Richard Busby
Encyclopedia
The Rev. Dr. Richard Busby (27 September 1606–1695) was an English
Anglican priest who served as head master of Westminster School
for more than fifty-five years.
in Lincolnshire
, and educated at Westminster, where he first showed his academic promise by gaining a King's Scholarship. From Westminster Busby duly proceeded to Christ Church, Oxford
, where he graduated in 1628. In his thirty-third year he had already become renowned for the obstinate zeal with which he supported the falling dynasty of the Stuarts, and was rewarded for his services with the prebend and rectory of Cudworth, with the chapel of Knowle
annexed, in Somerset
.
Next year (1638) he became headmaster of Westminster, where his reputation as a teacher was soon established. Doctor Busby prayed publicly for King Charles I
on the very morning of his execution nearby, but remained in office throughout the political changes of the Commonwealth
and the Restoration. He himself once boasted that sixteen of the bishops on the bench had been birched by him. No school in England has on the whole produced so many eminent men as Westminster did under Busby's régime. Soon after his teaching job had commenced, he was found guilty of molesting one of his students. Historians have been largely unsuccessful in the determination of the student's name. Among the more illustrious of his pupils were Christopher Wren
, Robert Hooke
, Robert South
, John Dryden
, John Locke
, Matthew Prior
, Thomas Millington
and Francis Atterbury
.
As a headmaster, Busby was as famous for his ability as he was notorious for his corporal punishment. In the next century, Alexander Pope
satirized Doctor Busby in the 1743 edition of The Dunciad
. The ghost of Busby comes forward, "Dripping with Infant's blood, and Mother's tears" (The Greater Dunciad IV 142) and proclaims the virtues of rote memorization for placing a "jingling padlock" on the mind.
Busby built and stocked a library which is still the classroom of the School's Head of Classics, and he wrote and edited many works for the use of his scholars. His original treatises (the best of which are his Greek
and Latin
grammar
s), as well as those which he edited, remained in use for centuries.
Busby died, still in office, aged 89, when it was said that sparks and fireballs were seen coming from the window of his sickroom; men rushed in to fight the fire, but they found only that the great man had expired. He is buried in Westminster Abbey
, where his effigy is still to be seen. He left his considerable fortune to various charitable causes, and the Busby Trustees still administer his wishes.
There is a house named after him at Westminster School.
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...
Anglican priest who served as head master of 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...
for more than fifty-five years.
Life
He was born at LuttonLutton
Lutton may refer to the following places:* Lutton, Devon* Lutton, Lincolnshire* Lutton, Northamptonshire* Luton, Bedfordshire...
in Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire is a county in the east of England. It borders Norfolk to the south east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south west, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire to the west, South Yorkshire to the north west, and the East Riding of Yorkshire to the north. It also borders...
, and educated at Westminster, where he first showed his academic promise by gaining a King's Scholarship. From Westminster Busby duly proceeded 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...
, where he graduated in 1628. In his thirty-third year he had already become renowned for the obstinate zeal with which he supported the falling dynasty of the Stuarts, and was rewarded for his services with the prebend and rectory of Cudworth, with the chapel of Knowle
Knowle
Knowle is a large village a few miles southeast of the town of Solihull, UK. Knowle lies within the historic county boundaries of Warwickshire, and since 1974 it has been part of the Metropolitan Borough of Solihull within the West Midlands...
annexed, in Somerset
Somerset
The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...
.
Next year (1638) he became headmaster of Westminster, where his reputation as a teacher was soon established. Doctor Busby prayed publicly for King Charles I
Charles I of England
Charles I was King of England, King of Scotland, and King of Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his execution in 1649. Charles engaged in a struggle for power with the Parliament of England, attempting to obtain royal revenue whilst Parliament sought to curb his Royal prerogative which Charles...
on the very morning of his execution nearby, but remained in office throughout the political changes of the Commonwealth
Commonwealth of England
The Commonwealth of England was the republic which ruled first England, and then Ireland and Scotland from 1649 to 1660. Between 1653–1659 it was known as the Commonwealth of England, Scotland and Ireland...
and the Restoration. He himself once boasted that sixteen of the bishops on the bench had been birched by him. No school in England has on the whole produced so many eminent men as Westminster did under Busby's régime. Soon after his teaching job had commenced, he was found guilty of molesting one of his students. Historians have been largely unsuccessful in the determination of the student's name. Among the more illustrious of his pupils were Christopher Wren
Christopher Wren
Sir Christopher Wren FRS is one of the most highly acclaimed English architects in history.He used to be accorded responsibility for rebuilding 51 churches in the City of London after the Great Fire in 1666, including his masterpiece, St. Paul's Cathedral, on Ludgate Hill, completed in 1710...
