Robert William Bilton Hornby
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Robert William Bilton Hornby (5 January 1821 – 28 September 1888) was an English
antiquarian An antiquarian or antiquary () is an fan (person), aficionado or student of antiquities or things of the past. More specifically, the term is used for those who study history with particular attention to ancient artifact (archaeology), artifac ...
and priest, and the
Lord of the Manor Lord of the Manor is a title that, in Anglo-Saxon England, referred to the landholder of a rural estate. The lord enjoyed manorial rights (the rights to establish and occupy a residence, known as the manor house and demesne) as well as seig ...
of Heworth in
York York is a cathedral city with Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. It is the historic county town of Yorkshire. The city has many historic buildings and other structures, such as a ...
.


Ancestry

Hornby was born at Heworth in 1821, the son of William Hornby and Sophia ''née'' Motte or Matt, and was baptised at
St Michael le Belfrey St Michael le Belfrey is an Anglican church in York, England. It is situated at the junction of High Petergate and Minster Yard, directly opposite York Minster, in the centre of the city. History The present church building was built betwee ...
within the City of York on the following day. His father held the office of
Sheriff A sheriff is a government official, with varying duties, existing in some countries with historical ties to England where the office originated. There is an analogous, although independently developed, office in Iceland that is commonly transla ...
in the city, and was called a gentleman. Yet curiously he was also recorded as a shoemaker of Blake Street in the city.


Schooling

Young Hornby initially attended a local school run by a Mr Watson of
Gillygate Gillygate is a street in York, in England, immediately north of the city centre. History The area occupied by the street lay outside the walls of Roman Eboracum, but evidence of occupation in this period has been found, and it is possible that ...
prior to being admitted to St Peter's School on 19 January 1829 as a "free scholar" aged 8 years old. He entered
Durham University , mottoeng = Her foundations are upon the holy hills (Psalm 87:1) , established = (university status) , type = Public , academic_staff = 1,830 (2020) , administrative_staff = 2,640 (2018/19) , chancellor = Sir Thomas Allen , vice_chan ...
in Easter 1838, and was one of its first undergraduates. He passed his Bachelor of Arts in Easter 1841, gaining a 4th in classical and general literature, and then passed his
Licence in Theology The Licentiate in Theology or (in Britain) Licence in Theology (LTh or, in Australia, ThL) is a non-degree qualification in theology awarded in Canada and previously awarded in the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand. A qualification simila ...
in Easter 1842 and took it on 22 June 1842. In due course he took a
Master of Arts A Master of Arts ( la, Magister Artium or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA, M.A., AM, or A.M.) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. Tho ...
on 28 January 1845, to which he was entitled 9 terms after his Bachelor of Arts, and then a
Bachelor of Divinity In Western universities, a Bachelor of Divinity or Baccalaureate in Divinity (BD or BDiv; la, Baccalaureus Divinitatis) is a postgraduate academic degree awarded for a course taken in the study of divinity or related disciplines, such as theology ...
on 27 January 1852, to which he was entitled 21 terms after his Master of Arts, and finally a Doctorate of Divinity on 29 January 1856, to which he was entitled 33 terms after his Master of Arts.


Church career

Hornby was
ordained Ordination is the process by which individuals are consecrated, that is, set apart and elevated from the laity class to the clergy, who are thus then authorized (usually by the denominational hierarchy composed of other clergy) to perform va ...
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 ...
at
Norwich Norwich () is a cathedral city and district of Norfolk, England, of which it is the county town. Norwich is by the River Wensum, about north-east of London, north of Ipswich and east of Peterborough. As the seat of the See of Norwich, with ...
in 1844, and priest at
Ripon Ripon () is a cathedral city in the Borough of Harrogate, North Yorkshire, England. The city is located at the confluence of two tributaries of the River Ure, the Laver and Skell. Historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, the city ...
in 1845. He held a curacy at
Wakefield Wakefield is a cathedral city in West Yorkshire, England located on the River Calder. The city had a population of 99,251 in the 2011 census.https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/census/2011/ks101ew Census 2011 table KS101EW Usual resident population, ...
, and then one at Flaxton in 1847, but never held a
living Living or The Living may refer to: Common meanings *Life, a condition that distinguishes organisms from inorganic objects and dead organisms ** Living species, one that is not extinct *Personal life, the course of an individual human's life * Hu ...
anywhere or an appointment in the ecclesiastical hierarchy of the
Established Church A state religion (also called religious state or official religion) is a religion or creed officially endorsed by a sovereign state. A state with an official religion (also known as confessional state), while not secular, is not necessarily a t ...
. From photographs of him in his clerical robes, he was probably a
high-church The term ''high church'' refers to beliefs and practices of Christian ecclesiology, liturgy, and theology that emphasize formality and resistance to modernisation. Although used in connection with various Christian traditions, the term originated ...
man which may explain why he never held a living. York was nearly all low-church at the time. So he clearly had substantial private means.


