Peter Pilkington, Baron Pilkington of Oxenford (5 September 1933 – 14 February 2011

The Daily Telegraph ''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a national British daily broadsheet newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed across the United Kingdom and internationally. It was fo ...

, 15 February 2011) was a British public school headmaster and a

Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization i ...

member of the

House of Lords The House of Lords, also known as the House of Peers, is the Bicameralism, upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Membership is by Life peer, appointment, Hereditary peer, heredity or Lords Spiritual, official function. Like the ...

Education

Pilkington was educated at

Dame Allan's School, Newcastle Dame Allan's Schools is a collection of independent day schools in Fenham, in the west end of Newcastle upon Tyne, England. It comprises a coeducational junior school, single-sex senior schools and a coeducational sixth form. Founded in 1705 a ...

where he came to faith and developed both his love of scholarship and his combative personality. In 1952 he went up to

Jesus College, Cambridge Jesus College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. The college's full name is The College of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Saint John the Evangelist and the glorious Virgin Saint Radegund, near Cambridge. Its common name comes fr ...

and read history, being influenced by Conservative-minded figures such as

Maurice Cowling Maurice John Cowling (6 September 1926 – 24 August 2005) was a British historian and a Fellow of Peterhouse, Cambridge. Early life Cowling was born in West Norwood, South London, son of Reginald Frederick Cowling (1901–1962), a patent agent ...

Herbert Butterfield Sir Herbert Butterfield (7 October 1900 – 20 July 1979) was an English historian and philosopher of history, who was Regius Professor of Modern History and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cambridge. He is remembered chiefly for a shor ...

and

Michael Oakeshott Michael Joseph Oakeshott FBA (; 11 December 1901 – 19 December 1990) was an English philosopher and political theorist who wrote about philosophy of history, philosophy of religion, aesthetics, philosophy of education, and philosophy of law.F ...

. He graduated in 1955, and took his MA in 1959.

Ecclesiastical career

Pilkington trained for ordination at

Westcott House, Cambridge Westcott House is an Anglican theological college based on Jesus Lane in the centre of the university city of Cambridge in the United Kingdom.Westcott House website, Home pag Retrieved on August 27, 2006. Its main activity is training people for ...

, and was ordained as a

deacon A deacon is a member of the diaconate, an office in Christian churches that is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions. Major Christian churches, such as the Catholic Churc ...

in the

Diocese of Derby The Diocese of Derby is a Church of England diocese in the Province of Canterbury, roughly covering the same area as the County of Derbyshire. Its diocesan bishop is the Bishop of Derby whose seat (cathedra) is at Derby Cathedral. The diocesan ...

in 1959, and as a

priest A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particu ...

the following year. He served for three years as

curate A curate () is a person who is invested with the ''care'' or ''cure'' (''cura'') ''of souls'' of a parish. In this sense, "curate" means a parish priest; but in English-speaking countries the term ''curate'' is commonly used to describe clergy w ...

at the historic parish church of All Saints', Bakewell during the incumbency of

George Sinker George Sinker (5 May 1900 – 19 January 1986) was bishop of Nagpur and provost of Birmingham Cathedral. He was born in Hyderabad, India, the son of the Reverend R Sinker, and was educated at Rossall School and Brasenose College, Oxford. In 19 ...

. He left parochial work to take up his first school chaplaincy position. In 1975 he was appointed an honorary

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Canterbury Cathedral Canterbury Cathedral in Canterbury, Kent, is one of the oldest and most famous Christian structures in England. It forms part of a World Heritage Site. It is the cathedral of the Archbishop of Canterbury, currently Justin Welby, leader of the ...

Educational career

In 1962 Pilkington became a schoolmaster at

Eton College Eton College () is a public school in Eton, Berkshire, England. It was founded in 1440 by Henry VI under the name ''Kynge's College of Our Ladye of Eton besyde Windesore'',Nevill, p. 3 ff. intended as a sister institution to King's College, C ...

, teaching history, and a college chaplain. Later he became Conduct (senior chaplain), and for 10 years also served as

Master in College Master in College is the title of the housemaster of College, the oldest boarding house at Eton College, which is reserved for the seventy King's Scholars. King's Scholars (Collegers) attend Eton on scholarships provided under the original foundat ...

, the housemaster of the scholars' house, until his resignation in 1975. He was Headmaster of

The King's School, Canterbury The King's School is a public school (English independent day and boarding school for 13 to 18 year old pupils) in Canterbury, Kent, England. It is a member of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference and the Eton Group. It is Britain's ...

from 1975 to 1986. His final appointment in education was the post of High Master of St Paul's School, London, from 1986 to 1992.

Retirement

Following his retirement from education Pilkington was appointed Chairman of the Broadcasting Complaints Commission, serving from 1992 to 1996. In 1995, he was made a

life peer In the United Kingdom, life peers are appointed members of the peerage whose titles cannot be inherited, in contrast to hereditary peers. In modern times, life peerages, always created at the rank of baron, are created under the Life Peerages ...

as Baron Pilkington of Oxenford, of West Dowlish in the County of

Somerset ( en, All The People of Somerset) , locator_map = , coordinates = , region = South West England , established_date = Ancient , established_by = , preceded_by = , origin = , lord_lieutenant_office =Lord Lieutenant of Somerset , lord_ ...

.the Peerage.com
/ref> He also assisted in retirement as an honorary curate of

St Mary's, Bourne Street St Mary's, Bourne Street, is an Anglican church on Bourne Street near Sloane Square in London. It was built 'quickly and cheaply' in 1874 by Robert Jewell Withers, with the intention of providing ministry to the poor living in the nearby slums of ...

, a prominent

Anglo-Catholic Anglo-Catholicism comprises beliefs and practices that emphasise the Catholic heritage and identity of the various Anglican churches. The term was coined in the early 19th century, although movements emphasising the Catholic nature of Anglican ...

church in

Pimlico Pimlico () is an area of Central London in the City of Westminster, built as a southern extension to neighbouring Belgravia. It is known for its garden squares and distinctive Regency architecture. Pimlico is demarcated to the north by London V ...

, where he served from 1992 to 2005. Although his entire teaching career was spent in the private sector, Pilkington was a vociferous supporter of selective state education. During his retirement he served for several years as Chairman of the National Grammar Schools Association.

Personal life

In 1966 Pilkington married Helen Wilson, who predeceased him in 1997. He was survived by two daughters, Celia and Sarah Pilkington.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pilkington, Peter Baron Pilkington of Oxenford 1933 births 2011 deaths Politicians from Newcastle upon Tyne Alumni of Jesus College, Cambridge Conservative Party (UK) life peers Headmasters of the King's School, Canterbury High Masters of St Paul's School Ordained peers 20th-century English Anglican priests People educated at Dame Allan's School Teachers at Eton College Life peers created by Elizabeth II