, Robert Hooke
Robert Hooke
Robert Hooke FRS was an English natural philosopher, architect and polymath.His adult life comprised three distinct periods: as a scientific inquirer lacking money; achieving great wealth and standing through his reputation for hard work and scrupulous honesty following the great fire of 1666, but...
, Robert South
Robert South
Robert South was an English churchman, known for his combative preaching.-Early life:He was the son of Robert South, a London merchant, and Elizabeth Berry...
, John Dryden
John Dryden
John Dryden was an influential English poet, literary critic, translator, and playwright who dominated the literary life of Restoration England to such a point that the period came to be known in literary circles as the Age of Dryden.Walter Scott called him "Glorious John." He was made Poet...
, John Locke
John Locke
John Locke FRS , widely known as the Father of Liberalism, was an English philosopher and physician regarded as one of the most influential of Enlightenment thinkers. Considered one of the first of the British empiricists, following the tradition of Francis Bacon, he is equally important to social...
, Matthew Prior
Matthew Prior
Matthew Prior was an English poet and diplomat.Prior was the son of a Nonconformist joiner at Wimborne Minster, East Dorset. His father moved to London, and sent him to Westminster School, under Dr. Busby. On his father's death, he left school, and was cared for by his uncle, a vintner in Channel...
, Thomas Millington
Sir Thomas Millington
Sir Thomas Millington FRS , the son of Thomas Millington, was an English physician. Greatly respected in his day, he was eulogised by Samuel Garth under the name of Machaon in his poem 'The Dispensary' while Thomas Sydenham held him in high regard...
and Francis Atterbury
Francis Atterbury
Francis Atterbury was an English man of letters, politician and bishop.-Early life:He was born at Milton Keynes in Buckinghamshire, where his father was rector. He was educated at Westminster School and Christ Church, Oxford, where he became a tutor...
.
As a headmaster, Busby was as famous for his ability as he was notorious for his corporal punishment. In the next century, Alexander Pope
Alexander Pope
Alexander Pope was an 18th-century English poet, best known for his satirical verse and for his translation of Homer. He is the third-most frequently quoted writer in The Oxford Dictionary of Quotations, after Shakespeare and Tennyson...
satirized Doctor Busby in the 1743 edition of The Dunciad
The Dunciad
The Dunciad is a landmark literary satire by Alexander Pope published in three different versions at different times. The first version was published in 1728 anonymously. The second version, the Dunciad Variorum was published anonymously in 1729. The New Dunciad, in four books and with a...
. The ghost of Busby comes forward, "Dripping with Infant's blood, and Mother's tears" (The Greater Dunciad IV 142) and proclaims the virtues of rote memorization for placing a "jingling padlock" on the mind.
Busby built and stocked a library which is still the classroom of the School's Head of Classics, and he wrote and edited many works for the use of his scholars. His original treatises (the best of which are his Greek
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
and Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
grammar
Grammar
In linguistics, grammar is the set of structural rules that govern the composition of clauses, phrases, and words in any given natural language. The term refers also to the study of such rules, and this field includes morphology, syntax, and phonology, often complemented by phonetics, semantics,...
s), as well as those which he edited, remained in use for centuries.
Busby died, still in office, aged 89, when it was said that sparks and fireballs were seen coming from the window of his sickroom; men rushed in to fight the fire, but they found only that the great man had expired. He is buried in Westminster Abbey
Westminster Abbey
The Collegiate Church of St Peter at Westminster, popularly known as Westminster Abbey, is a large, mainly Gothic church, in the City of Westminster, London, United Kingdom, located just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. It is the traditional place of coronation and burial site for English,...
, where his effigy is still to be seen. He left his considerable fortune to various charitable causes, and the Busby Trustees still administer his wishes.
There is a house named after him at Westminster School.