John Christopher Atkinson (1814–1900) was an English author, antiquary, and priest.
Life
Born on 9 May 1814 at
Goldhanger
Goldhanger is a village and a civil parish on the B1026 road in the Maldon District, in the English county of Essex.
Goldhanger had an agricultural museum and has a church dedicated to St Peter. Goldhanger is at the head of a short creek, on th ...
in Essex, where his father was then curate, he was the son of John Atkinson and the grandson of Christopher Atkinson (d. 18 March 1795), fellow of
Trinity Hall, Cambridge
Trinity Hall (formally The College or Hall of the Holy Trinity in the University of Cambridge) is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge.
It is the fifth-oldest surviving college of the university, having been founded in 1350 by ...
. He was educated at
Kelvedon
Kelvedon is a village and civil parish in the Braintree District of Essex in England, between Chelmsford and Colchester. It had a population of 4,717 in 2001, reducing to 3,587 at the 2011 Census. It is now home to several businesses including ...
in Essex, and admitted as a sizar to
St. John's College, Cambridge
St John's College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge founded by the Tudor matriarch Lady Margaret Beaufort. In constitutional terms, the college is a charitable corporation established by a charter dated 9 April 1511. The ...
, on 2 May 1834, graduating B.A. in 1838.
Atkinson was ordained deacon in 1841 as curate of
Brockhampton Brockhampton may refer to:
*Brockhampton (band), an American self-described "boy band" and music collective
*Brockhampton, Gloucestershire, Cotswold, England
* Brockhampton, Tewkesbury, a location
In geography, location or place are used to deno ...
in Herefordshire, and priest in 1842. He afterwards held a curacy in Scarborough. In 1847 he became domestic chaplain to
William Dawnay, 7th Viscount Downe
William Henry Dawnay, 7th Viscount Downe (15 May 1812 – 26 January 1857) was a British politician.
Background
Downe was the son of the Reverend William Henry Dawnay, 6th Viscount Downe, Rector of Sessay and Thormanby in North Yorkshire.
Politi ...
, who in the same year presented him to the vicarage of
Danby, in the
North Riding of Yorkshire
The North Riding of Yorkshire is a subdivision of Yorkshire, England, alongside York, the East Riding and West Riding. The riding's highest point is at Mickle Fell with 2,585 ft (788 metres).
From the Restoration it was used as ...
, which he held till his death.
Atkinson's parish was in rural Yorkshire, and on his arrival he found that clerical duties had been neglected. He set himself to learn the history of his parish cure and to gain the friendship of his parishioners; and learned local legends and customs. In 1887 he received the honorary degree of D.C.L. from
Durham University
, mottoeng = Her foundations are upon the holy hills (Psalm 87:1)
, established = (university status)
, type = Public
, academic_staff = 1,830 (2020)
, administrative_staff = 2,640 (2018/19)
, chancellor = Sir Thomas Allen
, vice_chan ...
, and in 1891 he was installed in the prebend of Holme in
York Minster
The Cathedral and Metropolitical Church of Saint Peter in York, commonly known as York Minster, is the cathedral of York, North Yorkshire, England, and is one of the largest of its kind in Northern Europe. The minster is the seat of the Archbis ...
. In 1898 he received a grant of £100 a year from the
civil list
A civil list is a list of individuals to whom money is paid by the government, typically for service to the state or as honorary pensions. It is a term especially associated with the United Kingdom and its former colonies of Canada, India, New Zeal ...
.
Atkinson died at The Vicarage, Danby, on 31 March 1900.
Works
Atkinson is best known for ''Forty Years in a Moorland Parish'' (1891, second edition the same year). Comparisons have been made with Gilbert White's ''
Natural History of Selborne'', and Hugh Miller's ''Scenes and Legends of the North of Scotland''.
In 1867 Atkinson prepared for the
Philological Society
The Philological Society, or London Philological Society, is the oldest learned society in Great Britain dedicated to the study of language as well as a registered Charitable organization, charity. The current Society was established in 1842 to ...
''A Glossary of the Dialect of the Hundred of Lonsdale'', which was published in the society's ''Transactions''. It was followed in 1868 by ''A Glossary of the Cleveland Dialect'', to which, for the
English Dialect Society
The English Dialect Society was the first dialect society founded in England. It was founded in 1873 but wound up after the publication of Joseph Wright's ''English Dialect Dictionary'' had begun.
History
Such a society was first proposed by Ald ...
, he made ''Additions'' in 1876. In 1872 he published the first volume of ''The History of Cleveland, Ancient and Modern'', London; part of a second volume appeared in 1877, but it was not completed. Other works were:
* ''The Walks, Talks, Travels, and Exploits of two Schoolboys'', London, 1859, new edition 1892.
* ''Play-hours and Half-holidays; or, Further Experiences of two Schoolboys'', London, 1860, new edition 1892.
* ''Sketches in Natural History; with an Essay on Reason and Instinct'', London, 1861; new edition 1865.
* ''British Birds' Eggs and Nests popularly described'', London, 1861, new edition 1898.
* ''Stanton Grange; or. At a Private Tutor's'', London, 1864.
* ''Lost; or What came of a Slip from "Honour Bright"', London, 1870.
* ''The Last of the Giant Killers'', London, 1891, new edition 1893.
* ''Scenes in Fairy-land'', London, 1892.
He edited:
* ''Cartularium Abbathiæ de Whiteby'' (Surtees Soc), 1879, 2 vols.
* ''Quarter Sessions Records'' (North Riding Record Soc), 1883–92, 9 vols.
* ''Lonsdale Glossary: Furness Coucher Book'' (Chetham Soc), 1886–7, 3 vols.
* ''Cartularium Abbathiæ de Rievalle' (Surtees Soc), 1859.
He also contributed papers to archaeological societies, and in 1872 assisted
Hensleigh Wedgwood
Hensleigh Wedgwood (21 January 1803 – 2 June 1891) was a British etymologist, philologist and barrister, author of ''A Dictionary of English Etymology''. He was a cousin of Charles Darwin, whom his sister Emma Darwin, Emma married in 1839.
Earl ...
in revising his ''Dictionary of English Etymology''.
Family
Atkinson was married three times: first, at
Scarborough Scarborough or Scarboro may refer to:
People
* Scarborough (surname)
* Earl of Scarbrough
Places Australia
* Scarborough, Western Australia, suburb of Perth
* Scarborough, New South Wales, suburb of Wollongong
* Scarborough, Queensland, su ...
on 11 December 1849, to Jane Hill (d. 2 April 1860), eldest daughter of John Hill Coulson of Scarborough ; secondly, on 1 February 1862, at Frome Selwood, to Georgina Mary, eldest daughter of Barlow Slade of North House, Frome ; and thirdly, on 28 April 1884 at Arncliff church, to Helen Georgina, eldest daughter of Douglas Brown, Q. C ., of Arncliff Hall, Northallerton. He had thirteen children.
References
;Attribution
{{DEFAULTSORT:Atkinson, John Christopher
English antiquarians
People from Maldon District
1814 births
1900 deaths
Alumni of St John's College, Cambridge
19th-century English Anglican priests