James John Hornby CVO (18 December 1826 – 2 November 1909) was an English

rower Rowing, sometimes called crew in the United States, is the sport of racing boats using oars. It differs from paddling sports in that rowing oars are attached to the boat using oarlocks, while paddles are not connected to the boat. Rowing is ...

and headmaster of

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 1868 to 1884. Hornby JJ Vanity Fair 1901-01-31

Early life

Hornby was born at Winwick, the third son of Admiral Sir Phipps Hornby and his wife Sophia Maria Burgoyne, eldest daughter of Sir John Burgoyne. The Times ''James John Hornby, Obituary'' 3 November 1909 He was educated at Eton, where he did not row, but played in the Eton cricket eleven in 1845.

Rowing

Hornby matriculated at

Balliol College, Oxford Balliol College () is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. One of Oxford's oldest colleges, it was founded around 1263 by John I de Balliol, a landowner from Barnard Castle in County Durham, who provided the f ...

, before being appointed a Fellow of

Brasenose College, Oxford Brasenose College (BNC) is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. It began as Brasenose Hall in the 13th century, before being founded as a college in 1509. The library and chapel were added in the mi ...

in 1849. Whilst at Brasenose, he had the rare distinction of rowing in the college Eight while also being a Fellow. He rowed bow for

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 the second

Boat Race Boat racing is a sport in which boats, or other types of watercraft, race on water. Boat racing powered by oars is recorded as having occurred in ancient Egypt, and it is likely that people have engaged in races involving boats and other wate ...

of 1849, which Oxford won on a foul by bumping Cambridge when Cambridge were in Oxford's water. He was No. 3 in the O.U.B.C. crews that won the

Grand Challenge Cup The Grand Challenge Cup is a rowing competition for men's eights. It is the oldest and best-known event at the annual Henley Royal Regatta on the River Thames at Henley-on-Thames in England. It is open to male crews from all eligible rowing cl ...

Henley Royal Regatta Henley Royal Regatta (or Henley Regatta, its original name pre-dating Royal patronage) is a rowing event held annually on the River Thames by the town of Henley-on-Thames, England. It was established on 26 March 1839. It differs from the thre ...

in 1850 and 1851 when there was no Boat Race on the

Tideway The Tideway is a part of the River Thames in England which is subject to tides. This stretch of water is downstream from Teddington Lock. The Tideway comprises the upper Thames Estuary including the Pool of London. Tidal activity Depending on ...

in either year. In 1850, he won the University Pairs and Fours, and the

Silver Goblets The Silver Goblets & Nickalls' Challenge Cup is a rowing event for men's coxless pairs at the annual Henley Royal Regatta on the River Thames at Henley-on-Thames in England. It is open to male crews from all eligible rowing club A rowing club ...

at Henley with J.W. Chitty. In 1851 he rowed again for Brasenose in the

Ladies' Challenge Plate The Ladies' Challenge Plate is one of the events at Henley Royal Regatta on the River Thames at Henley-on-Thames in England. Crews of men's eight-oared boats below the standard of the Grand Challenge Cup can enter, although international standard ...

Stewards' Challenge Cup The Stewards' Challenge Cup is a rowing event for men's coxless fours at the annual Henley Royal Regatta on the River Thames at Henley-on-Thames in England. It is open to male crews from all eligible rowing clubs. Two or more clubs may combine t ...

, and

Visitors Challenge Cup The Visitors Challenge Cup is a rowing event for men's coxless fours at the annual Henley Royal Regatta on the River Thames at Henley-on-Thames in England. It is open to male crews from all eligible rowing clubs and has similar qualifying rule ...

.The Rowers of Vanity Fair J J Hornby
/ref> He was a member of the Brasenose College crew which was Head of the River at Oxford in 1852. He had also become known as a fine skater and one of the best Alpine climbers of the day.

