DARLINGTON
,
THOMAS
(
1864
-
1908
),
scholar and inspector of schools
;
the son of
Richard
Darlington
,
farmer
,
Burland
,
Nantwich, Ches.
; b.
22 Feb. 1864
, and educated at
Whitchurch grammar school
, the
Leys School
,
Cambridge
, and
S. John's College
,
Cambridge
, of which he was a
scholar
. He obtained a first class in the classical tripos, part I (
1884
) and the
Members’ Latin Essay prize
(
1885
), graduated
B.A. (London)
in
1884
, being first in classics, and
M.A. (London)
in
1887
, winning the
gold medal
. After spending nine months in
Germany
he became
assistant master
at
Rugby school
in
1887
, and
headmaster
of
Queen's College
,
Taunton
, in
1888
; in the same year he was elected a
Fellow
of his old college. Though unsuccessful in his application for the post of
principal
of the
University College of Wales
,
Aberystwyth
, in
1891
, he came to
Wales
in
1896
(after a period of four years spent in writing) as one of
H.M. inspectors of schools
, and lived at
Aberystwyth
till his death.
Darlington
was a remarkable
linguist
, being proficient in many modern
European
languages and also in
Romany
and
Welsh
(which he had learnt as a boy), and
contributed articles in the press
, in
Welsh
and
English
, on
Welsh
literary and political subjects. His wife was
Annie Edith
Bainbridge
of
Eshott Hall
,
Northumb.
; she survived him, with one son and three daughters. He d. in
London
,
4 Feb. 1908
, and was buried at
Weston Lullingfield
, near
Ellesmere
,
Salop
.
Bibliography:
-
W. A. Darlington
,
I do what I like
, London, c.1950
;
-
The Cambrian News
,
7 Feb. 1908
;
-
Venn
,
Alumni Cantabrigienses
Author:
Thomas Iorwerth Ellis, M.A., (1899-1970), Aberystwyth
