William Richard Wood Stephens (5 October 1839 – 22 December 1902) was

Dean of Winchester The Dean of Winchester is the head of the Chapter of Winchester Cathedral in the city of Winchester, England, in the Diocese of Winchester. Appointment is by the Crown. The first incumbent was the last Prior, William Kingsmill, Catherine Ogle ...

from 1895 to 1902. "Who was Who"1897–1990 London,

A & C Black A & C Black is a British book publishing company, owned since 2002 by Bloomsbury Publishing. The company is noted for publishing '' Who's Who'' since 1849. It also published popular travel guides and novels. History The firm was founded in 18 ...

, 1991

Career

Stephens was born in Gloucestershire in 1839 the youngest son of Charles Stephens, a banker. He was educated privately before proceeding to Balliol College, Oxford, where he graduated in 1862 with a first class in Literae humaniores. Ordained deacon in 1864 and a priest in 1865. He started his career with a curacy in Staines. In 1866 he became the curate of Purley,

Berkshire Berkshire ( ; in the 17th century sometimes spelt phonetically as Barkeshire; abbreviated Berks.) is a historic county in South East England. One of the home counties, Berkshire was recognised by Queen Elizabeth II as the Royal County of Berk ...

. On 31 August 1869 he married Charlotte Jane Hook, the youngest daughter of

Walter Farquhar Hook Walter Farquhar Hook (13 March 1798 – 20 October 1875), known to his contemporaries as Dr Hook, was an eminent Victorian churchman. He was the Vicar of Leeds responsible for the construction of the current Leeds Minster and for many ecc ...

, the

dean of Chichester The Dean of Chichester is the dean of Chichester Cathedral in Sussex, England. Bishop Ralph is credited with the foundation of the current cathedral after the original structure built by Stigand was largely destroyed by fire in 1114. Ralph di ...

. This was the start of long connexion with the Chichester Diocese. With Dean Hook's recommendation he became vicar of Mid-Lavant from 1870 to 1873, and lectured at Chichester Theological College from 1872 to 1876. In 1875 the Bishop of Chichester gave him the

prebend A prebendary is a member of the Roman Catholic or Anglican clergy, a form of canon with a role in the administration of a cathedral or collegiate church. When attending services, prebendaries sit in particular seats, usually at the back of the ...

of Wittering, in the cathedral, to which a theological lectureship was attached. In 1876 he became the Rector of Woolbeding, near Midhurst. In 1880 he was chosen by the clergy of Chichester Diocese as their proctor in Convocation. Then in 1894, when the Dean of Winchester ( George Kitchin) became dean of Durham, Stephens was nominated to replace him as the dean of Winchester. In 1895 he was elevated to the

Deanery A deanery (or decanate) is an ecclesiastical entity in the Roman Catholic Church, the Eastern Orthodox Church, the Anglican Communion, the Evangelical Church in Germany, and the Church of Norway. A deanery is either the jurisdiction or residenc ...

at Winchester. When he took over it seems that the funds of the chapter were much reduced, and so 'private' resources were needed to support his position. He remained as dean of Winchester until his death. Stephens was known for his philanthropy, spending his own money to have the church at Mid Lavant restored. He provided funds for the rebuilding of the chancel at Woolbeding and contributed to the repairs of the roof at Winchester Cathedral. He also spent a lot of time showing visitors around the cathedral and explaining its history. In 1895 he was recognised for his interest in history when he was elected a

Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries A fellow is a concept whose exact meaning depends on context. In learned or professional societies, it refers to a privileged member who is specially elected in recognition of their work and achievements. Within the context of higher education ...

. In 1902 Stephens attended a mayoral banquet, in

Winchester Winchester is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city in Hampshire, England. The city lies at the heart of the wider City of Winchester, a local government Districts of England, district, at the western end of the South Downs Nation ...

, where he consumed some

oyster Oyster is the common name for a number of different families of salt-water bivalve molluscs that live in marine or brackish habitats. In some species, the valves are highly calcified, and many are somewhat irregular in shape. Many, but not al ...

s. Unfortunately the beds, in Emsworth where the oysters were sourced, had been contaminated with raw sewage. Consequently, many of the guests, including Stephens, contracted

food poisoning Foodborne illness (also foodborne disease and food poisoning) is any illness resulting from the spoilage of contaminated food by pathogenic bacteria, viruses, or parasites that contaminate food, as well as prions (the agents of mad cow disease) ...

. His death in Winchester deanery, on 22 December 1902, about six weeks after the banquet, was attributed to Typhoid Fever as a result of eating infected Emsworth oysters. He was buried in the graveyard of Winchester Cathedral on 27 December 1902.

Publications

* Life and Times of St John Chrysostom, 1872 * Memorials of the South Saxon See, 1876 * Christianity and Islam, 1877 * Life and Letters of W. F. Hook, DD, 1878, 4th edn 1881 * Memoir of William Page Baron Hatherley, 1883 * Hildebrand and His Times, 1888 * Helps to the Study of the Prayer-Book, 1891 * Life and Letters of E. A. Freeman, DCL, 1895 * Memoir of Richard Durnford, DD, sometime Bishop of Chichester, 1899 * Joint Editor with Rev. W. Hunt, A History of the English Church, (Journal), 1899-1910

Notes

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Stephens, William Richard Wood 1839 births Alumni of Balliol College, Oxford Deans of Winchester 1902 deaths Deaths from food poisoning Deaths from typhoid fever