Notes for Charles Humphrey Bonnycastle: Born in Winnipeg, "Humphrey" attended St. John's College as a day student and then Trinity College School (TCS) in Port Hope Ontario. He then went to the University of Toronto where he obtained his BA. Following that he attended Oxford College in England and then travelled Europe. In latter years he was awarded an LLB from the University of New Brunswick. He had during the course of his education joined the Royal Canadian Naval Reserve (RCNVR) where he ultimately achieved the rank of Captain (Navy). Following his education in England and his travels in Europe he returned to Dauphin in a quandary of "what to do now". No doubt his mother assisted him in reaching a conclusion in the matter and he went into banking and then the Hudson Bay Company (HBC). He then became a master at Upper Canada College (UCC) where he met Veronica Clarke whom he ultimately married. Appointed as headmaster at Rothesay Collegiate School in 1937 he and his wife moved to Rothesay, New Brunswick. In the fall of 1939 with WW 2 looming he was called to active service. The Bishop of Fredericton (RCS being a church school) managed to use his political influence and was able to have Humphrey's activation nixed and he returned to Rothesay in 1940 in time to see his daughter Hilary born. In the fall of 1940 he was called up to active service again and served in Ottawa responsible for development of the WREN program and then as Commanding Officer HMCS Kings (officer training establishment in Halifax Nova Scotia). He was relieved of this appointment for refusing to commission the son of an MP who he considered unfit to command men at sea during wartime and was then made responsible for officer selection (Ottawa). In 1943/44 he did some sea time ending up on a staff job in Plymouth, England studying and reporting back on how the Royal Navy conducted wartime operations. Was in London during the blitz. During his tenure in Plymouth he was called to London on a special assignment where he was tasked to carry a letter back to Plymouth. This was a highly responsible mission in that the letter contained the date that the invasion of Normandy was to take place, a responsibility which weighed heavily upon him! Following service in England he returned to Canada where he became second in command of the HMCS Cornwallis Naval Training Establishment. At the end of the war Humphrey returned to RCS to resume his duties as headmaster (from which he retired in 1970). During this period he was appointed commanding Officer of HMCS Brunswicker (a reserve establishment) in Saint John (the local reserve naval training establishment). Following retirement he was on the executive of the Riverside Golf & Curling Club, the local legion and became involved in the Kennebecasis Rowing Club and is credited with re-introducing competitive rowing in the Saint John area. Humphrey was interested and an active participant in tennis and golf. He did not read books which is strange in that he was an educator and a member of the local eclectic club. He was close to his paternal family, particularly Dick and Larry Bonnycastle. He was inducted into the New Brunswick Sports Hall of Fame in 1983 and as a result of his participation had the local boat house (rowing) named after him (1984) along with a street in Renforth. He helped to organize the Canada Summer Games in 1985. Humphrey was a tall (6'2") good looking man who was greatly respected member of the Rothesay community. He was dedicated and hard working, particular about dress. He tended to be principled, demanding and what you might expect a naval captain of the old school to be. One of his greatest sayings (according to his son Angus was "Angus, the Royal Navy may have given up flogging in 1835 but let me assure you I did not"... There is no evidence that he actually carried out this threat. CH Bonnycastle is considered by many to be one of the greatest headmasters (RCS) had in its long history and is fondly remembered by the school, many old boys and friends.
Charles Humphrey Bonnycastle was born in Winnipeg on Boxing Day, 1904. His school days were spent at St. John’s, Winnipeg, and T.C.S., Port Hope. He obtained his BA. from the University of Toronto, having attended Trinity College. He did further studies at St. Johns College, Oxford. For eight years he worked with the Hudson’s Bay Company. In 1934 he left the world of trade for what was to be his life’s work teaching, and preparatory school leadership. This career began at Upper Canada College, Toronto. He spent two years as a Junior Housemaster and another two years as a Senior Housemaster there. His apprenticeship completed, he was ready for two major steps, and 1938 proved a banner year; he married Millicent Veronica Clarke and accepted the Headmastership of Rothesay Collegiate School in Rothesay New Brunswick. The regular routine of school years did not unfold as the Bonnycastles had every reason to expect. In 1927 Bonnycastle had joined the Royal Canadian Naval Reserve and the outbreak of war meant mobilization. His full-time service was deferred until 1941 when the School arranged for J. F. L. Jackson to become Acting Headmaster. Bonnycastle ended his war-time service with the rank of Captain, R.C.N.V.R. Twenty-five years of uninterrupted leadership at R.C.S. ensued. Steady growth in enrolment, sound financial administration, successive years of fine sports records for the School’s teams, the evolution of a top-ranked cadet corps, and the raising of academic standards all characterized these years. Bonnycastle was an even-handed disciplinarian. He did not hesitate to send home boys who were a discredit to the School but he gave many an offender opportunities for reform. He was a head whose goals were respect for the rights of others, moderate and decent behavior, scorn for snobbery and vulgar display, fostering the development of leadership abilities, and the promotion of co-operative team spirit. He believed in the notion of the well-rounded young man, but intrinsic to that ideal were academic achievement and appreciation of the liberal arts. He practiced a diplomacy which few could equal, assuring doting parents that little Johnny would certainly not have to eat fried eggs, secure in the knowledge that the little brute would forget his preferences in the turmoil of the dining hall. He and Mrs. Bonnycastle built up a very warm and close relationship with the community around the School, actively participating in local organizations and prompting the growth of new ones. He seldom interfered with the independence of his staff, but ensured that their idiosyncrasies did not shatter the teamwork of the Common Room. That such capable and different men as Jackson, Keble, and Moran served the School so long and loyally is a tribute to his leadership.
When most R.C.S. Old Boys today visualize a headmaster the image is that of C. H. Bonnycastle. From Dr. Hibbard’s retirement in 1938 until his own in 1970, Bonnycastle presided over remarkable growth and built the School as we know it today. Mackay House, the Memorial Rink, Hibbard Arts and Science Building, and Quinn House were all completed during his tenure. Yet it is not the physical development of R.C.S. which remains uppermost in the minds of Old Boys — it is the persona of the headmaster. The University of New Brunswick recognized his contributions by awarding Bonnycastle an Honorary Doctorate of Laws. Old Boys, Parents, and Friends of the School have contributed nearly a million dollars to the School in recognition of his efforts in the appeals of 1949, 1964, and 1977. In his retirement, Dr. Bonnycastle continued to work on the School’s behalf, serving as a member of the Board of Governors and as General Chairman of the Endowment Fund campaign. Hundreds of Old Boys recall his headmastership as a humane, intelligent one, punctuated with wit and the occasional six of the best, but secure in the knowledge that under his guidance they received a first-rate general education.
In later years he is credited with restarting competitive rowing on the Kennebecasis River and was ultimately inducted into the New Brunswick Sports Hall of Fame.
More About Charles Humphrey Bonnycastle and Veronica Millicent Allen Clarke: Marriage: Toronto, Ontario.
Children of Charles Humphrey Bonnycastle and Veronica Millicent Allen Clarke are:
Dr. Charles Humphrey Bonnycastle (b. 26 Dec 1904, d. 13 Nov 1986)
Notes for Charles Humphrey Bonnycastle: