WILLIAM GRANT BROUGHTON “His life ought to have been written long ago in full detail” said Henry Bailey, second Warden of St. Augustine’s College, sometime in the 18805. He was writing a pamphlet in the S.I’.C.K. series Mission Heroes, Bishop Broug/iron of Australia, partly in homage to the man to whose advocacy the resurgence of St. Augustine’s as a centre of missionary religious education was due. To the best of our knowledge the remark still stands: what follows is the sketch of a sketch. ' Broughton was born at Westminster in 1788, the year, searchers out of coincidences '\'\ Lil note, in which the first convict transports sailed for Botany Bay. His father “held a lucrative and conzidcntial appt. under Govt. more immediately connected wh. ye Department of the Ld. Chamberlain in web. he was honoured by ye esteem of ye late Mqs. of Salisbury" but the family seem to have been hard up all the same. As soon as the boy was old enough to qualify, a claim was made on his behalf for one of the Heyman scholar- ships tenable “by poor Scholars of the Founders kin" at Kings. These benefactions, the oldest after the King's Scholarships themselves, are still in demand, even though their monetary value, unchanged through centuries, is now trifling: but in Broughton‘s day they were tantamount to a free education, at school and at Cambridge. He was appointed to one in January, 1797, and became a boarder with the Revd. John Francis, the Second Master. At Christmas he was elected King‘s Scholar, so one might have thought that financially his education was secure: yet shortly before his death he wrote to his mother, (2 propos of entertaining one of the Cecils, “I could not help thinking how strange is the course of events which brings one of that family to my house; and I think that my having the honour of being able to receive and entertain him on terms of equality, may lawfully gratify you, and make some little return for the exertions and sacrifices which you and my dear father made to give me education”. The Headmaster, Christopher Naylor, reported that “Broughton had what St. Paul calls ‘a merry heart’,” an ambiguous remark in the mouth ofone whom “we respected but did not love”. “In spite of his lameness”, says one who knew him at school, “he was always full of fun and frolic—-quite a boisterous playmate”. We have come across no other reference to this lameness, a material handicap during his Australian work, one would have thought. After five years his King’s Scholarship terminated (Christmas, 1802) but he remained at school for another two years. Perhaps it is to this period that his remark above applies. It would certainly have been justified if he had had to vacate the Heyman award as well, and this is possible: a stronger claimant to Founder's kin had the right to supplant a more distant one peremptorily. There is the chance for some research here, as well as into another slightly curious episode: the date of his leaving the school was at the time recorded as May, 1804, but was many years later, “at the request of the Bp.", amended to December, 1804. It is usually said that he gained an exhibition to Cambridge at this stage. but was unable to make use of it as it was insufficient. There is no record of such an award from the School Feast Society, and the matter must remain doubtful for the present. We do not know how Broughton occupied himself in the years 1804- 1807, but in the latter year he obtained a clerkship in the Treasury of the East India Company. The Marquess of Salisbury and a distant (Hcyman) kinsman, John Nairn, acted as guarantors. By 1813 he had left India House, determined on Cambridge and ordination. He returned to Canterbury to resume his studies, and presumably lodged again with the Francis family, for we know (Gilbert’s Rcminisrcnccs) that Francis arranged mathematics lessons for Broughton and two King‘s boys “but without Rev. C. Naylor’s know- ledge”. The clandestine lessons were given by a young Cambridge don, formerly a King’s Scholar, Henry John Hutchesson. It is a tribute to Broughton‘s personality that Hutchesson remained a lifelong friend and supporter, endowing eventually a valuable scholarship at St. Augustine’s specifically for Broughton’s purposes, and that the same is true of George Gilbert, another of the trio, who bequeathed his entire fortune to St. Augustine’s. It is even possible that the news that Broughton had founded a school in Australia, The King’s School, Parramatta, stirred the remaining member of this little group into starting Marlborough College—at any rate Charles Eaton Plater did just that. In 1814 Broughton received one of the Feast Society Exhibitions and was -able to proceed to Cambridge, to Pembroke Hall. He graduated with distinction, 6th Wrangler, in 1818, and to make the year more memorable he was ordained and he married. His bride was Sarah Francis, eldest daughter ofhis old master, so perhaps his Canterbury sojourn was not entirely given over to mathematical exercises. He was appointed to the curacy of Hartley Wespall, in Hampshire, very near the Duke of Wellington's seat of Strathfieldsaye, a geographical accident that shaped his ensuing life. The finger of providence also, perhaps temerariously, advanced the fearsome Dr. Keate of Eton to be Broughton’s rector there, but it is surely to this that we can trace Broughton‘s friendship with Edward Coleridge, the Eton master who, more than anyone, was to bring about the rehabilitation of St. Augustine's. At Hartley Wespall Broughton's energy and scholarliness brought him to Wellington’s attention. In 1828 he was appointed to the Chaplaincy of the Tower of 61 London but within a few months “his Grace sent to acquaint me that the Archdeaconry of New South Wales was vacant. . . . Within a few days I proceeded to