George B. Cronshaw
Encyclopedia
George Bernard Cronshaw was a Chaplain, Fellow and Bursar of The Queen's College Oxford University and later Principal of St Edmund Hall, Oxford. He was well known for his charitable works outside of university life holding governorships of several schools and his association with British hospitals especially the Radcliffe Infirmary
in Oxford.
of Manchester Cathedral
. Raised in Lancashire
, which now includes parts of Greater Manchester
, he attended Manchester Grammar School
and went up to Queen's College, Oxford as a Berry exhibitioner where he graduated with a first class in Chemistry. Leaving Oxford, he attended Leeds
Clergy School and was subsequently ordained into a curacy in Holbeck
, Leeds.
at his old college, Queen's whilst holding a curacy at St Cross Church, Holywell. He remained chaplain for thirty years during which time he strongly supported the college music society and choir. In 1900, resigned his curacy and was appointed lecturer in Chemistry, whereupon he organised the college chemistry laboratory in Queen's Lane
.
In 1902, he was appointed a Fellow
of the college and in 1905 became Junior Bursar
rising to Senior Bursar in 1912 at which time he relinquished all teaching responsibilities.
Outside of the college he was Junior Proctor for the University from 1909 to 1910 and served as a member of the Hebdomadal Council
from 1911 until 1923. In addition, he acted as Visitor to the Museum, Acting Curator of the Schools
and a member of the Boards of Natural History and Medicine. He was also chairman and secretary of the Committee of College Bursars. As treasurer of St Hugh's College, Oxford
he oversaw their move to the current premises in Banbury Road
and both Heversham
and Keswick School
s. He was chairman of governors for St. Bees School
.
From 1910 to 1928 he was chairman and treasurer of the committee for the Radcliffe Infirmary
whilst being a member of the committee of the British Hospital Association. At the Radcliffe, he helped to establish the throat and ear, maternity and electrical departments. He helped to obtain for the hospital the Headington
Manor House and Children's Convalescent Home in Cowley and established a countywide contributory scheme that put the hospital on a sound financial footing. It was for such achievements that the Oxford City Council recommended that the freedom of the City
be conferred upon him.
from 1919 to 1921 and from 1921 to the Bishop of Carlisle
. It was observed that he would often cycle 10 or 20 miles out of Oxford on a Sunday to preach or take service in a county parish. He married late in life (1925) to Dorothy Wardle of Scarthwaite near Lancaster, Lancashire
; they had no children.
An active freemason, Cronshaw was three times Master of the Apollo University Lodge, Grand Senior Warden of the Provincial Grand Lodge of Oxfordshire and Grand Chaplain in the Grand Lodge of England.
in 1928 he was offered, in May of that year, the position of Principal of St Edmund Hall, Oxford
which at that time still had close ties to Queen's College. In accepting the position, upon the retirement of G.B. Allan
, he agreed to give up all his other duties and appointments. However, it was too late to save his health; he took to his bed ill, weeks after his appointment, and he died in his residence at the Hall on 20 December.
He was succeeded as Principal by A.B. Emden
who had himself only recently been appointed to Vice-Principal.
Radcliffe Infirmary
The Radcliffe Infirmary was a hospital in central Oxford, England, located at the southern end of Woodstock Road on the western side, backing onto Walton Street. The Radcliffe Infirmary, named after physician John Radcliffe, opened in 1770 and was Oxford's first hospital...
in Oxford.
Early life
George was the second son of Rev. Christopher Cronshaw, CanonCanon (priest)
A canon is a priest or minister who is a member of certain bodies of the Christian clergy subject to an ecclesiastical rule ....
of Manchester Cathedral
Manchester Cathedral
Manchester Cathedral is a medieval church on Victoria Street in central Manchester and is the seat of the Bishop of Manchester. The cathedral's official name is The Cathedral and Collegiate Church of St Mary, St Denys and St George in Manchester...
. Raised in Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
, which now includes parts of Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 2.6 million. It encompasses one of the largest metropolitan areas in the United Kingdom and comprises ten metropolitan boroughs: Bolton, Bury, Oldham, Rochdale, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford, Wigan, and the...
, he attended Manchester Grammar School
Manchester Grammar School
The Manchester Grammar School is the largest independent day school for boys in the UK . It is based in Manchester, England...
and went up to Queen's College, Oxford as a Berry exhibitioner where he graduated with a first class in Chemistry. Leaving Oxford, he attended Leeds
Leeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
Clergy School and was subsequently ordained into a curacy in Holbeck
Holbeck
Holbeck is a district in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England.The district begins on the southern edge of the Leeds city centre and mainly lies in the LS11 Leeds postcode area. The M1 and M621 motorways used to end/begin in Holbeck. Now the M621 is the only motorway that passes through the area since...
