Henry J. Webb
Encyclopedia
Dr Henry John Webb BSc
Phd
M.R.A.S. (1846–1893) was a remarkable English scholar, who became a trained botanist before moving into medicine
. However, it was eventually agriculture
and the training of scientific, practical agriculturalists that eventually caught his imagination. In 1887 he accepted the position of Principal
to the Aspatria Agricultural College, a radical institution in the North of England, which a group of enthusiastic amateurs had established in 1874, for the purpose of training the sons of tenant farmers and farm labourers. In 1891 he became sole owner of the College, which he rebuilt and under his guidance it became one of the foremost seats of agricultural learning in England
. He was also a successful world record holding cyclist and tricyclist.
in 1846, the son of a Professor of Botany
and Rural
Economy
. He began his education at Blackheath
, where he passed the Oxford
and Cambridge
senior examination. On leaving school he became junior English and Science master at Cranford
College, Maidenhead
. After three years of teaching experience he gained a First Class pass in the matriculation
examination set by the University of London
. He also obtained a scholarship
in biology from the School of Mines, South Kensington
; where he studied Zoology
, Botany, Chemistry
, Experimental Physics
and Geology
. After three years study he entered University College, London. In 1884 he graduated in first place with a BSc
First Class Honours degree
in Botany. He also entered an examination for the Licentiate
of the College of Preceptors, where he took first place and the Council Prize for natural science. After a period of teaching, he entered University College Hospital
, where after two years he passed the examination of the College of Physicians and the intermediate examination for a Bachelor of Medicine. His next appointment was that of Professor of Animal morphology
and Physiology
at the Birkbeck Institute. During this period he also lectured on Botany at University College School. It was at this juncture that he became interested in agricultural education
and after passing an examination with honours at the South Kensington College he proceeded to France
to study a variety of agricultural teaching methods. In 1886, after attending Jena University in Germany
, he gained his Phd, writing a treatise
on the sexual differences of plants. Upon his return to England
, Webb applied for the vacant position of Principal
to the Aspatria Agricultural College and was accepted in the fore of 120 applicants. Shortly after taking over the role of Principal at Aspatria, he entered a government sponsored examination in the subjects of Agriculture and Agricultural Chemistry, where he finished in first place ahead of forty prominent entrants.
(1848 – 1883), the first recorded person to swim the English Channel, who later lost his life attempting to swim through the Whirlpool
rapids below Niagara Falls
. Henry was a celebrated athlete in his own right. He was the first to cycle the return journey between London
and Portsmouth
in a single day. In 1884, he won over £200 in prize money, winning the world 50 miles (80.5 km) tricycle
championship at the Crystal Palace
; and the 100 miles (160.9 km) national championship, which he completed on the Great North Road in 7 hours 35 minutes. Although he held world records at 1/4, 2, 15, 26 and 100 miles, his greatest sporting achievement came after he rode from Lands End to John O'Groats in a time of 7 days 58 minutes cutting 16 hours 47 minutes off the previous record; a phenomenal achievement, in the days before the invention of a freewheel
, braking being performed by back treading.
, the British Government instigated a Commission
under the chairmanship of Sir Richard Paget, 1st Baronet
, to enquire into the working activities of Agricultural Colleges and Dairy
Schools for the purpose of awarding Government grants. Previous to this report agriculture’s only support had been in the form of grants, awarded to maintain students sitting for the theoretical examination of the Science
and Arts
Department, South Kensington College, London (the S. & A.D.). The commissioners were very critical and highlighted the national cost of inadequate agricultural education and poor Dairy practice. Since the Aspatria Agricultural College was the only institution of its kind in England to provide agricultural education for the sons of tenant farmers and to give elementary instruction in science to farm labourers, Webb was called to give evidence. He described his views as contrary to those held by contemporary authorities in Leeds
, Newcastle
, Edinburgh
, and Cambridge. These administrations, he argued, promoted only scientific and theoretic instruction at the expense of practical work. Webb described his prime objective as reinforcing theoretical knowledge with the practical experience gained from daily instruction on farms, as embodied in the college motto "Scientia et Labore". He also stressed the importance of educating people, irrespective of their age. Webb’s advice appears to have carried favour, for the Commission recognised.
