KEATE

keate, john (1773-1852), english schoolmaster, was born at wells, somersetshire, in 1773, the son of prebendary william keate. he was educated at eton and king's college, cambridge, where he had a brilliant career as a scholar; taking holy orders, he became, about 1797, an assistant master at eton college. in 1809 he was elected headmaster. the discipline of the school was then in a most unsatisfactory condition, and dr keate (who took the degree of d.d. in 1810) took stern measures to improve it. his partiality for the birch became a by-word, but he succeeded in restoring order and strengthening the weakened authority of the masters. beneath an outwardly rough manner the little man concealed a really kind heart, and when he retired in 1834, the boys, who admired his courage, presented him with a handsome testimonial. a couple of years before he had publicly flogged eighty boys on one day. keate was made a canon of windsor in 1820. he died on the 5th of march 1852 at hartley westpall, hampshire, of which parish he had been rector since 1824. see maxwell lyte, _history of eton college_ (3rd ed., 1899); collins, _etoniana_; harwood, _alumni etonienses; annual register_ (1852); _gentleman's magazine_ (1852).