Celebrating Hampshire Historians

Russell, Charles Frank (Rev)

08 May 1882 - 17 February 1951

The son of a clergyman, Charles was born in Fulham. It is not known where he undertook his primary and secondary education (to use modern terminology), but he secured a place at Cambridge to study mathematics, garduating with a first class degree in 1905. From 1906 to 1911 he was a fellow of Pembroke College and was ordained deacon in 1907 and priested in 1908. In the same year, at St Peter’s Paddington, he married Irene Kathleen Dixon, the daughter of a clergyman. Charles and Irene had three daughters. At Pembroke he was a lecturer and chaplain. Subsequently he secured employment at Harrow, as an assistant master.

In 1918, the family moved to Southampton on Charles’ appointment as headmaster of King Edward VI School a post he held until 1929. This was followed by the headmastership of Merchants Taylor’s School in Crosby, Lancashire, from 1929 to 1942. Between 1945 and 1948 he was a member of the Lancashire and Cheshire Historical Society.

At some point the family moved to Bristol where he died aged 68. A memorial service was held for him at St Luke’s Church in Sefton. In his address the Rector, the Revd Dr Longford, referred to Charles as being “a distinguished clergyman and scholar”, who in 1933 had served on the Archbishop’s “Doctrinal Commission” with his contribution being of ‘outstanding value’. More negatively, however, his liberal principles ‘were not everywhere appreciated ... and were sometimes frowned upon by Bishops and members of the older Clergy.’ (quotes from Crosby Herald, see below)

Sources

• Crosby Herald, 3 March 1951, p.7

• Crockford’s Directory, 1932

Portrait

Contribution to county’s history

Russell only made one contribution to Hampshire’s history, an impressive study of  King Edward VI School in Southampton, which had been in existence for nearly four centuries. As he wrote in his Introduction ‘a school of such ancient lineage deserves to have its history recorded’. This serves as a model for histories of similar institutions.  

Relevant published works

• History of King Edward VI School, Southampton privately published in 1940

Critical Comments

Other Comments

His approach to constructing the School’s history was primarily to identify its distinguished ‘old boys’ and to research their contributions to wider society, in other words its legacy. As Russell put it, ‘So the method of a book which seeks to make that heritage understood must be to large extent biographical’ (p.xii). It is also worth noting that he also undertook considerable historical research with respect to Merchant Taylor’s School.

Contributor

Roger Ottewill (6 October 2023)

Key Words

King Edwards Vi School, Southampton

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