James Franck Bright | |
|---|---|
 James Franck Bright, byGeorge Reid | |
| Born | (1832-05-29)29 May 1832 London, England |
| Died | 23 October 1920(1920-10-23) (aged 88) Ditchingham,Norfolk, England |
| Occupation | Historian |
| Known for | Mastership ofUniversity College, Oxford |
| Board member of | Radcliffe Infirmary (Treasurer); Oxford City Council[2] |
| Parent(s) | Richard Bright; Eliza Follett |
| Relatives | SirWilliam Webb FollettQC MP;Brent FollettQC MP;Henry BrightMP (uncles) |
| Academic background | |
| Education | Rugby School |
| Alma mater | University College, Oxford |
| Academic work | |
| Discipline | History |
| Sub-discipline | Victorian era;biographies |
| Institutions | Marlborough College; University College, Oxford |
| Notable works | History ofVictorian England, "The Growth of Democracy", and biographies of the Holy Roman EmpressMaria Theresa and EmperorJoseph II.[1] |
James Franck Bright (29 May 1832 – 23 October 1920) was a British historian andMaster ofUniversity College, Oxford.[3][4]
He was born inLondon, the son of the physicianRichard Bright, who describedBright's disease, and Eliza Follett, sister of lawyer-politiciansWilliam Webb Follett andBrent Follett. He was educated atRugby School and atUniversity College, Oxford (matriculated 1851 aged 18, graduatedB.A. 1855,M.A. 1858,B.D. andD.D. 1884[5]).
From 1856 to 1872, Bright was a schoolmaster atMarlborough College, where he was Head of the Modern Department, underGeorge Granville Bradley as Master. He wrote the necessary textbooks himself, including "History of England".[6]
Bradley became Master of University College, Oxford in 1870; he recruited Bright[7] as a history tutor there in 1872, tutoring atBalliol,New and University Colleges. Bright became Fellow andDean of University College in 1874, and succeeded Bradley as Master of University College from 1881 to 1906.
Bright was a progressive leader at Oxford, helping to improve teaching standards and arguing that theological degrees could be awarded to non-members of theChurch of England.[8] In 1882, he was one of the first dons of Oxford University to allow women students to attend his lectures, in University College Hall.[2]
In 1890 Bright was shot by Catherine Theresa Riordan in an incident at University College, but survived.[9] Riordan claimed to have been engaged to John Thomas Augustus Haines, junior dean of the college and that the engagement had been broken off because of one of Bright's daughters. Haines resigned his fellowship.[10] Riordan was sentenced to six years'penal servitude for attempted murder.[11]
TheShelley Memorial was installed during Bright's mastership, celebrating the life of the poetPercy Bysshe Shelley (1792–1822), an alumnus of University College. At an opening ceremony on 14 June 1893, Lady Jane Shelley, the widow of the poet's son,Sir Percy Shelley, 3rd Baronet (1819–1889), presented the Master with a golden key, giving access to the chamber containing the memorial.[12] Bright described Shelley as "the rebel of eighty years ago", "the hero of the present century", and "a prophet who prophesied good things, and not bad".[8]
In addition to academic activities, Bright was a member of theOxford City Council, and Treasurer of theRadcliffe Infirmary.[2] He died atDitchingham Hall,Norfolk, on 22 October 1920.[13] He was lord of the manor of Brockbury inColwall,Herefordshire, having inherited the estate by the will of his uncleHenry BrightMP in 1869.[14]
Some of Bright's sermon manuscripts are held in the University College archives.[2]
In 1864 Bright married Emmeline Theresa Wickham, daughter of Edmund Dawe Wickham (1810–1894), vicar ofHolmwood. They had four daughters:[13]
Bright published:[1]
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| Preceded by | Master of University College, Oxford 1881–1906 | Succeeded by |
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