Cecil Earle Tyndale-Biscoe (9 February 1863 – 1 August 1949) was a Britishmissionary andeducationist, who worked inKashmir where he established theTyndale Biscoe School. He was born with the family name Biscoe. It was changed to Tyndale-Biscoe in 1883. The family name was Tyndale, Cecil's father inherited Holton Park and changed his name to Biscoe. Later on, the family changed their name to Tyndale-Biscoe. My grandfather, the youngest of the family was Christened Tyndale as a Christian name, and later after the deed poll change he had Tyndale twice in his full name. His contribution will be remembered
Biscoe was born atHolton nearOxford, England, into a land-owning family, the son of William Earle Biscoe and his wife Elizabeth Carey Sandeman.[1] He was educated atBradfield College, and thenJesus College, Cambridge.[2] At university hecoxed the winningCambridge crew in the 1884Boat Race. In 1885 he coxed the winningJesus College crew in theGrand Challenge Cup atHenley Royal Regatta.[3] After being awarded aBA, he was ordained as a priest of theChurch of England. After a short time working in London'sEast End, in 1890 Tyndale-Biscoe was appointed to a missionary school in Kashmir by theChurch Missionary Society.[4]
Tyndale-Biscoe married Blanche Violet Burges, daughter of Reverend Richard B. Burges, on 2 November 1891 and had four children.[1] WhenIrene Petrie joined the mission she stayed with them at Holton Cottage.[5]
In the late 19th century, Kashmir was aprincely state made up of aMuslim majority ruled by aMaharaja and hisHindu minority. The Maharaja often utilized the services of British and European experts, though Kashmir was an independent kingdom. Seeing the squalid conditions andcaste system as a serious problem, Tyndale-Biscoe aimed to use his ownChristian values andwestern civic ideals to improve Kashmiri society. Although he did not actively pursue conversions as much as his missionary backers would have liked, Tyndale-Biscoe was a convincedimperialist and supporter of theIndia Defence League.[4]
Tyndale-Biscoe's educational philosophy was one in which conspicuous intellect, or "cleverness", was valued less than the acquisition of more profound attributes and abilities. His schooling placed emphasis on physical activities –boxing,boating,football – which would stimulate senses ofcourage,masculinity andphysical fitness. The pupils were also engaged in civic duties, such as street-cleaning, and in helping deal withflooding andcholera. Enforcing participation in team sports and activities in a highly socially stratified culture had significance beyond the replication of Tyndale-Biscoe'sEnglish public school educational experience.
By his later years, Tyndale-Biscoe had founded six schools with 1,800 students. In 1912 he received theKaisar-I-Hind Medal, and an additional bar in 1929. AfterIndian independence, he left for what was then known asSouthern Rhodesia, where he died in 1949.
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