Charles Dyson Perrins
Encyclopedia
Charles William Dyson Perrins (25 May 1864 – 29 January 1958) was an English
businessman, bibliophile and philanthropist
. He was born in Claines, near Worcester
, the son of James Dyson Perrins, the owner of the Lea & Perrins
Worcestershire sauce
factory and the grandson of William Perrins, co-originator of the Lea & Perrins secret recipe.
He was educated at Charterhouse School
and The Queen's College, Oxford
, and then served in the Highland Light Infantry
. After the death of his father, he took over management of Lea & Perrins. His father had also been a Director of Royal Worcester Porcelain Factory
, and Charles followed him, becoming a Director in 1891. He became Chairman in 1901, and supported the factory financially. He bought the company outright in 1934 and ensured its continuity from his own fortune, until it could be taken public in 1954.
In 1927, he purchased the Royal Worcester Porcelain Factory's historic ceramics collection for a price above market value, to assist the firm's cashflow. In 1946, he established the Perrins Trust to unite the factory museum collection and his own private holdings of Royal Worcester and ensure their survival. After his death, his widow established the "Dyson Perrins Museum" at the factory site to house the collection. It is now called "The Museum of Worcester Porcelain".
C. W. Dyson Perrins lived in Malvern
for most of his life and amongst his many charitable deeds in Worcestershire
was the endowment of Dyson Perrins CE Sports College in Malvern. He served as High Sheriff and Mayor of Worcester.
He was also a major benfactor of the Royal Grammar School, Worcester and endowed new buildings including Perrins Hall (1914) named after his father, an Old Boy. It is in this hall that the annual RGSW Organ Recital Series takes place. He became a Six Master and Chairman of the Governors of that school until the 1950s. His portrait by A. Hacker c.1907 hangs in the hall.
In Oxford, he funded the building of the Dyson Perrins Laboratory
, which was the main centre for research into organic chemistry at Oxford University from its foundation in 1916 until its retirement as a laboratory in 2003. He received an honorary DCL
from Oxford University.
During his life, he amassed one of the most important book collections in the world, particularly strong in medieval illuminated manuscripts and printed ballads. To help finance and re-establish the Royal Worcester factory after World War II
, he decided to sell his important collection of early printed books, and they were mostly dispersed in a series of sales at Sotheby's
in London in 1946 and 1947. His illuminated manuscripts and other remaining printed books were sold after his death in three major auction sales in 1958 to 1960. A record total for a single collection of £1,100,000 was raised by these sales. Items once owned by C. W. Dyson Perrins now form the basis of many other prominent collections, such as the Lessing J. Rosenwald
Collection now in the Library of Congress
.
Many other items from his collection were given or bequeathed by him to public institutions such as the Victoria and Albert Museum
, the National Gallery
, the Ashmolean Museum
, Winchester Cathedral
library, and the British Museum
. For example, his Mughal manuscript the Emperor Akbar’s Khamsa of Nizami
is now in the British Library
and "Palestrina" by J. M. W. Turner
is in the National Gallery
.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
businessman, bibliophile and philanthropist
Philanthropy
Philanthropy etymologically means "the love of humanity"—love in the sense of caring for, nourishing, developing, or enhancing; humanity in the sense of "what it is to be human," or "human potential." In modern practical terms, it is "private initiatives for public good, focusing on quality of...
. He was born in Claines, near Worcester
Worcester
The City of Worcester, commonly known as Worcester, , is a city and county town of Worcestershire in the West Midlands of England. Worcester is situated some southwest of Birmingham and north of Gloucester, and has an approximate population of 94,000 people. The River Severn runs through the...
, the son of James Dyson Perrins, the owner of the Lea & Perrins
Lea & Perrins
Lea & Perrins is a United Kingdom based food division of the H.J. Heinz Company, originating in Worcester, England, with a subsidiary in the United States which manufactures Lea & Perrins in New Jersey...
Worcestershire sauce
Worcestershire sauce
Worcestershire sauce , or Worcester sauce is a fermented liquid condiment; primarily used to flavour meat or fish dishes.First made at 60 Broad Street, Worcester, England, by two dispensing chemists, John Wheeley Lea and William Henry Perrins, the Lea & Perrins brand was commercialised in 1837 and...
factory and the grandson of William Perrins, co-originator of the Lea & Perrins secret recipe.
He was educated at Charterhouse School
Charterhouse School
Charterhouse School, originally The Hospital of King James and Thomas Sutton in Charterhouse, or more simply Charterhouse or House, is an English collegiate independent boarding school situated at Godalming in Surrey.Founded by Thomas Sutton in London in 1611 on the site of the old Carthusian...
and The Queen's College, Oxford
The Queen's College, Oxford
The Queen's College, founded 1341, is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. Queen's is centrally situated on the High Street, and is renowned for its 18th-century architecture...
, and then served in the Highland Light Infantry
Highland Light Infantry
The Highland Light Infantry was a regiment of the British Army from 1881 to 1959. In 1923 the regimental title was expanded to the Highland Light Infantry ...
. After the death of his father, he took over management of Lea & Perrins. His father had also been a Director of Royal Worcester Porcelain Factory
Royal Worcester
Royal Worcester is believed to be the oldest remaining English pottery brand still in existence today.-Overview:Royal Worcester is a British brand known for its history, provenance and classically English collections of porcelain...
, and Charles followed him, becoming a Director in 1891. He became Chairman in 1901, and supported the factory financially. He bought the company outright in 1934 and ensured its continuity from his own fortune, until it could be taken public in 1954.
In 1927, he purchased the Royal Worcester Porcelain Factory's historic ceramics collection for a price above market value, to assist the firm's cashflow. In 1946, he established the Perrins Trust to unite the factory museum collection and his own private holdings of Royal Worcester and ensure their survival. After his death, his widow established the "Dyson Perrins Museum" at the factory site to house the collection. It is now called "The Museum of Worcester Porcelain".
C. W. Dyson Perrins lived in Malvern
Malvern, Worcestershire
Malvern is a town and civil parish in Worcestershire, England, governed by Malvern Town Council. As of the 2001 census it has a population of 28,749, and includes the historical settlement and commercial centre of Great Malvern on the steep eastern flank of the Malvern Hills, and the former...
for most of his life and amongst his many charitable deeds in Worcestershire
Worcestershire
Worcestershire is a non-metropolitan county, established in antiquity, located in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire" NUTS 2 region...
was the endowment of Dyson Perrins CE Sports College in Malvern. He served as High Sheriff and Mayor of Worcester.
He was also a major benfactor of the Royal Grammar School, Worcester and endowed new buildings including Perrins Hall (1914) named after his father, an Old Boy. It is in this hall that the annual RGSW Organ Recital Series takes place. He became a Six Master and Chairman of the Governors of that school until the 1950s. His portrait by A. Hacker c.1907 hangs in the hall.
In Oxford, he funded the building of the Dyson Perrins Laboratory
Dyson Perrins Laboratory
The Dyson Perrins Laboratory in the science area of the University of Oxford was the main centre for research into organic chemistry of the University from its foundation in 1916 until its closure as a laboratory in 2003...
, which was the main centre for research into organic chemistry at Oxford University from its foundation in 1916 until its retirement as a laboratory in 2003. He received an honorary DCL
Doctor of Civil Law
Doctor of Civil Law is a degree offered by some universities, such as the University of Oxford, instead of the more common Doctor of Laws degrees....
from Oxford University.
During his life, he amassed one of the most important book collections in the world, particularly strong in medieval illuminated manuscripts and printed ballads. To help finance and re-establish the Royal Worcester factory after World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, he decided to sell his important collection of early printed books, and they were mostly dispersed in a series of sales at Sotheby's
Sotheby's
Sotheby's is the world's fourth oldest auction house in continuous operation.-History:The oldest auction house in operation is the Stockholms Auktionsverk founded in 1674, the second oldest is Göteborgs Auktionsverk founded in 1681 and third oldest being founded in 1731, all Swedish...
in London in 1946 and 1947. His illuminated manuscripts and other remaining printed books were sold after his death in three major auction sales in 1958 to 1960. A record total for a single collection of £1,100,000 was raised by these sales. Items once owned by C. W. Dyson Perrins now form the basis of many other prominent collections, such as the Lessing J. Rosenwald
Lessing J. Rosenwald
Lessing Julius Rosenwald was an American businessman, a collector of rare books and art, and a chess patron.-Biography:...
Collection now in the Library of Congress
Library of Congress
The Library of Congress is the research library of the United States Congress, de facto national library of the United States, and the oldest federal cultural institution in the United States. Located in three buildings in Washington, D.C., it is the largest library in the world by shelf space and...
.
Many other items from his collection were given or bequeathed by him to public institutions such as the Victoria and Albert Museum
Victoria and Albert Museum
The Victoria and Albert Museum , set in the Brompton district of The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London, England, is the world's largest museum of decorative arts and design, housing a permanent collection of over 4.5 million objects...
, the National Gallery
National Gallery, London
The National Gallery is an art museum on Trafalgar Square, London, United Kingdom. Founded in 1824, it houses a collection of over 2,300 paintings dating from the mid-13th century to 1900. The gallery is an exempt charity, and a non-departmental public body of the Department for Culture, Media...
, the Ashmolean Museum
Ashmolean Museum
The Ashmolean Museum on Beaumont Street, Oxford, England, is the world's first university museum...
, Winchester Cathedral
Winchester Cathedral
Winchester Cathedral at Winchester in Hampshire is one of the largest cathedrals in England, with the longest nave and overall length of any Gothic cathedral in Europe...
library, and the British Museum
British Museum
The British Museum is a museum of human history and culture in London. Its collections, which number more than seven million objects, are amongst the largest and most comprehensive in the world and originate from all continents, illustrating and documenting the story of human culture from its...
. For example, his Mughal manuscript the Emperor Akbar’s Khamsa of Nizami
Khamsa of Nizami (British Library, Or. 12208)
The illuminated manuscript Khamsa of Nizami is a lavishly illustrated manuscript of the Khamsa or "five poems" of Nizami Ganjavi, a 12th century Persian poet, which was created for the Mughal Emperor Akbar in the early 1590s by a number of artists and a single scribe working at the Mughal court,...
is now in the British Library
British Library
The British Library is the national library of the United Kingdom, and is the world's largest library in terms of total number of items. The library is a major research library, holding over 150 million items from every country in the world, in virtually all known languages and in many formats,...
and "Palestrina" by J. M. W. Turner
J. M. W. Turner
Joseph Mallord William Turner RA was an English Romantic landscape painter, watercolourist and printmaker. Turner was considered a controversial figure in his day, but is now regarded as the artist who elevated landscape painting to an eminence rivalling history painting...
is in the National Gallery
National gallery
The National Gallery is an art gallery on Trafalgar Square, London, United Kingdom.National Gallery may also refer to:*Armenia: National Gallery of Armenia, Yerevan*Australia:**National Gallery of Australia, Canberra...
.