W E Forster
N 54° 25.823 W 002° 57.981
30U E 502182 N 6031408
William Edward Forster was a Liberal MP who brought in the first education reform acts in 1867-68. He lived between 1818 and 1886. His gravestone is right next to Charlotte Mason's, another education reformer whose ideas are still used today.
Waymark Code: WMDQD6
Location: North West England, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 02/14/2012
Views: 4
WE Forster was born to Quaker parents in Bridport, Dorset. He was educated in a Quaker school, but did not join the family business. Instead entering the woollen trade. He married in 1850, Dr Thomas Arnold's eldest daughter, Jane Martha. She was not a Quaker and they were cordially banned from the Quaker meetings. By default becoming Church of England. That is how WE Forster is buried in an Anglican churchyard.
The Arnold's had a home at Fox How, near Ambleside. (
visit link) The Forsters had no children. They officially adopted Jane Martha's brother's four orphan children on his untimely death in 1859.
WE Forster political career started after a visit to Ireland with his Quaker father, distributing famine relief. Afterwards he lectured and spoke publicly about this and many subjects in need of reform.
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Armitt Local museum (
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