Frederic Chapple

For the English professional footballer, see Frederick Chapple.

Frederic Chapple CMG (12 October 1845 – 29 February 1924) was the influential headmaster of Prince Alfred College in Adelaide, South Australia, from 1876 to 1914.

History

Frederic was born in London a son of John Chapple, a mason from Devonshire, and his wife Louisa, née Brewin. Though Presbyterians, they sent their son to a Wesleyan Methodist day school, because of its good reputation. As well as reaching high academic standards he entered whole-heartedly into the religious life of the School and Church, and at age 18 was assessed first among applicants for a scholarship to Westminster Training College. He sailed through the course, consistently coming top of his class, while maintaining his Church activities — holding simultaneously the positions of poor steward, church steward, circuit steward, and Sunday school teacher and superintendent.[1] At the end of his course he was appointed locum tenens head of the teaching schools run by the college, and in the evening studied for the London University BA at King's College and University College, Cambridge. In 1870 he was appointed to a permanent position with Westminster Wesleyan Methodist College, teaching Science and Mathematics. He completed a course at the South Kensington Science School, and was awarded a BSc. by the London University. He was convinced of the need for Biblical teaching in secular as well as Church schools; he was a founding member of the National Union of Elementary Teachers, which he represented in 1870 at a congress on the desirability of religious teaching in government schools.

Prince Alfred College

The Principal of Prince Alfred College, John Anderson Hartley, B.A., B.Sc (1844–1896), resigned late in 1875 after only five years as head, to take a position as Inspector-General of State Schools. Rev. Drs. Alfred Rigg (1832–1891) and James Egan Moulton (c. 1841–1909) were commissioned by the Prince Alfred College Committee to find his replacement, and after some hesitation Chapple accepted their invitation, and arrived with his family in Adelaide on 8 April 1876. He joined the Kent Town Church the next day, and occupied the same pew for the next 32 years.[2]

He reduced the high importance the school had previously placed on Classical languages — Latin and Greek — and greatly increased the stress on English, Mathematics and Sciences, but maintained the close linkage of the school with the Methodist Church. He was an attractive and forceful speaker, and impressed on his students the value of thorough preparation before mounting the platform, and clear English and careful diction when delivering a speech. Chapple placed equal importance on a healthy body - he brought to the school a new emphasis on physical fitness, and ensured the school's gymnastic and sporting equipment was kept up-to-date, and encouraged a sense of pride in the school's sporting achievements, notably in competition with St. Peter's College ("Reds" v. "Blues"). He was a strict disciplinarian but cheerful with it, and an inspiration to his students, who universally remembered their old head, nicknamed "Jingles" or "Conk", fondly. He was a keen cricketer and in the early days played for the school team.[3] He was highly effective in raising the public profile and status of the school, and consequently its ability to raise building funds from parents as fees, and from past students as bequests.

He retired in November 1914 and was of course obliged to vacate the headmaster's residence. He purchased a house on The Parade, Norwood, South Australia, which he and his wife shared with their unmarried daughter, Dr. Phoebe Chapple.[3] He maintained an interest in a variety of spheres until he was severely injured by falling down stairs at the Adelaide YMCA, which forced him to relinquish most of his activities.[4] He died at Norwood, and was buried in the West Terrace Cemetery.

Other interests

He did not often travel outside Australia: only in 1901,[5] when he was a delegate to the Methodist Ecumenical Conference[6] and 1920,[7] when he took holidays in conjunction with a commission to represent the Council of Churches,[1] both in Britain. He had intended another trip to visit his son Harold, an obstetric and gynaecological surgeon at Guy's Hospital, in February 1915, but the War intervened.[3]

Family

Frederic Chapple (1845–1924) married schoolmistress Elizabeth Sarah Hunter (c. 1845 – 19 October 1930) in Bethnal Green, England on 16 April 1870.[6] Their children included:

