Leonard K. Elmhirst
Encyclopedia
Leonard Knight Elmhirst was a philanthropist and agronomist who worked extensively in India
. He was co-founder with his wife Dorothy
of the Dartington Hall
project in progressive education and rural reconstruction.
(now part of Barnsley
, Yorkshire
), where the family seat is Houndhill
. He was the second of nine siblings (eight boys and one girl). His elder brother, William, was killed on the Somme and the third son, Christopher, was killed at Gallipoli, both during World War I
. The fourth son, Thomas became Air Marshal Sir Thomas Elmhirst
(KBE, CB, AFC, DL, RAF).
In 1912 Leonard Elmhirst went up to Trinity College, Cambridge
to study history and theology, intending to follow his father into the Church. In 1914, he was deemed unfit for military service and volunteered for overseas service in the YMCA
. His experience of the problems of rural India was to fundamentally change the direction of his career. After one year's service in the army he was demobilised in 1919 and entered Cornell University
in Ithaca, New York
to study agriculture. Arriving almost penniless, he successfully completed a four-year degree course in two years.
In 1920 he was elected president of Cornell's Cosmopolitan Club, which was mostly for foreign students, and found that it had large debts and depended on the philanthropy of its alumni and others. Money-raising activities brought him in contact with Dorothy Straight
, who was to become his wife.
In America he also met the 1913 Nobel Laureate for Literature, Rabindranath Tagore
, and in November 1921 returned to India as Tagore's secretary. In 1922, in the village of Surul (now Sriniketan
) adjacent to Santiniketan, West Bengal
, he set up for Tagore an Institute of Rural Reconstruction. Between 1923 and 1925, Leonard travelled twice around the globe, lecturing and supporting Rabindranath Tagore's missions to Europe, Asia and South America.
The influence of Tagore, and the interests and money of his wife to be, led Elmhirst to undertake an experiment in rural reconstruction at Dartington Hall
in Devon
. It is said that Tagore had become familiar with Dartington during his travels in England and influenced Elmhirst in his selection of the estate, which was purchased in a series of transactions in 1925. Elmhirst also assisted in the re-acquisition of his ancient family seat, Houndhill
, a couple of miles from his birthplace.
In 1946 he refused the offer of a Barony from Prime Minister
Clement Attlee
. In a letter to Attlee he replied that 'My own work, however, as you know, has lain in the main among country people...in India, the USA and in Devonshire...acceptance would neither be easy for me to explain nor easy for my friends to comprehend'.
(1914–2001).
experiment was established they set up a trust to manage its affairs so they could undertake other work worldwide. Leonard's work included:
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. He was co-founder with his wife Dorothy
Dorothy Payne Whitney
Dorothy Payne Whitney was an American-born social activist and philanthropist and a member of the prominent Whitney family.-Biography:...
of the Dartington Hall
Dartington Hall
The Dartington Hall Trust, near Totnes, Devon, United Kingdom is a charity specialising in the arts, social justice and sustainability.The Trust currently runs 16 charitable programmes, including The Dartington International Summer School and Schumacher Environmental College...
project in progressive education and rural reconstruction.
Biography
Leonard Elmhirst was born into a landed gentry family in WorsbroughWorsbrough
Worsbrough is an area about two miles south of Barnsley in the metropolitan borough of Barnsley, South Yorkshire, England.-Geography:Worsbrough includes Worsbrough Bridge, Worsbrough Common, Worsbrough Dale, Worsbrough Village and Ward Green. The River Dove flows east-west through Worsbrough and...
(now part of Barnsley
Barnsley
Barnsley is a town in South Yorkshire, England. It lies on the River Dearne, north of the city of Sheffield, south of Leeds and west of Doncaster. Barnsley is surrounded by several smaller settlements which together form the Metropolitan Borough of Barnsley, of which Barnsley is the largest and...
, Yorkshire
Yorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
), where the family seat is Houndhill
Houndhill
Houndhill is a fortified manor house in Worsbrough, Barnsley, England dating from the Middle Ages. It was originally owned by the Elmhirst family who lived on the site from the 14th century. After several enhancements and ownership changes it is now back in the hands of the Elmhirst family as the...
. He was the second of nine siblings (eight boys and one girl). His elder brother, William, was killed on the Somme and the third son, Christopher, was killed at Gallipoli, both during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. The fourth son, Thomas became Air Marshal Sir Thomas Elmhirst
Thomas Elmhirst
Air Marshal Sir Thomas Walker Elmhirst KBE, CB, AFC, DL, RAF was a senior commander in the Royal Air Force in the first half of the 20th century and the first commander-in-chief of the newly independent Indian Air Force where he organised the funeral of Mahatma Gandhi following his assassination...
(KBE, CB, AFC, DL, RAF).
In 1912 Leonard Elmhirst went up to Trinity College, Cambridge
Trinity College, Cambridge
Trinity College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Trinity has more members than any other college in Cambridge or Oxford, with around 700 undergraduates, 430 graduates, and over 170 Fellows...
to study history and theology, intending to follow his father into the Church. In 1914, he was deemed unfit for military service and volunteered for overseas service in the YMCA
YMCA
The Young Men's Christian Association is a worldwide organization of more than 45 million members from 125 national federations affiliated through the World Alliance of YMCAs...
