[Ackworth School, near Pontefract, Yorkshire, Quaker school founded 1779.] 19 related items, including 13 intimate letters from headmaster Frederick Andrews to Robert Henry Marsh, and four printed items, including a 1929 illustrated account.

An interesting collection of material relating to a significant school, including thirteen items of correspondence from a notable headmaster, and four printed items, two of them scarce. Founded by Benjamin Franklin’s friend Dr John Fothergill in 1779 (see his entry in the Oxford DNB), Ackworth is the second-oldest of the seven English Quaker schools. (See Fothergill’s entry in the Oxford DNB. Franklin could ‘hardly conceive that a better man ever existed’.) Originally a co-educational boarding school, it is now a Girls’ boarding and day school. Notable alumni include the radical Liberal politician and orator John Bright, the founder of the Economist James Wilson, the essayist E. V. Lucas and the modernist poet Basil Bunting. According to Item Nineteen below ‘The Yearly Meeting of the Society of Friends decided in 1777 that it was desirable to establish a boarding school for the education of the children of its members. / It was this decision which led Dr. John Fothergill to purchase for seven thousand pounds the strong stone building at Ackworth; a building which accommodated three hundred children, and had been established by the Foundling Hospital in London, eighteen years before, as a country branch at a cost of seventeen thousand pounds.’ Benjamin Franklin’s high praise Fothergill is quoted in the same source: ‘If we estimate the goodness of a man by his disposition to do good, I can hardly conceive that a better man ever existed.’ The present collection of nineteen items (the last four of which are printed, the rest being in manuscript) appear to derive from the papers of Robert Henry Marsh (b. 1856), close friend and joint executor of Frederick Andrews (1850-1922), headmaster of Ackworth School between 1877 and 1920. The overall condition of the collection is fair. The first thirteen items are intimate letters from Andrews to Marsh, not only providing interesting information regarding the running of the school, but also dealing with with personal matters such as the death of his wife Anna Maria (1846-1888; née Lean; married in 1877 and known to pupils as ‘Miss McWopper’). Item Fifteen is a letter Andrews’ biographer Isaac Henry Wallis (‘Frederick Andrews of Ackworth’, London: Longmans, 1924), thanking Marsh for sight of the letters. Andrews’ thirteen letters (Items One to Thirteen below) total 53pp, 12mo. While in fair overall condition, some have suffered minor loss from punch holes and damage from paper clips. All are signed ‘F. Andrews’, with seven addressed to ‘Dear Robert’ and six to ‘Dear R.’ ONE: 10 April 1888. With regard to his wife Anna Maria, Andrews writes: ‘Dear Robert. / It is because I have had no good news to send that I have shrunk from writing. We have been getting increasingly anxious about A. M. & a fortnight ago again went to Leeds for advice - On Saturday I took her over to apartments in Leeds & yesterday Dr. Teale, Dr. Wheelhouse & Dr. Woods held a consultation. You will be grieved to hear that they unanimously pronounce it Cancer of so widespread a nature as to render any operat[io]n utterly useless to stay the progress of the disease. All agree that it is a most unusual case - discharging abscesses not existing usually with malignant growth.’ All that can be done is to ‘ease the passage’ to ‘the haven of rest’. He praises ‘the quiet way A. M. bore the news wh. has not been unexpected by us’. After reporting her pious response to the news he writes: ‘I never read or saw anything more beautiful than her calm resignation to God’s will.’ TWO: 18 April 1888. Amid the expression of pious sentiments he reports ‘Dr. Wheelhouse & Teale’s strong expression of opinion’ that he should not ‘harrass her with attempted remedies’. THREE: 9 October 1888. His wife now being dead, he has ‘sent a cheque or £30 to the N. E. Hospital towards which I have either recd. or been promised £26 odd’. He proceeds to discuss what would seem to be a plan for a mission among the poor: ‘the idea of doing something in this direct[io]n arose independently of Mrs Andrews illness - suggested partly by the Public Schools’ Missions - partly by the terrible depths of misery & vice untouched by Christianity freshly brought under notice during the last