In their published report the Commission recognised many of the faults appertaining to agricultural education and recommended the need for state aid. Their primary proposal endorsed the immediate creation of five regional Dairy Schools in England. Each endowed with an annual working grant of £500. Grants were also available for purchasing buildings, while a further award of £200 was available for equipment and fittings. They made one additional grant and this was a sum of £300 awarded to the Aspatria College. In the ensuing four years Aspatria received a total of £1,350 in government grants.
and manual instruction out of the rates
. In the same year the government established the Board of Agriculture. In 1891, the Technical Education Committee of the Cumberland County Council embarked on their programme of travelling lectures and practical demonstrations. In response, Webb elected to offer instruction on a wide range of agricultural and mining related subjects; and once commissioned threw the entire weight of his enthusiasm into the action. Webb was afterwards appointed lecturer on dairying under the Cumberland County Council, and was a strong advocate of a scientific system of butter making instead of the ‘rule of thumb’ methods usually applied by farmer’s wives. Webb was also engaged as a lecturer on agriculture under the County Council of Lancashire and Cumberland.
'. Unfortunately the day was not without its mishaps; and a student named Hammack slipped and gashed his foot on a protruding rock. A minor injury by today’s standards, but blood poisoning set in and three weeks later the student died. It was a well-attended funeral. Webb headed a procession of fifty students, who walked in a file from the college to the churchyard. The weather was hostile and later that day Webb developed a chill that quickly evolved into a severe case of pneumonia
and death was sudden. A contemporary obituary summed up his life in the following manner;
BSC
BSC is a three-letter abbreviation that may refer to:Science and technology* Bachelor of Science , an undergraduate degree* Base Station Controller, part of a mobile phone network; see: Base Station subsystem...
Phd
PHD
PHD may refer to:*Ph.D., a doctorate of philosophy*Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*PHD finger, a protein sequence*PHD Mountain Software, an outdoor clothing and equipment company*PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
M.R.A.S. (1846–1893) was a remarkable English scholar, who became a trained botanist before moving into medicine
Medicine
Medicine is the science and art of healing. It encompasses a variety of health care practices evolved to maintain and restore health by the prevention and treatment of illness....
. However, it was eventually agriculture
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
and the training of scientific, practical agriculturalists that eventually caught his imagination. In 1887 he accepted the position of Principal
Principal (academia)
The Principal is the chief executive and the chief academic officer of a university or college in certain parts of the Commonwealth.-Canada:...
to the Aspatria Agricultural College, a radical institution in the North of England, which a group of enthusiastic amateurs had established in 1874, for the purpose of training the sons of tenant farmers and farm labourers. In 1891 he became sole owner of the College, which he rebuilt and under his guidance it became one of the foremost seats of agricultural learning in England
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...
. He was also a successful world record holding cyclist and tricyclist.
Education
Dr Henry John Webb was born at Upper NorwoodUpper Norwood
Upper Norwood is an elevated area in south London, England within the postcode SE19. It is a residential district largely in the London Borough of Croydon although some parts extend into the London Borough of Lambeth, London Borough of Southwark and the London Borough of Bromley. Upper Norwood...
in 1846, the son of a Professor of Botany
Botany
Botany, plant science, or plant biology is a branch of biology that involves the scientific study of plant life. Traditionally, botany also included the study of fungi, algae and viruses...
and Rural
Rural
Rural areas or the country or countryside are areas that are not urbanized, though when large areas are described, country towns and smaller cities will be included. They have a low population density, and typically much of the land is devoted to agriculture...
Economy
Economy
An economy consists of the economic system of a country or other area; the labor, capital and land resources; and the manufacturing, trade, distribution, and consumption of goods and services of that area...
. He began his education at Blackheath
Blackheath
Blackheath is the name of a number of places:*Blackheath, London, England**Blackheath, Kent *Blackheath, Surrey, England**Blackheath, Surrey *Blackheath, West Midlands, England*Blackheath, New South Wales, Australia...
, where he passed the 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...
and Cambridge
Cambridge
The city of Cambridge is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia about north of London. Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen – a play on Silicon Valley and the fens surrounding the...
senior examination. On leaving school he became junior English and Science master at Cranford
Cranford
Cranford may refer to:*Cranford - a novel by Elizabeth Gaskell*Cranford - a BBC television adaptation of Cranford and other works by Elizabeth GaskellCranford may also refer to the following places:...
