John Percival (bishop)
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John Percival (27 September 1834 – 3 December 1918) was the first headmaster of
Clifton College ''The spirit nourishes within'' , established = 160 years ago , closed = , type = Public schoolIndependent boarding and day school , religion = Christian , president = , head_label = Head of College , hea ...
, where he made his reputation as a great educator. In his 17 years at Clifton numbers rose to 680. He accepted the presidency of
Trinity College, Oxford (That which you wish to be secret, tell to nobody) , named_for = The Holy Trinity , established = , sister_college = Churchill College, Cambridge , president = Dame Hilary Boulding , location = Broad Street, Oxford OX1 3BH , coordinates ...
, to recover from his years at Clifton. It was from Trinity that he went to Rugby to become headmaster of
Rugby School Rugby School is a public school (English independent boarding school for pupils aged 13–18) in Rugby, Warwickshire, England. Founded in 1567 as a free grammar school for local boys, it is one of the oldest independent schools in Britain. ...
before becoming Bishop of Hereford.


Early life

Percival was born in Brough Sowerby, near
Kirkby Stephen Kirkby Stephen () is a market town and civil parish in Cumbria, North West England. Historically part of Westmorland, it lies on the A685, surrounded by sparsely populated hill country, about from the nearest larger towns: Kendal and Penri ...
,
Westmorland Westmorland (, formerly also spelt ''Westmoreland'';R. Wilkinson The British Isles, Sheet The British IslesVision of Britain/ref> is a historic county in North West England spanning the southern Lake District and the northern Dales. It had an ...
, England, and was brought up on his uncle's farm after the death of his mother when he was very young. He was educated at Appleby
grammar school A grammar school is one of several different types of school in the history of education in the United Kingdom and other English-speaking countries, originally a school teaching Latin, but more recently an academically oriented secondary school ...
, before winning a scholarship to
The Queen's College, Oxford The Queen's College is a constituent college of the University of Oxford, England. The college was founded in 1341 by Robert de Eglesfield in honour of Philippa of Hainault. It is distinguished by its predominantly neoclassical architecture, ...
, in 1854. He obtained first-class degrees in classics and mathematics and was elected to a
fellowship 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 ...
by the college in 1858. Recuperating from overwork in Pau, France, in the following winter, he met Louisa Holland, whom he married in 1862.


Career in education

Percival was ordained deacon in 1860 and was offered a position as a master at
Rugby School Rugby School is a public school (English independent boarding school for pupils aged 13–18) in Rugby, Warwickshire, England. Founded in 1567 as a free grammar school for local boys, it is one of the oldest independent schools in Britain. ...
by the headmaster,
Frederick Temple Frederick Temple (30 November 1821 – 23 December 1902) was an English academic, teacher and churchman, who served as Bishop of Exeter (1869–1885), Bishop of London (1885–1896) and Archbishop of Canterbury (1896–1902). Early life ...
. In 1862, Percival was appointed the first headmaster of
Clifton College ''The spirit nourishes within'' , established = 160 years ago , closed = , type = Public schoolIndependent boarding and day school , religion = Christian , president = , head_label = Head of College , hea ...
in Bristol, on Temple's recommendation. Percival made this new school into a leading public school and he was also involved with other educational work in the city, helping to found Clifton High School for Girls (established in 1877). and
University College, Bristol University College, Bristol was an educational institution which existed from 1876 to 1909. It was the predecessor institution to the University of Bristol, which gained a royal charter in 1909. During its time the college mainly served the midd ...
(1876). Percival became President of
Trinity College, Oxford (That which you wish to be secret, tell to nobody) , named_for = The Holy Trinity , established = , sister_college = Churchill College, Cambridge , president = Dame Hilary Boulding , location = Broad Street, Oxford OX1 3BH , coordinates ...
, in January 1879. Although he was not always happy as a college head, he was involved in the wider work of the university, chairing the committee that established
Somerville Hall Somerville College, a constituent college of the University of Oxford in England, was founded in 1879 as Somerville Hall, one of its first two women's colleges. Among its alumnae have been Margaret Thatcher, Indira Gandhi, Dorothy Hodgkin, Iri ...
in 1879 and promoting the university's adult education work. In May 1887, Percival became headmaster of
Rugby School Rugby School is a public school (English independent boarding school for pupils aged 13–18) in Rugby, Warwickshire, England. Founded in 1567 as a free grammar school for local boys, it is one of the oldest independent schools in Britain. ...
, succeeding
Thomas Jex-Blake Thomas William Jex-Blake (1832–1915) was an Anglican priest and educationalist. He was born on 26 January 1832, the son of lawyer Thomas Jex-Blake and the brother of Sophia Jex-Blake, who was a pioneer in women doctors in the United Kingdom. He ...
. During his time as headmaster, he pursued a vigorous moral crusade. His leadership soon improved the prestige of the school. He attacked "idleness" and "loafing" and, concerned about "impurity", insisted that boys' football shorts should be worn below the knee and secured with elastic. He acquired the nickname "Percival of the knees" as a result. In 1888, Percival's appointment of Marie Bethell Beauclerc to teach shorthand to classes of one hundred boys was the first appointment of a female teacher in an English boys' public school and the first time shorthand had been taught in any such school.


