Herbert Armitage James
Encyclopedia
Herbert Armitage James, C.H.
(3 August 1844 – 15 November 1931) was a Welsh
cleric and headmaster of three leading public schools
, who ended his "remarkable scholastic career", as it was later described by Austen Chamberlain
, by becoming President of St John's College, Oxford
. After an Oxford
education and early teaching career at Marlborough College
, he was headmaster of Rossall School
from 1875 to 1886. It was said that he raised the school "to a pitch of all-round excellence which it had not known before". After suffering from health problems at Rossall, he served as Dean
of St Asaph from 1886 to 1889. He returned to teaching in 1889, becoming headmaster of Cheltenham College
and remaining in this post until 1895, despite being offered the position of headmaster of Clifton College
. He then became headmaster of Rugby School
and served there to great acclaim. His Rugby School nickname of "The Bodger" is still in use at the school. He left Rugby School in 1909 to become President of St John's College, Oxford, a position he held until his death 22 years later.
He was a highly respected teacher and preacher, being described as one of the best preachers of his day. He was widely praised for his work at Rossall, Cheltenham, Rugby and St John's. He was made a member of the Order of the Companions of Honour
by King George V
in 1926. At a dinner in his honour held to mark this award, attended by over 200 friends and former students, he was described by Austen Chamberlain (the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs) as "one of the greatest and most forceful characters who had ever devoted himself to education". The Lord Chancellor
, Viscount Cave
, also spoke at the dinner to praise James's directness in his opinions and decisions, his weighty judgment, his high character and his kindly nature.
, the son of the Rev. Dr. David James, who was rector of Panteg
, Monmouthshire
, from 1856 to 1871. Herbert James was educated at King Henry VIII Grammar School
, Abergavenny
, and then studied at two Oxford colleges. He matriculated
at Jesus College
in 1863, before winning a scholarship and moving along Turl Street
to Lincoln College
in 1864, obtaining a first-class degree in Literae Humaniores
in 1867. He was appointed a Fellow of St John's College in 1869 and was President of the Oxford Union Society in 1871 (where he nominated Herbert Asquith to the Standing Committee). He was then ordained, and received his Bachelor of Divinity
degree in 1874. Later, on 31 May 1895, he was awarded the degree of Doctor of Divinity
, having previously been excused by the University from satisfying the requirements normally set for the award of the degree.
He was Assistant Master at Marlborough College
from 1872 to 1875 before being appointed Headmaster of Rossall School
in 1875. On the last day of his first year as headmaster, the whole school (with the exception of a couple of students) gathered outside the school to hiss and boo at James. Despite this, he held this position until 1886 and was regarded as having been "brilliantly successful, raising the school in the 11 years of his reign to a pitch of all-round excellence which it had not known before". His students at Rossall included Henry Stuart-Jones, who became a distinguished classical scholar. One of Stuart-Jones's contemporaries later gave James the credit for making Stuart-Jones an "accurate and industrious scholar".
The strain of his position at Rossall School having affected his health, he was appointed Dean
of St Asaph in 1886. In 1889, his health restored, he left St Asaph to become Principal of Cheltenham College
(1889–95). He was again successful in this post, and was offered the position of Headmaster of Clifton College
, but was prevailed upon to stay. He made participation in games
a compulsory part of the boys' education in 1889. He also started the building of a new chapel to mark the college's centenary in 1891. When Dr Percival
was appointed Bishop of Hereford
, James succeeded him in 1895 as Headmaster of Rugby School
. He was headmaster for 14 years and was very well regarded: it was said that the school had "seldom stood higher since Arnold's day" than under his leadership (in reference to Thomas Arnold
, who was headmaster from 1828 to 1841). He was also described in his obituary in The Times
as having "once more showed himself a complete master of his profession, equally effective and esteemed in the class-room and the pulpit, in the School House of Dr. Arnold, and on the playing fields." He was nickname
d "The Bodger", and this term is still part of Rugby School slang. King Edward VII
visited Rugby School towards the end of James's time as headmaster on 3 July 1909, the first royal visit to the School.
He returned to Oxford in 1909 as President of St John's College
(having been made an honorary fellow in 1895) and held this position until his death in 1931. He was regarded during this time as a leader for the causes of the church and the Conservative Party
, and was described as "winning all hearts with his geniality, his good sense, and his readiness to help all with whom he was brought into contact." In 1918, during his time as college President, his photograph was taken for inclusion in the collection of the National Portrait Gallery.
