Henry Culpin (1861-1912)
Henry Culpin was an autodidact geologist and palaeontologist; he was among the first of very few local people to understand
and describe the geological outcrops, and fossils within them, around Doncaster, South Yorkshire. During his excursions, Culpin
collected many fossil specimens and gifted several to Beechfield House museum, now Doncaster Museum and Art Gallery. A large
percentage of these specimens are of local origin, collected from Carboniferous coal mine deposits that are no longer accessible.
They represent some of the most scientifically and locally important fossils from Doncaster, collected when some of the earliest
mine shafts were being sunk in the district.

Lomax, D. R., 1 Nov 2014, In: Proceedings of the Yorkshire Geological Society. 60, 2, p. 85-90

See also

Proceedings of the Yorkshire Geological Society Volume 19 Pages 317 – 3 by W. Gibson

In Memorium Henry Culpin (1861-1912)

The loss of an amateur worker in Science is always a heavy one in a band that is diminishing in numbers, or is becoming merged in a crowd of professionals and semi-professionals. Culpin’s death was an especially severe blow, as it was wholly unexpected, and he died with his chief scientific work in an unfinished state.

Henry Culpin was born on January 25th, 1861 at Walton, near Peterborough, receiving his early education at the neighbouring village school of Werrington, and subsequently at a private school in Peterborough. At the age of fifteen he entered the service of the Great Northern Railway at Peterborough as clerk, and subsequently became their Chief Locomotive Accountant at Doncaster

In the summer of 1912, Culpin appeared to be in the pride of health and strength. On the 23rd December, death from heart failure came suddenly to him, without giving any definite premonitory signs. He left a widow and three children, of whom the eldest son died fighting in France shortly after completing a brilliant university career at Oxford, Culpin was a Freemason attached to St. George’s Lodge, Doncaster. He was elected a member of Yorkshire Geological Society in 1904. The best of Culpin’s life was given to his employers, but he found time to gather a good knowledge of English literature and foreign languages which helped him as a debater in literary and political meetings in Doncaster.

His bent towards Geology appeared late in life, and his interest seems to have been excited by a course of University Extension Lectures on the Ice Age which he attended at Doncaster; but this constituted the sole help. And all his scientific knowledge and practice was self-acquired. At Doncaster, he quickly attained a grasp of the outstanding problems relating to the geology of the district, and in excursions father afield his views were always illuminating and his energy untiring.

It is chiefly, however, in connection with the Yorkshire Coal Measures that his name will be associated and his work highly valued. On this subject he had accumulated a vast amount of material, obtained by a systematic examination of every exploration for coal between Retford

Henry Culpin
Born – 25 Jan 1861 in Walton, Northamptonshire
Bapt – 28 Jul 1861 in Paston
Parents – John Culpin (1828-1887 & Mary Lee (1830-1909) (ag lab)
Married – Johanna Staengel (1861-????) Jan 1883, Ely, Cambridgeshire
Children – Karl Henry (1893-1917)
John Reibel (1895-1948)
Mary Johanna (1897-1991)
Freemasons – Joined St George’s Lodge, Doncaster on 2 Feb 1906
Died – 23 Dec 1912 at 7 St. Mary’s Rd., Doncaster (aged 44)

Probate
Culpin Henry of 7 Saint Mary’s Road, Doncaster accountant for the great northern railway
Died 23 December 1912
Probate Wakefield 23 January to Johann Culpin widow
Effects £1335 4s 8d

1891 census
Wheatley, Doncaster
30 Beckett Road.
Henry Culpin head mar 30 Railway Clerk Walton, Northamptonshire
Johanna Culpin wife mar 29 Teacher of Languages Germany
Mary Otto serv s 17 Dom Serv Doncaster

1901 census
Doncaster
36 Nether Hall Road
Henry Culpin head mar 40 Incorporated Accountant Walton, Northamptonshire
Johanna Culpin wife mar 39 Germany
Karl H Culpin son s 7 Wheatley, Yorks
John T Culpin son s 5 Wheatley, Yorks
Mary J Culpin dau s 3 Wheatley, Yorks
Agnes Poskitt serv s 18 General servant Wheatley, Yorks

1901 census
7 St. Mary’s Road, Doncaster
Henry Culpin head 50 mar Accountant Railway GWR Walton Northants
Johanna Culpin wife 49 mar Germany (German)
Karl Culpin son 17 s School Wheatley, Yorks
John Culpin son 15 s School Wheatley, Yorks
Mary Culpin dau 13 s School Wheatley, Yorks
Agnes Poskitt serv 28 s General servant Wheatley, Yorks

Mary Johann Culpin
Married at the Register Office, Holborn
16 April 1937
William Travers Symons 58 Widower Insurance Manager of 28 Woburn Square, son of Henry James Symons (deceased), Insurance Manager
Mary Johann Culpin 37 spinster of 28 Woburn Square, daughter of Henry Culpin (deceased) Accountant
Witnesses D. M. Waltham & C. W. Daniel

1937 Electoral Register
Parish of Bletchingley
Symons William Travers Sunnyside Cottages
Symons Mary Johanna Sunnyside Cottages

Publication – ‘Fingers & Thumbs. A Project of Preliminary Exercises at the Pianoforte’ published under her married name, Mary Johann Symons 1974
Died Jun 1991 Fulham, Gt London
Credit: Sherborne School Archives, Abbey Road, Sherborne, Dorset, UK, DT9 3AP.

