Robert Corbet Singleton was Warden of St. Columba’s College,

Dublin Dublin is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Situated on Dublin Bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, and is bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, pa ...

, subsequently First Warden of St. Peter’s College, Radley, and a noted writer and translator of

hymn A hymn is a type of song, and partially synonymous with devotional song, specifically written for the purpose of adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a deity or deities, or to a prominent figure or personification. The word ''hymn'' d ...

s. He was born on 9 October 1810 in Ireland and died on 7 February 1881 in

York York is a cathedral city in North Yorkshire, England, with Roman Britain, Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers River Ouse, Yorkshire, Ouse and River Foss, Foss. It has many historic buildings and other structures, such as a Yor ...

, England.

Family background and education

Singleton was the second son of Francis Corbet of County Adare,

Meath County Meath ( ; or simply , ) is a Counties of Ireland, county in the Eastern and Midland Region of Republic of Ireland, Ireland, within the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster. It is bordered by County Dublin to the southeast, County ...

. He followed his father in taking the name Corbet Singleton. R.C. Singleton was educated at

Trinity College Trinity College may refer to: Australia * Trinity Anglican College, an Anglican coeducational primary and secondary school in , New South Wales * Trinity Catholic College, Auburn, a coeducational school in the inner-western suburbs of Sydney, New ...

, Dublin, graduating with a BA in 1830, and awarded his MA in 1833.

St Columba's College, Dublin

Singleton was a teacher of mathematics, but he loved music and Latin. On the best of terms with William Sewell, he was instrumental in setting up St Columba's College, Stackallan, near Dublin, and became its first Warden when the college opened in 1843, although owing to a subsequent dispute were never recognised as founders. Also on the staff, soon afterwards, at St Columba's, was music master Edwin Monk, with whom Singleton was subsequently to work also at Radley; the two of them still later collaborating in the making of a hymnal at York more than two decades later. In 1850 Singleton noted in his diary that the school's boys were "bold, manly and vigorous at their games...very proud of their college". Singleton explained that to be a successful teacher a man "must be something of a gentleman...it would never do... to induce the boys to look down on him". Perhaps his brother too was Samuel Singleton, elected a member of Common Room in 1848. A stickler for truth and honesty Singleton was an exacting employer, finding it hard to recruit staff. Singleton's resignation from St Columba's in 1846 followed a controversy after he insisted on a rigorous regime of

fasting Fasting is the act of refraining from eating, and sometimes drinking. However, from a purely physiological context, "fasting" may refer to the metabolic status of a person who has not eaten overnight (before "breakfast"), or to the metabolic sta ...

for the boys.

Oxford and Radley

Singleton moved to Oxford where he was admitted in 1847 to

. With William Sewell, who had supported him at St Columba’s, he was to become co-founder of St Peter’s College, Radley, being appointed the first Warden of Radley on 9 June 1847. Singleton was committed, as before, to a monastic and ascetic regime for the boys at Radley, at odds, it has been noted, with Sewell’s "more relaxed, arcadian approach to education." This led ultimately to Singleton’s resignation as Warden in 1851 – whereat Sewell began a "systematic removal" of Singleton’s name as a co-founder of Radley College. There was in consequence no lasting memorial to Singleton at Radley prior to the naming of the Singleton Library at the centenary in 1947. Singleton had been the second most significant benefactor of St Columba’s, and he was as generous in the founding of Radley. Between St Columba’s and Radley it was estimated that his gifts amounted to £30,000. At Radley, he gave the first

organ Organ and organs may refer to: Biology * Organ (biology), a group of tissues organized to serve a common function * Organ system, a collection of organs that function together to carry out specific functions within the body. Musical instruments ...

, which was lent for the International Exhibition in Dublin in 1853. While at Radley Singleton published ''The Psalter Arranged for Chanting'' (1847), and discourses entitled ''Uncleanness, the Ruin of Body and Soul'' (1850).

Via Ireland to York

Following his resignation from Radley, Singleton returned to

Kingstown Kingstown is the capital and largest city of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. The city, located on the main island of Saint Vincent, has the main port and the biggest commercial center of the islands. With a population of 12,909 (2012), K ...

in Ireland, where he lived with his mother. Following her death, he moved to

, purchasing

Minster Court Minster Court is a Grade II* listed group of buildings lying off Minster Yard, in the city centre of York in England. History The complex consists of four houses, on three sides of a courtyard: No. 1 in the north-west wing, Nos. 2 and 2A in t ...

. It was here that he continued his long acquaintance and collaboration with Edwin Monk, who had been

Precentor A precentor is a person who helps facilitate worship. The details vary depending on the religion, denomination, and era in question. The Latin derivation is ''præcentor'', from cantor, meaning "the one who sings before" (or alternatively, "first ...

at both St Columba’s and Radley, and who was now Organist and Master of Choristers at

York Minster York Minster, formally the Cathedral and Metropolitical Church of Saint Peter in York, is an Anglicanism, Anglican cathedral in the city of York, North Yorkshire, England. The minster is the seat of the archbishop of York, the second-highest of ...

. In 1868 he and Monk published their jointly-edited book, ''The Anglican Hymn-Book''. The collection included nearly thirty original hymns by Singleton, notable amongst them being his ''With gladsome feet we press''. Singleton also translated a number of hymns from

Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...

and German. As

classicist Classics, also classical studies or Ancient Greek and Roman studies, is the study of classical antiquity. In the Western world, ''classics'' traditionally refers to the study of Ancient Greek literature, Ancient Greek and Roman literature and ...

, Singleton published a complete verse translation of the works of

Virgil Publius Vergilius Maro (; 15 October 70 BC21 September 19 BC), usually called Virgil or Vergil ( ) in English, was an ancient Rome, ancient Roman poet of the Augustan literature (ancient Rome), Augustan period. He composed three of the most fa ...

. Robert Singleton died at

Petergate Petergate is a street in the city centre of York, in England. It is divided into High Petergate and Low Petergate. The well-known view of the Minster from Low Petergate is described by the City of York Council as "excellent". History Petergate ...

, on 7 February 1881. The choir of St Columba’s College sang at the funeral service: he was buried on 12 February in the Corbet vault at St Patrick’s Cathedral in

.About Robert Singleton – Victorian educational reformer
accessed 24 Nov 2012

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Singleton, Robert Corbet 1810 births 1881 deaths British Christian hymnwriters English hymnwriters Alumni of Trinity College, Oxford Founders of English schools and colleges 19th-century English musicians 19th-century British philanthropists Wardens of Radley College