Charles John Vaughan
Encyclopedia
Charles John Vaughan was an English
scholar and churchman.
He was educated at Rugby School
and Cambridge
, where he was bracketed senior classic with Lord Lyttelton in 1838. In 1839 he was elected fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge
, and for a short time studied law
. He took orders in 1841, and became vicar of St Martin's, Leicester
. Three years later he was elected headmaster of Harrow School
. He resigned the headship in 1859 and accepted the bishopric of Rochester, but afterwards withdrew his acceptance. In 1860 he was appointed vicar of Doncaster. He was appointed master of the Temple in 1869, and dean of Llandaff
in 1879. In 1894 he was elected president of University College, Cardiff
, in recognition of the prominent part he took in its foundation.
Vaughan was a well-known Broad Church
man, an eloquent preacher and an able writer on theological
subjects, his numerous works including lectures, commentaries and sermons;
He married in 1850 Catherine Maria Stanley, youngest daughter of Edward Stanley
, Bishop of Norwich.
was unknown. Speculation ranged from exhaustion to his pious attempt to rein in his ambition, from an entry in the Dictionary of National Biography
which states that Vaughan engaged in 'a severe struggle with his ambition'. This ended when Phyllis Grosskurth
discovered the diaries of John Addington Symonds
, who attended Harrow School while Vaughan was headmaster.
Harrow in the 1840s and 1850s was, despite its ostensibly reformed veneer, filled with what the rumour-mills called "sexual irregularities". Jonathan Gathorne-Hardy calls it "an adolescent boy's jungle; a jungle where lust and brute strength raged completely unrestrained". The attractive students were each given a female nickname and were either made public property, in which case they were forced into acts of obscenity in public and elsewhere, or they were made the "bitch" of an older student. The line between lust and loathing was very thin, as observed by Symonds in the case of a boy whose lovers, each a monitor, turned on him to spit, kick, or throw books. As for Symonds, he himself was propositioned numerous times, but managed to be left alone.
Vaughan's response to this environment seemed to be all upstanding disapproval. A schoolmaster at Harrow intercepted a note being passed between two of the boys, and then passed it along to Vaughan himself. He summoned the whole school immediately, and read the whole letter aloud. He then banned the sending of such letters, and the use of female names, and flogged both culprits.
Through all of this Vaughan was, in the words of Gathorne-Hardy, "... not for the first time... in the grip of a devastating physical passion which he was completely unable to control." In early 1858, Alfred Pretor (b. 1840), a spirited, good-looking friend of J. A. Symonds, sent Symonds a letter, telling him that he was having an affair with his Headmaster, Vaughan. Symonds, thinking it was inconceivable, didn't believe him. Pretor then showed him several love letters, and Symonds was shocked. He remained stunned, and did not mention the incident for over a year, though he dwelled upon it. Symonds was, at the time, struggling with his growing awareness of his own homosexuality, and his guilt over these feelings seemed to transfer into guilt over not revealing Vaughan's. Finally, in 1859, he blurted out the whole story to the Corpus Professor of Latin at Oxford
, John Conington
. Conington, appalled, encouraged Symonds to tell his father. He did.
Symonds did not hesitate, and immediately wrote to Vaughan to inform him that he knew of his behaviour with Pretor. He would not expose him publicly, as long as Vaughan agreed to resign at once. After a long confrontation, about which nothing is known, Vaughan agreed. On 16 September Vaughan sent a circular to the parents. It read: "I have resolved after much deliberation, to take that opportunity of relieving myself from the long pressure of these heavy duties and anxious responsibilities which are inseparable from such an office, even under the most favourable circumstances."
Four years later, in 1863, Vaughan accepted the position of Bishop of Rochester
, perhaps thinking that after this time Symonds would have relented his command that Vaughan also never hold any high position in the church. After Symonds heard the news, he immediately telegrammed Vaughan, ordering him to resign or risk public exposure. So he resigned again.
