![Charles Badham](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/65/Charles_Badham.png)
Reverend Charles Badham (18 July 1813 – 27 February 1884) was an English classical philologist, textual critic, headmaster, and university professor, active in England and even more so in Australia.
Early life
Badham was born at
Ludlow
Ludlow () is a market town in Shropshire, England. The town is significant in the history of the Welsh Marches and in relation to Wales. It is located south of Shrewsbury and north of Hereford, on the A49 road which bypasses the town. The t ...
, Shropshire, the fourth son of
Charles Badham
Reverend Charles Badham (18 July 1813 – 27 February 1884) was an English classical philologist, textual critic, headmaster, and university professor, active in England and even more so in Australia.
Early life
Badham was born at Ludlow, Shro ...
senior, a
classical scholar
Classics or classical studies is the study of classical antiquity. In the Western world, classics traditionally refers to the study of Classical Greek and Roman literature and their related original languages, Ancient Greek and Latin. Classics ...
and
regius professor
A Regius Professor
is a university Professor (highest academic rank), professor who has, or originally had, Monarchy of the United Kingdom, royal patronage or appointment. They are a unique feature of academia in the United Kingdom and Republic ...
of
physic
Physic may refer to:
* The study or practice of medicine
* A substance administered as medicine, or the medicinal plant from which it is extracted:
** '' Gillenia stipulata'', a plant known commonly as Indian physic
** ''Jatropha'', a genus of pla ...
at
Glasgow
Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...
; and Margaret Campbell, a cousin of
Thomas Campbell Thomas Campbell may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* Thomas Campbell (poet) (1777–1844), Scottish poet
* Thomas Campbell (sculptor) (1790–1858), Scottish sculptor
* Thomas Campbell (visual artist) (born 1969), California-based visual artist ...
, the poet. His elder brother, Rev. Dr
Charles David Badham
Charles David Badham FRCP (27 August 1805 – 14 July 1857) was an English writer, physician, entomologist, and mycologist.
Background and education
Charles David Badham was the son of Charles Badham, Regius Professor of the Practice of Medicine ...
, became a physician and popular writer.
From seven years of age, Badham was sent with his three brothers to
Switzerland
). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...
to study under
Johann Pestalozzi
Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi (, ; 12 January 1746 – 17 February 1827) was a Swiss pedagogue and educational reformer who exemplified Romanticism in his approach.
He founded several educational institutions both in German- and French-speaking r ...
.
Badham afterwards attended
Eton College
Eton College () is a public school in Eton, Berkshire, England. It was founded in 1440 by Henry VI under the name ''Kynge's College of Our Ladye of Eton besyde Windesore'',Nevill, p. 3 ff. intended as a sister institution to King's College, C ...
from about 1826, and in 1830 was elected to a scholarship at
Wadham College, Oxford
Wadham College () is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. It is located in the centre of Oxford, at the intersection of Broad Street and Parks Road.
Wadham College was founded in 1610 by Dorothy W ...
, but only obtained a third class in
Classics
Classics or classical studies is the study of classical antiquity. In the Western world, classics traditionally refers to the study of Classical Greek and Roman literature and their related original languages, Ancient Greek and Latin. Classics ...
(1836), a failure which may have been due to the methods of study at
Oxford
Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...
. In 1837 Badham went to Italy, where he occupied himself in the study of ancient manuscripts, in particular those of the
Vatican library
The Vatican Apostolic Library ( la, Bibliotheca Apostolica Vaticana, it, Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana), more commonly known as the Vatican Library or informally as the Vat, is the library of the Holy See, located in Vatican City. Formally es ...
.
Badham afterwards spent some time in Germany, and was incorporated M.A. at
Peterhouse, Cambridge
Peterhouse is the oldest constituent college of the University of Cambridge in England, founded in 1284 by Hugh de Balsham, Bishop of Ely. Today, Peterhouse has 254 undergraduates, 116 full-time graduate students and 54 fellows. It is quite ...
, in 1847.
Career
Having taken holy orders, Badham was appointed headmaster of
Louth Louth may refer to:
Australia
*Hundred of Louth, a cadastral unit in South Australia
* Louth, New South Wales, a town
* Louth Bay, a bay in South Australia
**Louth Bay, South Australia, a town and locality
Canada
* Louth, Ontario
Ireland
* Cou ...
grammar school,
Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire (abbreviated Lincs.) is a county in the East Midlands of England, with a long coastline on the North Sea to the east. It borders Norfolk to the south-east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south-west, Leicestershire ...
(1851–1854), and subsequently headmaster of
Edgbaston
Edgbaston () is an affluent suburban area of central Birmingham, England, historically in Warwickshire, and curved around the southwest of the city centre.
In the 19th century, the area was under the control of the Gough-Calthorpe family an ...
proprietary school, near
Birmingham
Birmingham ( ) is a city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands in England. It is the second-largest city in the United Kingdom with a population of 1.145 million in the city proper, 2.92 million in the West ...
. In the interval he had taken the degree of
Doctor of Divinity
A Doctor of Divinity (D.D. or DDiv; la, Doctor Divinitatis) is the holder of an advanced academic degree in divinity.
In the United Kingdom, it is considered an advanced doctoral degree. At the University of Oxford, doctors of divinity are ran ...
at Cambridge (1852). In 1860 he received the honorary degree of doctor of letters at the
University of Leiden
Leiden University (abbreviated as ''LEI''; nl, Universiteit Leiden) is a public research university in Leiden, Netherlands. The university was founded as a Protestant university in 1575 by William, Prince of Orange, as a reward to the city of Le ...
.
In 1863 was made one of the examiners in classics at London university. In 1866 he was also appointed classical examiner for the Indian civil service.
