So who was Bernard Nixon Wale?

... obviously a man with Loughborough connections!!

Bernard Nixon Wale was born in Willoughby-on-the-Wolds in 1872, to a farming family. He studied at a variety of institutions, and worked in a wide variety of places across the country in a number of different roles, before returning to Loughborough in the early 1930s. There are many connections to Loughborough, some of which are outlined below.  

Focussing on just one of his positions: in 1909 Bernard Nixon Wale was appointed to the post of Principal at the Seale-Hayne AgriculturalCollege in Newton Abbot, a college which was to be created from an endowment of Mr Seale Hayne, and which had seen much delay in its creation. When the news of his appointment was announced, Bernard Wale was described in the press very favourably:

“He is a young man for the hight post, only 37 in fact, but he has a good London degree in science, and has shown great ability successively at London University, the Midland College, and the Wye College (Kent and Surrey). He also holds the Cambridge diploma for agricultural science.” – ‘London Evening Standard’ 27 December 1909, pg 3

“In making this choice [Bernard Wale, BSc. of the South Eastern Agricultural College at Wye, Kent] the governors have no doubt selected a gentleman particularly qualified for the post. He has had a brilliant career, and has come through numerous examinations with flying colours, and, what is very important, he has a thorough practical knowledge of agriculture. Naturally, as the son of a farmer, he had every opportunity to become intimately acquainted with this work, and four years he spent exclusively on a farm of some 200 acres, where all kinds of agricultural work were carried out, including the breeding and rearing of farm stock, sheep feeding, corn and root-growing, and dairying. For eight years he had the management of the land in connection with the Brewood Grammar School, Staffs., and during that time he purchased the stock, seeds and manures which were needed. Mr Wale has, further, had extensive experience in experimental work, including the manuring of grass, roots, and cereals, pig feeding, milk production and research work on cheese discolouration by bacteria. Nor is the new Principal unknown as a writer, for in the agricultural press have frequently appeared articles from his pen touching, amongst other things, catch cropping, the financial aspect of sheep washing, and the variation in the quantity and quality of milk.” – ‘Western Times’ 26 November 1909, pg 7

But it is the report a week earlier in the same newspaper – ‘Western Times’ 20 November 1909, pg 2 – that clearly links Bernard Nixon Wale with Loughborough:

“The new Principal, who is 38 years of age, has had a distinguished career, and was highly recommended. Educated at the Grammar School, Loughborough, Leicestershire, he was for three years, 1892-1895, at Cambridge University as a student of the Cambridge and Counties Agricultural Scheme.”

According to this report he was also a student at the Midland Agricultural and Dairy College in Kingston, Derby, and at the University College, Nottingham. The article goes on to mention every possible educational attainment and accolade that Bernard Wale had ever achieved, as well as information about his practical knowledge, which it said was:

“ … extensive. As a farmer’s son he has always had a very intimate practical acquaintance with farm work and farm management of every description. Four years were exclusively spent on a farm of 200 acres … For two years (1896-1898) he was in close touch with the method of farming adopted on the Midland Agricultural and Dairy College Farm; and for eight years (1898-1907) he was managing the land in connection with the agricultural side of Brewood Grammar School, Staffs., including the purchasing of stock, seeds and manure necessary for the same. Since 1908 he has had the joint management of Wye College Farms of 460 acres.”

In addition to his lecturing work, he has been engaged in experimental work:

“In regard to his experimental work and organization he has been engaged at the Midland Agricultural and Dairy College in carrying out experiments on manuring for hay, pig feeding, and milk production; research work on cheese discolouration by bacteria; and the tabulating of results and drawing up reports on the same. Organising experimental work on the agricultural side at Brewood included – the manuring of grass, cereals and roots, a comparison of yields from different varieties of farm crops, and sheep feeding experiments. He has also been engaged in the planning of pupils’ garden and field plots, bee-keeping and poultry; in field days and demonstrations to farmers on the experimental plots, and charlock spraying on selected farms; in arranging of local classes in dairying and hedge layering (including a course of lecture to elementary school teachers on ‘Insect pests’.). Being the first agricultural instructor appointed to Brewood he had the sole organisation of classes and subjects to be taught, with the general arrangement of timetables, the drawing up of prospectuses and reports of experimental work. At Wye College he was engaged in the organisation of the agricultural teaching in the lecture room and on the farm for four assistants, the latter including the arranging of classes in ploughing,  mowing, sheep shearing, hedge layering, land draining, milking and butter making. …”

The report goes on to say that Bernard Wale also did advisory work with farmers and others, and has:

“…written a good deal for the agricultural press, his contributions including: reports on experimental work; variation in the quantity and quality of milk, catch cropping etc.; autumn cultivation as affecting the water supply of the soil; mendelism in plant and animal breeding; plants in enclosed spaces etc.; and the financial aspect of sheep washing … Mr Wale … has had a thorough theoretical and practical training … he is an enthusiastic teacher. ‘There are’ Professor Turner [says] ‘few men to whom I could more willingly commit a son of my own, as I should feel certain that his education would be well attended to, and that the moral effect of Mr Wale’s teaching would be excellent. I may add that Mrs Wale is a lady of educational experience and refinement, and that her interest in connection with the college would be of the very best.’”

The article finishes with a list of the testimonials received from many, many influential people, in support of Bernard Wales, including from Professor G D Living, MA, FRS, who was Professor of Chemistry at Cambridge University.

Reading about Bernard Wale’s experimental work and advisory work, particularly into plant and animal breeding reminds me so much of the work that Robert Bakewell of Dishley did into the breeding of sheep, cattle and heavy horses, and his work with turnips! More about Robert Bakewell is in an earlier blogpost.  

