Frederic Chapple

Frederic Chapple CMG (12 October 1845 – 29 February 1924) was the influential headmaster of Prince Alfred College in Adelaide, South Australia, from 1876 to 1914.

Frederic was born in London a son of John Chapple, a mason from Devonshire, and his wife Louisa, née Brewin. Though Presbyterians, they sent their son to a Wesleyan Methodist day school, because of its good reputation. As well as reaching high academic standards he entered whole-heartedly into the religious life of the School and Church, and at age 18 was assessed first among applicants for a scholarship to Westminster Training College. He sailed through the course, consistently coming top of his class, while maintaining his Church activities — holding simultaneously the positions of poor steward, church steward, circuit steward, and Sunday school teacher and superintendent. At the end of his course he was appointed locum tenens head of the teaching schools run by the college, and in the evening studied for the London University BA at King's College and University College, Cambridge. In 1870 he was appointed to a permanent position with Westminster Wesleyan Methodist College, teaching Science and Mathematics. He completed a course at the South Kensington Science School, and was awarded a BSc. by the London University. He was convinced of the need for Biblical teaching in secular as well as Church schools; he was a founding member of the National Union of Elementary Teachers, which he represented in 1870 at a congress on the desirability of religious teaching in government schools.

The Principal of Prince Alfred College, John Anderson Hartley, B.A., B.Sc (1844–1896), resigned late in 1875 after only five years as head, to take a position as Inspector-General of State Schools. Rev. Drs. Alfred Rigg (1832–1891) and James Egan Moulton (c. 1841–1909) were commissioned by the Prince Alfred College Committee to find his replacement, and after some hesitation Chapple accepted their invitation, and arrived with his family in Adelaide on 8 April 1876. He joined the Kent Town Church the next day, and occupied the same pew for the next 32 years.

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