Herbert Kynaston
Encyclopedia
Herbert Kynaston was high-master (headmaster) of St Paul's School, London, for 38 years. He was also a priest in the Church of England
and a prebendary
in St. Paul's Cathedral.
in 1809 and educated at Westminster School
from 1823. He was admitted to Christ Church, Oxford
, in 1827, and matriculated on 30 May. He obtained the college prize for Latin verse (subject, Scythæ Nomades) in 1829, took a first-class in Classics
in 1831, and was appointed tutor and Greek reader in 1836. He graduated B.A.
in 1831, M.A. in 1833, and B.D.
and D.D. in 1849.
At the university he was select preacher in 1841, and was subsequently a lecturer at his college in philology
, a subject to which he was much devoted, and to which he continually directed the attention of his pupils. In 1834 he was ordained, and served as curate
of Culham
, Oxfordshire. Four years later, at the early age of twenty-eight, he was elected to the high-mastership of St. Paul's School, London, on the retirement of Dr John Sleath. During the thirty-eight years of his successful rule he numbered among his scholars many who grew up to be distinguished men. Messieurs Demogeot and Montucci, the French commissioners who visited the school in 1866, especially mention the paternal manner in which the high-master dealt with the boys. Lord Truro, an Old Pauline, presented him in 1850 to the city living of St. Nicholas Cole Abbey
, with St. Nicholas Olave, which he held until the parishes were amalgamated with St. Mary Somerset
in 1866. He resigned the mastership of St. Paul's in 1876, and the only preferment which he held at the time of his death was the prebendal stall of Holborn
in St. Paul's Cathedral, to which he was presented by Bishop Blomfield in July 1853.
, on 26 October 1878, and was buried at Friern Barnet
on 2 November. He had married in 1838 Elizabeth Selina, daughter of Hugh Kennedy of Cultra
, co. Down
.
Kynaston's taste and scholarship led to his selection as a candidate for the chair of poetry
at Oxford in 1867, but he was defeated by his college contemporary, Sir Francis Hastings Doyle. Few scholars of his age surpassed him as a composer of Latin verse. He was the author of numerous poetical compositions in praise of Dean Colet, the founder of St. Paul's School, which were produced each year at the apposition. Among these the Number of the Fish, 1855, and the Lays of the Seven Half-centuries, written for the seventh jubilee (1859), are the best known. To the outer world he was most familiar as a writer and translator of hymns. In the library at St. Paul's School are an engraved portrait of Kynaston and a marble bust by G. Halse.
Besides a number of minor pieces in pamphlet form, among which Coleti Torquis, 1867, Comitiorum Coletinorum Intermissio, 1871,Missiones Coletinæ, 1873, Coleti Sepulcrum, 1873, may be mentioned, Kynaston also wrote a long series of Latin hymns in the Guardian, the last of which, entitled Ichthyōn katalogos, was recited at the ‘Winter Speeches’ of 1876, when Kynaston retired from office.
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
and a prebendary
Prebendary
A prebendary is a post connected to an Anglican or Catholic cathedral or collegiate church and is a type of canon. Prebendaries have a role in the administration of the cathedral...
in St. Paul's Cathedral.
Biography
Kynaston, second son of Roger Kynaston, by his marriage to Georgiana, third daughter of Sir Charles Oakeley, governor of Madras, was born at WarwickWarwick
Warwick is the county town of Warwickshire, England. The town lies upon the River Avon, south of Coventry and just west of Leamington Spa and Whitnash with which it is conjoined. As of the 2001 United Kingdom census, it had a population of 23,350...
in 1809 and educated at Westminster School
Westminster School
The Royal College of St. Peter in Westminster, almost always known as Westminster School, is one of Britain's leading independent schools, with the highest Oxford and Cambridge acceptance rate of any secondary school or college in Britain...
from 1823. He was admitted to Christ Church, Oxford
Christ Church, Oxford
Christ Church or house of Christ, and thus sometimes known as The House), is one of the largest constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England...
, in 1827, and matriculated on 30 May. He obtained the college prize for Latin verse (subject, Scythæ Nomades) in 1829, took a first-class in Classics
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 1831, and was appointed tutor and Greek reader in 1836. He graduated B.A.
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in 1831, M.A. in 1833, and B.D.
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....
and D.D. in 1849.
At the university he was select preacher in 1841, and was subsequently a lecturer at his college in philology
Philology
Philology is the study of language in written historical sources; it is a combination of literary studies, history and linguistics.Classical philology is the philology of Greek and Classical Latin...
, a subject to which he was much devoted, and to which he continually directed the attention of his pupils. In 1834 he was ordained, and served as curate
Curate
A curate is a person who is invested with the care or cure of souls of a parish. In this sense "curate" correctly means a parish priest but in English-speaking countries a curate is an assistant to the parish priest...
of Culham
Culham
Culham is a village and civil parish on the north bank of the River Thames, just over south of Abingdon in Oxfordshire.-Manor:The toponym comes from the Old English Cula's hamm, referring to the village's position in a bend of the Thames...