Bishop of Hereford

Lord Rosebery Archibald Philip Primrose, 5th Earl of Rosebery, 1st Earl of Midlothian, (7 May 1847 – 21 May 1929) was a British Liberal Party politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from March 1894 to June 1895. Between the death of ...
, the
Prime Minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister i ...
, nominated Percival to be Bishop of Hereford in January 1895. Whilst
Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 216 days was longer than that of any previo ...
was opposed to the idea, since Percival was known to favour the disestablishment of the
Church in Wales The Church in Wales ( cy, Yr Eglwys yng Nghymru) is an Anglican church in Wales, composed of six dioceses. The Archbishop of Wales does not have a fixed archiepiscopal see, but serves concurrently as one of the six diocesan bishops. The p ...
, Rosebery prevailed. The
Congé d'élire ( , ; fro, label=Law French, congé d'eslire, lit=leave/permission to choose) is a licence from the Crown in England issued under the great seal to the dean and chapter of the cathedral church of a diocese, authorizing them to elect a bishop o ...
authorising Percival's appointment passed the Great Seal of the Realm on 18 February 1895. Percival's time in Hereford was affected by the death of his wife in 1896, and he had difficulties in administering the large rural diocese where his radical political views were often unpopular. Graham Neville characterises him as a 'Low-church Political Liberal'.; in 1901 he publicly criticised the conditions and loss of life in the
Concentration Camps Internment is the imprisonment of people, commonly in large groups, without charges or intent to file charges. The term is especially used for the confinement "of enemy citizens in wartime or of terrorism suspects". Thus, while it can simply ...
of the
Second Boer War The Second Boer War ( af, Tweede Vryheidsoorlog, , 11 October 189931 May 1902), also known as the Boer War, the Anglo–Boer War, or the South African War, was a conflict fought between the British Empire and the two Boer Republics (the South ...
. He attracted criticism (including an excommunication by Frank Weston, the bishop of Zanzibar) when he invited
nonconformist Nonconformity or nonconformism may refer to: Culture and society * Insubordination, the act of willfully disobeying an order of one's superior *Dissent, a sentiment or philosophy of non-agreement or opposition to a prevailing idea or entity ** ...
s to take holy communion at Hereford Cathedral to mark the
coronation A coronation is the act of placement or bestowal of a crown upon a monarch's head. The term also generally refers not only to the physical crowning but to the whole ceremony wherein the act of crowning occurs, along with the presentation of ot ...
of
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 his death in 1936. Born during the reign of his grandmother Qu ...
. He had more success on a national level, elected as the President of the Educational Science section of the
British Association The British Science Association (BSA) is a charity and learned society founded in 1831 to aid in the promotion and development of science. Until 2009 it was known as the British Association for the Advancement of Science (BA). The current Chie ...
, and championed the cause of adult education in particular – he chaired the first meeting of the
Workers' Educational Association The Workers' Educational Association (WEA), founded in 1903, is the UK's largest voluntary sector provider of adult education and one of Britain's biggest charities. The WEA is a democratic and voluntary adult education movement. It delivers lea ...
in 1903. He was elected an
honorary fellow Honorary titles (professor, reader, lecturer) in academia may be conferred on persons in recognition of contributions by a non-employee or by an employee beyond regular duties. This practice primarily exists in the UK and Germany, as well as in m ...
of
Queen's College, Oxford The Queen's College is a constituent college of the University of Oxford, England. The college was founded in 1341 by Robert de Eglesfield in honour of Philippa of Hainault. It is distinguished by its predominantly neoclassical architecture, ...
in late 1902. Percival hoped for the
Archbishopric of York The archbishop of York is a senior bishop in the Church of England, second only to the archbishop of Canterbury. The archbishop is the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of York and the metropolitan bishop of the province of York, which covers the ...
; indeed felt that it had been promised him, but was disappointed when Cosmo Gordon Lang was given the post in 1909. Bishops at that time were not only lords but addressed as ‘My Lord Bishop’ and lived in accommodation like the Bishop’s Palace in Hereford. The 1901 Census of England and Wales shows Percival resident in the Palace with his wife, a chaplain and 9 servants. Percival had been a leading figure in the Church of England Peace League so that when the First World War opened in August, 1914, he was cautious, unlike most of his contemporary bishops, about giving his backing to the War. However, the German attack on Belgium and the ‘Belgian atrocities’ made him commit fully to supporting the British war effort. He wrote, seeking prayers throughout the diocese, ‘.... for the victory of our sailors and soldiers who are so bravely giving their lives in this terrible conflict, to the cause of righteousness and freedom, and to win for the various nations of Europe in the years to come, the blessings of enduring peace and Christian brotherhood.’ Percival would lose a son to the War as a result of shelling in November, 1914. Percival was the godfather of William Temple, Archbishop of Canterbury 1942-4. Temple wrote Percival’s biography.


