... 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.
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Robert Bakewell in mosaics
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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.
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Zeppelin raid on Loughborough, commemorative plaque unveiled January 2016
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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.
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Re-enacting the Luddite attacks on Heathcoat's factory in Loughborough, Chorus Theatre
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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.
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Lynne
