William Johnson Cory in Hampstead

8 Pilgrim's Lane, Hampstead, London.

'WILLIAM JOHNSON CORY

IONICUS

1823–1892

TEACHER, SCHOLAR AND POET. LIVED

AND DIED IN THIS HOUSE. AN ASSISTANT

MASTER AT ETON COLLEGE 1845–1872.

HE COMPOSED THE WORDS FOR THE

ETON BOATING SONG.'

Cory was born Johnson, but changed his name after being forced to resign from Eton following a complaint made by the parents of one of his pupils about an 'indiscreet' letter Cory had written to the boy.

  

I've no idea what this ship's figurehead is doing here, but if anyone does know I'd be very pleased if they'd let me know via a comment or in an email.

 

ADDENDUM: Read the comment from Maggie below for a link to the solution to the mystery.

Digby Mackworth Dolben in Finedon, Northamptonshire

'IN MEMORIAM
DIGBY AUGUSTUS STEWART
DIED JUNE 28, 1867, AGED 19.
HERBERT ENGLISH
DIED NOVEMBER 19, 1870, AGED 28
SONS OF
WILLIAM H. I. MACKWORTH DOLBEN
AND FRANCES, HIS WIFE.'

Digby Mackworth Dolben was born in Guernsey and brought up at Finedon Hall, Northamptonshire. One of his teachers at Eton was William Johnson (later Cory), whose homoerotic Ionica poems (1858) were an inspiration to Dolben's own. He was attracted to Martin Le Marchant Gosselin, to whom he wrote love poems. In 1865 Dolben's cousin Robert Bridges (Poet Laureate from 1913 to 1930) introduced him to Gerard Manley Hopkins, who was considerably emotionally impressed by him.

Dolben drowned in the Welland at the age of nineteen before he could go to Oxford University. Bridges ensured that his poetry was remembered. Below is a link to his poetry.

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The Poems of Digby Mackworth Dolben, edited with a memoir by Robert Bridges