He was made a Companion of Honour
by King George V
in the Birthday Honours List
of 1926. On 15 October 1926, over two hundred friends and former students attended a dinner held in his honour at the Hotel Victoria to celebrate the award, with Viscount Cave
(who was Lord Chancellor
and also Chancellor
of Oxford University) presiding. Other guests included Viscount Lee
, Sir Maurice Hankey
(the Cabinet Secretary), the sculptor Sir George Frampton
, the civil servant Ernest Gowers
(who had been educated at Rugby when James was headmaster) and the MP
Sir James Agg-Gardner
. Austen Chamberlain
(the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs and a governor of Rugby School) spoke, along with representatives of the other schools with which he had been associated. Lord Cave praised James's directness in his opinions and decisions, his weighty judgment, his high character and his kindly nature. He said that membership of the Companionship of Honour had been given only to a few who had rendered "special social service" to the country, and he rejoiced that James had been "enrolled" in this "select band". He added that St John's College and Oxford University owed James a "debt of gratitude" for his "wise advice and guidance". James, he said, "had never dealth in the fine shades, or in the analysis of tendencies, or the exploration of avenues. Whatever was right had to be done. Whatever was wrong he fought with all his might."
Marlborough School paid tribute to James through a poem by Charles Larcom Graves. One stanza was later quoted in the obituary of James published by The Times:
Chamberlain said that James had had a "remarkable scholastic career" and had exercised a "great and powerful influence" in the schools that he had served, leaving behind "a memory dear to all who had known him". He said that James was regarded as "one of the greatest and most forceful characters who had ever devoted himself to education." The dinner itself was reported as a news item in The Times
on the following day, with a list of the principal attendees and summaries of the main speeches, and of James's response, in which he said that he regarded the honour he had received as one bestowed on teaching.
His publications included an edition with English notes of Cicero
's Pro Plancio (1871) and a collection of sermons from his time at Rossall School, published as School Ideals (1887). He was very highly regarded as a preacher, being appointed as Select Preacher for Oxford University in 1894, 1897 and 1900; he was said to be "undoubtedly one of the best preachers of his day, at school and elsewhere". He was a keen cricketer and golfer, and had been captain of the Lincoln College XI when a student there. He was also said to have been a useful member of the St John's College XI, both for his batting
and his slow bowling
. The story was told at the 1926 dinner in his honour that he had taught A G Steel how to bowl a "twister", and that Steel had gone on to take many wicket
s in test matches
against the Australians as a result. He was devoted to philately
and had what was regarded as one of the best stamp collections in England. On his death, it was estimated as being worth between £5,000 and £6,000 (approximately £ to £ as of ), despite the fact that he had dispersed much of his collection before his death.
James died at St John's College on 15 November 1931 at the age of 87. After a funeral service at St Giles's Church, Oxford, he was buried in Wolvercote Cemetery
. In his will, he left £2,000 to the Church in Wales
and £200 to the Rector of St Mary's Church, Panteg, to maintain the graves of his parents and for church work in the parish. He also left money to his old school in Abergavenny, Lincoln College, St John's College and the schools at which he had been headmaster. He also left a sum to the Royal Philatelic Society
. After other various bequests, he left the residue of his estate to his brother for life – as James had never married, his brother was his next of kin. After his brother's death, his estate was to pass to St John's College to assist undergraduates and to support the work of the choir.
James had been presented with a gold watch and chain when leaving his position as headmaster of Rossall School in 1886. These were sold after his death, and were donated back to Rossall School by the purchaser (a former student of the school) for the use of future headmasters. A memorial tablet to James was erected in 1933 in the chapel of Rossall School; it was unveiled by Lord Derby
, president of the Rossall School Corporation. A oak chancel screen was also erected as a memorial to James in St Mary's Church, Panteg, with the unveiling in 1935 being carried out by Lord Trevethin
, a friend of James since childhood. Rugby School erected the James Pavilion in his memory, which was opened in 1937 with Sir Pelham Warner, an Old Rugbeian, paying tribute to James's love of cricket.
Order of the Companions of Honour
The Order of the Companions of Honour is an order of the Commonwealth realms. It was founded by King George V in June 1917, as a reward for outstanding achievements in the arts, literature, music, science, politics, industry or religion....
