John Bransby
John Bransby | |
|---|---|
_(14783199932).jpg) Portrait of Bransby, published in 1880 | |
| Born | 1784 |
| Died | 5 March 1857 (aged 72–73) Norfolk, England |
| Alma mater | St. John's College, Oxford |
| Occupation(s) | Educator, minister, schoolmaster |
| Known for | Teacher to Edgar Allan Poe |
John Bransby (1784 – 5 March 1857) was an English educator and minister. He is best remembered as a schoolmaster of Edgar Allan Poe, and the basis for the character of "Reverend Doctor Bransby" in Poe's short story, "William Wilson".
Early life and education
[edit]Bransby was born in 1784. He attended St. John's College, Cambridge, receiving a Bachelors degree in 1805 and a Master of Arts degree in 1808.[1] Bransby was a cousin of Astley Cooper.[2]
Career
[edit]Bransby was a deacon and lecturer at St Mary's (Church of England) parish church from 1814 until 1825. In 1814, Bransby was elected as a fellow of the Linnean Society. He was also a fellow of the Geological Society, the Cambridge Philosophical Society, and the Society of Antiquaries.[3] In 1818, Bransby was admitted to the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts.[4] He was also a member of the local horticultural society.[2]
Educator
[edit]In the 1810s, Bransby opened Manor House School on Church Street at his residence in Stoke Newington.[5] From 1817 until 1820, Edgar Allan Poe resided in the house and was one of Bransby's pupils.[2] Bransby was a classicist who educated Poe and other students in Latin, Shakespeare, and Horace.[6][7]
Bransby no longer ran the school by 1825, when he moved to Norfolk to become the new headmaster of the King's Lynn Grammar School.[8] In 1845, he became the rector of Testerton parish in Norfolk.[3]
Death and legacy
[edit]Bransby died in 1857 in Norfolk.[2][9][10] Bransby is the basis for the character of "Reverend Doctor Bransby" in Poe's 1839 short story, "William Wilson".[11][12][13][14] He was irritated by the depiction of the character as "solemn" and "sour."[15]
Bransby has been regarded by historians as an influential figure in Poe's early education in various languages and poetry.[16]
References
[edit]- ^ Quinn, Arthur Hobson (25 November 1997). Edgar Allan Poe: A Critical Biography. JHU Press. ISBN 978-0-8018-5730-0.
- ^ a b c d Hunter, William Elijah (19 October 1878). "Poe and His English Schoolmaster". Athenæum: 496–497.
- ^ a b The Annotated Poe. Harvard University Press. 26 October 2015. ISBN 978-0-674-05529-2.
- ^ Ryder, Henry (1819). An abstract of the Charter and of the proceedings of the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts.
- ^ "Rev. Dr. Bransby's establishment at Stoke-Newington". Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. 20540 USA. Retrieved 27 October 2023.
- ^ "The Reverend John Bransby, Poe's School-master". Edgar Allan Poe Society of Baltimore. Retrieved 27 October 2023.
- ^ Hutchisson, James M. (2005). Poe. Univ. Press of Mississippi. ISBN 978-1-57806-721-3.
- ^ Baggs, A P, Diane K Bolton, and Patricia E C Croot. "Stoke Newington: Education." A History of the County of Middlesex: Volume 8, Islington and Stoke Newington Parishes. Eds. T F T Baker, and C R Elrington. London: Victoria County History, 1985. 217-223. British History Online. Web. 27 October 2023. http://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/middx/vol8/pp217-223.
- ^ Allen, Hervey (1926). Israfel: The Life and Times of Edgar Allan Poe. George H. Doran Company.
- ^ "British Newspaper Archive, Family Notices," FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QPCN-YT9N : Fri Oct 27 16:30:31 UTC 2023), Obituary Entry for Rev. John Bransby, M.a., 13 Mar 1857.
- ^ Profiles of American Writers: Volume Two of Three. Golgotha Press. 5 September 2013. ISBN 978-1-62107-603-2.
- ^ Busch, Frederick (4 April 2004). "Edgar Allan's School Days". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 27 October 2023.
- ^ Frank, Frederick S.; Magistrale, Tony (25 March 1997). The Poe Encyclopedia. Bloomsbury Publishing USA. ISBN 978-0-313-00351-6.
- ^ Rennison, Nick (21 September 2009). 100 Must-read Historical Novels. A&C Black. ISBN 978-1-4081-1396-7.
- ^ Sova, Dawn B. (2007). Critical Companion to Edgar Allan Poe: A Literary Reference to His Life and Work. Infobase Publishing. ISBN 978-1-4381-0842-1.
- ^ Stamos, David N. (28 February 2017). Edgar Allan Poe, Eureka, and Scientific Imagination. SUNY Press. ISBN 978-1-4384-6391-9.