a short history of agricultural education and research

1874 Aspatria Agricultural College, CumberlandAspatria was a private institution set up by local landowners ‘to advance thescience and teaching of agriculture’, the second such college, after the RoyalAgricultural College (see 1845).The college was largely developed by the ‘dauntless three’ local agriculturalistsWilliam Norman MRAC, a chemist, John Twentyman and the vet HenryThompson. The three had been instrumental in the setting up of the AspatriaAgricultural Co-operative Society in 1870. One of the earliest agricultural coops,it is still operating in the 21 st century as Aspatria Farmers.A key driver was the sense that the Royal Agricultural College was beyond thereach of the sons of local farmers, both geographically, in price and in ethos.Progressively, they wanted to see both landowners and tenants gaining aneducation. Fees in the mid-1880s were £45, as compared with £150 atCirencester.1886 The arrival of Professor Henry Webb (1846-1893) as Principalheralded a golden period. Something of a polymath, Professor Webbgained his PhD in plant science from the University of Jena in Germany,qualified as a medical doctor through University College, London andwas appointed as a professor of Animal Morphology and Physiology atthe Birkbeck Institute. He was called on to report to the PagetCommission (see 1887) on agricultural education. Webb particularlystressed the relationship between the theoretical and the practical as seenin the college motto Scientia et labore - knowledge and work.Webb introduced an Experimental Station where local farmers could usecollege equipment and staff to test their manures, feeds, seeds andconduct agricultural experiments. He also introduced free eveninglectures for local farm workers.1888 Some government grants were received from the late 1880s, followingthe Technical Education Act (see 1889) but available funds were limitedas the college was privately owned.1891 Sir Jacob Wilson (see 1889) attempted to get the Council to purchaseAspatria to combine it with plans for a publicly funded county college.These plans failed and the Cumberland and Westmorland Farm School,later Newton Rigg, developed separately (see 1896).1893 On Professor Webb’s premature death, the new principal was JohnSmith-Hill with a degree in Botany and a member of the Institution ofSurveyors. He married Professor Webb’s widow and brought landsurveying, valuation and land agency to the fore, along with agriculture,gaining Institution of Surveyors exemption for Aspatria students.1914 The college closed and Hill-Smith took a position as resident agent atGreystoke Castle, near Penrith.35