Hanson, James

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Hanson, James

Portrait of James Hanson

Biographical notes in Sowden's notebooks:

James Hanson was the son of Benjm Hanson, woollen manufacturer of Paddock nr Huddersfield, and was born in 1815. After attending a "dames" school he attended a school kept by a Baptist Minister. When 8 years old his father desired him at the mill & from that time he was sent alternately to school & to the mill. At Mr hanson's mill the hands worked from 5 to 6 oclock according to busy or slack periods until 9 and after 10 at night. From a very early age Mr. Hanson ????? a strong ?????? ?? reading. In 1828 Mr Hanson's father removed to Huddersfield & this afforded him the opportunity to attend a night school in the hope of one day becoming a teacher. In 1833 when 18 years of age his father died & Mr Hanson became "usher" in a day & boarding school nr Huddersfield. From that time until the close of 1839 he was engaged in teaching in similar schools, meanwhile increasing his store of knowledge in all directions. In 1840 he came to Bradford & succeeded Mr Bonwell in the conduct of what was known as the Middle Class School in Manor Row. He raised the school to a high level & then he parted with the school to Mr Watson towards the end of 1850. He identified himself with the Mechanics Institution on first coming to Bradford & he was elected on the Council in 1847, and from 1848 to 1850 was one of the secretaries. During those years he taught classes at the Institute in some of the higher subjects. In 1850, however he went to Huddersfield for a short term to join his brother as a woollen manufacturer, but this was so distasteful to him that at the close of 1854 he retired & obtained an appointment as one of the Clerical & English master at the Huddersfield College, a post he retained until the end of 1857 when he again returned to Bradford. Turning his attention to journalism he started the "Bradford Review" which was conducted on advanced Liberal lines and was published for 12 years at a financial loss and then abandoned. He was a governor of the Bradford Grammar School & also a member of the first Bradford School Board and was for 9 years chairman of the School Management Committee of the Board. During those 9 years he was never once absent from a Committee meeting and for years visited daily some of the thirty Board schools. He was also a member of the Council of the Yorkshire Union of Mechanics Institutes. He was the first to propose the Higher Board Schools which was strongly apposed by the Tory members. Mr Hanson have his services gratuitously in the teaching of evening classes in public institutions in Bradford & Huddersfield for 40 years. For nearly 40 years he contributed articles for the quarterly magazines. Mr Hanson in 1841 married a daughter of Rev. Jno [John] Eagleton of Huddersfield, the issue being 6 sons & 3 daughters. He died in 1895.

Year

1888

Creator

Sowden

Image filename

sowden-94