British Naval History- Burney's Royal Naval Academy- Autographed Letter- 1812 About John Harris Bill And Son

19th Century English Naval History Ephemera:
Letter signed by Dr. Burney of Burney’s Academy (dated 21st February 1812) to John Harris, who was a lawyer and sat on the board of the Royal Infirmary for Sick Children in London. The Sick Children infirmary location, Seville House in Leicester Square was demolished and no longer exists, only in name. The usual toning and stains. The Headmaster is asking that his bill be brought current and that his son had arrived safe and sound. A rare signature and rare document from the boarding school days of England for the British Navy….

William Burney A.M. Math (1762-1832). The school has long been established and the plan upon which it is conducted is liberal and extensive and particularly calculated for youth intended for the Navy and Army.’

Single sheet, deckled paper with crown watermark and ‘JJ’ initials. Repaired (very old) not affecting text. Lightly toned and some spots. Remains of the seal and faint postal circular mark for date (not legible). Nice strong and clear writing. Very good.

Dr. Burney's Academy, founded 1791 by Dr. William Burney (1762 – December 1832), was a preparatory school or "crammer" in Gosport, Hampshire, England, whose aim was to prepare young men for the Royal Navy's entrance examinations and a naval career, though many of its students went on to Army or civilian careers.[1] History on the death of Burney, his son Henry took over running of the school, followed by Henry's brother Edward (c.1817-1888), then William's grandson the Rev. Edward Amyatt Burney, who became Rector of Rowner, to the north-west of Gosport (1848–1920).[2] The school was sold in 1889.[2] At some time before 1891 it received patronage of Queen Victoria, Prince Albert, the Prince of Wales and the Duke of Connaught, and was renamed the Royal Academy.[2] The Rev. F. G. Johnson was Head Master from 1888 until the school closed in 1904.[2];

William Burney was the author of a short history 'The British Neptune' and edited the 1815 edition of Falconers Marine Dictionary. In the forward to the 1815 edition, Burney claims: “that he had probably trained ... a greater number of young officers for the sea service than any other individual”.

Notable alumni: Thomas Murray-Prior (1819–1892); John Cowans (1862–1921); Charles Cooper Penrose Fitzgerald (1841–1921); Alexander Forbes-Leith, 1st Baron Leith of Fyvie (1847–1925); Oliver Young (1855–1908); David Beatty, 1st Earl Beatty (1871–1936); George Digby Morant (1837–1921); George Chaworth Musters[1]; Frederick G. Guggisberg[1]; Vice-admiral Henry John Rous (1795 –1877)[3]; Martin Snape (1852–1930), painter; Marshal-Admiral Tōgō Heihachirō, OM, GCVO (1848-1934), Japanese navy officer; George Francis Lyon DCL (1795-1833)[4]

References

1. Leinster-Mackay, Donald F. The Rise of the English Prep School p.64 The Falmer Press, Ltd., U.K. 1984 ISBN 0905273745
2. "A. MacDermott's three-page article "Dr Burney's Royal Academy at Gosport", The Mariner's Mirror, February 1965. volume 51 p.57". Archived from the original on 2014-01-11. Retrieved 2013-02-05.
3. "Admiral Rous". Australian Town and Country Journal (NSW : 1870 - 1907). NSW: National Library of Australia. 8 September 1877. p. 13. Retrieved 5 February 2013.
4. Cave, Edward (1833). "Obituary: George Francis Lyon". Gentleman's Magazine, and Historical Chronicle. Edward Cave: 372.

Burney’s Naval Academy was founded in 1791 by Dr. William Burney in whose family it remained until they sold it in 1888; it closed in 1904. The academy was situated at Gosport, and although it had a naval “theme”, it was not exclusively a nautical academy, but was a boy’s school, teaching a wide range of subjects. Many of its pupils did go on to serve in the Navy, the Marines, or the Army. The Academy prepared boys for officer entry into the Royal Navy but other boys entered the Army, one becoming General Sir John Cowans, another Sir Frederick G. Guggisberg, Governor of the First Gold Coast. In an article in The Times in 1897 the Academy was referred to as a ‘Crammer’.
According to Dr White in ‘The History of Gosport’ the papers advertised the school in 1800: ‘At the Academy, delightfully situated in Cold Harbour, Gosport, a limited number of young gentlemen are genteelly boarded, tenderly treated, and instructed in every branch of useful and polite literature by William Burney A.M. Math. The school has long been established and the plan upon which it is conducted is liberal and extensive and particularly calculated for youth intended for the Navy and Army.’ Amongst the facilities at the Academy was a meteorological observatory, reports from it appearing in 'The Morning Post'.

William Burney was the author of a short history 'The British Neptune' and edited the 1815 edition of Falconers Marine Dictionary. In the forward to the 1815 edition, Burney claims that that he had probably trained ... a greater number of young officers for the sea service than any other individual. Burney was born 1762; He died in December 1832 and his son Henry took over the running of the Academy, and he was succeeded by another son (brother to Henry), Edward. The final principal was the grandson of William, Amyatt Burney. In 1888 the Rev F.G. Johnson was hired as headmaster of Burney’s Royal Naval Academy and continued running the Academy until 1904. Burney was well connected, and several wealthy families sent their sons to the Academy; it attracted Royal approval, with King William IV being a patron (he presented a boat). Queen Victoria granted the establishment the title 'Burney’s Royal Academy'.

Pupils during the 19th century included Prince Louis of Battenburg; Prince Henry of Prussia; Prince George (late King George V). and Princes Edward and Victor of Hohenlohe. Martin Snape, Gosport’s most celebrated artist, was born at Spring Garden Cottage on 31 December 1852 and educated at Dr. Burney’s Naval Academy. Sir William Drummond Jervois, whose name is closely associated with the Victorian Fortifications of Gosport and the U.K. as Inspector General of Fortification (William Jervois Way, the name given to the new road to Fort Gilkicker in his honour) was educated at Burney’s Academy.

Notes: Stains, tears and repairs, see all images before bidding. Sold as is, no returns and no refunds.

$350 - $750

14.25" x 0.001" x 9"

Militaria, Other Military Collectibles

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Richard Gabriel | (781) 883-6639 | gabriel@calixbooks.com

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