Academic career

In 1853, Hornby went to

Durham University , mottoeng = Her foundations are upon the holy hills (Psalm 87:1) , established = (university status) , type = Public , academic_staff = 1,830 (2020) , administrative_staff = 2,640 (2018/19) , chancellor = Sir Thomas Allen , vice_chan ...

as Principal of

Bishop Cosin's Hall Bishop Cosin's Hall was a college of the University of Durham, opened in 1851 as the university's third college and named after 17th century Bishop of Durham John Cosin. It closed in 1864 due to a fall in student recruitment at the university ...

until 1864 when he returned to Brasenose as classical lecturer. Students long after recalled with pleasure the animation of his

Virgil Publius Vergilius Maro (; traditional dates 15 October 7021 September 19 BC), usually called Virgil or Vergil ( ) in English, was an ancient Roman poet of the Augustan period. He composed three of the most famous poems in Latin literature: t ...

lectures and his excellent way of teaching

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...

prose. He was also made Senior Proctor. In 1865 Hornby was the first to ascend the northwest ridge of the

Silberhorn The Silberhorn (3,695 m) is a pyramid-shaped mountain of the Bernese Alps, to the northwest of the Jungfrau of which it is a satellite peak. A first attempt to reach the summit of the Silberhorn was made in June 1863 by M. v. Fellenberg from th ...

. In 1867, he was appointed Second Master of

Winchester College Winchester College is a public school (fee-charging independent day and boarding school) in Winchester, Hampshire, England. It was founded by William of Wykeham in 1382 and has existed in its present location ever since. It is the oldest of the ...

, which was seen as a stepping stone to the headmastership of Eton, which had become vacant. He remained at Winchester little more than a year, and was then appointed Headmaster of Eton, in succession to Balston. His appointment was made possible by the conclusions of the Northcote Commission which had removed restrictions among educational endowments, among which was the tradition that the Eton headmaster should come from

King's College, Cambridge King's College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Formally The King's College of Our Lady and Saint Nicholas in Cambridge, the college lies beside the River Cam and faces out onto King's Parade in the centre of the city ...

Eton headmaster and provost

With the restrictions gone, Hornby was the first to exercise the increased independent authority of the headmaster. He "taught Eton the art of self-government" and his sixteen years' Headmastership was very successful. As he had not been an Eton master, he had to overcome a certain amount of resentment by his good work, sympathetic temper and his pleasant manners.

Guy Nickalls Guy Nickalls (13 November 1866 – 8 July 1935) was a British rower who competed in the 1908 Summer Olympics as a member of the British eight that won gold, won 22 events at Henley Royal Regatta and won the Wingfield Sculls three times. Ear ...

, at Eton in the early 1880s, recalled: "In spite of the swishings I got, I liked the headmaster, Hornby, the perfectly mannered and sonorously-voiced old English gentleman. Handsome, alert, witty, a great athlete in his day, a good judge of wine, and the finest after-dinner speaker I ever listened to, with a charm of manner I have never forgotten."G Nickalls ''Life's a pudding'' Hornby retired in 1884 to take the post of provost of Eton and was succeeded by another Etonian and Balliol oarsman,

Edmond Warre Edmond Warre (12 February 1837 – 22 January 1920) was an English rower and Head Master of Eton College from 1884 to 1905. Early life and education Warre was born in London, the son of Henry Warre, of Bindon House, near Milverton, Somerse ...

. Hornby had also become a Doctor of Civil Law and a Queen's Chaplain. As chairman of the Governing Body, he presided over the meetings at the time of Warre's resignation, when Edward Lyttelton was elected Warre's successor. He remained provost until his death in 1909, to be succeeded again by Warre.

Personal life

Hornby married the daughter of J. C. Evans of Eton in 1859. She was associated with the whole of his headmastership at Eton until she died in 1891. He also lost one son, but others and two daughters survived him. He was the brother of Admiral of the Fleet Sir Geoffrey Hornby.

References