Sir John Priestman, 1st Baronet (22 March 1855 – 5 August 1941) was a British
shipbuilder
Shipbuilding is the construction of ships and other floating vessels. It normally takes place in a specialized facility known as a shipyard. Shipbuilders, also called shipwrights, follow a specialized occupation that traces its roots to befor ...
and charitable benefactor.
![St Andrew Roker - geograph](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b3/St_Andrew_Roker_-_geograph.org.uk_-_805254.jpg)
Priestman was born in
Bishop Auckland
Bishop Auckland () is a market town and civil parish at the confluence of the River Wear and the River Gaunless in County Durham, northern England. It is northwest of Darlington and southwest of Durham.
Much of the town's early history surro ...
,
County Durham
County Durham ( ), officially simply Durham,UK General Acts 1997 c. 23Lieutenancies Act 1997 Schedule 1(3). From legislation.gov.uk, retrieved 6 April 2022. is a ceremonial county in North East England.North East Assembly â€About North East E ...
, the son of Robert Priestman (1824–1867), a baker, and Jane Smith (c.1830–1903).
Aged 14, Priestman became an apprentice to John Blumer, a shipbuilder at
Sunderland
Sunderland () is a port city in Tyne and Wear, England. It is the City of Sunderland's administrative centre and in the Historic counties of England, historic county of County of Durham, Durham. The city is from Newcastle-upon-Tyne and is on t ...
, and later became chief
draughtsman A draughtsman (British spelling) or draftsman (American spelling) may refer to:
* An architectural drafter, who produced architectural drawings until the late 20th century
* An artist who produces drawings that rival or surpass their other types ...
at
W. Pickersgill & Sons. In 1882, he set up his own yard at
Castletown. He married Naomi Huntly (1857–1908) in 1881 at Sunderland.
Priestman donated £6000 to the building of
St Andrew's Church, Roker (completed in 1907), which was built in memory to his mother. In 1931, he established the Sir John Priestman Trust, whose purposes included 'feeding of poor... in times of distress', the 'employment and payment of nurses for the sick and infirm' and the building, 'maintaining and furnishing (including provision of organs)' of 'churches and mission halls and schools'. In 1933 he donated £35,000 to the rebuilding of
St Michael's Church, Sunderland, he paid for the building of
St Wilfrid's Church, Halton, Leeds (built 1937–39) and in 1939 he financed £20,000 for the construction of the
Priestman Building, originally a library for Sunderland Technical College and now part of the
University of Sunderland
, mottoeng = Sweetly absorbing knowledge
, established = 1901 - Sunderland Technical College1969 - Sunderland Polytechnic1992 - University of Sunderland (gained university status)
, staff =
, chancellor = Emeli ...
.
Priestman was
gazetted
A gazette is an official journal, a newspaper of record, or simply a newspaper.
In English and French speaking countries, newspaper publishers have applied the name ''Gazette'' since the 17th century; today, numerous weekly and daily newspapers ...
a
Knight Bachelor
The title of Knight Bachelor is the basic rank granted to a man who has been knighted by the monarch but not inducted as a member of one of the organised orders of chivalry; it is a part of the British honours system. Knights Bachelor are the ...
for "public and political services in Sunderland" on 29 June 1923 and was knighted at
Buckingham Palace
Buckingham Palace () is a London royal residence and the administrative headquarters of the monarch of the United Kingdom. Located in the City of Westminster, the palace is often at the centre of state occasions and royal hospitality. It ...
by
George V
George V (George Frederick Ernest Albert; 3 June 1865 – 20 January 1936) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 until Death and state funeral of George V, his death in 1936.
Born duri ...
on 25 July. He was further gazetted a
baronet
A baronet ( or ; abbreviated Bart or Bt) or the female equivalent, a baronetess (, , or ; abbreviation Btss), is the holder of a baronetcy, a hereditary title awarded by the British Crown. The title of baronet is mentioned as early as the 14th ...
, of Monkwearmouth in the County of Durham, for "services to many social organisations in Durham" on 1 June 1934 and his
letters patent
Letters patent ( la, litterae patentes) ( always in the plural) are a type of legal instrument in the form of a published written order issued by a monarch, president or other head of state, generally granting an office, right, monopoly, titl ...
were issued on 30 June.
Priestman died in 1941, aged 86.
[England & Wales Death Index: Jul–Aug–Sep 1941, Knaresborough, 9a, 269] As he died without male heirs, his baronetcy became extinct.
Notes and references
Sources
*
Grace's Guide: The Best of Engineering. 1750-1960s, ''John Priestman and Co''A walk through Bishopwearmouth Conservation AreaPurchasing Power of British Pounds from 1264 to Present
{{DEFAULTSORT:Priestman, John
1855 births
1941 deaths
People educated at Ackworth School
Baronets in the Baronetage of the United Kingdom
British shipbuilders
People from Sunderland
Businesspeople from Tyne and Wear
Knights Bachelor