(3 August 1844 – 15 November 1931) was a Welsh
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
cleric and headmaster of three leading public schools
Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference
The Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference is an association of the headmasters or headmistressess of 243 leading day and boarding independent schools in the United Kingdom, Crown Dependencies and the Republic of Ireland...
, who ended his "remarkable scholastic career", as it was later described by Austen Chamberlain
Austen Chamberlain
Sir Joseph Austen Chamberlain, KG was a British statesman, recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize and half-brother of Neville Chamberlain.- Early life and career :...
, by becoming President of St John's College, Oxford
St John's College, Oxford
__FORCETOC__St John's College is a constituent college of the University of Oxford, one of the larger Oxford colleges with approximately 390 undergraduates, 200 postgraduates and over 100 academic staff. It was founded by Sir Thomas White, a merchant, in 1555, whose heart is buried in the chapel of...
. After an Oxford
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
education and early teaching career at Marlborough College
Marlborough College
Marlborough College is a British co-educational independent school for day and boarding pupils, located in Marlborough, Wiltshire.Founded in 1843 for the education of the sons of Church of England clergy, the school now accepts both boys and girls of all beliefs. Currently there are just over 800...
, he was headmaster of Rossall School
Rossall School
Rossall School is a British, co-educational, independent school, between Cleveleys and Fleetwood, Lancashire. Rossall was founded in 1844 by St. Vincent Beechey as a sister school to Marlborough College which had been founded the previous year...
from 1875 to 1886. It was said that he raised the school "to a pitch of all-round excellence which it had not known before". After suffering from health problems at Rossall, he served as Dean
Dean (religion)
A dean, in a church context, is a cleric holding certain positions of authority within a religious hierarchy. The title is used mainly in the Anglican Communion and the Roman Catholic Church.-Anglican Communion:...
of St Asaph from 1886 to 1889. He returned to teaching in 1889, becoming headmaster of Cheltenham College
Cheltenham College
Cheltenham College is a co-educational independent school, located in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England.One of the public schools of the Victorian period, it was opened in July 1841. An Anglican foundation, it is known for its classical, military and sporting traditions.The 1893 book Great...
and remaining in this post until 1895, despite being offered the position of headmaster of Clifton College
Clifton College
Clifton College is a co-educational independent school in Clifton, Bristol, England, founded in 1862. In its early years it was notable for emphasising science in the curriculum, and for being less concerned with social elitism, e.g. by admitting day-boys on equal terms and providing a dedicated...
. He then became headmaster of Rugby School
Rugby School
Rugby School is a co-educational day and boarding school located in the town of Rugby, Warwickshire, England. It is one of the oldest independent schools in Britain.-History:...
and served there to great acclaim. His Rugby School nickname of "The Bodger" is still in use at the school. He left Rugby School in 1909 to become President of St John's College, Oxford, a position he held until his death 22 years later.
He was a highly respected teacher and preacher, being described as one of the best preachers of his day. He was widely praised for his work at Rossall, Cheltenham, Rugby and St John's. He was made a member of the Order of the Companions of Honour
Order of the Companions of Honour
The Order of the Companions of Honour is an order of the Commonwealth realms. It was founded by King George V in June 1917, as a reward for outstanding achievements in the arts, literature, music, science, politics, industry or religion....
by King George V
George V of the United Kingdom
George V was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 through the First World War until his death in 1936....
in 1926. At a dinner in his honour held to mark this award, attended by over 200 friends and former students, he was described by Austen Chamberlain (the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs) as "one of the greatest and most forceful characters who had ever devoted himself to education". The Lord Chancellor
Lord Chancellor
The Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain, or Lord Chancellor, is a senior and important functionary in the government of the United Kingdom. He is the second highest ranking of the Great Officers of State, ranking only after the Lord High Steward. The Lord Chancellor is appointed by the Sovereign...
, Viscount Cave
George Cave, 1st Viscount Cave
George Cave, 1st Viscount Cave GCMG, KC, PC was a British lawyer and Conservative politician. He was Home Secretary under David Lloyd George from 1916 to 1919 and served as Lord Chancellor of Great Britain from 1922 to 1924 and again from 1924 to 1928.-Background and education:Cave was born in...
, also spoke at the dinner to praise James's directness in his opinions and decisions, his weighty judgment, his high character and his kindly nature.
