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PREFACE
By A. c. HADDON T
Arthur Bernard Deacon was born of British parents on
21st January, I903, at Nicolaiev in South Russia, where his
father was the representative of an old-established shipping
ï¬Årm, but home and fortune were lost in the great upheaval in
Russia in I917. Deacon always said he owed his love of learning
to his father, who began his home tuition when the boy was eight
years old. He learnt English, Russian, music, some French, and
other subjects. He came to England in I916, and attended the
Nottingham High School under Dr. G. S. Turpin, when he was
about fourteen years old. Dr. Turpin writes that he considered
, him “ the ablest pupil, everything considered, that I have ever
had; as you know, he was no narrow specialist but shone in
more than one ï¬Åeld of study: his powers of work were extra-
ordinary, yet his interest embraced the whole ï¬Åeld of human
life and his personality endeared him even to those of his fellows
whose interests were chiefly in games". Somewhat later the
Rev. A. Lloyd Phillips, Vicar of Blyth, came to know Deacon,
and was much struck by his ability and repeatedly said “ that
for sheer brilliance I have never met Bernard's equal, it was
impossible to place him, he was a class by himself â€ù. Thus even
as a boy and a very young man he impressed all who came in
contact with him. It is therefore not surprising that when at
school he took several prizes and passed. various examinations}
‘ The following Iist of achievements is taken from the “ School List " of the
Nottingham High School for September, 1921, p. 38 :—A. B. Deacon : Scholarship
of £80 a year for three years for Natural Science at Trinity College, Cambridge,
1920 ; State Scholarship of £80 a year for three years, awarded by Board of
Education, 1920; Old Boys’ Exhibition of £60 a year for four years, 1921 ;
Sir Thomas VVhite Senior Scholar, 1918 ; Lower Sixth Form A, 1919 ; Science,
Set 6b, 1919; Mathematical, Set 60, 1919; Science, Set 6a, 1920; Mr. Durose's
Prize for Geography of British Empire, 1919; Mr. C. E. R. Fraser-‘s Prize for
Science, 1919,‘ 1920 ; Duke oi Portland’s Prize for English Essay, 1920 ; Mr. ]. T.
Spaldirig's Prize for History, 1920 ; Prize for Distinction in Higher Certiï¬Åcate
Examination, 1920, 1921 ; Newham Prize for Shakespeare, 1921 ; School Certiï¬Å-
cate of Oxford and Cambridge Schools Examination Board, 1919; Higher Certiï¬Å-
cate of Oxford and Cambridge Schools Examination Board, with Distinction in
Pl-iysics, 1920; and with Distinction in German and Russian, 1921; Prize for
First Place in Examination for Certiï¬Åcate “ A ", 1921 ; London University
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