1922 Encyclopædia Britannica/Bright, James Franck

BRIGHT, JAMES FRANCK (1832–1920), English historian, was born in London May 29 1832. He was the son of Richard Bright, the physician who first diagnosed “ Bright’s disease “ in 1827, and his mother was Eliza Follett, sister of Sir William Follett, who was solicitor-general and attorney-general in Peel’s administration (1834–1844). He was educated at Rugby under Dr. Arnold and at University College, Oxford, where he graduated with first-class honours in 1854. In 1856 he was ordained deacon and joined the staff of Marlborough College, and was the first public schoolmaster to organize a modern side. For this purpose he wrote the necessary school-books himself, including his well-known History of England. After his wife’s death in 1871 he left Marlborough and went to Oxford as a modern history tutor and lecturer at University, Balliol and New Colleges and in 1874 was elected to a fellowship at University and in 1878 to an honorary fellowship at Balliol. In 1881 he became master of University College, and threw himself with vigour into university and City life, becoming treasurer of the Radcliffe infirmary, and founder of the first technical school in Oxford, for which he presented a site. His latter years were spent at Ditchingham, Norfork, where he died Oct. 23 1920. He also published Lives of Maria Theresa and Joseph II. (1897).