Herbert Branston Gray (21 April 1851 – 5 April 1929) was an English clergyman and schoolmaster. He was Headmaster and later Warden of Bradfield College and Chairman of the Headmasters' Conference for the year 1900.
Born at Putney, Gray was the younger son of Thomas Gray, of St Peter's, Kent, in the Isle of Thanet, a businessman in the City of London, by his marriage to Emily Mary Heath[1] at Wandsworth in 1849.[2] He was educated at Winchester at Chernocke House (Furleys) as exhibitioner (1865–70)[3] and Queen's College, Oxford. In 1877 he was ordained and became an assistant master at Westminster School before being appointed as Headmaster at Louth Grammar School in 1878,[3] then Bradfield College in 1880.[4] In 1881 Gray established Bradfield's tradition of Greek plays, when as headmaster he arranged for the first such play, Alcestis, to be performed to raise money for the school at a time of financial hardship. Gray was inspired by the performance of Agamemnon at Balliol College, Oxford, in 1880, directed by F. R. Benson. He successfully invited Benson to manage the Bradfield play, and Benson played Apollo himself.[1][5]
By 1898 Gray had the title at Bradfield of "Warden and Chairman of Council", meaning that he was in charge of the school's governance and not managing its teaching from day to day.[7] In 1900, he was chairman of the Headmasters' Conference, and the annual conference was held at Bradfield.[8]
In 1903 Gray was a Member of the Moseley Educational Commission to the United States.[9] In his The Public Schools and the Empire (1913), he recommended that scholarship funding and the competitive system needed to be reformed and that "the cult of sport" should be eliminated.[10]
At the time of his death Gray was Vicar of Lynton, Devon. He left a widow, Selina Gray, and an estate valued at £6,426.[11]
Selected publicationsedit
Herbert Branston Gray, Modern Laodiceans, and other sermons (Rivingtons, 1883)
Herbert Branston Gray, Men of Like Passions: Being Characters of Some Bible Heroes and Other Sermons Preached to Bradfield Boys (Longmans, Green, & Company, 1894)
Herbert Branston Gray, "Report of the Reverend Herbert Branston Gray" in Reports of the Mosely Educational Commission to the United States of America (London: Co-operative Printing Society Limited, 1904)
Herbert Branston Gray, The Public Schools and the Empire (Michigan: University of Michigan, 1913)
Herbert Branston Gray DD, The Crossways: the Reform of Secondary Education (1913)
Herbert Branston Gray DD, America at School and at Work (London: Nisbet, 1918)
^"Gray, Thomas & Heath, Emily Mary" in Register of Marriages for Wandsworth Registration District, vol. 4 (1849), p. 563
^ abSpencer, Julian (May 2015). "Gray of Bradfield". The Trusty Servant. 119: 7–9. Retrieved 25 August 2019.
^"Herbert Branston Gray (1851-1929)" in John Telford, The New Methodist Hymn-book Illustrated: In History and Experience (1934), p. 395
^Michael Dobson, Shakespeare and Amateur Performance: A Cultural History, p. 166
^"Gray Herbert Branston & Marritt Selina" in Register of Marriages for the Sleaford Registration District, vol 7a (1882), p. 827
^The Bradfield College register: corrected to May, 1898 (St Andrew's College, Bradfield, 1898), p. 6
^"The Resolutions of Recent Conferences" in The School World: A Monthly Magazine of Educational Work and Progress, Vol. 3 (Macmillan and Company, 1901) p. 64: "THE last annual meeting of the Headmasters' Conference was held at Bradfield College, the Rev. Dr. H. B. Gray presiding."
