George Darnell

[4] Though physically weak he was a shrewd and caring man whose publications aimed to make preparatory schooling less daunting for pupils.

[1] His educational writings included A Short and Certain Road to Reading (1845), Grammar Made Intelligible to Children (1846), and Arithmetic Made Intelligible to Children (1855),[5] which for many years had an enormous sale.

The prefaces to these short works contained innovative practical suggestions for teachers, which came to be widely adopted.

[1] Darnell, who was unmarried, died at his home, 70 Gibson Square, Islington, on 26 February 1857, aged fifty-eight,[1] and was buried on the west side of Highgate Cemetery.

The epitaph on his grave reads: In memory of George Darnell; For thirty years principal of the Theberton School, Islington; A most skilful and loving instructor of the young; A zealous friend to the cause of popular education; Author of several works designed to render easy the beginning of knowledge; His earthly life, marked by active goodwill towards men, by generosity and self-sacrifice ended serenely on the 26th day of February 1857 in the 59th year of his age.