, Oxfordshire. Four years later, at the early age of twenty-eight, he was elected to the high-mastership of St. Paul's School, London, on the retirement of Dr John Sleath. During the thirty-eight years of his successful rule he numbered among his scholars many who grew up to be distinguished men. Messieurs Demogeot and Montucci, the French commissioners who visited the school in 1866, especially mention the paternal manner in which the high-master dealt with the boys. Lord Truro, an Old Pauline, presented him in 1850 to the city living of St. Nicholas Cole Abbey
St. Nicholas Cole Abbey
St. Nicholas Cole Abbey is a church in the City of London located on what is now Queen Victoria Street. Recorded from the twelfth century, the church was destroyed in the Great Fire of London in 1666 and rebuilt by the office of Sir Christopher Wren...
, with St. Nicholas Olave, which he held until the parishes were amalgamated with St. Mary Somerset
St. Mary Somerset
St. Mary Somerset was a church in the City of London first recorded in the twelfth century. Destroyed in the Great Fire of 1666, it was one of the 51 churches rebuilt by the office of Sir Christopher Wren...
in 1866. He resigned the mastership of St. Paul's in 1876, and the only preferment which he held at the time of his death was the prebendal stall of Holborn
Holborn
Holborn is an area of Central London. Holborn is also the name of the area's principal east-west street, running as High Holborn from St Giles's High Street to Gray's Inn Road and then on to Holborn Viaduct...
in St. Paul's Cathedral, to which he was presented by Bishop Blomfield in July 1853.
Death and legacy
He died at 31 Alfred Place West, South KensingtonSouth Kensington
South Kensington is a district in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in London. It is a built-up area located 2.4 miles west south-west of Charing Cross....
, on 26 October 1878, and was buried at Friern Barnet
Friern Barnet
Friern Barnet is a place in the London Borough of Barnet. It is a suburban development situated north of Charing Cross. The centre of Friern Barnet is formed by the busy intersection of Colney Hatch Lane , Woodhouse Road and Friern Barnet Road .-History:Friern Barnet was an...
on 2 November. He had married in 1838 Elizabeth Selina, daughter of Hugh Kennedy of Cultra
Cultra
Cultra is a residential suburban area adjacent to Holywood, County Down, Northern Ireland, part of Greater Belfast. It is also the name of an electoral ward of North Down Borough Council. It is comfortably one of Northern Ireland's most affluent areas...
, co. Down
County Down
-Cities:*Belfast *Newry -Large towns:*Dundonald*Newtownards*Bangor-Medium towns:...
.
Kynaston's taste and scholarship led to his selection as a candidate for the chair of poetry
Oxford Professor of Poetry
The chair of Professor of Poetry at the University of Oxford is an unusual academic appointment, now held for a term of five years, and chosen through an election open to all members of Convocation, namely, all graduates and current academics of the university; in 2010, on-line voting was allowed....
at Oxford in 1867, but he was defeated by his college contemporary, Sir Francis Hastings Doyle. Few scholars of his age surpassed him as a composer of Latin verse. He was the author of numerous poetical compositions in praise of Dean Colet, the founder of St. Paul's School, which were produced each year at the apposition. Among these the Number of the Fish, 1855, and the Lays of the Seven Half-centuries, written for the seventh jubilee (1859), are the best known. To the outer world he was most familiar as a writer and translator of hymns. In the library at St. Paul's School are an engraved portrait of Kynaston and a marble bust by G. Halse.
Works
- Psittaco suum Chaire, 1840.
- Miscellaneous Poetry, 1841 (contains reminiscences of his life as a curate).
- Prolusiones Literariæ in D. Pauli Schola recitatæ comitiis maximis, 1841.
- Terentii Adelphorum Prologus et Epilogus, 1842.
- Strena Poetica, 1849.
- Commemoration Address in praise of Dean Colet, 1852.
- Ho Arithmos tōn ichthyōn. By the Scholæ Paulinæ Piscator primarius, 1856.
- ‘'Ipsum Audite. Hymnus super fundatione D. Pauli Scholæ, 1857.
- The Glory of Paradise. By Peter Damiani, edited, with a translation, 1857.
- Puerorum centum quinquaginta trium canticum centenarium. Rhythmus in D. Pauli Scholæ auditorio modis admixtis recitatus, 1858.
- Rete Coletinum, 1861.
- Saturnalium Intermissio. Carmen Latinum in divi Pauli Schola recitatum, 1862.
- Occasional Hymns. Original and Translated, 1862; 2nd ser. 1864.
- The Number of the Fish. A Poem on St. Paul's School, 1864.
- Doce, Disce aut Discede. Carmen elegiacum anniversarium, 1864.
- Cantica Coletina, quotidiana anniversaria centenaria, 1867.
Besides a number of minor pieces in pamphlet form, among which Coleti Torquis, 1867, Comitiorum Coletinorum Intermissio, 1871,Missiones Coletinæ, 1873, Coleti Sepulcrum, 1873, may be mentioned, Kynaston also wrote a long series of Latin hymns in the Guardian, the last of which, entitled Ichthyōn katalogos, was recited at the ‘Winter Speeches’ of 1876, when Kynaston retired from office.