Frederic William Farrar
Frederic William Farrar (1831-1903) was a prominent educator, writer, and preacher, born in Bombay, India, to missionary parents. His early life was shaped by travel between India and England, leading him to excel academically at Trinity College, Cambridge, where he earned a scholarship. Farrar's career in education began at Marlborough College, followed by a significant tenure at Harrow School, where he ultimately became headmaster. He was a family man, married to Lucy Mary Cardew, and they had ten children together.
Farrar made notable contributions to the Victorian education system by integrating science and contemporary literature into the curriculum. He was a prolific author, best known for his didactic works, particularly the novel "Eric: Or, Little by Little," which, despite mixed reviews, became quite popular and went through numerous editions during his lifetime. His stories often centered on themes of temptation and moral redemption, reflecting his religious convictions and experiences in boys' public schools. Farrar's literary achievements were recognized with several prestigious awards and honors throughout his career, including fellowships and an honorary chaplaincy to the queen. His legacy remains influential in discussions of Victorian education and literature.
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Frederic William Farrar
Theological Writer
- Born: August 7, 1831
- Birthplace: Bombay, India (now Mumbai, India)
- Died: March 22, 1903
Biography
Frederic William Farrar was born in 1831 in Bombay, India, where his father was a missionary. Farrar spent his childhood traveling between his parents’ home and to visit relatives in England. He attended Trinity College in Cambridge, England, on scholarship, a feat he took pride in. He excelled at his studies and also began writing, earning acclaim and honors for his poetry and essays. In 1854, Marlborough College offered him a teaching position. A year later, he became assistant master at Harrow School in 1855, eventually serving as headmaster. In 1860, he married Lucy Mary Cardew. They had five sons and five daughters. Farrar died on March 22, 1903.
Education was important to Farrar. He played a role in incorporating science and modern literature into the classical curriculum of Victorian England’s public schools. A prolific writer on educational topics, he was also a popular preacher and his sermons were read throughout Britain.
Among his writings, he is best remembered for a highly didactic story Eric: Or, Little by Little: A Tale of Roslyn School, published in 1858. Reviews of the tale were harsh, calling it mediocre in comparison to the better-known Tom Brown’s Schooldays. Despite this fact, Eric went through thirty-six editions in Farrar’s lifetime. The novel attracted a devoted following among readers unfamiliar with England’s public schools.
In creating Eric’s character and story, Farrar drew on his own experiences as a student at King William’s College on the Isle of Man. The story follows Eric Williams, a typical adolescent who is enrolled at Roslyn School. He is concerned with popularity and allows mischief to bring him to the verge of expulsion. He promises to straighten up but does not. When his coconspirator, Vernon, dies accidentally, Eric suffers numerous hardships. The story becomes melodramatic when grief over her runaway son causes Eric’s mother to die and his guilt causes his death, the proper atonement for his mistakes.
Farrar’s next novel, Julian Home: A Tale of College Life, published in 1859, is set at university, though his next book would return to boys’ public school. St. Winifred’s: Or, The World of School was published in 1862. The Three Homes: A Tale for Fathers and Sons, 1873, is set during holiday.
Farrar received the chancellor’s gold medal in 1852 for English verse for the poem “The Arctic Regions and the Hopes of Discovering the Lost Adventurers.” An essay, “The Influence of the Revival of Classical Studies on English Literature during the Reigns of Elizabeth and James I,” earned him the Le Bas Prize in 1855. An essay on atonement won the Norrisian Prize in 1856. He was elected fellow of Trinity College in 1856, a fellow of the Royal Society in 1866, and honorary chaplain to the queen, 1869.
His stories, especially popular with parents, focus on temptation and vanquishing evil by virtue while stressing the salvation repentance provides. They also depict the boys’ public school life, a firmly entrenched foundation by the time Farrar penned his third school story.