Death and burial

Percival retired to Oxford in 1917 and died the following year. He was buried in the chapel crypt of Clifton College.


Marriage and children

In 1862 he married Louisa Holland, by whom he had eight children, six of whom survived to adulthood, including: * Launcelot Jefferson Percival, an international rugby player and later
Deputy Clerk of the Closet The Deputy Clerk of the Closet is the Domestic Chaplain to the Sovereign of the United Kingdom. The office was created in 1677. Since 1931, the Deputy Clerk is also the sub-dean of the Chapel Royal (under the Clerk of the Closet). The Deputy C ...
(Domestic Chaplain to the Sovereign) to King George VI. *Lt-Col. Arthur Jex-Blake Percival (1871–1914),
Northumberland Fusiliers The Royal Northumberland Fusiliers was an infantry regiment of the British Army. Raised in 1674 as one of three 'English' units in the Dutch Anglo-Scots Brigade, it accompanied William III to England in the November 1688 Glorious Revolution ...
, youngest son, killed in action during WWI on 31 October 1914 when the Château de Hooge, at Ypres, joint divisional headquarters of the 1st Division and 2nd Division, in which he was serving as General Staff Officer to Major General Monro, Commander of the 2nd Division and later of the 1st Army Corps, was shelled by German forces. His obituary included the following: His first wife Louisa died in 1896, and in 1898/9 he married his second wife, Miss Mary Georgina Symonds.


See also

*
Percival Guildhouse The Percival Guildhouse is an independent adult education centre and registered charity in Rugby, Warwickshire, England. It is based in a building on St Matthew Street in the town centre, which dates from the mid-19th century, and which was onc ...
- adult education centre in Rugby named after him.


References

* *
Derek Winterbottom, ''John Percival: the Great Educator'' (Bristol Historical Association pamphlet, no. 81, 1993)


External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Percival, John 1834 births 1918 deaths People from Kirkby Stephen Alumni of The Queen's College, Oxford Fellows of The Queen's College, Oxford Fellows of Trinity College, Oxford Presidents of Trinity College, Oxford Schoolteachers from Cumbria Bishops of Hereford Head Masters of Rugby School Headmasters of Clifton College 19th-century Church of England bishops 20th-century Church of England bishops People educated at Appleby Grammar School People associated with Somerville College, Oxford