Nathaniel Woodard

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Nathaniel Woodard

Nathaniel Woodard (born March 21, 1811 in Basildon Hall, Essex , † April 25, 1891 ) was a British priest of the Church of England . He founded eleven schools in England, the aim of which was to provide a sound academic education and training based on a deep Christian faith. His ideas are now represented by Woodard Corporation .

youth

Woodard was born at Basildon Hall, Essex, to an impoverished nobleman, and was privately raised and educated by his pious and godly mother. In 1834 he entered Hertford College in Oxford where, interrupted by his marriage, he studied theology until 1840 . Due to the strong influence of his mother, Woodard initially developed strong sympathies for evangelicalism in early youth . During his student days, however, he approached the Oxford Movement and developed an Anglo-Catholic attitude that remained throughout his life.

career

Woodard's ordination took place in 1841. He then worked as the vicar of St. Bartholomew's Church in Bethnal Green before being transferred to St. John's Church in Lower Clapton for a controversial sermon . During his tenure in Bethnal Green, Woodard founded a school for the children of socially disadvantaged community members.

In 1846 Woodard took over the vicariate of St. Mary's Church in Shoreham-by-Sea and was again confronted with the poverty and lack of education in large parts of the community. Therefore, he opened a day school here, before he founded the St. Nicholas School ( today: Lancing College ) in 1848, in which the school chapel still has his sarcophagus. The school was renamed the College of St. Mary and St. Nicholas a year later .

From that time on, Woodard focused almost entirely on developing his school projects and resigned his vicariate. He was supported in his efforts by Edward Clarke Lowe , a headmaster at many of his schools, who was not afraid to deal with Woodard in terms of content. So he prevailed against Woodard and got him from 1874 to admit women to his schools in Abbots Bromley .

His great success in setting up educational institutions was recognized in 1870 when Oxford University awarded him a doctorate and he was made canon of Manchester Cathedral by William Ewart Gladstone . Woodard used the majority of his generous canon pledges to build and expand his schools. He also received great admiration for the fact that, because of his strong faith, he did not allow any access restrictions for members of other churches to his schools.

School start-ups (selection)

Sources and further reading

  • JR deS. Honey: Tom Brown's Universe . 1977
  • Leonard and Evelyn Cowie: That One Idea: Nathaniel Woodard and His Schools . 1991

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Woodard, Nathaniel
BRIEF DESCRIPTION British priest of the Church of England
DATE OF BIRTH March 21, 1811
PLACE OF BIRTH Basildon Hall, Essex
DATE OF DEATH April 25, 1891