Early life and education
James was born in Kirkdale, LiverpoolKirkdale, Liverpool
Kirkdale is a district of Liverpool, Merseyside, England and a Liverpool City Council ward that covers both Kirkdale and Vauxhall. At the 2001 Census the population was recorded as 15,653.-Description:...
, the son of the Rev. Dr. David James, who was rector of Panteg
Panteg
Panteg is a village in the county borough of Torfaen, Wales. It is adjacent to Griffithstown, between the towns of Cwmbran and Pontypool. The village is best known for Panteg Steel Works, which finally closed in 2004....
, Monmouthshire
Monmouthshire (historic)
Monmouthshire , also known as the County of Monmouth , is one of thirteen ancient counties of Wales and a former administrative county....
, from 1856 to 1871. Herbert James was educated at King Henry VIII Grammar School
King Henry VIII Grammar School
King Henry VIII Grammar School, Abergavenny, Monmouthshire was one of a series of schools founded during the Reformation in England and Wales in 1542 from property seized from monasteries and religious congregations...
, Abergavenny
Abergavenny
Abergavenny , meaning Mouth of the River Gavenny, is a market town in Monmouthshire, Wales. It is located 15 miles west of Monmouth on the A40 and A465 roads, 6 miles from the English border. Originally the site of a Roman fort, Gobannium, it became a medieval walled town within the Welsh Marches...
, and then studied at two Oxford colleges. He matriculated
Matriculation
Matriculation, in the broadest sense, means to be registered or added to a list, from the Latin matricula – little list. In Scottish heraldry, for instance, a matriculation is a registration of armorial bearings...
at Jesus College
Jesus College, Oxford
Jesus College is one of the colleges of the University of Oxford in England. It is in the centre of the city, on a site between Turl Street, Ship Street, Cornmarket Street and Market Street...
in 1863, before winning a scholarship and moving along Turl Street
Turl Street
Turl Street is an historic street in central Oxford, England.- Location :The street is located in the city centre, linking Broad Street at the north and High Street at the south. It is colloquially known as The Turl and runs past three of Oxford's historic colleges: Exeter, Jesus and Lincoln...
to Lincoln College
Lincoln College, Oxford
Lincoln College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. It is situated on Turl Street in central Oxford, backing onto Brasenose College and adjacent to Exeter College...
in 1864, obtaining a first-class degree in Literae Humaniores
Literae Humaniores
Literae Humaniores is the name given to an undergraduate course focused on Classics at Oxford and some other universities.The Latin name means literally "more humane letters", but is perhaps better rendered as "Advanced Studies", since humaniores has the sense of "more refined" or "more learned",...
in 1867. He was appointed a Fellow of St John's College in 1869 and was President of the Oxford Union Society in 1871 (where he nominated Herbert Asquith to the Standing Committee). He was then ordained, and received his Bachelor of Divinity
Bachelor of Divinity
In Western universities, a Bachelor of Divinity is usually an undergraduate academic degree awarded for a course taken in the study of divinity or related disciplines, such as theology or, rarely, religious studies....
degree in 1874. Later, on 31 May 1895, he was awarded the degree of Doctor of Divinity
Doctor of Divinity
Doctor of Divinity is an advanced academic degree in divinity. Historically, it identified one who had been licensed by a university to teach Christian theology or related religious subjects....
, having previously been excused by the University from satisfying the requirements normally set for the award of the degree.
Teaching career
Marlborough College
Marlborough College is a British co-educational independent school for day and boarding pupils, located in Marlborough, Wiltshire.Founded in 1843 for the education of the sons of Church of England clergy, the school now accepts both boys and girls of all beliefs. Currently there are just over 800...
from 1872 to 1875 before being appointed Headmaster of Rossall School
Rossall School
Rossall School is a British, co-educational, independent school, between Cleveleys and Fleetwood, Lancashire. Rossall was founded in 1844 by St. Vincent Beechey as a sister school to Marlborough College which had been founded the previous year...
in 1875. On the last day of his first year as headmaster, the whole school (with the exception of a couple of students) gathered outside the school to hiss and boo at James. Despite this, he held this position until 1886 and was regarded as having been "brilliantly successful, raising the school in the 11 years of his reign to a pitch of all-round excellence which it had not known before". His students at Rossall included Henry Stuart-Jones, who became a distinguished classical scholar. One of Stuart-Jones's contemporaries later gave James the credit for making Stuart-Jones an "accurate and industrious scholar".
The strain of his position at Rossall School having affected his health, he was appointed Dean
Dean (religion)
A dean, in a church context, is a cleric holding certain positions of authority within a religious hierarchy. The title is used mainly in the Anglican Communion and the Roman Catholic Church.-Anglican Communion:...
of St Asaph in 1886. In 1889, his health restored, he left St Asaph to become Principal of Cheltenham College
Cheltenham College
Cheltenham College is a co-educational independent school, located in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England.One of the public schools of the Victorian period, it was opened in July 1841. An Anglican foundation, it is known for its classical, military and sporting traditions.The 1893 book Great...
(1889–95). He was again successful in this post, and was offered the position of Headmaster of Clifton College
Clifton College
Clifton College is a co-educational independent school in Clifton, Bristol, England, founded in 1862. In its early years it was notable for emphasising science in the curriculum, and for being less concerned with social elitism, e.g. by admitting day-boys on equal terms and providing a dedicated...
, but was prevailed upon to stay. He made participation in games
Sport
A Sport is all forms of physical activity which, through casual or organised participation, aim to use, maintain or improve physical fitness and provide entertainment to participants. Sport may be competitive, where a winner or winners can be identified by objective means, and may require a degree...
a compulsory part of the boys' education in 1889. He also started the building of a new chapel to mark the college's centenary in 1891. When Dr Percival
John Percival (bishop)
John Percival was the first Headmaster of Clifton College, where he made his reptutation as a great educator. In his 17 years at Clifton numbers rose from 62 to 680. He accepted the Presidency of Trinity College, Oxford to recover from his exhaustive years at Clifton...
was appointed Bishop of Hereford
Bishop of Hereford
The Bishop of Hereford is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Hereford in the Province of Canterbury.The see is in the City of Hereford where the seat is located at the Cathedral Church of Saint Mary and Saint Ethelbert which was founded as a cathedral in 676.The Bishop's residence is...
, James succeeded him in 1895 as Headmaster of Rugby School
Rugby School
Rugby School is a co-educational day and boarding school located in the town of Rugby, Warwickshire, England. It is one of the oldest independent schools in Britain.-History:...
. He was headmaster for 14 years and was very well regarded: it was said that the school had "seldom stood higher since Arnold's day" than under his leadership (in reference to Thomas Arnold
Thomas Arnold
Dr Thomas Arnold was a British educator and historian. Arnold was an early supporter of the Broad Church Anglican movement...
, who was headmaster from 1828 to 1841). He was also described in his obituary in The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
as having "once more showed himself a complete master of his profession, equally effective and esteemed in the class-room and the pulpit, in the School House of Dr. Arnold, and on the playing fields." He was nickname
Nickname
A nickname is "a usually familiar or humorous but sometimes pointed or cruel name given to a person or place, as a supposedly appropriate replacement for or addition to the proper name.", or a name similar in origin and pronunciation from the original name....
d "The Bodger", and this term is still part of Rugby School slang. King Edward VII
Edward VII of the United Kingdom
Edward VII was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions and Emperor of India from 22 January 1901 until his death in 1910...
visited Rugby School towards the end of James's time as headmaster on 3 July 1909, the first royal visit to the School.
St John's College
St John's College, Oxford
__FORCETOC__St John's College is a constituent college of the University of Oxford, one of the larger Oxford colleges with approximately 390 undergraduates, 200 postgraduates and over 100 academic staff. It was founded by Sir Thomas White, a merchant, in 1555, whose heart is buried in the chapel of...
(having been made an honorary fellow in 1895) and held this position until his death in 1931. He was regarded during this time as a leader for the causes of the church and the Conservative Party
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
, and was described as "winning all hearts with his geniality, his good sense, and his readiness to help all with whom he was brought into contact." In 1918, during his time as college President, his photograph was taken for inclusion in the collection of the National Portrait Gallery.
