File 4 - W.R. Inge: Letters from W.R. Inge to his parents

63 letters, paper

This series consists mainly of letters written by W.I. Inge to his parents during his years at Eton, King's College Cambridge, and his first teaching posts after graduating. There are a few letter to his father from a friend congratulating him on his son's academic achievements and some to W.I. Inge offering him teaching posts.

(1) letter to his mother from Eton, 30 Sept – there is no year but he says St Michaelmas Day was on a Sunday which means it was 1878]. There is a pencil sketch of the view from his room

(2) letter to his father from Eton, 4 Feb 1879

(3) letter to his mother from Eton, 2 Mar 1879

(4) letter from Eton, 12 Mar 1879 – he describes the Royal Procession to Windsor and seeing Queen Victoria and the Prince of Wales, for the wedding of Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught (1850-1942), [son of Queen Victoria] and Princess Louise of Prussia

(5) letter to his mother from Eton, 30 Mar 1879

(6) letter to his father from Eton, 6 Apr 1879

(7) telegram undated apart from the time, c.1879. From Revd W.B. Churton to Revd W. Inge. It reads:
Ralph has done best of all in Classics and is chosen for a scholarship

(8) telegram, undated part from the time,c.1879. From W.R. Inge to his father Revd W. Inge. It reads:
The Newcastle has just been given out am scholar. Expect me by the three thirteen unless I telegraph again

Note: The Newcastle Scholarship is an annual prize awarded at Eton for the highest performance in a series of special written examinations taken over the course of a week. It was instituted and first awarded in 1829 and is the college's most prestigious prize. Originally focused on both Divinity and Classics.

(9) letter to Will and Mary [W.R. Inge’s parent] from Cotesbach [Leicestershire] from ‘your loving cousin J.S. W. [probably Watson as W.R. Inge’s grandmother’s maiden name was Watson]

Congratulates them on Ralph’s success in the Newcastle and being awarded a scholarship

(10) letter from Revd Francis St John Thackeray to Revd W. Inge to congratulate him on his son’s success in winning the Newcastle Scholarship at Eton

(11) letter to his mother from Eton, 7 Jun 1879

(12) letter to his mother from Eton, 15 Jun 1879

(13) letter to his father and mother from Eton 29 Jun 1879 to congratulate them on their 20th wedding anniversary

(14) letter to his mother from Eton, 6 Jul 1879

(15) letter to his mother from King’s College, 2 Oct 1879 [he matriculated from King’s in 1879]

(16) letter to his sister Sophy from King’s College, 7 Mar 1880

(17) letter to his mother from King’s College, 12 Mar 1880

(18) letter to his mother from King’s College, 30 May 1880

(19) telegram from Mrs Inge to the Revd W. Inge, 1881, which reads:

“Ralph has won the Porson Scholarship we have had a telegram from him just now”
The Porson Prize is an award for Greek verse composition. Inge won the prize in 1880 and was a Porson Scholar in 1881

(20) postcard to his father, 19 Feb 1881, which reads:

My dearest Papa,
I have just heard that I have got the Porson Scholarship. The other three were 3rd year men, Tucker, Wyse, and Wandale

(21) letter to his father from King’s College, 20 Feb 1881

(22) telegram to his father, Feb 1882:

“I have got the Craven”

The Craven Scholarship at King's College, Cambridge, is a prestigious historic classics scholarship founded in the 17th century by John Lord Craven and awarded to outstanding classical scholars at the university

(23) letter to his mother from King’s College, 18 Feb 1882

(24) letter from B.H. Kennedy, The Elms, Cambridge, to Revd W. Inge, 18 Feb 1882

(25) letter from B.H. Kennedy, The Elms, Cambridge, to Revd W. Inge, 22 Feb 1882

(26) letter to his father from King’s College, 2 Mar 1882, sending him his attempt at a Greek Epigram ‘the only one I have succeeded in doing’.

