H. M. I. [Illustration] MACMILLAN AND CO., Limited LONDON · BOMBAY · CALCUTTA MELBOURNE THE MACMILLAN COMPANY NEW YORK · BOSTON · CHICAGO DALLAS · SAN FRANCISCO THE MACMILLAN CO. OF CANADA, Ltd. TORONTO H. M. I. SOME PASSAGES IN THE LIFE OF ONE OF H. M. INSPECTORS OF SCHOOLS BY E. M. SNEYD-KYNNERSLEY FORMERLY H. M. I. NORTH-WEST DIVISION MACMILLAN AND CO., LIMITED ST. MARTIN’S STREET, LONDON 1913 _COPYRIGHT_ _First Edition, 8vo, April 1908_; _Reprinted September 1908_. _Shilling Edition, Globe 8vo, 1910_; _Reprinted 1913_. DEDICATION To E. G. A. Holmes, Esq., H.M. Chief Inspector; and to my late Colleagues of the North-West Division, by whose desire these records were put together; in ever grateful memory. E. M. S.-K. CONTENTS CHAP. PAGE I THE BEGINNING 1 II ANGLESEY 5 III VAGRANT 13 IV LLANGASTANAU 25 V LLANGASTANAU: THE LIBRARY 34 VI LLANGASTANAU: THE VILLAGE SCHOOL 42 VII WINDING UP 51 VIII H.M.I. 58 IX ARCADIA 62 X ARCADIA CLERICORUM 73 XI MILLER’S 82 XII MILLER’S: THE STUDY 94 XIII CHESHIRE 106 XIV MY LORDS 111 XV MANAGERS 122 XVI SCHOOL BOARDS 134 XVII CHILDREN 142 XVIII INSPECTORS 155 XIX CHAUNTERS’ 164 XX CHAUNTERS’: THE GARDEN 173 XXI R.C.’S 184 XXII ERRATA 201 XXIII REPORTS 220 XXIV SINGING 229 XXV NATURAL HISTORY 235 XXVI COMPOSITION 242 XXVII NEEDLEWORK 250 XXVIII UPHEAVAL 261 XXIX ISLE OF MAN 272 XXX RELEASE 281 H.M.I. CHAPTER I THE BEGINNING “The Man seems following still the funeral of the Boy.” J. Keble. My first acquaintance with the office of H.M. Inspector of Schools dates as far back as 1854. I was then twelve years old. At breakfast we were informed that the Reverend Henry Sandford was coming on a visit. “Who, and what is he?” I asked. “Firstly, he was the son of our neighbour, Archdeacon Sandford: secondly, he was ‘H.M.I.’: that is to say, one of Her Majesty’s Inspectors of Schools.” “What do they do?” “Oh, they travel about the country, and examine the school-children in the National Schools.” “Travel about?” I said wistfully: “I should like to be an Inspector.”