He was made a Companion of Honour
Order of the Companions of Honour
The Order of the Companions of Honour is an order of the Commonwealth realms. It was founded by King George V in June 1917, as a reward for outstanding achievements in the arts, literature, music, science, politics, industry or religion....
by King George V
George V of the United Kingdom
George V was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 through the First World War until his death in 1936....
in the Birthday Honours List
Queen's Birthday Honours
The Queen's Birthday Honours is a part of the British honours system, being a civic occasion on the celebration of the Queen's Official Birthday in which new members of most Commonwealth Realms honours are named. The awards are presented by the reigning monarch or head of state, currently Queen...
of 1926. On 15 October 1926, over two hundred friends and former students attended a dinner held in his honour at the Hotel Victoria to celebrate the award, with Viscount Cave
George Cave, 1st Viscount Cave
George Cave, 1st Viscount Cave GCMG, KC, PC was a British lawyer and Conservative politician. He was Home Secretary under David Lloyd George from 1916 to 1919 and served as Lord Chancellor of Great Britain from 1922 to 1924 and again from 1924 to 1928.-Background and education:Cave was born in...
(who was Lord Chancellor
Lord Chancellor
The Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain, or Lord Chancellor, is a senior and important functionary in the government of the United Kingdom. He is the second highest ranking of the Great Officers of State, ranking only after the Lord High Steward. The Lord Chancellor is appointed by the Sovereign...
and also Chancellor
Chancellor (education)
A chancellor or vice-chancellor is the chief executive of a university. Other titles are sometimes used, such as president or rector....
of Oxford University) presiding. Other guests included Viscount Lee
Arthur Lee, 1st Viscount Lee of Fareham
Arthur Hamilton Lee, 1st Viscount Lee of Fareham, GCB, GBE, GCSI, PC was a British soldier, diplomat, politician and patron of the arts. After military postings and an assignment to the British Embassy in Washington, he entered politics and served as Minster of Agriculture and Fisheries and First...
, Sir Maurice Hankey
Maurice Hankey, 1st Baron Hankey
Maurice Pascal Alers Hankey, 1st Baron Hankey, GCB, GCMG, GCVO, PC was a British civil servant who gained prominence as the first Cabinet Secretary and who later made the rare transition from the civil service to ministerial office.-Life and career:The third son of R. A...
(the Cabinet Secretary), the sculptor Sir George Frampton
George Frampton
Sir George James Frampton, RA was a notable British sculptor and leading member of the New Sculpture movement.-Early life and career:...
, the civil servant Ernest Gowers
Ernest Gowers
Sir Ernest Arthur Gowers GCB GBE Hon. D.Litt Hon. ARIBA was a British civil servant, now best known for work on style guides for writing the English language.-Life:...
(who had been educated at Rugby when James was headmaster) and the MP
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
Sir James Agg-Gardner
James Agg-Gardner
Sir James Tynte Agg-Gardner JP was an English brewery-owner and Conservative Party politician from Cheltenham in Gloucestershire...
. Austen Chamberlain
Austen Chamberlain
Sir Joseph Austen Chamberlain, KG was a British statesman, recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize and half-brother of Neville Chamberlain.- Early life and career :...
(the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs and a governor of Rugby School) spoke, along with representatives of the other schools with which he had been associated. Lord Cave praised James's directness in his opinions and decisions, his weighty judgment, his high character and his kindly nature. He said that membership of the Companionship of Honour had been given only to a few who had rendered "special social service" to the country, and he rejoiced that James had been "enrolled" in this "select band". He added that St John's College and Oxford University owed James a "debt of gratitude" for his "wise advice and guidance". James, he said, "had never dealth in the fine shades, or in the analysis of tendencies, or the exploration of avenues. Whatever was right had to be done. Whatever was wrong he fought with all his might."
Marlborough School paid tribute to James through a poem by Charles Larcom Graves. One stanza was later quoted in the obituary of James published by The Times:
Chamberlain said that James had had a "remarkable scholastic career" and had exercised a "great and powerful influence" in the schools that he had served, leaving behind "a memory dear to all who had known him". He said that James was regarded as "one of the greatest and most forceful characters who had ever devoted himself to education." The dinner itself was reported as a news item in The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
on the following day, with a list of the principal attendees and summaries of the main speeches, and of James's response, in which he said that he regarded the honour he had received as one bestowed on teaching.
Works and interests
Cicero
Marcus Tullius Cicero , was a Roman philosopher, statesman, lawyer, political theorist, and Roman constitutionalist. He came from a wealthy municipal family of the equestrian order, and is widely considered one of Rome's greatest orators and prose stylists.He introduced the Romans to the chief...