(27) letter to his father from King’s College, 23 Mar 1882

(28) letter to his father from King’s College, 28 Mar 1882

(29) postcard to his father, 24 May 1882 which reads:

I heard yesterday that I have got three of the Browne Medals: the two odes and the Greek Epigram. Dimsdale has got the Latin Epigram, The Porson is not out yet”.

(30) paper headed ‘King Lear Act 5 Last Scene’ the scene is the written out in Greek

(31) letter from B.H. Kennedy, The College, Ely, to Revd W. Inge, 8 Jun 1882

(32) letter to his father from king’s College, 17 Jun 1882

(33) 6 letters to his mother from a holiday in Switzerland, 1 Jul – 12 Jul 1882

(34) letter to his mother from King’s College, 17 Nov 1882

(35) letter to his mother from King’s College, 29 Nov 1882

(36) letter to his mother from King’s College, 3 Dec 1882

(37) letter to Revd W. Inge from ?[cross hatched], The College Winchester, 6 Oct 1883

(38) letter to his father from King’s College, 13 Oct 1883

(39) letter to his mother from Aldenham Grammar School, 26 Oct 1883

In his previous letter he had told his mother that John Kennedy of Aldenham School needed a composition master for 3 weeks

(40) letter to W.R. Inge from William Andrewes Featon, Durham School, 25 Mar [c.1884]

Fearon was extremely glad Dr Ridding had arranged with him [Inge] to come to Winchester next term as composition master to the VIth form. He understood that Inge had received an offer to be a master at Eton and expressed a hope that if there should be a delay Inge would stay on at Winchester for a while.

Note: George Ridding was Headmaster of Winchester College from 1867 to 1884
William Andrewes Fearon was Headmaster at Durham before succeeding Ridding as Headmaster of Winchester College in 1884

(41) letter from Henry Montagu Butler to W.R. Inge written from Harewood House, Tunbridge Wells, 11 Jan 1884 asking if Inge would temporarily teach composition at Harrow

Note: Henry Montagu Butler (1833–1918) served as headmaster of Harrow School (1860–85), Dean of Gloucester (1885–86) and Master of Trinity College, Cambridge (1886–1918)

(42) letter from Henry Montagu Butler to W.R. Inge written from Harewood House, Tunbridge Wells, 14 Jan 1884 making arrangements for Inge to arrive at Harrow and find rooms before starting teaching

(43) letter to his mother from Harrow, 17 Feb 1884
Lets her know that he had been offered a job teaching at Eton

(44) letter to his mother from Harrow, 2 Apr 1884

(45) letter to his father from Winchester, 6 Jun 1884

(46) letter to his mother from Winchester, 21 Jun 1884

(47) letter to his parents from Winchester, 29 Jun 1884

(48) letter to his father from Winchester, 3 Jul 1884

(49) printed copy of: ‘Tenure of Hertford College', 22 Oct 1894

Note: After graduating Inge spent four years teaching at Eton, but concluded that he was not especially suited to school mastering. He was more settled as a Fellow of Hertford College, Oxford, from 1888, where he taught classics, and developed an interest in philosophy [Oxford Dictionary of National Biography]

(50) letter to his mother from Bonchurch, on Hertford College, Oxford headed paper, 16 Dec 1897

(51) letter to his mother from Bonchurch, on Hertford College, Oxford headed paper, 20 Dec 1897

(52) letter to his mother from Beddgelert [Wales], Good Friday evening, 1898

(53) letter to his mother from Gwylfa Bontddu Dolgellau [Wales], 14 Apr 1898

(54) letter to his mother from Hotel Metropole, Cromer, 5 Aug 1898

(55) letter to his father from Cromer, 9 Aug 1898

(56) letter to his mother from Cromer, 16 Aug 1898

(57) list of prizes and scholarships won whilst at Cambridge and a list of his Greek and Latin Odes and compositions, 1882