Frederick George Johnson
(BGS staff 1874-1879)

The following details were sent to me by Hugh Stevens, who is George Edwin Pattenden's Great Great Grandson.

Frederick George Johnson was born on 21 June 1850 at 2 Wheeler Street, Cambridge, where his father was in business as a cooper. He was educated at the Perse School, Cambridge, 1864-1869, when he won a scholarship to Peterhouse. His father's business failed soon after, and much of his family then emigrated to America. He remained in England with the support of his uncle, Alfred Challice Johnson, Chief Naval Instructor on HMS Britannia. He received his BA in 1874. He married Rosalie Ellen Pattenden at Boston on 27 December 1877, at which time he was the second master of BGS. He received his MA in 1878. He was Headmaster of Reigate Grammar School 1879-1889 and then of the Royal Academy, Gosport 1889-1904. In 1904 he started his own school, Shalford Park School, in Shalford, Surrey. This failed in 1907. He died on 31 May 1909. He had one son and three daughters. His wife lived until 22 July 1934. He was a man of wide knowledge and many interests, with a great sense of humour. He was allegedly more interested in fishing than in the day-to-day intricacies of headmastering.

Email Hugh Stevens