Frederic William Knocker
| Frederic William Knocker | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| File:Knocker, Frederic William.jpg | |||||||
| Born | 1858 | ||||||
| Died | 1944 | ||||||
| Residence |
Perak State Museum, Taiping, FMS [A63/1/102] Temple Ewell, Dover [1909] Organizer, Corporation Museum, Dover [A63/8/104] Corporation Museum, Market Square, Dover [1933] | ||||||
| Occupation | museum work | ||||||
| |||||||
Contents
Notes
Office Notes
House Notes
1906.07.18 Proposed by Walter Skeat; seconded by James Edge-Partington
1912.06.11 [it was resolved] that Dr J.G. Garson, Messrs John Don, F. Bennett Goldney MP and Mr F.W. Knocker should have proceedings taken against them if their arrears are not paid immediately on request therefor
1912.10.29 ... that proceedings be taken against Mr F. Bennett Goldney, MP, Mr F.W. Knocker, Revd. Dr O.E. Oesterley and Dr J.G. Garson
1913.04.08 It was resolved ... that on payment of his arrears Mr F.W. Knocker’s renomination be favourably considered as well as any matter for publication that he might chose to submit
1931.10.20 proposed by H.S. Harrison, seconded by T.A. Joyce
Membership correspondence: Knocker, F. [A94/11/75]: Note by nominee: - was formerly elected a Fellow +/- 1906 as 'Frederic William Knocker' but now known as 'Frederic Knocker'. Have no knowledge when my Fellowship ceased but returned to Malaya in 1911 & did not come back to England again until November 1928 (vide RAI Journal 1907 & 1909)
Notes From Elsewhere
Records of Goodyear Tyre and Rubber Company (Great Britain) Ltd [see related material]
Wray's post as Curator of the Perak Museum was taken over by Frederick W. Knocker [1908]
Frederick W Knocker Birth: year Death: dd mm 1944 - city, Sussex, England
Dover Museum
By the 1920s the museum’s crowded and eclectic collection was deemed necessary to be reviewed. Mr Frederick Knocker was asked to make a report. Knocker found the museum to be unsuitable in many respects: the entrance structure “could never be other than unimposing” and the cases were of “odd shapes, sizes and doubtful utility”. There was also a shortage of staff: there was an honorary curator, an exhibitor on a salary of £156 per annum and an attendant with a salary of £52 per annum. A charwoman was called in periodically.
In the 1930s Knocker began a proper programme of reorganisation for the museum. He heavily criticised the way in which the museum had been allowed to decline. Knocker recommended the disposal of many of the more dubious specimens, which by this period included a cat found crushed in a roof in Wiltshire. Work was progressing well when the Second World War broke out in 1939.
[the Dover histoiran.com] The National Museum Association visited and they were not kind about its state and recommended that Frederick Knocker (1858-1944) should be employed for a two-year experimental period to sort things out. The son of a local man, Knocker had a life long experience of museum work.
In August 1931, Knocker presented his report in which he said that the building was unsuitable, dank and cold. Due to lack of interest by the council both prestige and moral were low and the cases of exhibits were ‘odd shapes, sizes and of doubtful utility’. He recommended the disposal of many of the more dubious specimens. In addition, he noted that the staff consisted of Mr Abbott – whose salary had been increased – an exhibitor who was paid £156 a year, an attendant paid £52 a year and, on occasions, a charwoman who dusted and washed the floors.
On receipt of the report, the council proposed to increase spending from £500 to £2,000. A year the scheme, outlined by Knocker to revitalise the museum, was considered in September 1931. This was sent to the Carnegie Trustees in the hope of getting a large grant towards the cost of implementation. While awaiting a reply and under Knocker’s direction, the exhibits were thoroughly overhauled and the building cleaned and redecorated. ... By now acting curator, Frederick Knocker forcibly suggested the establishment of a learned society for stimulating public interest in the museum by exhibitions, lectures etc. The council agreed but due to the lack of room, Knocker suggested turning part of the recently vacated Biggin Hall into a lecture hall accommodating 120 people. ... n 1938, Frederick Knocker resigned and eventually a Mr Warner was appointed. ... Frederick Knocker died age 70 on 28 January 1944. He had lived away from Dover for many years but helped to prepare the museum’s war damage claim.
Publications
External Publications
Illustrated Official Guide to the Dover Corporation Museum
1932
by Frederick William Knocker
House Publications
Related Material Details
RAI Material
Membership correspondence: Knocker, F. [A94/11/75]
Other Material
Frederick W Knocker : How to Judge Rubber Investments - Wolverhampton Archives