William Edward Hickson

HICKSON, William Edward. b. Westminster, London, 7 January 1803; d. near Sevenoaks, Kent, 22 March 1870. He was the son of a successful boot and shoe manufacturer. The family moved to Northampton, a centre of the boot and shoe making trade, where the young Hickson became active in the Baptist church and Sunday school. He entered his father’s business, but found time to pursue his interests as a reformer, musical educator, and writer on educational topics. He was a firm believer in the importance of musical education and in its ability to inculcate good behaviour through the singing of moral songs. His The Singing Master (1836) became famous for its teaching methods, which were opposed to...