  • Edith Chapple (1872–1937) married Joseph Auburn Haslam on 1 December 1900. She was involved with Our Girls' Institute, YWCA and Council of Churches; after the death of her husband she lived with sister Phoebe. Her daughter Margaret (1911– ) also qualified as a medical doctor, married Dr. Frank Magarey in 1938.
  • Frederic John Chapple, BSc, MB., ChB (1872–1948) married Mary Alice Fletcher ( –1944) on 13 May 1902. None of his family was present; and no notice in the Adelaide newspapers. She was a daughter of Brisbane auctioneer Charles Fletcher. He was medical superintendent at Rockhampton General Hospital, then Brisbane General Hospital, then Adelaide Hospital 1904– , later had a private practice in Glen Osmond.
  • Marian Chapple, BA. (1874–1930) married Rev. Rowland Broadbent on 14 March 1911
  • Alfred Chapple, BSc. (1876– between 1930 and 1948) married Hannah Melville Simmonds on 24 July 1907
  • Gertrude "Gertie" Chapple (1878– 27 May 1947) attended the Advanced School, but was noted more as a singer and violinist than a scholar. She married Frederick Waldeck on 6 September 1902 and moved to Dongarra, Western Australia. They had four sons. They divorced in 1923 and she reverted her surname to Chapple, taught music and singing, and worked with the Band of Hope, living at 26, The Parade, Norwood.[8] Rev. Edwin E. C. Waldeck was a son.[9]
  • Dr. Phoebe Chapple, BSc, MB., BS (1879–1967) was a noted medical doctor.
  • Dr. Harold Chapple, BSc (1881–1945) married Irene Briscoe Arbuthnot-Lane on 12 September 1911. She was a daughter of Sir William Arbuthnot-Lane; he was a Harley Street specialist.
  • Ernest "Ernie" Chapple, BSc (1882–1940) married Kathleen Muriel "Kath" Cadell of Dubbo on 15 July 1933. He studied at the School of Mines and Adelaide University, where he was first to qualify in electrical engineering; worked for James Martin & Co of Gawler, and the Sulphide Company at Broken Hill, gaining further qualifications at Cambridge before becoming manager of a rubber company in Burma. He was a fine athlete and Lacrosse player.[10]

Six of the eight were awarded degrees at the University of Adelaide (perhaps some kind of record ?) and several earned higher degrees at Cambridge or the University of London (not shown in the above list). Daughter Phoebe was one of the first women doctors to serve at the front during WWI; she was awarded the Military Medal in December 1918.

Recognition

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Death of Mr. Frederic Chapple". The Register (Adelaide). LXXXIX, (25,923). South Australia. 3 March 1924. p. 9. Retrieved 6 May 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
  2. ↑ "Mr. F. Chappie, B.A., B.Sc.". Australian Christian Commonwealth. XXI, (1041). South Australia. 12 June 1908. p. 13. Retrieved 6 May 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "After 39 Years". The Advertiser. LVII, (17,508). South Australia. 25 November 1914. p. 6. Retrieved 11 May 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
  4. ↑ "Personal". The Recorder (Port Pirie) (7,822). South Australia. 3 March 1924. p. 2. Retrieved 15 May 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
  5. ↑ "Concerning People". The Register (Adelaide). LXVI, (16,976). South Australia. 11 April 1901. p. 5. Retrieved 18 May 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
  6. 1 2 3 4 Alan H. Dennis, 'Chapple, Frederic (1845–1924)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/chapple-frederic-5559/text9479, published first in hardcopy 1979, accessed online 6 May 2016.
  7. ↑ "Homeland Again". The Register (Adelaide). LXXXV, (23,103). South Australia. 24 November 1920. p. 9. Retrieved 17 May 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
  8. ↑ "Family Notices". The Advertiser (Adelaide). South Australia. 28 May 1947. p. 18. Retrieved 17 May 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
  9. ↑ "New Minister at Risdon Park". The Recorder (Port Pirie) (11,249). South Australia. 24 April 1935. p. 2. Retrieved 17 May 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
  10. ↑ "Concerning People". The Observer (Adelaide). LXII, (3,310). South Australia. 11 March 1905. p. 31. Retrieved 17 May 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
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