The Northumberland and Durham Classical Association, from 1912 Onwards

This chapter provides a brief history of the Northumberland and Durham branch of the Classical Association from its foundation in 1912 onwards, drawing on archival materials on the branch which have recently been discovered in the Department of Classics and Ancient History at Durham University. Various aspects of the branch as captured in the archive are analysed, from its early links to the University of Durham, records of early meetings and talks, annual excursions to sites of classical interest in the North East, and later initiatives such as summer schools and evening classes in Latin for local school pupils. The chapter also considers the contribution of key figures, such as Frank Byron Jevons, J. H. How, and Edna Jenkinson, and the various attempts made by the branch to ensure the vitality of classical education as it became marginalised in school curricula. The study of this small local branch of the Classical Association provides a window onto ongoing debates about what ‘Classics’ is, who it is for, how it should be taught, and its place in the contemporary world.