. His experience of the problems of rural India was to fundamentally change the direction of his career. After one year's service in the army he was demobilised in 1919 and entered Cornell University
Cornell University
Cornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
in Ithaca, New York
Ithaca, New York
The city of Ithaca, is a city in upstate New York and the county seat of Tompkins County, as well as the largest community in the Ithaca-Tompkins County metropolitan area...
to study agriculture. Arriving almost penniless, he successfully completed a four-year degree course in two years.
In 1920 he was elected president of Cornell's Cosmopolitan Club, which was mostly for foreign students, and found that it had large debts and depended on the philanthropy of its alumni and others. Money-raising activities brought him in contact with Dorothy Straight
Dorothy Payne Whitney
Dorothy Payne Whitney was an American-born social activist and philanthropist and a member of the prominent Whitney family.-Biography:...
, who was to become his wife.
In America he also met the 1913 Nobel Laureate for Literature, Rabindranath Tagore
Rabindranath Tagore
Rabindranath Tagore , sobriquet Gurudev, was a Bengali polymath who reshaped his region's literature and music. Author of Gitanjali and its "profoundly sensitive, fresh and beautiful verse", he became the first non-European Nobel laureate by earning the 1913 Prize in Literature...
, and in November 1921 returned to India as Tagore's secretary. In 1922, in the village of Surul (now Sriniketan
Sriniketan
Sriniketan is a town in Bolpur subdivision of Birbhum district in the Indian state of West Bengal.-Geography:Sriniketan is located at . It has an average elevation of .-History:...
) adjacent to Santiniketan, West Bengal
West Bengal
West Bengal is a state in the eastern region of India and is the nation's fourth-most populous. It is also the seventh-most populous sub-national entity in the world, with over 91 million inhabitants. A major agricultural producer, West Bengal is the sixth-largest contributor to India's GDP...
, he set up for Tagore an Institute of Rural Reconstruction. Between 1923 and 1925, Leonard travelled twice around the globe, lecturing and supporting Rabindranath Tagore's missions to Europe, Asia and South America.
The influence of Tagore, and the interests and money of his wife to be, led Elmhirst to undertake an experiment in rural reconstruction at Dartington Hall
Dartington Hall
The Dartington Hall Trust, near Totnes, Devon, United Kingdom is a charity specialising in the arts, social justice and sustainability.The Trust currently runs 16 charitable programmes, including The Dartington International Summer School and Schumacher Environmental College...
in Devon
Devon
Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
. It is said that Tagore had become familiar with Dartington during his travels in England and influenced Elmhirst in his selection of the estate, which was purchased in a series of transactions in 1925. Elmhirst also assisted in the re-acquisition of his ancient family seat, Houndhill
Houndhill
Houndhill is a fortified manor house in Worsbrough, Barnsley, England dating from the Middle Ages. It was originally owned by the Elmhirst family who lived on the site from the 14th century. After several enhancements and ownership changes it is now back in the hands of the Elmhirst family as the...
, a couple of miles from his birthplace.
In 1946 he refused the offer of a Barony from Prime Minister
Prime minister
A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
Clement Attlee
Clement Attlee
Clement Richard Attlee, 1st Earl Attlee, KG, OM, CH, PC, FRS was a British Labour politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1945 to 1951, and as the Leader of the Labour Party from 1935 to 1955...
. In a letter to Attlee he replied that 'My own work, however, as you know, has lain in the main among country people...in India, the USA and in Devonshire...acceptance would neither be easy for me to explain nor easy for my friends to comprehend'.
Personal life
Leonard married Dorothy Payne Whitney in September 1925. They had two children. He was the stepfather of actress Beatrice StraightBeatrice Straight
Beatrice Whitney Straight was an American theatre, film, and television actress. Hers remains the shortest acting performance in a film to win an Oscar. In her winning role in the 1976 film Network, she was on screen for five minutes and forty seconds, the shortest time ever for the winner of the...
(1914–2001).
Works
In 1931, when the Dartington HallDartington Hall
The Dartington Hall Trust, near Totnes, Devon, United Kingdom is a charity specialising in the arts, social justice and sustainability.The Trust currently runs 16 charitable programmes, including The Dartington International Summer School and Schumacher Environmental College...
experiment was established they set up a trust to manage its affairs so they could undertake other work worldwide. Leonard's work included:
- Work for Exeter University, Devon County Council and local organisations,
- 1929: launched the International Conference of Agricultural Economists,
- 1932: brought artificial inseminationArtificial inseminationArtificial insemination, or AI, is the process by which sperm is placed into the reproductive tract of a female for the purpose of impregnating the female by using means other than sexual intercourse or natural insemination...
of cattle from Russia to Devon, - President of the Royal Forestry SocietyRoyal Forestry SocietyThe Royal Forestry Society is a charitable organisation that was established in 1882 in Northumberland, England...
, - War-time public service during World War IIWorld War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
including agricultural missions to the Middle East and India, - Irrigation and hydroelectricity in the Damodar Valley, India,
- 1954: Member, Indian Rural Education Committee.
Further reading
- Michael Young, The Elmhirsts Of Dartington, The Creation Of A Utopian Community, Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1982