James Cameron Todd
James Cameron Todd (October 13, 1863 - 1915) was a British
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Early life
He was born in
His sister was Margaret Georgina Todd, a doctor and writer who was one of the first students to attend the Edinburgh School of Medicine for Women.[1]
Clergyman
He moved to
In 1888, he was admitted to Christ's College, Cambridge,[2] having obtained a scholarship. He pursued an M.Sc. degree which he gained with first class honours, resulting in his election as Scholar of the College the following year.
In 1890, he was ordained priest in
He moved to Natal 1894 as chaplain to the Rt Revd
School master
In 1896 he founded Michaelhouse[3][4] in Loop Street, Pietermaritzburg. When he opened the doors on the first day in August 1896, it was as a private venture with 15 founding boys. Ten of these were boarders, and five were day boys. It is said that without Todd, Michaelhouse would never have been born.[according to whom?]
While the school was in Pietermaritzburg, Todd worked to establish the school as the Diocesan College of Natal with its own Board of Governors. He also looked for a suitable country site to relocate the school away from the distractions of town. In 1901, the school moved to its current premises in Balgowan.
In 1903, Todd resigned as rector. He had ordered a piano without the approval of the board and as this was a substantial expenditure which required the board's approval a dispute ensued which culminated in Todd's decision to leave Michaelhouse.
Life in England
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Todd returned to England 1904. In London, he became engaged in literary and educational work. He wrote a number of books including Politics Religion in Ancient Israel; an Introduction to the Study of the Old Testament. BiblioBazaar. 1904.
He was sympathetic to the cause of the
On their return to England, the couple started a preparatory school (Kelvin House, named after Lord Kelvin) in Ruislip, London.[5] In 1912, his first daughter Jean was born, followed in 1914 by Margaret. Todd died in 1915, at the age of 51, and is buried at St Martin's Church, Ruislip.
Notes
- ^ "1861 Scottish Census". Ancestry. Retrieved 30 June 2021.
- ^ "Todd, James Cameron (TT888JC)". A Cambridge Alumni Database. University of Cambridge.
- ^ Randall 1982, p. 84.
- ^ Michaelhouse.
- ^ Ruislip Online.
References
- Barrett, A. M. (1969). Michaelhouse, 1896-1968. Pietermaritzburg: Natal Witness.
- Barrett Letters. Michaelhouse Archives. Balgowan.
- S. Michael's Chronicle, (1983). Pietermaritzburg: Natal Witness.
- "Michaelhouse - History". Michaelhouse. Archived from the original on 11 September 2014. Retrieved 10 September 2014.
- Ruislip, Northwood & Eastcote Local History Society. "Kelvin House School". Ruislip Online. Retrieved 10 September 2014.
- Randall, Peter (1982). Little England on the veld: the English private school system in South Africa. Ravan Press. ISBN 978-0-86975-220-3.
- Robertson, Janice (2010). "Making the man, keeping the boy" (PDF). Natalia. 40. Natal Society Foundation: 110–120.
External links
- University of Glasgow Alumni at the Wayback Machine (archived September 10, 2014)