St. Vincent Beechey (7 August 1806 – 19 August 1899) was a nineteenth-century vicar of Fleetwood and Thornton-Cleveleys, Lancashire, and later of Worsley, Lancashire. He is known for founding Rossall School at Fleetwood in 1844, and he was also president of the Manchester Photographic Society.[1] At the time of his death, it was believed that Beechey was the oldest clergyman in England, being 93 years old.[2]
St Vincent Beechey (far left, seated) at the wedding of his granddaughter Mabel Champion Jones, in Camberley, Surrey, on 27 July 1898. Mabel Champion Jones was the daughter of Beechey's daughter Charlotte.
Beechey was called to a meeting at the North Euston Hotel in 1844 by a young Corsican by the name of Zenon Vantini who was looking to make money through an educational insurance scheme. He had proposed two schools of five-hundred pupils in the Fylde area - one for boys, the other for girls.[8] St. Vincent soon rose to prominence in the scheme when it became apparent that any schools founded would be of Anglican foundation. The idea for a girls' school was dropped and it was decided that a school of 200 students was to open under the name of the North of England Church of England School - this later became Rossall School.[4]
Beechey had to raise funds for the opening of the new school and got the financial support of Peter Hesketh-Fleetwood, The Earl of Derby as patron, the Duke of Devonshire as vice-president and Archbishop Sumner, then Bishop of Chester and later Archbishop of Canterbury, as visitor. The school opened on 22 August 1844 in the grounds of Hesketh's Rossall Hall, with a 21-year lease on the aforementioned property and an option to purchase after ten years for £7000.[4] Beechey remained on the board of governors until 1856 at which point his association became a more informal supervisory one. He continued this role until his death in 1899. His views on the early days of the school can be read in his book - Rossall School Its Rise and Progress.[9] There is a memorial to him in St Mark's churchyard, Worsley, Lancashire.
Referencesedit
^Early Photography - Photographic Societies - Committee Members in the 1860s - Societies M N
^ abcMicrosoft Word - BJPAsummary.doc 24 October 2007 at the Wayback Machine
^John Jervis by William Beechey, GAC, retrieved 2 May 2017
^ abcThe Centenary History of Rossall School, William Furness, (Gale and Polden, 1944) p.5
^"Beechey, St Vincent (BCY823SV)". A Cambridge Alumni Database. University of Cambridge.
^The Centenary History of Rossall School, William Furness, (Gale and Polden, 1944) p.4
^Rossall School, Its Rise and Progress - Canon St Vincent Beechy (1894)
Further readingedit
Canon St Vincent Beechey, Rossall School, Its Rise and Progress, 1894
John Frederick Rowbotham, History of Rossall School, First ed. 1895, John Heywood.
W. Furness, The Centenary History of Rossall School, 1945, Gale and Polden
Peter Bennett, A Very Desolate Position, 1977, Rossall Archives
Peter Bennett, Rossall Will be What You Make it, 1992, Rossall Archives
Derek Winterbottom, The Tide Flows On, 2006, Manx Press)
February 12, 2024
vincent, beechey, august, 1806, august, 1899, nineteenth, century, vicar, fleetwood, thornton, cleveleys, lancashire, later, worsley, lancashire, known, founding, rossall, school, fleetwood, 1844, also, president, manchester, photographic, society, time, death. St Vincent Beechey 7 August 1806 19 August 1899 was a nineteenth century vicar of Fleetwood and Thornton Cleveleys Lancashire and later of Worsley Lancashire He is known for founding Rossall School at Fleetwood in 1844 and he was also president of the Manchester Photographic Society 1 At the time of his death it was believed that Beechey was the oldest clergyman in England being 93 years old 2 St Vincent Beechey far left seated at the wedding of his granddaughter Mabel Champion Jones in Camberley Surrey on 27 July 1898 Mabel Champion Jones was the daughter of Beechey s daughter Charlotte Contents 1 Early life 2 Appointments 3 Rossall School 4 References 5 Further readingEarly life editBeechey was born in London as the twenty first child of William Beechey court painter to King George III and his second wife Anne Jessop He was also named after his godfather John Jervis 1st Earl of St Vincent in recognition of his great naval victory in 1797 There is a painting of his godfather by his father 3 St Vincent Beechey was also a brother to Frederick William Beechey the great naval commander and Richard Brydges Beechey painter and admiral 4 He was educated in Sidcup under a Mr Knowles and at Caius College Cambridge 5 Beechey married Mary Ann Ommaney in 1836 They had seven children Appointments edit nbsp Beechey memorial St Marks Worsley1829 Curate of Aylesford Kent 1831 Curate of Hilgay Norfolk 1841 Vicar of Fleetwood and Thornton Cleveleys 2 1850 Vicar of Worsley with Ellenbrook 1869 Honorary Canon of Manchester 1872 Rector of Hilgay 2 6 1876 Rector of Newton 7 President of the Manchester Photographic SocietyRossall School editBeechey was called to a meeting at the North Euston Hotel in 1844 by a young Corsican by the name of Zenon Vantini who was looking to make money through an educational insurance scheme He had proposed two schools of five hundred pupils in the Fylde area one for boys the other for girls 8 St Vincent soon rose to prominence in the scheme when it became apparent that any schools founded would be of Anglican foundation The idea for a girls school was dropped and it was decided that a school of 200 students was to open under the name of the North of England Church of England School this later became Rossall School 4 Beechey had to raise funds for the opening of the new school and got the financial support of Peter Hesketh Fleetwood The Earl of Derby as patron the Duke of Devonshire as vice president and Archbishop Sumner then Bishop of Chester and later Archbishop of Canterbury as visitor The school opened on 22 August 1844 in the grounds of Hesketh s Rossall Hall with a 21 year lease on the aforementioned property and an option to purchase after ten years for 7000 4 Beechey remained on the board of governors until 1856 at which point his association became a more informal supervisory one He continued this role until his death in 1899 His views on the early days of the school can be read in his book Rossall School Its Rise and Progress 9 There is a memorial to him in St Mark s churchyard Worsley Lancashire References edit Early Photography Photographic Societies Committee Members in the 1860s Societies M N a b c Microsoft Word BJPAsummary doc Archived 24 October 2007 at the Wayback Machine John Jervis by William Beechey GAC retrieved 2 May 2017 a b c The Centenary History of Rossall School William Furness Gale and Polden 1944 p 5 Beechey St Vincent BCY823SV A Cambridge Alumni Database University of Cambridge Hilgay Kelly s 1883 Townships Newton British History Online The Centenary History of Rossall School William Furness Gale and Polden 1944 p 4 Rossall School Its Rise and Progress Canon St Vincent Beechy 1894 Further reading editCanon St Vincent Beechey Rossall School Its Rise and Progress 1894 John Frederick Rowbotham History of Rossall School First ed 1895 John Heywood W Furness The Centenary History of Rossall School 1945 Gale and Polden Peter Bennett A Very Desolate Position 1977 Rossall Archives Peter Bennett Rossall Will be What You Make it 1992 Rossall Archives Derek Winterbottom The Tide Flows On 2006 Manx Press Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title St Vincent Beechey amp oldid 1109506883, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