^Wendy Roberta Katz, Rider Haggard and the Fiction of Empire (2010), p. 23
^"GRAY the reverend Herbert Branston" in Probate Index for 1929 online at probatesearch.service.gov.uk, accessed 1 April 2019
January 01, 1970
herbert, branston, gray, april, 1851, april, 1929, english, clergyman, schoolmaster, headmaster, later, warden, bradfield, college, chairman, headmasters, conference, year, 1900, born, putney, gray, younger, thomas, gray, peter, kent, isle, thanet, businessman. Herbert Branston Gray 21 April 1851 5 April 1929 was an English clergyman and schoolmaster He was Headmaster and later Warden of Bradfield College and Chairman of the Headmasters Conference for the year 1900 Born at Putney Gray was the younger son of Thomas Gray of St Peter s Kent in the Isle of Thanet a businessman in the City of London by his marriage to Emily Mary Heath 1 at Wandsworth in 1849 2 He was educated at Winchester at Chernocke House Furleys as exhibitioner 1865 70 3 and Queen s College Oxford In 1877 he was ordained and became an assistant master at Westminster School before being appointed as Headmaster at Louth Grammar School in 1878 3 then Bradfield College in 1880 4 In 1881 Gray established Bradfield s tradition of Greek plays when as headmaster he arranged for the first such play Alcestis to be performed to raise money for the school at a time of financial hardship Gray was inspired by the performance of Agamemnon at Balliol College Oxford in 1880 directed by F R Benson He successfully invited Benson to manage the Bradfield play and Benson played Apollo himself 1 5 In 1882 Gray married Selina Marriott at Sleaford Lincolnshire 6 By 1898 Gray had the title at Bradfield of Warden and Chairman of Council meaning that he was in charge of the school s governance and not managing its teaching from day to day 7 In 1900 he was chairman of the Headmasters Conference and the annual conference was held at Bradfield 8 In 1903 Gray was a Member of the Moseley Educational Commission to the United States 9 In his The Public Schools and the Empire 1913 he recommended that scholarship funding and the competitive system needed to be reformed and that the cult of sport should be eliminated 10 At the time of his death Gray was Vicar of Lynton Devon He left a widow Selina Gray and an estate valued at 6 426 11 Selected publications editHerbert Branston Gray Modern Laodiceans and other sermons Rivingtons 1883 Herbert Branston Gray Men of Like Passions Being Characters of Some Bible Heroes and Other Sermons Preached to Bradfield Boys Longmans Green amp Company 1894 Herbert Branston Gray Report of the Reverend Herbert Branston Gray in Reports of the Mosely Educational Commission to the United States of America London Co operative Printing Society Limited 1904 Herbert Branston Gray The Public Schools and the Empire Michigan University of Michigan 1913 Herbert Branston Gray DD The Crossways the Reform of Secondary Education 1913 Herbert Branston Gray DD America at School and at Work London Nisbet 1918 Notes edit a b G S Freeman revised by M C Curthoys Gray Herbert Branston 1851 1929 in Oxford Dictionary of National Biography online subscription required Gray Thomas amp Heath Emily Mary in Register of Marriages for Wandsworth Registration District vol 4 1849 p 563 a b Spencer Julian May 2015 Gray of Bradfield The Trusty Servant 119 7 9 Retrieved 25 August 2019 Herbert Branston Gray 1851 1929 in John Telford The New Methodist Hymn book Illustrated In History and Experience 1934 p 395 Michael Dobson Shakespeare and Amateur Performance A Cultural History p 166 Gray Herbert Branston amp Marritt Selina in Register of Marriages for the Sleaford Registration District vol 7a 1882 p 827 The Bradfield College register corrected to May 1898 St Andrew s College Bradfield 1898 p 6 The Resolutions of Recent Conferences in The School World A Monthly Magazine of Educational Work and Progress Vol 3 Macmillan and Company 1901 p 64 THE last annual meeting of the Headmasters Conference was held at Bradfield College the Rev Dr H B Gray presiding The Review of Reviews Volume 48 1913 p 25 Wendy Roberta Katz Rider Haggard and the Fiction of Empire 2010 p 23 GRAY the reverend Herbert Branston in Probate Index for 1929 online at probatesearch service gov uk accessed 1 April 2019 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Herbert Branston Gray amp oldid 1223461244, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
