Sir Rowland Hill was an English teacher, inventor and social reformer.
Background
Hill was born on 3 December 1795 in Blackwell Street, Kidderminster, Worcestershire, England.
As a young child he had, on account of an affection of the spine, to maintain a recumbent position, and his principal method of relieving the irksomeness of his situation was to repeat figures aloud consecutively until he had reached very high totals.
Rowland Hill, a younger brother of Matthew Davenport Hill, and third son of T. W. Hill, who named him after Rowland Hill the preacher, was born on the 3rd of December 1795 at Kidderminster.
Education
In 1819 he moved his father's school "Hill Top" from central Birmingham, establishing the Hazelwood School at Edgbaston, an affluent neighbourhood of Birmingham, as an "educational refraction of Priestley's ideas".
Career
At the age of twelve Rowland began to assist in teaching mathematics in his father's school at Hilltop, Birmingham, and latterly he had the chief management of the school.
A similar bent of mind was manifested when he entered school in 1802, his aptitude for mathematics being quite exceptional.
The discovery which resulted from these investigations is when stated so easy of comprehension that there is great danger of losing sight of its originality and thoroughness.
After a laborious collection of statistics he succeeded in demonstrating that the principal expense of letter carriage was in receiving and distributing, and that the cost of conveyance differed so little with the distance that a uniform rate of postage was in reality the fairest to all parties that could be adopted.
On his suggestion the establishment was removed in 1819 to Hazelwood, a more commodious building in the Hagley Road, in order to have the advantages of a large body of boys, for the purpose of properly carrying out an improved system of education.
That system, which was devised principally by Rowland, was expounded in a pamphlet entitled Plans for the Government and Education of Boys in Large Numbers, the first edition of which appeared in 1822, and a second with additions in 1827.
After his marriage in 1827 Hill removed to a new school at Bruce Castle, Tottenham, which he conducted until failing health compelled him to retire in 1833.
See also Sir Rowland Hill, the Story of a Great Reform, told by his daughter (1907).
The employment of postage stamps is mentioned only as a suggestion, and in the following words: Perhaps the difficulties might be obviated by using abit of paper just large enough to bear the stamp, and covered at the back with a glutinous wash which by applying a little moisture might be attached to the back of the letter. "
The act received the royal assent in 1839, and after an intermediate rate of four-pence had been in operation from the 5th of December of that year, the penny rate commenced on the 19th of January 1849.
Hill received an appointment in the Treasury in order to superintend the introduction of his reforms, but.
In consideration of the loss he thus sustained, and to mark the public appreciation of his services, he was in 1846 presented with the sum of £13, 360.
He wrote, in conjunction with his brother, Arthur Hill, a History of Penny Postage, published in 1880, with an introductory memoir by his nephew, G. Birkbeck Hill.
The presentation, on account of his infirm health, took place at his residence at Hampstead, and he died on the 27th of AugUat following.
He was buried in Westminster Abbey.
Politics
In 1846 the Conservative party split over the repeal of the Corn Laws and was replaced by a Whig government led by Lord Russell.
Views
He was indebted for the direction of his abilities in no small degree to the guidance of his father, a man of advanced political and social views, which were qualified and balanced by the strong practical tendency of his mind.
Membership
He was a member of the Royal Society.
Hill also became a member of the influential Political Economy Club, founded by David Ricardo and other classical economists, but now including many powerful businessmen and political figures.
