On This Day in Wembury — 27 March 1903
A Wembury Tribute to Archbishop Temple
On 27 March 1903, William L. Scarr of Wembury Board School, Plymouth, wrote a letter enclosing a small contribution to the Western Morning News Archbishop Temple Memorial Fund. His words, printed three days later on 30 March, reveal both local pride and deep admiration for the late Dr. Frederick Temple, Archbishop of Canterbury, who had died in December 1902.
Temple was born in Devon and educated at Blundell’s School, Tiverton, before rising from headmaster of Rugby to Bishop of Exeter, Archbishop of London, and finally Archbishop of Canterbury. His death had prompted a nationwide outpouring of affection, particularly in the West Country.
In his note, Scarr described himself as “a worker in the foundations” sending his modest gift “to the memory of one who crowned the summit.” He compared Temple’s life’s work to that of “old Hugh Oldham, and so, as a Lancashire man and a Churchman, I may also be allowed to pay my homage to the worthy Devonian and true Churchman, Dr. Temple.”
This short but eloquent message from a Wembury schoolmaster captures the respect felt locally for a figure who had united intellect, faith, and reform. It also offers a glimpse into the role of Wembury Board School (the village’s state elementary school of the era) as a place not only of learning but of civic engagement, where teachers and villagers alike contributed to causes that reached well beyond their parish.
Source: Western Morning News (Plymouth), Monday 30 March 1903 — “Archbishop Temple Memorial Fund: Latest Subscriptions,” letter from William L. Scarr, Board School, Wembury, dated 27 March.