College, Maidenhead
Maidenhead
Maidenhead is a town and unparished area within the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead, in Berkshire, England. It lies on the River Thames and is situated west of Charing Cross in London.-History:...
. After three years of teaching experience he gained a First Class pass in the matriculation
Matriculation
Matriculation, in the broadest sense, means to be registered or added to a list, from the Latin matricula – little list. In Scottish heraldry, for instance, a matriculation is a registration of armorial bearings...
examination set by the University of London
University of London
-20th century:Shortly after 6 Burlington Gardens was vacated, the University went through a period of rapid expansion. Bedford College, Royal Holloway and the London School of Economics all joined in 1900, Regent's Park College, which had affiliated in 1841 became an official divinity school of the...
. He also obtained a scholarship
Scholarship
A scholarship is an award of financial aid for a student to further education. Scholarships are awarded on various criteria usually reflecting the values and purposes of the donor or founder of the award.-Types:...
in biology from the School of Mines, South Kensington
South 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....
; where he studied Zoology
Zoology
Zoology |zoölogy]]), is the branch of biology that relates to the animal kingdom, including the structure, embryology, evolution, classification, habits, and distribution of all animals, both living and extinct...
, Botany, Chemistry
Chemistry
Chemistry is the science of matter, especially its chemical reactions, but also its composition, structure and properties. Chemistry is concerned with atoms and their interactions with other atoms, and particularly with the properties of chemical bonds....
, Experimental Physics
Physics
Physics is a natural science that involves the study of matter and its motion through spacetime, along with related concepts such as energy and force. More broadly, it is the general analysis of nature, conducted in order to understand how the universe behaves.Physics is one of the oldest academic...
and Geology
Geology
Geology is the science comprising the study of solid Earth, the rocks of which it is composed, and the processes by which it evolves. Geology gives insight into the history of the Earth, as it provides the primary evidence for plate tectonics, the evolutionary history of life, and past climates...
. After three years study he entered University College, London. In 1884 he graduated in first place with a BSc
BSC
BSC is a three-letter abbreviation that may refer to:Science and technology* Bachelor of Science , an undergraduate degree* Base Station Controller, part of a mobile phone network; see: Base Station subsystem...
First Class Honours degree
Academic degree
An academic degree is a position and title within a college or university that is usually awarded in recognition of the recipient having either satisfactorily completed a prescribed course of study or having conducted a scholarly endeavour deemed worthy of his or her admission to the degree...
in Botany. He also entered an examination for the Licentiate
Licentiate
Licentiate is the title of a person who holds an academic degree called a licence. The term may derive from the Latin licentia docendi, meaning permission to teach. The term may also derive from the Latin licentia ad practicandum, which signified someone who held a certificate of competence to...
of the College of Preceptors, where he took first place and the Council Prize for natural science. After a period of teaching, he entered University College Hospital
University College Hospital
University College Hospital is a teaching hospital located in London, United Kingdom. It is part of the University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and is closely associated with University College London ....
, where after two years he passed the examination of the College of Physicians and the intermediate examination for a Bachelor of Medicine. His next appointment was that of Professor of Animal morphology
Morphology (biology)
In biology, morphology is a branch of bioscience dealing with the study of the form and structure of organisms and their specific structural features....
and Physiology
Physiology
Physiology is the science of the function of living systems. This includes how organisms, organ systems, organs, cells, and bio-molecules carry out the chemical or physical functions that exist in a living system. The highest honor awarded in physiology is the Nobel Prize in Physiology or...
at the Birkbeck Institute. During this period he also lectured on Botany at University College School. It was at this juncture that he became interested in agricultural education
Agricultural education
Agricultural education is instruction about crop production, livestock management, soil and water conservation, and various other aspects of agriculture. Agricultural education includes instruction in food education, such as nutrition...
and after passing an examination with honours at the South Kensington College he proceeded to France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
to study a variety of agricultural teaching methods. In 1886, after attending Jena University in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, he gained his Phd, writing a treatise
Treatise
A treatise is a formal and systematic written discourse on some subject, generally longer and treating it in greater depth than an essay, and more concerned with investigating or exposing the principles of the subject.-Noteworthy treatises:...
on the sexual differences of plants. Upon his return to England
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...
