr Hook's educational proposals both in the light of the possible alternatives to his suggestions and also in view of what in fact did happen in educational practice after 1846 both before and after the Education Act of 1870. CONTENTS. Page Chapter 1. THE LIFE OF DR W.F. HOOK. (a! Childhood and Education. 1 Whippingham 1821-1826. 5 (c; Moseley and Coventry 1826-1837. 8 (a; The Relationship between Dr Hook and the Oxford Movement. 13 (e Leeds 1837-1859. 18 (f Chichester 1859-1875. 35 Chapter 2 EDUCATIONAL PROGRESS DURING DR HOOK'S LIFETIME. (a; The State of Elementary Education before 1800. 41 Elementary Education 1800-1833. 42 (c. Elementary Education 1833-1845. 49 (a: Elementary Education 1846-1862. 62 (e Elementary Education from the Revised Code to the Sequel of the 1870 Education Act. 74 (f: Education other than Elementary Education during Dr Hook's Lifetime. 79 Chapter 3 DR HOOK'S EDUCATIONAL WORK. (a, Before 1837. 82 (b! Dr Hook's Educational Work 1837-1846. 86 (c On the Means of Rendering More Efficient the Education of the People. (A Letter to the Bishop of St David's, 1846). 101 (d Dr Hook's Educational Work from 1847. 126 Chapter 4. AN ASSESSMENT OF DR HOOK'S EDUCATIONAL wmr. •—-— (a: The Impact of Dr Hook's Letter to the Bishop of St David's (1846) on Contemp• oraries. 135 An Assessment of Dr Hook's Educational Work. 174 BIBLIOGRAPHY. 184 The life of Dr W.F* Hook with special reference to and assess• ment of hia Educational work. Chapter 1. The Life of Dr W.F. Hook, (a) Childhood and Education 1798-1821. Walter Farquhar Hook was born in London on March 13th 1798 at a time when the French Revolutionary War was at its height, and in the year before the repressive Combination laws against Trade Unions were passed. Walter's father, James Hook, eventually became a wealthy pluralist, partly because of the fact that his father-in-law, Sir Walter Farquhar, who started life as a Naval surgeon, became the Prince Regent's personal physician. Thus, in addition to being Rector of Saddington in Leicestershire, James Hook became Chaplain to the Prince in 1801 and subsequently acquired Epworth, Herting- fordbury and a parish in Hertford, all before the year 1806. As Arohdeaoon Stranks says, James Hook was 'more remarkable for the number of his benefices than for the work that he did in any of them*• It must be remembered that he was typical of the age in which he lived, being neither much better nor much worse than the great majority of his clerical colleagues. In 1804 the family moved to Hertingfordbury, which became James Hook's favourite abode, and during this period Walter was taught at home by his mother. In her description of his character which she wrote down, we oan see even then the traits in his personality which frequently oome to the surface Archdeacon Stranksi Dean Hook. (Mowbrays 1954), p.14 -2- in the annals of his adult life. 'He was fond of reading, shy, and not very quick at picking things up, but he was also a hard slogger whose perseverence got him there in the end. His temper flamed up easily and was repented of as quickly. The simplicity and depth of his religious feeling was already remarkable. Add to all this an exuberent sense of humour'.1 From the age of nine to eleven Walter was taught by Dr Luscombe at Hertford - a gentleman with whom he was to have further dealings when he was Curate at Whippingham - then he went to the more austere Blundell's School at Tiverton for a further three years. In 1812 Walter went to Winchester College which, like other public schools at the time, was harsh and brutal, it still being fifteen years before Dr Arnold's appointment to the head• ship at Rugby, an event which was an augur of better things. He hated the mechanics of Latin and Greek Grammar which took up an undue proportion of the timetable, and loved literature, Shakespeare and Milton in particular. In order to satisfy this love he frequently cut other things and retired to a quiet place to read, but on his return from these withdrawals he was often 'severely beaten for missing cricket or whatever else it happened to be'. The most important result of his going to Winchester was the commencement of his lifelong friendship with William Page Wood (1801-81). Politically the two families were in opposite camps, James Hook being a Tory and prospering because of his connection with the Prince Regent, Wood's father being a Whig, a wealthy clothier and a supporter of Princess Caroline. The friendship prospered despite this difference and although Ibid, p.14 -3- in 1820 after the accession of George IV and his attempt to divorce Queen Caroline, James Hook forbade any contact between the two friends, after a temporary enforced silence the friend• ship want from strength to strength. The friends wrote to one another at approximately fortnightly intervals until Hook's death in 1875. These letters, several of which are reoorded by Dean Stephens in his biography, reveal both Walter Hook's warm, affectionate nature, and also his views on many subjects which would otherwise be either partially or completely hidden from us. Wood, who became a Queen's Counsel (1845), Solicitor General (1851) and Lord Chancellor (1869 J1 was a staunoh High Churchman and advanced Liberal and thus his views closely approximated those of Hook who, despite a Tory background, became a social reformer of an advanced type, especially after living for many years among the working classes. It is interesting to note here that Walter Hook, humanly speaking, would never have acquired the post of Vicar of Leeds in 1837 if it hadn't been for his friendship with Wood. Mr Henry Hall, the senior trustee for the living of Leeds, at a dinner sat next to Mrs Wood and listened to her praise of her 2 husband's friend. Then the trustees went to Coventry and heard Hook for themselves. In 1872 we read that Wood resigned his Lord Chancellorship owing to failing eyesight, and yet in 1876, out of loyalty for his deceased friend, he travelled to Leeds to lay the foundation stone of the Hook Memorial Church, All Souls, Blackman Lane.