Frederic William Farrar (1831-1903)

Frederic was C. of E. clergyman, school teacher and author.

He was born in Bombay, India. He was educated at King William’s college on the Isle of Man, King’s College London and Trinity College Cambridge. In 1856 he accepted an assistant mastership at Harrow school. He was archdeacon of Westminster (1883-94) and Dean of Canterbury Cathedral (1895-03).

He spent most of his career associated with Westminster Abbey. He was canon there, then rector of St. Margaret’s -the church next door, and then arch deacon of the Abbey.

He was an eloquent preacher.

Frederic was a classic scholar and comparative philologist - a historical linguist who applied Charles Darwin’s ideas of branching descent to the relationship between languages. It was on the recommendation of Darwin that he was nominated and elected to the Royal Society in 1866. When Darwin died in 1882 Frederic helped get the church’s permission for him to be buried in Westminster Abbey. He was one of 10 pallbearers at the funeral and preached the sermon.

Frederic was also an author. he wrote a number of religious books plus some fiction.
religious books included * Life of Christ Life of St. Paul*
fiction Eric or Little by Little was a school story (See Works)

He married Lucy Mary Cardew in 1860. They had 10 children, five of each. Maud aged 16 married Henry Montgomery - they gave birth to WW11 hero ’ Monty’ Field Marshall Montgomery. Frederic was Monty’s grandfather.