Robert Bakewell in mosaics

Back to Bernard! Although Bernard Wale was appointed to be its Principal in 1909, Seale-Hayne college was not actually built until 1919, its construction timescale being disrupted by the First World War. Thus, Bernard Wale found himself undertaking a variety of duties which included lecturing in various places, like Linfield, and Torquay Museum, and to groups like the Mutual Improvement Association of Ashburton. He also judged agricultural and horticultural shows, like that at Islington. Bernard Wale presided over the annual event of the Newton Abbott Men’s Own Brotherhood, chaired the YMCA meetings, and was part of the Royal Sanitary Institute 28th annual congress executive committee, which event took place in Exeter.

In his capacity as joint livestock officer for Devon and Cornwall he visited Helston where he explained about the government’s Development Fund to the Helston Farmers’ Union. Bernard Wale was a member of the Primrose League and attended the annual meeting in Sheffield. He also attended and presented at farming conferences, e.g. at Newton Abbott.

During the First World War, Bernard Wale wrote a letter to the “Western Morning News” of 22 February 1916 expressing astonishment that the council allowed the lights of Newton Abbott to shine out: far from being as glaring as ever, he suggested they were even more glaring than a year ago. He questioned the use of lighting in specific locations, including Wolborough and Knowles hills, which, in his opinion, would:

“… invite the attention of the enemy. This was not the time to consider the dividends of the lighting companies.”

Bernard Wale was not alone in his concerns, which were shared by various inhabitants, like Mr W Eggington suggesting that “it was indiscreet to have the place all lighted up again, just when the raids had commenced”

Unlike Loughborough, which was hit by Zeppelins bombs on the night of 31st January 1916, Newton Abbot was not targeted by Zeppelins. 

Zeppelin raid on Loughborough, commemorative plaque unveiled January 2016

As Loughborough trained women to become munitions workers, so Bernard Wale offered the opportunity to women to be trained to work the land. In a letter printed in the “Exeter and Plymouth Gazette” of  8 May 1916, pg 3, Bernard Wale makes an offer from his college:

“… it becomes increasingly important to safeguard our home-grown food supply, and if the men must go [to the Front] … women must take their place. Already there are many women who have volunteered for farm work, or have shown their readiness to learn, but many more will be required … The women of our Allies, and also of our enemies, are working on the land and thus setting free their relatives for the fighting lines, and I believe that our women will do the same …”

However, Bernard identified a problem:

“ … there is one thing lacking amongst our farmers – a more sympathetic attitude towards women’s employment on the land.”

He did however acknowledge that:

“ … Many [farmers] see quite clearly the necessity of utilising women on their own farms … some women … can do really efficient work on the land after a short training, combined with patience and sympathy on the part of the farmer.”

Bernard was keen to make an offer:

“ … with the approval of the Board of Agriculture and the County Councils of Devon and Cornwall, and also as a war emergency measure, the Governors of Seale-Hayne College are providing a month’s course of practical instruction for women in farm work on the College farm. There is to be a succession of courses, each of four weeks’ duration, and after their training it is stipulated that these students shall work on farms for a period of at least three months, provided a suitable offer of employment is made at a reasonable rate of wages”

The instruction on offer was pretty extensive and included:

“… milking, dairying, calf, pig and poultry feeding, grooming, feeding and  harnessing of horses, harrowing, rolling, hoeing and harvesting according to season, and other lighter branches of farm work.”

Following the publication of this letter in the newspaper, at meeting at Kingsteignton, both Bernard Wale and his wife Edith talked about training women to work on the land:

“… Mrs Wale … urged the women to augment the food supply by working on the land, whole or part-time, by cultivating their gardens, by keeping poultry or pigs, and by helping in the harvesting, and always do what they could to prevent waste.” – ‘Exeter and Plymouth Gazette’ 2 June 1916, pg 12

According to the ‘Military Times’ of 30th November 2018, the First World War was arguably the first ‘total war’. John Heathcoat’s factory in Tiverton, which had moved to the town in 1816, following the Luddite attacks, was Tiverton’s largest employer in 1914, and it switched from the production of the lace for which it was well-known, to the production of munitions, and with many men away from home, fighting abroad, it was women who were working the machines.

Re-enacting the Luddite attacks on Heathcoat's factory in Loughborough, Chorus Theatre

Throughout the period 1909-1914, work on the actual Seale-Hayne college buildings was either proposed or taking place. In 1911 between 60 and 70 applications were received for the college building design. Prizes of £100, £50 and £30 were offered by the college governors for the best sets of plans. The cost of the proposed building was not to exceed £20,000, although future extensions, at a cost of £10,000 were an integral part of the submissions.

In 1912 the college was inviting tenders for the laying of about 2,800 yards of 3-inch cast-iron pipes! The plans were available to view at the public library, and the exact specifications were available from Bernard Wale.  

In the event, the Seale-Hayne college buildings were completed between 1912 and 1914, but the first students did not attend until 1919.

Although we have seen some connections with Loughborough – Bernard Wale’s attendance at the Grammar School, Zeppelin bombing during 1916, and Heathcoat’s lace-making factory in Tiverton, and similarities with Robert Bakewell, come by next week to learn more about Bernard Wale’s family, his connections to many different Loughborough families and about his residence in Loughborough.

In relation to Zeppelins, Heathcoat and Robert Bakewell, you can follow the virtual plaque walk which will take you to the commemorative plaques related to these people and events, and there is a virtual walk specifically related to the Zepplin raid, and to the Luddite attacks.  

You are welcome to quote passages from any of my posts, with appropriate credit. The correct citation for this looks as follow:

Dyer, Lynne (2020). Who was Bernard Nixon Wale? Available from: https://lynneaboutloughborough.blogspot.com/2020/10/so-who-was-bernard-nixon-wale.html [Accessed 4 October 2020]

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