My maternal grandfather:
(Note added 21 August 2019: This post has attracted a lot of interest. There are similar posts in this blog for my other grandparents (Agnes Joan Monckton, Eleanor Alice Adelaide Russell, and George Charles Bawden). Please look them up. What I know of earlier generations will follow in due course - i.e. slowly)
John Barham Johnson
A Life in Music TeachingJohn Barham Johnson (Johnnie to friends and colleagues, Jack to family) was born on 21 May 1890[1] at Welborne, Norfolk, the oldest child of Catharine Bodham Donne and Henry Barham Johnson to survive to adulthood[2]. Catharine’s diary entry for that day reads “Sent for Mr Taylor who came at 5pm, & at 8.10 our baby boy was born – very long baby, 19 inches, an abundance of black hair[3]”. Later that year the family moved from Welborne to Lullington, Somerset where Henry had been offered the living[4].
It would seem that Jack received his early education at home. There are references in Catharine’s diary[5] that suggest home education and he himself refers to “daily lessons at home with my mother”[6]. In April or May of 1898 his father took him to Windsor to audition for a position as a chorister at St George’s[7], the audition being conducted by Sir Walter Parratt[8], organist at the chapel and Master of the Queen’s Musick[9]. He entered the school on 23 May 1898[10]. During his time in Windsor he sang at both the funeral of Queen Victoria[11] and the coronation of Edward VII[12] (together with his brother Geoffrey). In 1905 he sat for, and won, the “Norfolk” scholarship to Gresham’s School, Holt[13], entering the school in September 1905[14] and leaving on an organ scholarship to Selwyn College, Cambridge in the summer of 1909[15][16][17]. He received his BA in 1912 and BMus in 1913[18].
When WWI broke out Jack was on a walking holiday in Scotland. He returned home and attempted to enlist but failed his medical. Catherine Mary Johnson (always known to us as A Mary) says he took up a temporary post at Rugby School[19] but Nathalie Chalker (Aunt Nat), in the scrap book she put together about Jack, indicates that he was teaching at Uppingham between 1913 and 1920[20].
In 1920 he moved to Neville Holt School[21]. Nat has transcribed parts of some of Jack’s letters[22]. On 25 January 1920 he wrote “Words cannot describe the beauty of this place and every minute of the time is an absolute joy. I feel that in a place like this I shall be able to write and compose, and also have some quiet time for reading and piano playing”. On 1 February of the same year he wrote “Altogether I am feeling extraordinarily happy. I wouldn’t go back to Uppingham now for worlds.” Uppingham did have one great benefit, however, as it was there that he had met Agnes Joan Monckton (always known as Joan), the daughter of one of the masters. The extracts that Nat has transcribed are peppered with references to Joan. In January 1922 Jack asked Mr Monckton for Joan’s hand and received the reply “that there was no one better to whom he would wish to entrust his daughter”[23].
Towards the end of 1922 he was offered a post at Oakham School (actually two posts,
music master at the school and organist at the
parish church, the two roles always being offered together in order to provide
a living wage)[24]. He considered delaying his marriage for a
year but was persuaded otherwise and the wedding took place on 10 April 1923 at
St Andrew’s Church, Deal, Kent[25].He stayed at Oakham until 1930 when he took up the post of Director of Music at Bryanston,[26]presumably invited there by the founder and first headmaster J G Jeffreys[27]. This move ended rather unfortunately. One version of the episode given by Nat says he was good friends with the headmaster who left under a cloud of scandal in 1932, allegedly having interfered sexually with some of the boys[28]. Jack was caught up in the wake of this affair and dismissed by the governors, although Nat suggested that he stayed on for a couple of terms and trained his successor[29]. There are, however, other notes in Nat’s scrapbook that suggest that the then headmaster (a man named Coade[30]) was instrumental in Jack’s dismissal although they also suggest that Coade might have been coerced by the governors. Nat records that in 1933 Coade had met with Jack’s future headmaster at Shrewsbury after an appointment had been mooted but before it was confirmed, and had told Jack that he was sure he would get the post and wished him good luck[31].
The family (by now all three daughters, Margaret, Jean and Nathalie had been born) spent some time at his mother’s house while he applied for a new situation[32], his mother also helping financially[33]. He was briefly back at Uppingham for the summer term of 1933 at the request of Sterndale Bennett[34][35]. In September he became Director of Music at Shrewsbury School under the headmaster H H Hardy[36]. He remained there until he retired.
Throughout his life Jack appears to have enjoyed composing minor pieces of music. Nat mentions a hymn by Geoffrey Hoyland[37][38] which Jack set to music being included in the BBC Hymnbook in 1938; and I know that he published a selection of piano pieces under the title “Hard Handed Men”[39] and “Keyboard Harmony for Beginners”[40]. Aside from playing the piano and organ from a very early age he also dabbled with the viola[41] and late in life started to learn to play the cello[42].
