Willis, Dr William

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Willis, Dr William

Portrait of Dr William Willis. Born at Wallingford Berkshire Feb 25th 1819.

Sowden's note in notebooks -
'Dr Willis was born at Wallingford, Berkshire, February 25 1819. His educational opportunities was few. He learnt engraving at Bristol. Subsequently he acquired a knowledge of the rudiments of Latin. At Bristol he continued his training at the evening classes at the Mechanics’ Institute where an Oxford graduate taught him mathematics. Afterwards he became a teacher at Penzance & also at St. Austell. At the age of 50 he went to Paris as a teacher of English in a school at Les Andelys, a little village on the banks of the Seine. He remained in that position for 3 years until about the end of 1843 when he removed to Germany to take an appointment at a at a famous Moravian School in Neuwied on the Rhine. Four years later, he was engaged near Barmen. Linguistic studies always attracted him. He was in his prime years, reported to have an acquaintance with French, German, Italian, Danish, Hebrew and Sanscrit [sic]. Whilst still young Wm Willis became wishful to take a university course and the gates of the English universities being closed against nonconformists he went in 1846 to Bonn, and graduated Doctor of Philosophy in 1848. Whilst in Germany he became intimate with distinguished scholars, including Professor Brandes. After his graduation, he returned to England & became a tutor at Flounder’s Institute at Ackworth, an institution in connection with the Society of Friends for the training of teachers. During his residence at Ackworth, Wm Willis was received into the Society of Friends and from them took wife in the person of Miss Morley a native of Suffolk. In 1861 he came to Bradford as a teacher of languages. During ensuing years besides teaching privately, he conducted classes at the Yorkshire College now the Leeds University, the Bradford High School and in schools at Halifax, Pontefract, Doncaster and Ilkley. The ? was an active member of the Bradford Philosophical Society. Wm Willis’s leisure for many years was devoted to botantical studies & in his latter years made mathematics a hobby. In politics Wm Willis was an active Liberal & did much work for the P??? Society. He was a staunch teetotaller.'

Year

1889

Creator

Sowden

Image filename

sowden-8