James Tate (headmaster)

He was born in Richmond, North Yorkshire on 11 June 1771, the only surviving son of Thomas Tate, a working maltster originally from Berwick upon Tweed, and his wife, Dinah Cumstone, who came from a family of small farmers in Swaledale.^[2]

Having attended two private schools, in May 1779, Tate entered Richmond School.^[2] Whilst there, the headmaster Reverend Anthony Temple recognised his talent, and in 1784 found him a job as amanuensis to the rector of Richmond Francis Blackburne.^[2] Enjoying access to Blackburne's library acted as a stimulus for Tate, who with Temple's help obtained a sizarship at Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge.^[3]

Tate was appointed headmaster of Richmond School on 27 September 1796, the fulfillment of a childhood ambition.^[3] Tate was responsible for transforming Richmond School into one of the leading classical schools of its day, and the leading Whig school, attracting boys from throughout the country, at a rate of 100 guineas a year.^[2][4][5]

Between 1812 and 1833 six pupils a year on average proceeded to university. 21 of them became fellows, 13 of them at Trinity College, Cambridge.^[6] They became so "successful, admired and feared" whilst at Cambridge that they earned the title of 'Tate's invincibles'.^[2][7] Their number included George Peacock, Richard Sheepshanks, Marcus Beresford and James Raine.^[8] Another pupil was Herbert Knowles.^[9] Tate rejected corporal punishment for his pupils, and refused to rule by fear, but instead inspired in them a love of learning.

Tate was a widely respected classical scholar. Robert Surtees, the Durham antiquary, recalled a night spent with him quoting from The Iliad, and Sydney Smith, who by chance travelled in the same coach as Tate, declared to a friend that Tate was "a man dripping with Greek".^[2] The Times printed a glowing obituary, noting that "as a teacher of classical learning, none of his contemporaries were more successful".^[10]