Beschreibung:

Joseph LANCASTER (1778-1838), Francis PLACE (1771-1854) – Joseph HUME (1777-1855)
A draft of an important autograph letter signed, from Joseph Hume to H.R.H. the Duke of Kent, 7th August 1813
Important letter about Joseph Lancaster to H.R.H. Prince Edward, Duke of KENT (1767-1820)
Published: London, 1813
Important letter from Joseph HUME to H.R.H. Prince Edward, Duke of KENT (1767-1820) Joseph LANCASTER (education reformer), Francis PLACE – Joseph HUME (1777-1855, radical, reformer, doctor, scientist, M.P.) A draft of an important autograph letter signed from Hume to H.R.H. the Duke of Kent, 7th August 1813, 4to (9 x 7 ¾ inches; 228 x 197mm), 1 page, with many corrections deletions and additions, docketed on the verso, being a reply to the Duke’s letter of the day before, in which the Duke enclosed a letter ‘from Mr. [Samuel] Whitbread respecting the Correspondence between Mr. [Francis] Place & Joseph Lancaster; and beg leave to inform you that I waited upon Mr. Place who agreeably to Your Royal Highness’s Commands has sent off the whole of the papers – to Mr. Whitbread. / I have written to Mr. Whitbread to suggest the necessity of both Parties being called upon previous to the meeting with Your R H to sign a pledge to agree to and abide by whatever the decision maybe on the case, and the only means of finally settling the differences as well as saving much time and I hope he will see the propriety of doing [?]this. / By a decision. I mean that the Trustees and Mr. Lancaster should be obliged to accede to my Plan which may meet with the Sanction of Your Royal Highness, and that of His R H the Duke of Sussex.”, precis to verso. Condition: old folds, one repaired tear, signs of removal from a backing sheet. A (possibly unpublished) letter which is important from a number of different angles: letters of substance from Joseph Hume are quite rare; Joseph Lancaster and his (self-induced) difficulties; the high level of support he received; Joseph Hume’s first meeting with Francis Place; the high esteem in which Hume was held; the involvement of the Dukes of Kent and Sussex in some quite radical ideas/movements. Joseph Hume first met Francis Place “when they were introduced by Joseph Fox on 30 July 1813 … [This] first meeting was with Place resulted from a concern each of them had for the educational system devised by Joseph Lancaster. The scheme … called for the creation of schools where children would teach other children … Ideally each Lancastrian school would contain one thousand children taught in teams of ten by a hundred slightly advanced children [or monitors]. Lancaster’s plan had the virtue of promising inexpensive education … Hume thought Lancaster’s system might lead to a truly national plan of education and he became an active supporter in 1811. At the time Hume was not aware of the difficulties Lancaster had faced during the first decade of the nineteenth century. Lack of funds proved the most serious problem. … In order to preserve the educational experiment, Lancaster’s supporters formed the Royal Lancastrian Association in 1810 to help him manage his affairs. The governing committee of the association included Place and [Lord] Brougham. For a year of so the … Association flourished, and Lancaster opened many schools throughout the country. The progress was short-lived. Inevitably, Lancaster’s independent personality and personal extravagance … led him into conflict with his creditors and members of the governing committee. These were the problems that bought Hume and Place together… Their meeting was not accidental. It was arranged by the Duke of Kent, who asked Joseph Fox to see that Hume had every opportunity to discuss Lancaster’s difficulties with Place. The duke was a patron and friend to Lancaster, and he wanted to put an end to the continuing financial uncertainty. He had known Hume since 1812, and he had high respect for the Scotsman’ business talent. On 31 July, Hume had a rather lengthy discussion with Place about Lancaster’s future. This time Hume bought word that the Duke of Kent had decided to bring Lancaster, his creditors, and the governing committee of the … Association together to consider the prospects for getting out of the financial morass. The duke requested that Hume and Samuel Whitbread, a pro