KENNEDY (Benjamin Hall, 1804-1889, Headmaster of Shrewsbury, 1836-1866, from 1868 Regius Professor of Greek at Cambridge)

Charming Autograph Letter Signed to Canon Rickson, saying he does not know that he has "technically, any right to give or withhold permission to publish either of the hymns ... as they are not my own: but, as far as their presence in my collection is any warrant, you are heartily welcome", he has "not got my Hymnologia with me" but asks if he knows "my friend Walsham How, Rector of Whittington Salop", (author of 'For All the Saints'), who "would gladly inform you" if he knows, he continues, "Many thanks for your kind congratulations on my election to the Gr[eek]. P[rofessorship] - I have no doubt it has been so ordered for my good: I hope it may be also for that of our University. The success of William's sons is most gratifying ... on every account. I am going down to Cambridge tomorrow to settle the remaining prizes: but it would give me no little pleasure if I should find that the [new] Powis Medal", (for Latin hexameters), "falls to him. But of course I do not know he has written for it - but only suppose it probable. The two Odes were gained by my old pupil Hallam", 4 sides 8vo, The Athenaeum (of which Kennedy was an original member, 1824), 31st May faint traces of former laying down by narrow edge of side 4, touching two letters without loss

Kennedy had compiled in 1863 Hymnologia Christiana; or psalms and hymns ... in the order of the Christian Seasons.
At Cambridge, Kennedy had carried off all the chief prizes for classical verse and prose, a success followed by a distinguished series of his pupils. It will have been most congenial now to go down and 'settle the prizes'.
Kennedy renewed the teaching of Latin with his Public School Latin Grammar (1871), but it was no great secret that the well-known Revised Latin Primer and Shorter Latin Primer of 1888 were prepared by his daughters Marion Grace and Julia, aided by G. H. Hallam and T.E. Page.
George Hanley Hallam, (1846-1932), came out senior classic in 1869, taught at Harrow for 36 years, and in his turn founded the Hallam prizes at Cambridge.

Item Date:  1867

Stock No:  56328      £125

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