's Pro Plancio (1871) and a collection of sermons from his time at Rossall School, published as School Ideals (1887). He was very highly regarded as a preacher, being appointed as Select Preacher for Oxford University in 1894, 1897 and 1900; he was said to be "undoubtedly one of the best preachers of his day, at school and elsewhere". He was a keen cricketer and golfer, and had been captain of the Lincoln College XI when a student there. He was also said to have been a useful member of the St John's College XI, both for his batting
Batting (cricket)
In the sport of cricket, batting is the act or skill of hitting the cricket ball with a cricket bat to score runs or prevent the loss of one's wicket. A player who is currently batting is denoted as a batsman, while the act of hitting the ball is called a shot or stroke...
and his slow bowling
Bowling (cricket)
In the sport of cricket, bowling is the action of propelling the ball toward the wicket defended by a batsman. A player skilled at bowling is called a bowler; a bowler who is also a competent batsman is known as an all-rounder...
. The story was told at the 1926 dinner in his honour that he had taught A G Steel how to bowl a "twister", and that Steel had gone on to take many wicket
Wicket
In the sport of cricket the word wicket has several distinct meanings:-Definitions of wicket:Most of the time, the wicket is one of the two sets of three stumps and two bails at either end of the pitch...
s in test matches
Test cricket
Test cricket is the longest form of the sport of cricket. Test matches are played between national representative teams with "Test status", as determined by the International Cricket Council , with four innings played between two teams of 11 players over a period of up to a maximum five days...
against the Australians as a result. He was devoted to philately
Philately
Philately is the study of stamps and postal history and other related items. Philately involves more than just stamp collecting, which does not necessarily involve the study of stamps. It is possible to be a philatelist without owning any stamps...
and had what was regarded as one of the best stamp collections in England. On his death, it was estimated as being worth between £5,000 and £6,000 (approximately £ to £ as of ), despite the fact that he had dispersed much of his collection before his death.
Death and memorials
Wolvercote Cemetery
Wolvercote Cemetery is a cemetery close to the north Oxford suburb of Wolvercote, England, off the Banbury Road. Unusually, this single cemetery is divided into areas to accommodate graves of the Jewish and Muslim communities, as well as all categories of Christians. Many Russians, Poles and other...
. In his will, he left £2,000 to the Church in Wales
Church in Wales
The Church in Wales is the Anglican church in Wales, composed of six dioceses.As with the primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church, the Archbishop of Wales serves concurrently as one of the six diocesan bishops. The current archbishop is Barry Morgan, the Bishop of Llandaff.In contrast to the...
and £200 to the Rector of St Mary's Church, Panteg, to maintain the graves of his parents and for church work in the parish. He also left money to his old school in Abergavenny, Lincoln College, St John's College and the schools at which he had been headmaster. He also left a sum to the Royal Philatelic Society
Royal Philatelic Society
The Royal Philatelic Society London is the oldest philatelic society in the world. It was founded in 1869 as The Philatelic Society, London.- Royal connections :...
. After other various bequests, he left the residue of his estate to his brother for life – as James had never married, his brother was his next of kin. After his brother's death, his estate was to pass to St John's College to assist undergraduates and to support the work of the choir.
James had been presented with a gold watch and chain when leaving his position as headmaster of Rossall School in 1886. These were sold after his death, and were donated back to Rossall School by the purchaser (a former student of the school) for the use of future headmasters. A memorial tablet to James was erected in 1933 in the chapel of Rossall School; it was unveiled by Lord Derby
Edward Stanley, 17th Earl of Derby
Edward George Villiers Stanley, 17th Earl of Derby KG, GCB, GCVO, TD, PC, KGStJ, JP , known as Lord Stanley from 1893 to 1908, was a British soldier, Conservative politician, diplomat and racehorse owner. He was twice Secretary of State for War and also served as British Ambassador to...
, president of the Rossall School Corporation. A oak chancel screen was also erected as a memorial to James in St Mary's Church, Panteg, with the unveiling in 1935 being carried out by Lord Trevethin
Alfred Lawrence, 1st Baron Trevethin
Alfred Tristram Lawrence, 1st Baron Trevethin PC was a British lawyer and judge. He served as Lord Chief Justice of England from 1921 to 1922....
, a friend of James since childhood. Rugby School erected the James Pavilion in his memory, which was opened in 1937 with Sir Pelham Warner, an Old Rugbeian, paying tribute to James's love of cricket.