few weeks’. ‘As regards the future my original plan was to restrict the subscript[io]n to prevent A. Scholars as the object was to bring them into practical sympathy with the poor & distressed - to sow the seeds of a benificent Xtianity in their young minds wh. might bring forth fruit in later life. But now that we have linked A. M.’s name & memory with it - it does seem very fitting that the Old Scholars shd. contribute - for many of them remember her - & so if your branch & the General Associat[io]n. were wiling to make an annual grant say of £2 & £5 respectvely, it wd. be very grateful to me’. He continues with talk of his plans and grief. FOUR: 12 December 1889. Marsh’s seasonal gift of a ‘very handsme pocket bk’ will remind him ‘of our close and long-continued friendship. FIVE: 2 January 1897. He describes ‘a merry party - wh. breaks up today’, before continuing (with regard to a son?), ‘Did you see what honours Herb. carried off fr. York - He is not only top of the school but - he won the £10 prize offd by Old Sch. for the best N. H. & leisure hour exhibits - amounting in money to over £3. - He had a capital archaeological diary, with orig. photos - drawings &c a unique collect[io]n. of plants - classified acc. to nat. orders & illust[rate]d. by drawings - a coll. of shells - some sheets of illust[ratio]ns. of eggs - painted by himself - over 200 brasses - some 3 or 4 life size - & some glorious photos. One enlargement of Lincoln Cath. doorway he has given me wh. is a beauty - I feel quite proud of him - This next term he must throw himself into matric. work.’ SIX: 3 August 1897. He is moved by Marsh’s ‘offer re. Herbert’, who will ‘see Margaret to London (Monday 9th) - deposit his things at Chalfont House & her at Cannon St. for Croydon - (she is going with Marion Merrell to Switzerland) & reach your office in time for any train you name.’ SEVEN: 11 December 1898. Asking him to examine a book in Mudies, and discusses joining the London Library. ‘I am dreadfully cut up to see the honoured name of Braithwaite dragged thro’ the mire of the law courts - I hope there is another side wh. the jury failed to see.’ EIGHT: 23 January 1899. Following an enjoyable visit (to Marsh in London) he writes: ‘If an odd week end you can get Herbt. to go out & breathe your pure air I shall be glad’. NINE: 17 February 1899. Regarding a future audit he mentions ‘T. W.’s return’ and the fact that ‘Mr. Simpson’ is ‘rather at sea [...] He is a very pleasant fellow but slow & not very smart!’ He laments the lack of two titles in the London Library. TEN: 18 March 1889. In the course of personal news he writes: ‘The last few days my thoughts have been much occupied - & I have been worried - Beatrice C. has become engaged - & I cannot feel quite happy abt. it - One of our masters Jno. E. Smith - brother of Wm. Ford Smith of long ago - P[enkeble?] trained a kind fellow - & handy - but not clever - & not a gifted teacher - means I fear 5 or 6 yrs. wait & then “augusta res domi” - but she is very much set up - & he has been after her it seems for years - & I have been utterly blind & so we will hope for the best. I am as fond of B. as if she were my own child & so you will understand a little of my feelings - It is now public’. ELEVEN: 11 May 1899. Long letter (8pp) about school business. He intends to prepare ‘the minutes of the Ed[ucation]. B[oar]d - they may I think well be brief this year - I think it wd. be a very good idea to leave A. S. out of the summary on the ground that the rep. is read in extenso.’ He continues with comments on school matters. ‘The rept. was signed by all the ass. comtee. including F. Thorp & J. Pumphrey - orthodox Frds! [i.e. ‘Friends’ or Quakers] It is a quest[io]n. of confidence in comtee & us!, and I think we shall carry it - tho’ they are good fighters. H. N. wrote to the comtee. & Arthur Midgeley attended to back Sherrell up - first time for some years - Only other support fr. women Frds.’ Elsewhere he writes: ‘The com. handed over the £1000 to building fund - it was thought to be “providential”! so H. I. F G. & J. H. went for it - During the Com. C. Brady leaned over & said to me “shall we propose to grant £500 of the legacy towards building fund”. I repd. they are going for it all! and they went!’ TWELVE: 19 September 1899. Begins by stating that he is summoning ‘our subcom. to meet Wedy. morning say 12 oclk. & see if we can suggest anything - I am not sanguine like J. B. B. I wish there were more likeminded with him.’ We must avoid the failure of our last “central fund” when the money had to be returned.’ He contrasts the salaries of his Quaker teachers with those of the orthodox church: ‘I have little doubt the average of our salaries is higher than the av. outside - but then good men are available on their way to “Orders” & there are surely deaneries & Bishoprics for headmasters & country livings for others, wh[ich]. stand in lieu of old age pensions’. THIRTEEN: 22 November 1900. After talk of contributions he writes: ‘With regard to the Fund, I will do my best & after your vigorous advocacy I feel somewhat like Galahad under the gentler persuasive power of the “wan sweet maiden” who sent the deathless passion in her eyes thro him - & he believed in her beliefs’. He has been in Manchester ‘for 1 1/2 days - attending Temp. conference there - I was a guest of Alfd. Simpson’s - he has just built a new house - very beaut. - went to the Reform Club to lunch, & met Wm. S. - He took me to the Science & Art. museum, where is the beaut. tapestry of Morris after design of Burne Jones - the Adorat[io]n. of the Magi - lovely thing - “Presented by a citizen of Mchr. in memory of his mother” - no clue - perhaps you know it was given by Wm. S.’ FOURTEEN: Carbon of Autograph Letter Signed from Andrews to ‘My dear Friend’. 10 February 1897. 7pp, 12mo. Double-paged on four 8vo leaves. Discoloured, stained and chipped at edges. A heavily-faded copy, and so difficult (but not impossible) to decipher. Appears to concern teaching salaries, ‘poverty & celibacy’, with regard to a number of individuals including ‘Geo. F. Armitage & Dr. More O’Brien’ and the Archbishop of York. The following four items, Sixteen to Nineteen, are printed. FIFTEEN: Autograph Letter Signed from ‘I. H. W.’ (Andrews’ biographer Isaac Henry Wallis) to ‘R H M’ (Robert Henry Marsh). 28 October 1924; on letterhead of Crow Hill, Mansfield. Wallis is returning ‘more letters of yours & important’, and thanks Marsh for his help (with the biography). Postscript: ‘Election here / Conserv & Lab. / I have decided NOT to vote.’ SIXTEEN: ‘1899. / Ackworth School. / Lists of Boys & Girls arranged in Classes.’ Mc.Gowan, Printer, Pontefract. 7 pp., narrow half-12mo. With slightly rusty staples and two punch holes affecting a few letters of text. No other copy traced on either WorldCat or JISC LHD. SEVENTEEN: ‘Ackworth School / Athletic Sports / Held at Ackworth, / March 30th to April 4th, / 1914.’ W. Mc.Gowan, Printer, Pontefract. 12pp, 12mo. Stapled. On discoloured thick paper, slightly worn at head and foot. Some annotation in ink and pen. No other copy traced on either WorldCat or JISC LHD. Details of winners in sports including ‘Kicking the Football’ and ‘Throwing Cricket Ball’. EIGHTEEN: ‘Ackworth Cousins / A Comedietta of a Friendly Character in two Scenes / by / D. and M. / [...] / Played at Ackworth Easter Schol on three before Ackworth old scholars.’ London: The Swarthmore Press Ltd., 72, Oxford Street, W.1.’ 32pp, 12mo. Stitched. In covers which have become separated from one another and the text. Six copies on JISC LHD. The front cover has an illustration of a regency man and woman back to back in silhouette, and reproduces the title with minor variations, including the fact that the piece was ‘Played at Ackworth Easter Gatherings’. NINETEEN: ‘Ackworth School / 1779 1929’. Printed in 1929 by William Sessions Ltd., The Ebor Press, York. 48pp, 8vo. Stitched with dark blue string into light blue wraps. A handsome production on shiny art paper, with numerous illustrations of the school, its staff, children and activities, including full-page captioned photographs of the staff in 1879 and 1929. In good internal condition, in somewhat worn wraps. Leaf with printed notice (1p, 12mo) regarding subscription by Ernest E. Taylor, Clerk to the Committee loosely inserted. Divided into six sections: Historical Survey; Ackworth and Modern Education; Leisure Hour Pursuits; Games; The A.O.S.A.; and Ackworth Scholars as Citizens. The last section has full-page accounts of seven male scholars including John Bright, the founder of the Economist and Financial Secretary to the Treasury James Wilson and Sir James Reckitt. A list of ‘Ackworth Authors’ includes the essayist E. V. Lucas, the translator of Tasso J. H. Wiffen, the editor of ‘John o’ London’ Wilfred Whitten, and the heraldic authority A. C. Fox Davies.