Francis Close
Encyclopedia
Francis Close was the Anglican Rector of Cheltenham
(1826–1856), and Dean of Carlisle
from 1856–1881.
, Somerset
shire, the youngest son of the Rev. Henry Jackson Close, who was at one time Rector of Bentworth, near Alton
, in Hampshire
. Enrolling at St. John's College, Cambridge in 1816 he earned a Bachelors of Arts in 1820, and was elevated to MA in 1825. During the same time period, he was ordained a deacon in 1820, and as a priest the following year. In 1822 he was assigned as curate
of Willesden
and Kingsbury
in the London
area. Two years later, in 1824, he was assigned to Cheltenham
, and when the rector
died in 1826, he was elevated to that office.
Close served as rector for thirty years, where he was a popular preacher and a noted evangelical. He was a vociferous opponent of the Oxford Movement
. He advocated for the creation of a training college for schoolteachers, and opposed alcohol, tobacco, horse racing and theatrical amusements. He was involved in the provision of new churches in Cheltenham. On 24 November 1856, he was nominated to be Dean of Carlisle Cathedral by Prime Minister Lord Palmerston, the apopintment was approved by the Queen. That same year, the Archbishop of Canterbury
conferred a Lambeth
Doctorate of Divinity upon Close. Close remained as Dean of Carlisle until 1881, when failing health forced him to resign. At the time of his resignation, he was the oldest of all deans in the Church of England
He died in Penzance
the following year, on 12 December 1882, and was buried in Carlisle Cathedral.
and Francis Close Hall
, both in Cheltenham
, were named in his honour.
Cheltenham
Cheltenham , also known as Cheltenham Spa, is a large spa town and borough in Gloucestershire, on the edge of the Cotswolds in the South-West region of England. It is the home of the flagship race of British steeplechase horse racing, the Gold Cup, the main event of the Cheltenham Festival held...
(1826–1856), and Dean of Carlisle
Carlisle Cathedral
The Cathedral Church of the Holy and Undivided Trinity, otherwise called Carlisle Cathedral, is the seat of the Anglican Bishop of Carlisle. It is located in Carlisle, in Cumbria, North West England...
from 1856–1881.
Biography
Close was born on 11 July 1797 in FromeFrome
Frome is a town and civil parish in northeast Somerset, England. Located at the eastern end of the Mendip Hills, the town is built on uneven high ground, and centres around the River Frome. The town is approximately south of Bath, east of the county town, Taunton and west of London. In the 2001...
, Somerset
Somerset
The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...
shire, the youngest son of the Rev. Henry Jackson Close, who was at one time Rector of Bentworth, near Alton
Alton, Hampshire
Alton is a historic market town and civil parish in the East Hampshire district of the English county of Hampshire. It had a population of 16,584 at the 1991 census and is administered by East Hampshire district council. It is located on the source of the River Wey and is the highest town in...
, in Hampshire
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
. Enrolling at St. John's College, Cambridge in 1816 he earned a Bachelors of Arts in 1820, and was elevated to MA in 1825. During the same time period, he was ordained a deacon in 1820, and as a priest the following year. In 1822 he was assigned as curate
Curate
A curate is a person who is invested with the care or cure of souls of a parish. In this sense "curate" correctly means a parish priest but in English-speaking countries a curate is an assistant to the parish priest...
of Willesden
Willesden
Willesden is an area in North West London which forms part of the London Borough of Brent. It is situated 5 miles north west of Charing Cross...
and Kingsbury
Kingsbury
Kingsbury is an area in the London Borough of Brent, northwest London. The name Kingsbury means "The King's Manor".-History:Kingsbury was historically a small parish in the Hundred of Gore and county of Middlesex. Until the nineteenth century it was largely rural with only scattered settlements....
in the London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
area. Two years later, in 1824, he was assigned to Cheltenham
Cheltenham
Cheltenham , also known as Cheltenham Spa, is a large spa town and borough in Gloucestershire, on the edge of the Cotswolds in the South-West region of England. It is the home of the flagship race of British steeplechase horse racing, the Gold Cup, the main event of the Cheltenham Festival held...
, and when the rector
Rector
The word rector has a number of different meanings; it is widely used to refer to an academic, religious or political administrator...
died in 1826, he was elevated to that office.
Close served as rector for thirty years, where he was a popular preacher and a noted evangelical. He was a vociferous opponent of the Oxford Movement
Oxford Movement
The Oxford Movement was a movement of High Church Anglicans, eventually developing into Anglo-Catholicism. The movement, whose members were often associated with the University of Oxford, argued for the reinstatement of lost Christian traditions of faith and their inclusion into Anglican liturgy...
. He advocated for the creation of a training college for schoolteachers, and opposed alcohol, tobacco, horse racing and theatrical amusements. He was involved in the provision of new churches in Cheltenham. On 24 November 1856, he was nominated to be Dean of Carlisle Cathedral by Prime Minister Lord Palmerston, the apopintment was approved by the Queen. That same year, the Archbishop of Canterbury
Archbishop of Canterbury
The Archbishop of Canterbury is the senior bishop and principal leader of the Church of England, the symbolic head of the worldwide Anglican Communion, and the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Canterbury. In his role as head of the Anglican Communion, the archbishop leads the third largest group...
conferred a Lambeth
Lambeth degree
A Lambeth degree is an academic degree conferred by the Archbishop of Canterbury under the authority of the Ecclesiastical Licences Act 1533 as successor of the papal legate in England...
Doctorate of Divinity upon Close. Close remained as Dean of Carlisle until 1881, when failing health forced him to resign. At the time of his resignation, he was the oldest of all deans in the Church of England
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
He died in Penzance
Penzance
Penzance is a town, civil parish, and port in Cornwall, England, in the United Kingdom. It is the most westerly major town in Cornwall and is approximately 75 miles west of Plymouth and 300 miles west-southwest of London...
the following year, on 12 December 1882, and was buried in Carlisle Cathedral.
Legacy
Close was the author of around seventy books and pamphlets, though by 1887 few were considered "of any permanent value." In 1885 a marble statue of Close was installed in Carlisle Cathedral, after a public collection of funds for the purpose. Dean Close SchoolDean Close School
Dean Close School is a co-educational independent school in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England. The school is divided into pre-prep, preparatory and senior schools located on separate but adjacent sites outside Cheltenham town centre, occupying the largest private land area in the town...
and Francis Close Hall
University of Gloucestershire
The University of Gloucestershire is a university primarily based in Gloucestershire, England, spread over four campuses, three in Cheltenham and one in Gloucester...
, both in Cheltenham
Cheltenham
Cheltenham , also known as Cheltenham Spa, is a large spa town and borough in Gloucestershire, on the edge of the Cotswolds in the South-West region of England. It is the home of the flagship race of British steeplechase horse racing, the Gold Cup, the main event of the Cheltenham Festival held...
, were named in his honour.