, Webb applied for the vacant position of Principal
Principal (academia)
The Principal is the chief executive and the chief academic officer of a university or college in certain parts of the Commonwealth.-Canada:...
to the Aspatria Agricultural College and was accepted in the fore of 120 applicants. Shortly after taking over the role of Principal at Aspatria, he entered a government sponsored examination in the subjects of Agriculture and Agricultural Chemistry, where he finished in first place ahead of forty prominent entrants.
Sporting achievements
He was cousin to Captain Matthew WebbMatthew Webb
Captain Matthew Webb was the first recorded person to swim the English Channel without the use of artificial aids. On 25 August 1875 he swam from Dover to Calais in less than 22 hours.-Early life and career:...
(1848 – 1883), the first recorded person to swim the English Channel, who later lost his life attempting to swim through the Whirlpool
Whirlpool
A whirlpool is a swirling body of water usually produced by ocean tides. The vast majority of whirlpools are not very powerful. More powerful ones are more properly termed maelstroms. Vortex is the proper term for any whirlpool that has a downdraft...
rapids below Niagara Falls
Niagara Falls
The Niagara Falls, located on the Niagara River draining Lake Erie into Lake Ontario, is the collective name for the Horseshoe Falls and the adjacent American Falls along with the comparatively small Bridal Veil Falls, which combined form the highest flow rate of any waterfalls in the world and has...
. Henry was a celebrated athlete in his own right. He was the first to cycle the return journey between London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and Portsmouth
Portsmouth
Portsmouth is the second largest city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is notable for being the United Kingdom's only island city; it is located mainly on Portsea Island...
in a single day. In 1884, he won over £200 in prize money, winning the world 50 miles (80.5 km) tricycle
Tricycle
A tricycle is a three-wheeled vehicle. While tricycles are often associated with the small three-wheeled vehicles used by pre-school-age children, they are also used by adults for a variety of purposes. In the United States and Canada, adult-sized tricycles are used primarily by older persons for...
championship at the Crystal Palace
Crystal Palace
- United Kingdom :* The Crystal Palace, an 1851 building in south London destroyed by fire in 1936** The Great Exhibition, the event the building was built for, sometimes also known as Crystal Palace...
; and the 100 miles (160.9 km) national championship, which he completed on the Great North Road in 7 hours 35 minutes. Although he held world records at 1/4, 2, 15, 26 and 100 miles, his greatest sporting achievement came after he rode from Lands End to John O'Groats in a time of 7 days 58 minutes cutting 16 hours 47 minutes off the previous record; a phenomenal achievement, in the days before the invention of a freewheel
Freewheel
thumb|Freewheel mechanismIn mechanical or automotive engineering, a freewheel or overrunning clutch is a device in a transmission that disengages the driveshaft from the driven shaft when the driven shaft rotates faster than the driveshaft...
, braking being performed by back treading.
Parliamentary commission
In 1887, in the depth of the agricultural depressionDepression (economics)
In economics, a depression is a sustained, long-term downturn in economic activity in one or more economies. It is a more severe downturn than a recession, which is seen by some economists as part of the modern business cycle....
, the British Government instigated a Commission
Royal Commission
In Commonwealth realms and other monarchies a Royal Commission is a major ad-hoc formal public inquiry into a defined issue. They have been held in various countries such as the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and Saudi Arabia...
under the chairmanship of Sir Richard Paget, 1st Baronet
Sir Richard Paget, 1st Baronet
Sir Richard Horner Paget, 1st Baronet was a British Conservative politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1865 to 1895....
, to enquire into the working activities of Agricultural Colleges and Dairy
Dairy
A dairy is a business enterprise established for the harvesting of animal milk—mostly from cows or goats, but also from buffalo, sheep, horses or camels —for human consumption. A dairy is typically located on a dedicated dairy farm or section of a multi-purpose farm that is concerned...
Schools for the purpose of awarding Government grants. Previous to this report agriculture’s only support had been in the form of grants, awarded to maintain students sitting for the theoretical examination of the Science
Science
Science is a systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe...
and Arts
ARts
aRts, which stands for analog Real time synthesizer, is an audio framework that is no longer under development. It is best known for previously being used in KDE to simulate an analog synthesizer....