Strathlieldsaye, and was admitted by the Duke of Wellington to an interview during which he told me that, in his opinion, it was impossible to foresee the extent and importance of the colonies to which he had drawn my attention. His sagaeious mind was directed to all possible events that might arise . . . in those colonies; and he added ‘They must have a Church‘. . . . This was spoken with that degree of energy and good sense which distinguished every word that fell from his lips." Broughton accepted the post. - He arrived at Sydney in September, 1829, to face this task: “There were eight churches and twelve clergymen in New South Wales. Melbourne was unin_habite_d. and South Australia was in a similar state. In Van Diemen‘s Land there were four churches and six or eight clcrgymen. (One man alone) had plunged into the darkness of New Zealand. . . . Imagine your own Archdeacon (this was spoken at Barnct iii Hert- fordshire) having one church at St. Alban’s, another in Denmark, another at Constar_itinople,_while the Bisliop should be at Calcutta. . . . In point of fact no human strengthicouldhbear the tloiil". In his first filve years Broughton visited all the settlements within his “)Ul‘VICW, and ( id w at he cou ( to encourage tie l"LlllLlll‘." of churches and schools. He also directed atteittion to the needs of the Aborigines, and Dl‘O_)CC[CLl 5 , . . . . . . a «_:.rammar of their laiiguagc. But it was evident that without substantial‘ help from England, in money and trained men. nothing etlcctual could be done. and in I834 I_3roughton returned home to press the appeal. In September he attended the Feast Society’s Anniversary Dinner. at the Fountain Hotel in _Canterbury. He was spied, while yet in the street, by the Duke of Wellington who was one ofthe guests. “He is a superior man” said the Duke, and fetched him in himself. “The health of Archdeacon Broughton having been proposed, the venerable Archdeacon said he had been long absent from his n‘ative land, and been round the world; but nothing could erase the recollection of—-nothing sever his connection with, the Kings School at Canterbury—(applause) . . . He had been placed at the head of Christianity in a country where education was unknown——he spoke of New South Wales; and it was part of his duty. . " Unforttinatelyour news- paper cutting is incomplete, but it is.known_that Broughton told the gathering of his foundation of the Parr-amatta school. and of his naming it the King s School alter his o\t\_'ri£. I3i'83ghton s appeall to ‘the gotingry to face its responsibilities met with a good response, and the sum _o l3,0 was eventua y p ace at is disposal. The number of clergy was doubled, and Broughton himself was consecrated first Bishop of Australia. In 1835 he was again at Canterbury, preaching the Anniversary Sermon; in it he returned to his theme of the importance of orthodox education. He_retur.ned _to Australia in the spring of I836, and redoubled his efforts. I-le built churches——somctimes helping with his own hands——visitcd, preached, fought for the pre-eminence of the Church of England. There were tussles in the Legislative Council on this last point when somewhat surprisinglv the Bishop’s opponents included the ‘Governor, Sir George Gipps, ‘mother King's Scholar Broughtoh carried the dav. All the time he was conscious of the need for more imined men ‘and of thelimpossibility that Australia’ should produce them quickly enough, and in sufficient K 1 “ . . ‘ It -. . r ' hus to Edward Coleridge: The numbers. His letters to his fiiends in England are almost despairing. T . _ , extremity to which I am reduced through want of clergymen IS truly heart-rcnding. . I am willing to ' , . , ' .. . - ' ' ‘~ ' ' but wit out proper instru- o k, and do wor' , ' bClI€\€, harder than any curate in the king s dominions, iiieitts it is iniposgible to do the work reouired. . . . Is it really impossible to find among the young graduates . . . .\'(’l)IL’ duly qualified and willing to engage in our serfvicc '3" ‘Or againv‘}‘]l’Crki11YSt<fl<:iC>’r?tl;Fnl3:‘:f,‘ £8 bring about under some stiitzioie Slll‘CCt.lOn”0l‘ otaer thedesign o ahseminar); ii:h\ersi.ConmnS a m.m,]ber trained for the sacred oilice in the Colonies. I3i.oughton s iife—as p_er aps ‘mos o . c h of arresting coincidences but none more striking than that at this VCl")’_)|.II’ICILlI'€ a rich man liaddbloiug t -‘. ~ ’ . .,. ..* ' ,: ' « ‘ ‘ The man was A..l.BCl'6S or ope, himself ZII’I11bl‘C)’\\l-.l] only 4.! \.«.gt.e idea oi how it miglit come in handy. V , he abbey St_L}\,_,.w5U'n¢‘5 \\}m5e “walls which once resounded. with the solergn chant and sfxvfilling 3I1Itl'l6l‘l‘l : v . wt“ l = il t‘- d':l evelries ofthe barchanalian or the mac en1ng_cu_rse o t_e games er. liloieyrgilcgljtilsfiw:itlbtilliniltlie lEl;ill;'\l\l'lll‘$‘1V:‘1ll‘ when Bcrest‘oiL'd I-lope became the owner of this “elcgible Freehold Pm in ~~ bug ‘,.1im was he to ti5'wi~.ii it? His nsenti. Ed\\-'ard Coleridge, knew: did Beresford Hope “ pc i, ’ iv: his si‘e for a missionarv colleve"? He Yiatl not any such definite idea but by the end of the )nl$aI}‘n:l %)c(<':entiver I844 he\wrote'to Colacridee ‘ *\l'gU"lln¢'5 is 3'°UT5”- Vlctollan energy brought ’C‘ >-- ‘ ’ I . 1 3‘ .’'‘ ‘ ‘ . - ' l'licd ~ ~ ' t le s than tour years, am.‘ on 29th June, I848, the restored and amp 1 Nslissioiiziry College of ,1‘\LlgLlS-'.ll'lC.1d“'l’l3C1l1BlSi1b0PnBé'§)hl§£l§(l:fgOng)éifig’; written his l)Lll‘l1ll‘.‘_lV\\'Ol‘LJ.;.Ol eiitreatfing atgpeal St. Augustine s . . . not: not ave (:6 is the judgement of the istorian o t e o.ege. The Church which the Duke of Wellington had decided the colonists “must have” could nttgw ltae }[(3l£1r/titled . ”~. I ' s~ v i * ‘ . 50 on the appropriate SCLll‘C,‘(IllLl Broughton s energy allitei iittelleetualtpgigeg ;3\§r]eOdSc\'t((>)t