John Stock (1764–1842) was headmaster of the Poplar House Academy,

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

, in the late eighteenth century and early nineteenth century.

Biography

In 1786 he married Miss Parker who also worked at the school. He is noted for being a progressive teacher interested in teaching science. He published ''Syllabus of Philosophical Lectures Given During Each Half Year at Poplar House Academy'' in 1826. One historian described him as an

autodidact Autodidacticism (also autodidactism) or self-education (also self-learning and self-teaching) is education without the guidance of masters (such as teachers and professors) or institutions (such as schools). Generally, autodidacts are individua ...

who nevertheless provided an exemplary education " insofar that it was energetic and practical (based on a spirit of ambitious competition amongst his pupils). Stock educated Charles Pritchard (1808–1893), from 1822. Pritchard, a future astronomer, used some old instruments at the school constructed by

James Ferguson James Ferguson may refer to: Entertainment * Jim Ferguson (born 1948), American jazz and classical guitarist * Jim Ferguson, American guitarist, past member of Lotion * Jim Ferguson, American movie critic, Board of Directors member for the Broadca ...

. He went on to become Headmaster of Stockwell Grammar School. In 1814 he had his portrait painted by Henry William Pickersgill. In 1821 and 1823, he and fellow parishioner, George Green, provided two tranches of loans towards the building of

All Saints, Poplar All Saints' Church, Poplar, is a church in Newby Place, Poplar, London Borough of Tower Hamlets, and is the Church of England parish church of Poplar. It was built in 1821–3 to serve the newly created parish. The church was designated a Grade ...

, a new church being built in the parish.. However this supplanted a year or so later by a loan on better terms from the West India Dock Company. In 1833 he gave evidence to the House of Commons

select committee Select committee may refer to: *Select committee (parliamentary system), a committee made up of a small number of parliamentary members appointed to deal with particular areas or issues *Select or special committee (United States Congress) *Select ...

on Public Walks raising concerns about the lack of public space for the "humbler class of Londoner"" and that this was contributing to such people frequenting public houses. He was a visiting justice to the

Hanwell Asylum St Bernard's Hospital, also known as Hanwell Insane Asylum and the Hanwell Pauper and Lunatic Asylum, was an asylum built for the pauper insane, opening as the First Middlesex County Asylum in 1831. Some of the original buildings are now part of ...

. He served as a magistrate for

Middlesex Middlesex (; abbreviation: Middx) is a Historic counties of England, historic county in South East England, southeast England. Its area is almost entirely within the wider urbanised area of London and mostly within the Ceremonial counties of ...

and was buried in the graveyard of

St Matthias Old Church St Matthias Old Church is the modern name given to the Poplar Chapel built by the East India Company in 1654, in Poplar in the East End of London. The church is designated a Grade II* listed building. St Matthias Old Church is one of the ver ...

, Poplar.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Stock, John English educational theorists 1764 births 1842 deaths