Thomas Caterer#F. I. Caterer
{{Short description|Australian schoolmaster (1825–1917)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2020}}
Thomas Caterer (31 July 1825 – c. 4 January 1917) was a pioneer schoolteacher of Adelaide, South Australia who founded in 1862 a private school for boys which in 1866 became Norwood Grammar School.
His brother, Frederick Isaac Caterer (c. 1840 – c. 24 August 1892), founded a similarly influential school in Glenelg.
His eldest son, T. Ainslie Caterer (died 1923), noted cricketer and teacher, was the first student of the University of Adelaide to be awarded a BA.
Thomas Caterer
Thomas was born in Tetsworth, Oxfordshire in 1827, the son of Elizabeth (died at Upper Mitcham, South Australia 17 July 1875) and Isaac Caterer (died 17 March 1868), a schoolteacher who later became a Congregational minister. He was educated at Lewisham College and was for a time on the staff of Taunton's School, Somersetshire before teaching under Professor Newth in Reading, Berkshire. He emigrated to South Australia, arriving in Adelaide 17 December 1854 in the ship Standard[http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article49203982 Shipping Intelligence] South Australian Register 19 December 1854 p. 2 accessed 24 June 2011[http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article6427961 A Scholastic Pioneer], The Advertiser, 1 August 1914, accessed 8 June 2011. He had married Marina Mudie (c. 1830 – 16 March 1899), sister of W. H. Mudie and daughter of the Rev. G. D. Mudie, then of England, but later Congregational minister of Salisbury, South Australia. She followed Thomas to Adelaide in the barque "David Malcolm", arriving 30 April 1855.{{Cite web|url=http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/australia/davidmalcolm1855.shtml|title=Passenger List - David Malcolm, Plymouth to Adelaide, 1855|website=www.theshipslist.com|access-date=2019-09-23}} She was an educated and accomplished woman who had been secretary to Elihu Burritt for some years.
He taught at J. L. Young's Adelaide Educational Institution for three or four years{{When|date=June 2011}} then secured appointments as headmaster at Port Adelaide 1857–1858,[http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article49782055 Glenelg] South Australian Register 3 July 1858 p. 3 accessed 24 June 2011 Glenelg 1858–1859, Auburn School 1860–1861[http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article49823408 Education] South Australian Register 20 December 1861 p. 1 accessed 24 June 2011 and Glen Osmond.
He founded Beaumont Grammar School at his home "Greenhills" at Beaumont in 1862.[http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article40467175 Advertisements], South Australian Register, 9 January 1862, p. 1. Accessed 7 June 2011. which moved to Beulah Road, Norwood in April 1866,[http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article28786324 Public Notices] South Australian Advertiser 4 April 1866 p. 4 accessed 22 June 2011 and renamed the Norwood Grammar School.[http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article53681352 Presentation to Mr. Thomas Caterer], South Australian Register, 28 March 1896, p. 7. Accessed 7 June 2011.[http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article41034227 Advertisement] South Australian Register 9 July 1866 p. 1 accessed 21 June 2011
In 1883 he was assisting Harry P. Macklin (1856 – 2 August 1902) at the S. A. Commercial College on Osmond Terrace, Norwood then together in 1886 they founded the Semaphore Collegiate School in a building on Ward St, Semaphore where the Rev. James Coglin previously conducted a Church school. On Macklin's death in 1902,[http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article4866047 Personal (some info. on Macklin)] The Advertiser 4 August 1902 p. 4 accessed 22 June 2011 he sold the school to John F. Hills[http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article56258889 Semaphore Collegiate School (advt.)] The Register 25 September 1902 accessed 22 June 2011 and retired in 1904.
He was for two years (around 1880 – 1882) Mayor of the Corporate Town of Kensington and Norwood.
He was a fine cricketer and friend of East Torrens team-mate Sir Edwin Smith.[http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article5550755 Personal], The Advertiser, 6 January 1917. Accessed 8 June 2011.
His wife Marina worked closely with Thomas in teaching and school management.[http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article54423556 Death of Mrs Thomas Caterer] South Australian Register 17 March 1899 p. 5 accessed 22 June 2011
=T. Ainslie Caterer=
His eldest son, T. Ainslie Caterer (1858–1923), was a noted cricketer and educator, the first student of the University of Adelaide to be awarded a B.A.[http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article42971276 The Adelaide University] South Australian Register 24 March 1879 Supplement p. 2 accessed 21 June 2011 He taught at St Peter's College from around 1890 and from 1916[http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article8676051 Personal] The Advertiser 3 January 1916 p. 6 accessed 21 June 2011 was acting headmaster, and successfully so, until the appointment of the Rev. Bickersteth in 1919.[http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article5654828 St. Peter's College] The Advertiser 7 June 1919 p. 12 accessed 21 June 2011 He retired in 1921 and died two years later. He is remembered there by the Caterer Memorial Scholarship.
He married Elizabeth Amy Edmunds (1866– ), daughter of Arthur Joseph Edmunds,{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article219211084 |title=The Late Mr. A. J. Edmunds, S. M. |newspaper=The Areas' Express |volume=XVIII |issue=1,391 |location=South Australia |date=23 February 1894 |accessdate=31 May 2019 |page=2 |via=National Library of Australia}} in 1890
F. I. Caterer
Thomas's younger brother, Frederick Isaac Caterer (c. 1840 – c. 24 August 1892) was born in Peppard, Oxfordshire, and arrived in Adelaide around 1866. For a time he worked for Thomas, but moved to Glenelg and founded the Glenelg Grammar School. on 1 October 1868. Students who achieved a degree of notability included F. C. Howard, E. Jones, Thomas McCallum, C. E. Manthorpe, B. Miller, J. H. Cooke MLC, F. H. Counsell, W. T. Stacy, W. A. Hamilton M.P., H. B. Crosby M.P.[http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article5595599 Glenelg Grammar School] Advertiser (Adelaide) 3 October 1918 p. 5 accessed 13 November 2011 and Charles Rischbieth Jury.
In 1869 he married Jane Phillipps (died 1 January 1916), a sister of Herbert Phillipps.[http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article48535115 Obituary] South Australian Register Tuesday 30 August 1892 p. 3 accessed 7 June 2011
Frederick attended the Glenelg Congregational Church regularly and was a great friend of the pastor, the Rev. C. Manthorpe. He ran the Sunday-school from 1872 to 1883.[http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article33767602/2907373 Mr. Frederick Caterer] South Australian Advertiser 11 August 1883 p. 5 accessed 28 September 2011
He was reported missing on 22 August 1892 and was the subject of an extensive search.[http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article25335673 A Mysterious Disappearance], The Advertiser, Thursday 25 August 1892, p. 5, accessed 8 June 2011.
The article gives a good description of the man and his habits. He was found dead four days later, having committed suicide by taking poison.[http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article25335920 The Inquest. Death from Poisoning] The Advertiser Thursday 29 August 1892 p. 6 accessed 8 June 2011
Thomas and Frederick had two sisters: Mercy Anne Caterer (1831 – 25 August 1908), who was married to Rev. W. H. Mudie, and Jessie (died 1925), who never married.{{Cite news|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article60646681|title=OBITUARY.|date=1925-12-07|work=Register (Adelaide, SA : 1901 - 1929)|access-date=2019-09-23|pages=8}}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Caterer, Thomas}}