Department, South Kensington College, London (the S. & A.D.). The commissioners were very critical and highlighted the national cost of inadequate agricultural education and poor Dairy practice. Since the Aspatria Agricultural College was the only institution of its kind in England to provide agricultural education for the sons of tenant farmers and to give elementary instruction in science to farm labourers, Webb was called to give evidence. He described his views as contrary to those held by contemporary authorities in Leeds
Leeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
, Newcastle
Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne is a city and metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear, in North East England. Historically a part of Northumberland, it is situated on the north bank of the River Tyne...
, Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
, and Cambridge. These administrations, he argued, promoted only scientific and theoretic instruction at the expense of practical work. Webb described his prime objective as reinforcing theoretical knowledge with the practical experience gained from daily instruction on farms, as embodied in the college motto "Scientia et Labore". He also stressed the importance of educating people, irrespective of their age. Webb’s advice appears to have carried favour, for the Commission recognised.
-
- "The school at Aspatria is on a very different footing to the other institutions mentioned and is doing very good work in admitting students at lower fees.“ “If anything is done to encourage schools of this kind the claims of Aspatria stand in the first rank, for in consequence of the lowliness of its fees it is struggling under great difficulties, but is a type of school which would be of great use to the small farmer class for their sons."
In their published report the Commission recognised many of the faults appertaining to agricultural education and recommended the need for state aid. Their primary proposal endorsed the immediate creation of five regional Dairy Schools in England. Each endowed with an annual working grant of £500. Grants were also available for purchasing buildings, while a further award of £200 was available for equipment and fittings. They made one additional grant and this was a sum of £300 awarded to the Aspatria College. In the ensuing four years Aspatria received a total of £1,350 in government grants.
Technical education
An Act by the British parliament in 1888, created Local Authorities in the form of County Councils. The 1889 Technical Education Act allowed these authorities to fund technicalVocational education
Vocational education or vocational education and training is an education that prepares trainees for jobs that are based on manual or practical activities, traditionally non-academic, and totally related to a specific trade, occupation, or vocation...
and manual instruction out of the rates
Rates
Rates is a Portuguese parish and town located in the municipality of Póvoa de Varzim. In the census of 2001, it had a population of 2,539 inhabitants and a total area of 13.88 square kilometres.-History:...
. In the same year the government established the Board of Agriculture. In 1891, the Technical Education Committee of the Cumberland County Council embarked on their programme of travelling lectures and practical demonstrations. In response, Webb elected to offer instruction on a wide range of agricultural and mining related subjects; and once commissioned threw the entire weight of his enthusiasm into the action. Webb was afterwards appointed lecturer on dairying under the Cumberland County Council, and was a strong advocate of a scientific system of butter making instead of the ‘rule of thumb’ methods usually applied by farmer’s wives. Webb was also engaged as a lecturer on agriculture under the County Council of Lancashire and Cumberland.
Academic publications
Webb wrote a multitude of articles and papers and had at least 6 books published within his lifetime. Titles include:-- Elementary Agriculture: A Text Book etc., (Longmann London 1894)
- Advanced Agriculture, (Longmann 1891 London)
- Agriculture: A Manual for Advanced Science Students, (Longmann London 1914)
- Principles of Agriculture, (Longmann London 1889)
- The Art of Butter Making
- The Dairy and its Equipment, with Practical Management of Milk and Cream Milk: Its Composition and Mode of Production
- The Feeding of Dairy Cattle
Death
In early November 1893, a group of masters and students competed in a ‘paper chasePaper Chase (game)
Paper Chase is a racing game played outdoors with any number of players. At the start of the game, one person is designated the 'hare' and everyone else in the group are the 'hounds'...
'. Unfortunately the day was not without its mishaps; and a student named Hammack slipped and gashed his foot on a protruding rock. A minor injury by today’s standards, but blood poisoning set in and three weeks later the student died. It was a well-attended funeral. Webb headed a procession of fifty students, who walked in a file from the college to the churchyard. The weather was hostile and later that day Webb developed a chill that quickly evolved into a severe case of pneumonia
Pneumonia
Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung—especially affecting the microscopic air sacs —associated with fever, chest symptoms, and a lack of air space on a chest X-ray. Pneumonia is typically caused by an infection but there are a number of other causes...
and death was sudden. A contemporary obituary summed up his life in the following manner;
-
- Dr. Webb was a man who always endeavoured to be abreast of the times. In addition to his thorough scientific knowledge, he possessed a highly developed faculty for organisation. When we realise these facts, it goes a long way to explain why the Aspatria Agricultural College was such a success under his supervision.