Richard Valpy (the fourth of that name) was the eldest son of Richard Valpy
[III] and Catherine Chevalier. He was a friend and literary mentor to
Mary Russell Mitford. He matriculated at
Pembroke College, Oxford University on April 1, 1773, aged eighteen, as a
Morley scholar. He received from Oxford a B.A. (1776), M.A. (1784), B.D.
& D.D. (1792). He took orders in the Church of England in 1777. Richard
Valpy served as Second Master at Bury School, Bury, Huntindonshire from 1771
to 1781, and was also collated to the rectory of Stradishall, Suffolk, in
1787. He became the Headmaster at Reading School, Reading, Berkshire, in
1781 and served until 1830, at which time he turned the Headmastership over
to his youngest son Francis E. J. Valpy and continued in semi-retirement
until his death in 1836. During his tenure as Headmaster of
Reading Grammar School for boys over
the course of fifty years, he expanded the boarding school and added new
buildings. He is the author of numerous published works, including Greek and
Latin textbooks, sermons, volumes of poetry, and adaptations of plays such
as Shakespeare’s King John and Sheridan’s The Critic. His
Elements of
Greek Grammar,
Elements of Latin Grammar,,
Greek
Delectus and
Latin Delectus, printed and published by
his son
A. J. Valpy, were all much
used as school texts throughout the nineteenth century. Valpy’s students
performed his own adaptations of Greek, Latin, and English plays for the
triennial visitations and the play receipts went to charitable
organizations. Valpy enlisted
Mitford to write reviews of the productions
for the
Reading Mercury. In 1803, his
adaptation of Shakespeare’s King John was performed at Covent Garden
Theatre.
Richard Valpy was married twice and had twelve children, eleven of whom
lived to adulthood. His first wife was
Martha
Cornelia de Cartaret; Richard and Martha were married about
1778 and they had one daughter,
Martha Cartaretta Cornelia.
His first wife Martha died about
1780 and he
married
Mary Benwell of Caversham, Oxfordshire on
May 30, 1782. Together they had six sons and
five daughters and ten of their eleven children survived to adulthood.
Richard Valpy and Mary Benwell’s sons were
Richard Valpy (the
fifth of that name),
Abraham John
Valpy, called John;
Gabriel Valpy,
Anthony Blagrove Valpy; and
Francis Edward
Jackson Valpy. His daughters were
Mary Ann Catherine Valpy;
Sarah
Frances Valpy, called Frances or Fanny;
Catherine Elizabeth Blanch Valpy;
Penelope Arabella Valpy; and
Elizabeth Charlotte Valpy, who died as an
infant.
. Dr. Valpy’s students placed a marble bust of him
in
, after his
death.
painted Dr. Valpy’s portrait. See .
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