In 1867 Badham left England to take up the professorship of classics and logic in
Sydney University
The University of Sydney (USYD), also known as Sydney University, or informally Sydney Uni, is a public research university located in Sydney, Australia. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in Australia and is one of the country's six ...
, New South Wales (Australia), arriving in April, which he held until his death.
The university had been established some 15 years but had fewer than 40 students. The professor's official duties were not heavy but Badham was not content to laze in a backwater and he even went so far as to write to the leading newspapers in
New South Wales
)
, nickname =
, image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates:
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Australia
, established_title = Before federation
, es ...
offering to correct the exercises of students who might be studying Latin, Greek, French or German, in the country. Some years later he travelled over the country holding meetings and endeavouring to get the people to become interested in the university and to found bursaries for poor students. When the government of New South Wales decided to found a great public library at Sydney, Badham was nominated as a trustee and was elected as the first chairman of trustees. He took the greatest interest in the library, and his wide knowledge was invaluable in its early years. He became the representative man of the university, and his speeches at the annual commencements were eagerly awaited. He always insisted that there must be the same standard of examination for degrees at Sydney as in the leading British universities, and he spared no pains in helping his students to reach that standard.
Late life and legacy
Badham was given a banquet at the town hall, Sydney, in August 1883 to celebrate the completion of his seventieth year, and though his health was then beginning to fail, one of the youngest of those present afterwards recorded that "Badham's speech was unforgettable". On 1 September 1883, in a letter to
The Sydney Morning Herald
''The Sydney Morning Herald'' (''SMH'') is a daily compact newspaper published in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, and owned by Nine. Founded in 1831 as the ''Sydney Herald'', the ''Herald'' is the oldest continuously published newspaper ...
, Badham suggested for the first time that evening lectures should be established at the university. He had been ailing all the year and in December became very ill. He died on 27 February 1884, almost his last act being the writing of a farewell letter in Latin to his old friend
C. G. Cobet. He was married twice and left a widow, four sons and four daughters. A selection from his ''Speeches and Lectures'' was published at Sydney in 1890, and there is a bursary in his memory at the university. At his funeral the coffin was carried to the grave by former students who had received the bursaries for which he had worked so hard, it was they who subscribed for the monument over his grave, severely simple as he would have desired.
Dr Badham's classical attainments were recognised by the most famous European critics, such as C. G. Cobet,
Ludwig Preller
Ludwig Preller (15 September 1809 – 21 June 1861) was a German philologist and antiquarian.
Biography
Born in Hamburg, he studied at University of Leipzig, Leipzig, University of Berlin, Berlin and University of Göttingen, Göttingen, in 18 ...
,
W. Dindorf
Karl Wilhelm Dindorf ( la, Guilielmus Dindorfius; 2 January 1802 – 1 August 1883) was a German classical scholar. He was born and died at Leipzig.
From his earliest years he showed a strong taste for classical studies, and after completing F. ...
,
F. W. Schneidewin,
J. A. F. Meineke,
A. Ritschl and
Tischendorf Tischendorf is a German surname
Personal names in German-speaking Europe consist of one or several given names (''Vorname'', plural ''Vornamen'') and a surname (''Nachname, Familienname'').
The ''Vorname'' is usually gender-specific. A name is usu ...
;
and in Australia,
Sir James Martin,
William Forster and
Sir William Macleay.
Badham published editions of ''
Euripides
Euripides (; grc, Εὐριπίδης, Eurīpídēs, ; ) was a tragedian
Tragedy (from the grc-gre, τραγῳδία, ''tragōidia'', ''tragōidia'') is a genre of drama based on human suffering and, mainly, the terrible or sorrowful e ...
'', ''Helena'' and ''Iphigenia in Tauris'' (1851), ''Ion'' (1851);
Plato
Plato ( ; grc-gre, Πλάτων ; 428/427 or 424/423 – 348/347 BC) was a Greek philosopher born in Athens during the Classical period in Ancient Greece. He founded the Platonist school of thought and the Academy, the first institution ...
's ''Philebus'' (1855, 1878); ''Laches'' and ''Eutzydemus'' (1865), ''Phaedrus'' (1851), ''Symposium'' (1866) and ''De Platonis Epistolis'' (1866). He also contributed to classical periodicals such as ''Mnemosyne''. His ''Adhortatio ad Discipulos Academiae Sydniensis'' (1869) contains a number of emendations of
Thucydides
Thucydides (; grc, , }; BC) was an Athenian historian and general. His ''History of the Peloponnesian War'' recounts the fifth-century BC war between Sparta and Athens until the year 411 BC. Thucydides has been dubbed the father of "scientifi ...
and other classical authors. Badham also published some critiques of
Shakespeare
William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...
. A collected edition of his ''Speeches and Lectures delivered in Australia'' (Sydney, 1890) contains a memoir by
Thomas Butler.
His oldest daughter with his first wife, Julia Matilda ( Smith),
Edith Badham
Edith Annesley Badham (6 December 1853 – 17 May 1920) was an Australian educator and headmistress of the SCEGGS Darlinghurst, Sydney Church of England Girls Grammar School in Darlinghurst, New South Wales, Darlinghurst, New South Wales (a sub ...
, was the founder of the
Sydney Church of England Girls Grammar School
, motto_translation = Let Your Light Shine
, established =
, type = Independent single-sex primary and secondary day and boarding school
, denomination = Anglicanism
, oversight =
, educational_authority = New South Wales Depar ...
.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Badham, Charles
1813 births
1884 deaths
English classical scholars
Alumni of Wadham College, Oxford
Writers from Ludlow
Classical scholars of the University of Sydney
University of Sydney faculty