Family life

Hornby married Ann(e) Smales (1825–1902) at St Mary Bishophill Junior on 27 November 1844. They had one son and three daughters: Annie (b. 1846), William (b. 1847), Rosalie (b. 1851) and Beatrice (b. 1857). The family settled nearby at 4 St Olaves Road in
Clifton Clifton may refer to: People *Clifton (surname) *Clifton (given name) Places Australia * Clifton, Queensland, a town **Shire of Clifton *Clifton, New South Wales, a suburb of Wollongong *Clifton, Western Australia Canada *Clifton, Nova Scotia ...
, which he extended. This property has been extensively altered since his time.


Public Affairs

Hornby was an active
Director Director may refer to: Literature * ''Director'' (magazine), a British magazine * ''The Director'' (novel), a 1971 novel by Henry Denker * ''The Director'' (play), a 2000 play by Nancy Hasty Music * Director (band), an Irish rock band * ''Di ...
and
Trustee Trustee (or the holding of a trusteeship) is a legal term which, in its broadest sense, is a synonym for anyone in a position of trust and so can refer to any individual who holds property, authority, or a position of trust or responsibility to t ...
of the York Cemetery Company, which was founded in 1837 to establish a civil cemetery outside the city walls and relieve pressure on the historic ecclesiastical cemeteries. Both grounds and chapel were designed by
James Pigott Pritchett James Pigott Pritchett (14 October 1789 – 23 May 1868) was an English architect. He lived in London and York and his practice stretched from Lincolnshire to the Scottish borders. Personal life Pritchett was born on 14 October 1789 to Charl ...
. The company was liquidated in 1966, and after several years of neglect was obtained by the York Cemetery Trust in 1987. He was also a manager of the York Savings Bank, which was established in 1816 for the working classes, and operated out of offices in Blake Street which were built in 1819. He was also a noted local antiquarian, being primarily interested in the Minster, churches and City of York. He also succeeded to the Lord of the Manor of Heworth, which included the parishes of
Saint Cuthbert Cuthbert of Lindisfarne ( – 20 March 687) was an Anglo-Saxon saint of the early Northumbrian church in the Celtic tradition. He was a monk, bishop and hermit, associated with the monasteries of Melrose and Lindisfarne in the Kingdom of Nor ...
and Saint Olave just east of the city. The Manor Hall lay off Heworth Road outside of the city walls.


Death

He continued to be very active until shortly before his death on 28 September 1888, when he was aged 67. His widow placed a window by
Charles Eamer Kempe Charles Eamer Kempe (29 June 1837 – 29 April 1907) was a British Victorian era designer and manufacturer of stained glass. His studios produced over 4,000 windows and also designs for altars and altar frontals, furniture and furnishings, lichg ...
in the York Minster in his memory. It is dedicated to
Saint Peter the Apostle ) (Simeon, Simon) , birth_date = , birth_place = Bethsaida, Gaulanitis, Syria, Roman Empire , death_date = Between AD 64–68 , death_place = probably Vatican Hill, Rome, Italia, Roman Empire , parents = John (or Jonah; Jona) , occupati ...
, and is inscribed: "To the glory of God and in loving memory of Robert William Bilton Hornby, and William and Sophia his father and mother." This window may be found behind the astronomical clock in the right rear corner of the main hall. She died at Overdene, Moseley, Birmingham on 18 February 1902.


Papers

Many of Hornby's private papers are with the York Minster Archives. The Hornby collections and scrapbooks are extensive and unorganised, and rarely note sources. Papers of the York Cemetery Company and the York Savings Bank can be found in the
North Yorkshire County Record Office North Yorkshire County Record Office holds the archives for the North Yorkshire area. The archives are held at Malpas Road, Northallerton, and run by North Yorkshire County Council North Yorkshire County Council (NYCC) is the county council go ...
in Northallerton, and in the
York City Archives York is a cathedral city with Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. It is the historic county town of Yorkshire. The city has many historic buildings and other structures, such as a m ...
.


References

* ''York Savings Bank: Its History, Formation and Growth'', by William Camidge. Yorkshire Gazette Office, York 1886. * ''This Garden of Death: A History of the York Cemetery'', by Hugh Murray, Ebor Press, York 1991. See a
extract
* ''Master of Glass: Charles Eamer Kempe 1837–1907'', by Margaret Stavridi, John Taylor Book Ventures for the Kempe Society, Hatfield 1988. * ''Notice of Death'', Durham University Journal, vol. 8 (1888), p. 100. * ''York. St. Peter's School Register'', Northern Genealogist, vol. 2(1896) pp. 18, 79, 130 & 160. * ''York. St. Peter's School Register'', Northern Genealogist, vol. 3(1897) pp. 13 & 67.


External links


North Yorkshire County Record Office

York Minster
Library and Archive

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hornby, Robert William Bilton 1821 births 1888 deaths Alumni of University College, Durham People educated at St Peter's School, York 19th-century English Anglican priests Clergy from York