That the scandal remained unknown up until the 20th century is remarkable. There were some leaks from Pretor’s boasting, which he bitterly regretted. Pretor was furious about Symonds’s part in the scandal and refused to speak to him ever again. Still, the secret was kept. Horatio Brown
, Symonds’s biographer, good friend and literary executor, skipped the Harrow years, saying merely “The autobiography of the Harrow period is not copious”. Upon his death Vaughan had all papers destroyed and forbade any biographies of him to be written.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
scholar and churchman.
He was educated at 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 Cambridge
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
, where he was bracketed senior classic with Lord Lyttelton in 1838. In 1839 he was elected fellow of 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...
, and for a short time studied law
Law
Law is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior, wherever possible. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a social mediator of relations between people. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus...
. He took orders in 1841, and became vicar of St Martin's, Leicester
Leicester
Leicester is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England, and the county town of Leicestershire. The city lies on the River Soar and at the edge of the National Forest...
. Three years later he was elected headmaster of Harrow School
Harrow School
Harrow School, commonly known simply as "Harrow", is an English independent school for boys situated in the town of Harrow, in north-west London.. The school is of worldwide renown. There is some evidence that there has been a school on the site since 1243 but the Harrow School we know today was...
. He resigned the headship in 1859 and accepted the bishopric of Rochester, but afterwards withdrew his acceptance. In 1860 he was appointed vicar of Doncaster. He was appointed master of the Temple in 1869, and dean of Llandaff
Llandaff Cathedral
Llandaff Cathedral is the seat of the Bishop of Llandaff, head of the Church in Wales Diocese of Llandaff. It is situated in the district of Llandaff in the city of Cardiff, the capital of Wales. The current building was constructed in the 12th century over the site of an earlier church...
in 1879. In 1894 he was elected president of University College, Cardiff
Cardiff University
Cardiff University is a leading research university located in the Cathays Park area of Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom. It received its Royal charter in 1883 and is a member of the Russell Group of Universities. The university is consistently recognised as providing high quality research-based...
, in recognition of the prominent part he took in its foundation.
Vaughan was a well-known Broad Church
Broad church
Broad church is a term referring to latitudinarian churchmanship in the Church of England, in particular, and Anglicanism, in general. From this, the term is often used to refer to secular political organisations, meaning that they encompass a broad range of opinion.-Usage:After the terms high...
man, an eloquent preacher and an able writer on theological
Theology
Theology is the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university or school of divinity or seminary.-Definition:Augustine of Hippo...
subjects, his numerous works including lectures, commentaries and sermons;
He married in 1850 Catherine Maria Stanley, youngest daughter of Edward Stanley
Edward Stanley (bishop)
Edward Stanley FRS was a British clergyman and Bishop of Norwich between 1837 and 1849.Born in London into a notable Cheshire family, Stanley was the second son of Sir John Stanley, 6th Baronet, and the younger brother of John Stanley, 1st Baron Stanley of Alderley.Educated at St John's College,...
, Bishop of Norwich.
Scandal at Harrow
Until the 1970s the reason for Vaughan's resignation from Harrow SchoolHarrow School
Harrow School, commonly known simply as "Harrow", is an English independent school for boys situated in the town of Harrow, in north-west London.. The school is of worldwide renown. There is some evidence that there has been a school on the site since 1243 but the Harrow School we know today was...
was unknown. Speculation ranged from exhaustion to his pious attempt to rein in his ambition, from an entry in the Dictionary of National Biography
Dictionary of National Biography
The Dictionary of National Biography is a standard work of reference on notable figures from British history, published from 1885...
which states that Vaughan engaged in 'a severe struggle with his ambition'. This ended when Phyllis Grosskurth
Phyllis Grosskurth
Phyllis M. Grosskurth, is a Canadian biographer.Born in Toronto, Ontario, she received a Bachelor of Arts degree, honours English from the University of Toronto and a Master of Arts degree from the University of Ottawa...
discovered the diaries of John Addington Symonds
John Addington Symonds
John Addington Symonds was an English poet and literary critic. Although he married and had a family, he was an early advocate of male love , which he believed could include pederastic as well as egalitarian relationships. He referred to it as l'amour de l'impossible...
, who attended Harrow School while Vaughan was headmaster.
Harrow in the 1840s and 1850s was, despite its ostensibly reformed veneer, filled with what the rumour-mills called "sexual irregularities". Jonathan Gathorne-Hardy calls it "an adolescent boy's jungle; a jungle where lust and brute strength raged completely unrestrained". The attractive students were each given a female nickname and were either made public property, in which case they were forced into acts of obscenity in public and elsewhere, or they were made the "bitch" of an older student. The line between lust and loathing was very thin, as observed by Symonds in the case of a boy whose lovers, each a monitor, turned on him to spit, kick, or throw books. As for Symonds, he himself was propositioned numerous times, but managed to be left alone.
Vaughan's response to this environment seemed to be all upstanding disapproval. A schoolmaster at Harrow intercepted a note being passed between two of the boys, and then passed it along to Vaughan himself. He summoned the whole school immediately, and read the whole letter aloud. He then banned the sending of such letters, and the use of female names, and flogged both culprits.
Through all of this Vaughan was, in the words of Gathorne-Hardy, "... not for the first time... in the grip of a devastating physical passion which he was completely unable to control." In early 1858, Alfred Pretor (b. 1840), a spirited, good-looking friend of J. A. Symonds, sent Symonds a letter, telling him that he was having an affair with his Headmaster, Vaughan. Symonds, thinking it was inconceivable, didn't believe him. Pretor then showed him several love letters, and Symonds was shocked. He remained stunned, and did not mention the incident for over a year, though he dwelled upon it. Symonds was, at the time, struggling with his growing awareness of his own homosexuality, and his guilt over these feelings seemed to transfer into guilt over not revealing Vaughan's. Finally, in 1859, he blurted out the whole story to the Corpus Professor of Latin at Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
, John Conington
John Conington
John Conington was an English classical scholar.He was born at Boston in Lincolnshire, and is said to have learned the alphabet at fourteen months, and to have been reading well at three and a half...
. Conington, appalled, encouraged Symonds to tell his father. He did.
Symonds did not hesitate, and immediately wrote to Vaughan to inform him that he knew of his behaviour with Pretor. He would not expose him publicly, as long as Vaughan agreed to resign at once. After a long confrontation, about which nothing is known, Vaughan agreed. On 16 September Vaughan sent a circular to the parents. It read: "I have resolved after much deliberation, to take that opportunity of relieving myself from the long pressure of these heavy duties and anxious responsibilities which are inseparable from such an office, even under the most favourable circumstances."
Four years later, in 1863, Vaughan accepted the position of Bishop of Rochester
Bishop of Rochester
The Bishop of Rochester is the ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Rochester in the Province of Canterbury.The diocese covers the west of the county of Kent and is centred in the city of Rochester where the bishop's seat is located at the Cathedral Church of Christ and the Blessed Virgin...
, perhaps thinking that after this time Symonds would have relented his command that Vaughan also never hold any high position in the church. After Symonds heard the news, he immediately telegrammed Vaughan, ordering him to resign or risk public exposure. So he resigned again.
That the scandal remained unknown up until the 20th century is remarkable. There were some leaks from Pretor’s boasting, which he bitterly regretted. Pretor was furious about Symonds’s part in the scandal and refused to speak to him ever again. Still, the secret was kept. Horatio Brown
Horatio Brown
Horatio Robert Forbes Brown was a Scottish historian who specialized in the history of Venice and Italy.Born in Nice, he grew up in Midlothian, Scotland, was educated in England at Clifton and Oxford, and spent most of his life in Venice, publishing several books about the city...
, Symonds’s biographer, good friend and literary executor, skipped the Harrow years, saying merely “The autobiography of the Harrow period is not copious”. Upon his death Vaughan had all papers destroyed and forbade any biographies of him to be written.
See also
- The Fall of Doctor OnslowThe Fall of Doctor OnslowThe Fall of Doctor Onslow is a novel by Frances Vernon, published in 1994. Many of its characters are loosely based on real people, sometimes with names changed.-Plot summary:...
by Frances VernonFrances VernonFrances Vernon was a British novelist. She wrote her first novel Privileged Children at the age of sixteen. It won the Author's Club First Novel Award. She studied at New Hall, Cambridge, but soon left to continue her writing...
is a novel loosely based on events surrounding Vaughan's resignation from Harrow.