William Henry Balgarnie
Encyclopedia
William Henry Balgarnie (12 May 1869 – c. July 1951) was a schoolmaster at Elmfield College
and The Leys School
, and is believed to have been the inspiration for the character Mr Chips in the book Goodbye, Mr. Chips
, written by one of this students at The Leys, James Hilton
.
, the son of a Presbyterian minister, Balgarnie studied at and taught at Elmfield College before going to The Leys. In the 1890s he gathered with other Old Elmfieldians in London for a country walk followed by tea, which was invariably accompanied with recitations and ballads around the piano.
Balgarnie was the first Elmfieldian M.A. (1891), and went from Elmfield to Fowey Grammar School, in Cornwall
.
In 1894, Balgarnie was awarded a sizar
ship at Trinity College, Cambridge
, from which he duly exited with an first-class Honours degree in classics. There he met W. W. Gibberd, the mathematician, through the Cambridge University Hare and Hounds
, the cross-country club.
What must be unique to Balgarnie is that he was followed at Trinity by his elder brother, Edward, who entered Trinity in 1897 at the age of 30. (Balgarnie had been 25, itself a somewhat advanced age.)
Thus, although not intellectually outstanding, before he was 30 Balgarnie was associated with three universities - he had M.A.s from London and Cambridge, and had worked for a year or two as assistant Professor of Greek
at Glasgow University under the young Gilbert Murray
. His academic output included translations of Sophocles
, Euripides
and Lysias
.
He died at Porthmadog
, Wales, after a heart attack.
was a governor at both Elmfield and the Leys.
Balgarnie was educated at and himself taught at Elmfield. One Elmfieldian who followed him to the Leys was Harold Rose
.
, who said he based the character Mr. Chipping in his novel Goodbye Mr. Chips on Balgarnie. Although Mr. Chipping was based on others Balgarnie had known.
Elmfield College
Elmfield College, York , originally called "Connexional College" or "Jubilee College" in honour of the Primitive Methodist Silver Jubilee in 1860, was a Primitive Methodist college on the outskirts of Heworth, York, England, near Monk Stray.-Primitive Methodism in York:The college was a national...
and The Leys School
The Leys School
The Leys School is a co-educational Independent school, located in Cambridge, England, and is a day and boarding school for about 550 pupils aged between 11 and 18 years...
, and is believed to have been the inspiration for the character Mr Chips in the book Goodbye, Mr. Chips
Goodbye, Mr. Chips
Goodbye, Mr. Chips is a novel by James Hilton, published in the United States in June 1934 by Little, Brown and Company and in the United Kingdom in October of that same year by Hodder & Stoughton...
, written by one of this students at The Leys, James Hilton
James Hilton
James Hilton was an English novelist who wrote several best-sellers, including Lost Horizon and Goodbye, Mr. Chips.-Biography:...
.
Life
Born at WoolwichWoolwich
Woolwich is a district in south London, England, located in the London Borough of Greenwich. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London.Woolwich formed part of Kent until 1889 when the County of London was created...
, the son of a Presbyterian minister, Balgarnie studied at and taught at Elmfield College before going to The Leys. In the 1890s he gathered with other Old Elmfieldians in London for a country walk followed by tea, which was invariably accompanied with recitations and ballads around the piano.
Balgarnie was the first Elmfieldian M.A. (1891), and went from Elmfield to Fowey Grammar School, in Cornwall
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
.
In 1894, Balgarnie was awarded a sizar
Sizar
At Trinity College, Dublin and the University of Cambridge, a sizar is a student who receives some form of assistance such as meals, lower fees or lodging during his or her period of study, in some cases in return for doing a defined job....
ship at 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...
, from which he duly exited with an first-class Honours degree in classics. There he met W. W. Gibberd, the mathematician, through the Cambridge University Hare and Hounds
Cambridge University Hare and Hounds
Cambridge University Hare and Hounds is the University of Cambridge cross country running club. It has been providing training and competitions for its members since 7 February 1880. The club's activities are based at the University’s track facilities at Wilberforce Road off Madingley Road and the...
, the cross-country club.
What must be unique to Balgarnie is that he was followed at Trinity by his elder brother, Edward, who entered Trinity in 1897 at the age of 30. (Balgarnie had been 25, itself a somewhat advanced age.)
Thus, although not intellectually outstanding, before he was 30 Balgarnie was associated with three universities - he had M.A.s from London and Cambridge, and had worked for a year or two as assistant Professor of Greek
Professor of Greek, Glasgow
University of GlasgowUnder the Nova Erectio of King James VI the teaching of Greek was the responsibility of the Regents and from 1581 one of the Regents was sometimes given the title 'Professor of Greek'...
at Glasgow University under the young Gilbert Murray
Gilbert Murray
George Gilbert Aimé Murray, OM was an Australian born British classical scholar and public intellectual, with connections in many spheres. He was an outstanding scholar of the language and culture of Ancient Greece, perhaps the leading authority in the first half of the twentieth century...
. His academic output included translations of Sophocles
Sophocles
Sophocles is one of three ancient Greek tragedians whose plays have survived. His first plays were written later than those of Aeschylus, and earlier than or contemporary with those of Euripides...
, Euripides
Euripides
Euripides was one of the three great tragedians of classical Athens, the other two being Aeschylus and Sophocles. Some ancient scholars attributed ninety-five plays to him but according to the Suda it was ninety-two at most...
and Lysias
Lysias
Lysias was a logographer in Ancient Greece. He was one of the ten Attic orators included in the "Alexandrian Canon" compiled by Aristophanes of Byzantium and Aristarchus of Samothrace in the third century BC.-Life:According to Dionysius of Halicarnassus and the author of the life ascribed to...
.
He died at Porthmadog
Porthmadog
Porthmadog , known locally as "Port", and historically rendered into English as Portmadoc, is a small coastal town and community in the Eifionydd area of Gwynedd, in Wales. Prior to the Local Government Act 1972 it was in the administrative county of Caernarfonshire. The town lies east of...
, Wales, after a heart attack.
Leysian links with Elmfield College
Sir Dyson MallinsonDyson Mallinson
Sir Dyson Mallinson was a 19th century industrialist from Huddersfield, England, and the "father bountiful" of Elmfield College...
was a governor at both Elmfield and the Leys.
Balgarnie was educated at and himself taught at Elmfield. One Elmfieldian who followed him to the Leys was Harold Rose
Harold Rose
Harold Bernard Rose was an English football player and manager.-Playing career:Rose, who played as a centre half, played in the Football League for Reading and Bristol Rovers. He also played for Mid Rhondda United.-Coaching career:...
.
In popular culture
Among Balgarnie's students was James HiltonJames Hilton
James Hilton was an English novelist who wrote several best-sellers, including Lost Horizon and Goodbye, Mr. Chips.-Biography:...
, who said he based the character Mr. Chipping in his novel Goodbye Mr. Chips on Balgarnie. Although Mr. Chipping was based on others Balgarnie had known.