July 1st, 1848 (Saturday)

A sharp white frost this morning early. Sewell brought out Dr and Mrs Woolley, a Mr Bond, Kingdon, and one or two others: besides a Mr Machonochio a sound man from Wadham. Dr Woolley is the head of a large school at Rossyl, near Fleetwood, where he is very anxious to introduce as much of our system as possible, but is embarrassed by a Council, or some such drag, – who fetter him effectually, as they hold the purse-strings.¹ However he is making way. He told me that Newland who had been placed with him on leaving Stackallan, at first went on very well, but after his father’s death turned out a bad boy, conceited and deceitful, and, not being able to make anything of him, sent him home. This shows how true was our estimate of him, – which perhaps even Mr Darby might admit now. The whole party seemed highly pleased with all here.

Such excitement as there is now among the boys. The carrier is announced with a great deal box, containing the instruments. And now such delight, and such a noise. They seem as happy as possible. It is curious to see how little of the wildness of joy there is about going home; – their feelings seem to preserve just the sort of balance one likes to see. Willis’ uncle was here the other day, and asked him was he not in delight at the idea of going home; – to which he said ‘not particularly,’ or something of the sort; – and yet he has been punished more severely than any other boy in the school.

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1: John Woolley was appointed headmaster of Rossall School in 1844. He was not a success there, and left shortly after Singleton met him, in 1849. He then became headmaster of Norwich Grammar School. In 1852 he was appointed the principal of newly founded Sydney University in Australia, which he insisted should be a fully secular institution. See entry in the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography.