John Bransby

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John Bransby
Portrait of Bransby, published in 1880
Born1784 (1784)
Died5 March 1857 (aged 72–73)
Norfolk, England
Alma materSt. John's College, Oxford
Occupation(s)Educator, minister, schoolmaster
Known forTeacher to Edgar Allan Poe

John Bransby (1784 – 5 March 1857) was an English educator and minister. He is best remembered as a schoolmaster of Edgar Allan Poe, and the basis for the character of "Reverend Doctor Bransby" in Poe's short story, "William Wilson".

Early life and education[edit]

Bransby was born in 1784. He attended St. John's College, receiving a Bachelors degree in 1805 and a Master of Arts degree in 1808.[1] Bransby was a cousin of Astley Cooper.[2]

Career[edit]

Bransby was a deacon and lecturer at St Mary's (Church of England) parish church from 1814 until 1825. In 1814, Bransby was elected as a fellow of the Linnean Society. He was also a fellow of the Geological Society, the Cambridge Philosophical Society, and the Society of Antiquaries.[3] In 1818, Bransby was admitted to the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts.[4] He was also a member of the local horticultural society.[2]

Educator[edit]

In the 1810s, Bransby opened a Manor School on Church Street at his residence in Stoke Newington.[5] From 1817 until 1820, Edgar Allan Poe resided in the house and was one of Bransby's pupils.[2] Bransby was a classicist who educated Poe and other students in Latin, Shakespeare, and Horace.[6][7]

Bransby no longer ran the school by 1825, when he moved to Norfolk to become the new headmaster of the King's Lynn Grammar School.[8] In 1845, he became the rector of Testerton parish in Norfolk.[3]

Death and legacy[edit]

Bransby died in 1857 in Norfolk.[2][9][10] Bransby is the basis for the character of "Reverend Doctor Bransby" in Poe's 1839 short story, "William Wilson".[11][12][13][14] He was irritated by the depiction of the character as "solemn" and "sour."[15]

Bransby has been regarded by historians as an influential figure in Poe's early education in various languages and poetry.[16]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Quinn, Arthur Hobson (25 November 1997). Edgar Allan Poe: A Critical Biography. JHU Press. ISBN 978-0-8018-5730-0.
  2. ^ a b c d Hunter, William Elijah (19 October 1878). "Poe and His English Schoolmaster". Athenæum: 496–497.
  3. ^ a b The Annotated Poe. Harvard University Press. 26 October 2015. ISBN 978-0-674-05529-2.
  4. ^ Ryder, Henry (1819). An abstract of the Charter and of the proceedings of the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts.
  5. ^ "Rev. Dr. Bransby's establishment at Stoke-Newington". Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. 20540 USA. Retrieved 27 October 2023.
  6. ^ "The Reverend John Bransby, Poe's School-master". Edgar Allan Poe Society of Baltimore. Retrieved 27 October 2023.
  7. ^ Hutchisson, James M. (2005). Poe. Univ. Press of Mississippi. ISBN 978-1-57806-721-3.
  8. ^ Baggs, A P, Diane K Bolton, and Patricia E C Croot. "Stoke Newington: Education." A History of the County of Middlesex: Volume 8, Islington and Stoke Newington Parishes. Eds. T F T Baker, and C R Elrington. London: Victoria County History, 1985. 217-223. British History Online. Web. 27 October 2023. http://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/middx/vol8/pp217-223.
  9. ^ Allen, Hervey (1926). Israfel: The Life and Times of Edgar Allan Poe. George H. Doran Company.
  10. ^ "British Newspaper Archive, Family Notices," FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QPCN-YT9N  : Fri Oct 27 16:30:31 UTC 2023), Obituary Entry for Rev. John Bransby, M.a., 13 Mar 1857.
  11. ^ Profiles of American Writers: Volume Two of Three. Golgotha Press. 5 September 2013. ISBN 978-1-62107-603-2.
  12. ^ Busch, Frederick (4 April 2004). "Edgar Allan's School Days". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 27 October 2023.
  13. ^ Frank, Frederick S.; Magistrale, Tony (25 March 1997). The Poe Encyclopedia. Bloomsbury Publishing USA. ISBN 978-0-313-00351-6.
  14. ^ Rennison, Nick (21 September 2009). 100 Must-read Historical Novels. A&C Black. ISBN 978-1-4081-1396-7.
  15. ^ Sova, Dawn B. (2007). Critical Companion to Edgar Allan Poe: A Literary Reference to His Life and Work. Infobase Publishing. ISBN 978-1-4381-0842-1.
  16. ^ Stamos, David N. (28 February 2017). Edgar Allan Poe, Eureka, and Scientific Imagination. SUNY Press. ISBN 978-1-4384-6391-9.
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