Details: Karl Henry Culpin (1893-1917), also known as Charles Henry Culpin, born 10 September 1893 at 30 Becketts Road, Wheatley, Yorkshire, son of Henry Culpin (1861-1912), accountant to the Great Northern Railway, and Johanna Culpin (née Staengel) of Doncaster
(Johanna Staengel was baptised on the 24th May 1861 in Ulm Württemberg, Southern Germany. Her father was Johann Friedrich Carl & her mother Sophie Reibel). Brother of John Reibel Culpin (1895-1948) and Mary Johanna Culpin (1897-).

Educated at Doncaster Grammar School. Exhibitioner at Merton College, Oxford, 1912-1915. He took a 1st Class degree in history in 1915.
While at Oxford Culpin became close friends with T.S. Eliot
Temporary master at Sherborne School (taught mathematics and geography), September 1915-April 1916.
WW1, 2nd Lieutenant (made temporary 2nd Lieutenant, 5 September 1916) in the Gloucestershire Regiment, 1st Battalion attached to 10th Battalion.
Changed his first name from Karl to Charles.

Died of wounds near Bethune on 15 May 1917.
Commemorated at: Lapugnoy Military Cemetery, IV.D.7 www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/53980/CULPIN,%20CHARL… Doncaster Grammar School. Biographical

Information:

1901 Census, 36, Nether Hall Road, Doncaster: Henry Culpin Head M 40 Incorporated Accountant Born, Walton, Northampton. Johanna Culpin Wife M 39 Germany (German birth). Karl H. Culpin Son S 7 Wheatley, Yorkshire. John R. Culpin Son S 5 Wheatley, Yorkshire. Mary S. Culpin Daughter S 3 Wheatley, Yorkshire. Agnes Poskitt Servant S 18 General Servant Domestic Wheatley, Yorkshire.

1911 Census, 7, St Mary’s Road, Doncaster: Henry Culpin Head M 50 Accountant (Chief) Railway, GMR Walton, Northants. Johanna Culpin Wife M 49 Germany (Resident). Karl Culpin Son S 17 School Wheatley, Yorkshire. John Culpin Son S 15 School Wheatley, Yorkshire. Mary Culpin Daughter S 13 School Wheatley, Yorkshire. Agnes Poskitt Servant S 28 General Servant (Domestic) Wheatley, Yorkshire.

Head Master’s Report to the Governors for 1915: This term Mr. K.H. Culpin, BA, late Exhibitioner of Merton College, Oxford, is taking part of the work relinquished by Mr. Alderson, and also some of the History teaching of Mr. Heriz-Smith, who is preparing to take Holy Orders.

Blue Book, Sherborne School, Michaelmas Term 1915: K.H. Culpin, B.A., late Exhibitioner, Merton College, Oxford. Teaching mathematics.

The Shirburnian, November 1915: p.176, We welcome Messrs. Culpin, Oak-Rhind, and Sainsbury, who have joined us this term, and wish them every success at Sherborne. p.190-194, On Sunday, October 24th, a Debate was held in the Big Schoolroom, by the kind permission of the headmaster, who took the chair. There was a very large attendance, including several ladies, several members of the staff, and Mr. C.G. Coulton. The motion before the House was that in the opinion of this House, the present Public School system of education is unsatisfactory… MR.K.H. CULPIN pointed out that independence existed in spite and instead of Public Schools. He disagreed with the President’s artistic ideals. We had failed in our duty (hear, hear). Conformation to type was not the fault of Public Schools, but of Class differences. The Upper Classes were too little interested in Lower Classes. The Classics were the best taught subject, having been realized some five hundred years ago. Public Schools teach how to learn and how to think. Classics were not permanently suitable for education, as they were known and fixed, while Society was always changing. The conditions regarding education were too ideal. History and Political Science should be taught in Upper Forms. The object of education was to learn, not that things are so, but why they are so. The HEADMASTER then put the motion to the vote, remarking on the unsatisfactory wording of the motion. The motion was carried by a large majority

2ND LIEUTENANT KARL HENRY CULPIN
1st Battalion, attached to 10th (Service) Battalion (Bristol), Gloucestershire Regiment
Born 10th September 1893 at Wheatley, Yorkshire
Died of wounds received in action 15th May 1917, aged 23
Buried at Lapugnoy Military Cemetery, Pas-de-Calais, France.
Karl Culpin, also known as Charles, was the son of Henry Culpin & Johanna, née Staengel, of Doncaster.
He was educated at Doncaster Grammar School, and at Merton College, Oxford where he took a first-class degree in Modern History in 1915. He then went to Sherborne School as a temporary master. While at Oxford he became one of TS Eliot’s closest friends – Eliot called him “the most intelligent of the Englishmen at Merton”. The New Zealander Robert Sencourt, Eliot’s first biographer, described their relationship:
“As soon as Tom and Karl started talking to each other, each knew that he had found an ideal companion. The Yorkshireman’s brain was brilliant enough to keep pace with the American’s, and this exercise was the more stimulating because it was not centred on philosophy or literature but history and economics.”
Culpin was called up after his graduation, in April 1916, and commissioned as 2nd Lieutenant despite poor eyesight.
He died near Bethune on 15th May 1917 of wounds received in action on 8th May near Fresnois, north-east of Arras.
John Reibel Culpin (1895-1948)

Born – 1895 30 Beckett’s Road, Wheatley
Married – No
Died – Sep 1948 Hammersmith
Probate
Culpin John Reibel of 103 Ormonde Court, Upper Richmond Road, Wandsworth, London
Died 14 September 1948 at The West London Hospital, Hammersmith, W.6.
Probate London 21 December to William Travers Symons, Insurance Broker
Effects £5236 10s 4d