From letter extracts[43]
and his obituary in The Salopian Newsletter[44]
it would seem that Jack had a deep Christ
ian faith but that was never the
impression that I had. Rather, he came across as a gentle man who delighted in
many a different subject, be it stamps, fossils, botany, gardening or music. Of
my two grandparental households his was by far the more relaxed and welcoming,
and I fondly remember the smell of his study – all old leather and pipe
tobacco.What I have not been able to ascertain is how widely he was embedded in the musical life of the country. Certainly he knew, for instance, Myra Hess who apparently insisted on using his grand piano for her concerts in the area[45] and there are tantalising references in various letter extracts[46]. However, I suspect he was content with his lot as a highly respected teacher.
After he retired he continued teaching on an individual basis and also continued examining for the Associated Board both in the UK and abroad. He died at home on 12 June 1965[47].
[1]
Birth registration GRO reference 1890 Jun Forehoe 4B 185 (given names not
recorded).
[2] On
18 February 1889 Catharine gave birth to conjoined twin girls who did not
survive. Catherine Mary Johnson “Letters and Diaries of the Norfolk Families
Donne & Johnson”, vol 3, p633-634.
[3]
Catherine Mary Johnson “Letters and Diaries of the Norfolk Families Donne &
Johnson”, vol 3, p635.
[4]
Henry is recorded as being there in the 1891 England and Wales census
RG12/1908/48/2 whereas Catharine and Jack are recorded to be in Torquay
(RG12/1705/39/33) where they were on holiday (Catherine Mary Johnson “Letters and Diaries of the Norfolk Families Donne &
Johnson”, vol 3, p639).
[5] Catherine Mary Johnson “Letters and Diaries of the Norfolk
Families Donne & Johnson”, vol 3, p658.
[6]
John Barham Johnson “Windsor Chorister”, p1.
[7]
Ibid, although this section is headed “1897”. Handwritten notes by Jack in the
possession of St. George’s indicate the audition took place in 1898 and
Catherine Mary Johnson implies the same (“Letters and Diaries of the Norfolk
Families Donne & Johnson”, vol 3, p664).
[8]
John Barham Johnson “Windsor Chorister”, p2.
[9] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walter_Parratt
accessed 15 October 2017.
[10]
John Barham Johnson “Windsor Chorister”, p3.
[11]
Ibid, p47ff.
[12]
Ibid, p63ff.
[13]
Ibid, p146.
[14]
Gresham’s School Register, http://www.greshamsatwar.co.uk/Filename.ashx?systemFileName=Register+of+Scholars+1900+-.pdf&origFilename=Register+of+Scholars+1900+-.pdf,
access 9 October 2017.
[15]
Ibid.
[16]
Biography of Geoffrey Barham Johnson, http://www.greshamsatwar.co.uk/RollofHonour.aspx?RecID=21&TableName=ta_factfile&BrowseID=140,
accessed 9 October 2017.
[17] Catherine Mary Johnson “Letters and Diaries of the Norfolk
Families Donne & Johnson”, vol 3, p691.
[19]
Catherine Mary Johnson “Letters and Diaries of the Norfolk Families Donne &
Johnson”, vol 3, p696.
[21]
Ibid.
[22]
Ibid.
[23]
Ibid.
[24]
Ibid.
[25]
Marriage registration GRO reference1923 Jun Eastry 2A 2307.
[27]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bryanston_School#Heads_of_Bryanston accesssed 13
October 2017.
[28]
Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._G._Jeffreys (accessed 13 October
2017) simply states that there “was some friction with the governors”.
[29] Nathalie
Ruth Barham Chalker (née Johnson) scrap book to Jack.
[30]
Thorold Coade was appointed to succeed Jeffreys in 1932 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bryanston_School#Heads_of_Bryanston
accessed 13 October 2017.
[32]
Jean Barham Bawden (née Johnson) autobiographical notes.
[33]
Nathalie Ruth Barham Chalker (née Johnson) scrap book to Jack.
[34]
Ibid.
[35] I
believe this is Robert Sterndale Bennett, grandson of the celebrated composer
William Sterndale Bennett. http://www.fadedgenes.co.uk/WalterSterndaleBENNETT.html
accessed 24 October 2017.
[36]
Hardy had become headmaster in 1932 and remained at the school until 1944. He
was the father of the actor Robert Hardy,
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shrewsbury_School accessed 13 October 2017.
[37]
Nathalie Ruth Barham Chalker (née Johnson) scrap book to Jack.
[38]
Geoffrey Hoyland was an influential headmaster of The Downs Malvern (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Downs_Malvern
accessed 24 October 2017) and seems to have been a good friend.
[39]
Undocumented conversation with Nathalie Ruth Barham Chalker (née
Johnson).
[40] I
currently possess a copy.
[41]
Nathalie Ruth Barham Chalker (née Johnson) scrap book to Jack.
[42]
CG Furnivall, The Salopian Newsletter no 56 October 1965.
[43]
Nathalie Ruth Barham Chalker (née Johnson) scrap book to Jack.
[44]
CG Furnivall, The Salopian Newsletter no 56 October 1965.
[45]
Undocumented conversation with my mother, Jean Barham Bawden (née
Johnson). Myra Hess’s signature features in her autograph book.
[46]
Nathalie Ruth Barham Chalker (née Johnson) scrap book to Jack.
[47]
Death registration GRO reference 1965 Jun Shrewsbury 9A 161.
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