John Eveleigh (1748–1814) was an English churchman and academic, Provost of

Oriel College, Oxford Oriel College () is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in Oxford, England. Located in Oriel Square, the college has the distinction of being the oldest royal foundation in Oxford (a title formerly claimed by University College, ...

, from 1781. John Eveleigh Say

Life

The son of John Eveleigh (1716?–1770), rector of

Winkleigh Winkleigh is a civil parish and small village in Devon, England. It is part of the local government area of Torridge District Council. The population of the parish at the 2011 census was 1,305, compared to 1,079 in 1901. The population of the ...

Devon Devon ( , historically known as Devonshire , ) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South West England. The most populous settlement in Devon is the city of Plymouth, followed by Devon's county town, the city of Exeter. Devo ...

, by his wife Martha, daughter of John Scobell of Nutcombe. He was born on 22 February 1748, and educated at

Blundell's School Blundell's School is a co-educational day and boarding independent school in the English public school tradition, located in Tiverton, Devon. It was founded in 1604 under the will of Peter Blundell, one of the richest men in England at the t ...

, Tiverton, and at

Wadham College, Oxford Wadham College () is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. It is located in the centre of Oxford, at the intersection of Broad Street and Parks Road. Wadham College was founded in 1610 by Dorothy ...

, where he matriculated on 15 May 1766, and was an exhibitioner of the college.''The History of Tiverton, in the County of Devon''. William Harding. book III, p. 115 He was also admitted scholar on 25 September 1767, and graduated B.A. on 19 January 1770. He was elected Fellow of Oriel on 30 March following, and graduated M.A. on 25 November 1772, B.D. on 17 November 1782, and D.D. on 7 May 1783. Eveleigh was junior treasurer of Oriel in 1772, senior treasurer in 1773, and dean from 1775 to 1781. From 1778 to 1781 he was also vicar of the

University Church of St Mary the Virgin, Oxford The University Church of St Mary the Virgin (St Mary's or SMV for short) is an Oxford church situated on the north side of the High Street. It is the centre from which the University of Oxford grew and its parish consists almost exclusively of un ...

, and from 1782 to 1792 vicar of

Aylesford Aylesford is a village and civil parish on the River Medway in Kent, England, northwest of Maidstone. Originally a small riverside settlement, the old village comprises around 60 houses, many of which were formerly shops. Two pubs, a village ...

. On 5 December 1781 he was elected Provost of Oriel in succession to John Clarke, becoming at the same time prebendary of

Rochester Cathedral Rochester Cathedral, formally the Cathedral Church of Christ and the Blessed Virgin Mary, is an English church of Norman architecture in Rochester, Medway, Rochester, Kent. The church is the cathedral of the Diocese of Rochester in the Church o ...

. As Provost of Oriel Eveleigh raised the college's academic reputation; among the Fellows elected was

John Keble John Keble (25 April 1792 – 29 March 1866) was an English Anglican priest and poet who was one of the leaders of the Oxford Movement. Keble College, Oxford, was named after him. Early life Keble was born on 25 April 1792 in Fairford, Glouces ...

. He was also a university reformer, and one of the proponents of the system of classes and honours established in 1800. He died at Oxford on 10 December 1814, was buried in St. Mary's, Oxford, and was succeeded by Edward Copleston.

Works

Eveleigh was Bampton lecturer in 1792, and published his lectures as ''Eight Sermons'' in the same year; a second edition with four additional sermons also appeared in 1792, and a third edition in two volumes in 1815. He brought out a work on ''The Doctrine of the Holy Trinity'', Oxford, 1791, and other sermons in 1797 and 1806.

Family

Eveleigh married Dorothy, daughter of William Sandford, Fellow of

All Souls College All Souls College (official name: College of the Souls of All the Faithful Departed) is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. Unique to All Souls, all of its members automatically become fellows (i.e., full members of ...

and rector of

Hatherop Hatherop is a village and civil parish in the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, about north of Fairford in Gloucestershire, England. The River Coln forms part of the western boundary of the parish. History Barrow Elm, which is ab ...

Gloucestershire Gloucestershire ( abbreviated Glos) is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn and the entire Forest of Dean. The county town is the city of ...

, and left an only daughter, Jane, who married John Heathcote Wyndham, rector of Gorton.

References

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Eveleigh, John 1748 births 1814 deaths 18th-century English Anglican priests Provosts of Oriel College, Oxford Alumni of Wadham College, Oxford People educated at Blundell's School People from Winkleigh People from Aylesford