, Leeds.
Oxford career
Rev. Cronshaw, returned to Oxford in 1898 as ChaplainChaplain
Traditionally, a chaplain is a minister in a specialized setting such as a priest, pastor, rabbi, or imam or lay representative of a religion attached to a secular institution such as a hospital, prison, military unit, police department, university, or private chapel...
at his old college, Queen's whilst holding a curacy at St Cross Church, Holywell. He remained chaplain for thirty years during which time he strongly supported the college music society and choir. In 1900, resigned his curacy and was appointed lecturer in Chemistry, whereupon he organised the college chemistry laboratory in Queen's Lane
Queen's Lane
Queen's Lane is an historic street in central Oxford, England, named after Queen's College, to the south and west.At the south-eastern end of Queen's Lane is a junction onto the High Street...
.
In 1902, he was appointed a Fellow
Fellow
A fellow in the broadest sense is someone who is an equal or a comrade. The term fellow is also used to describe a person, particularly by those in the upper social classes. It is most often used in an academic context: a fellow is often part of an elite group of learned people who are awarded...
of the college and in 1905 became Junior Bursar
Bursar
A bursar is a senior professional financial administrator in a school or university.Billing of student tuition accounts are the responsibility of the Office of the Bursar. This involves sending bills and making payment plans with the ultimate goal of getting the student accounts paid off...
rising to Senior Bursar in 1912 at which time he relinquished all teaching responsibilities.
Outside of the college he was Junior Proctor for the University from 1909 to 1910 and served as a member of the Hebdomadal Council
Hebdomadal Council
The Hebdomadal Council was the chief executive body for the University of Oxford from its establishment in 1854 until its replacement, in the Michaelmas term of 2000, by the new University Council...
from 1911 until 1923. In addition, he acted as Visitor to the Museum, Acting Curator of the Schools
Examination Schools
The Examination Schools of the University of Oxford are located at 75–81 High Street, Oxford, England.The building was designed by Sir Thomas Jackson , who also designed the cricket pavilion in the University Parks...
and a member of the Boards of Natural History and Medicine. He was also chairman and secretary of the Committee of College Bursars. As treasurer of St Hugh's College, Oxford
St Hugh's College, Oxford
St Hugh's College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford. It is located on a fourteen and a half acre site on St Margaret's Road, to the North of the city centre. It was founded in 1886 as a women's college, and accepted its first male students in its centenary year in 1986...
he oversaw their move to the current premises in Banbury Road
Banbury Road
Banbury Road is a major arterial road in Oxford, England, running from St Giles' at the south end, north towards Banbury through the leafy suburb of North Oxford and Summertown, with its local shopping centre. Parallel and to the west is the Woodstock Road, which it meets at the junction with St...
Schools and hospitals
Outside of university he was a member of the governing bodies of King Edward VI School, SouthamptonKing Edward VI School, Southampton
King Edward VI School, often referred to as King Edward's, or simply KES, is a selective co-educational independent day School located in Southampton, United Kingdom and is a member of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference. It was founded in 1553, after the death of William Capon , who...
and both Heversham
and Keswick School
Keswick School
Keswick School is an 11–18, Voluntary Aided, co-educational school. It retains a traditional atmosphere, including speech days, prefects and Head Boys and Girls and has selected the most appropriate of the educational initiatives on offer in the last decade...
s. He was chairman of governors for St. Bees School
St. Bees School
St. Bees School is a co-educational independent school in the West Cumbrian village of St Bees. Founded in 1583 by the then Archbishop of Canterbury Edmund Grindal as a boys' "free grammar school", today it is a member of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference with around 300 pupils aged...
.
From 1910 to 1928 he was chairman and treasurer of the committee for the Radcliffe Infirmary
Radcliffe Infirmary
The Radcliffe Infirmary was a hospital in central Oxford, England, located at the southern end of Woodstock Road on the western side, backing onto Walton Street. The Radcliffe Infirmary, named after physician John Radcliffe, opened in 1770 and was Oxford's first hospital...
whilst being a member of the committee of the British Hospital Association. At the Radcliffe, he helped to establish the throat and ear, maternity and electrical departments. He helped to obtain for the hospital the Headington
Headington
Headington is a suburb of Oxford, England. It is at the top of Headington Hill overlooking the city in the Thames Valley below. The life of the large residential area is centred upon London Road, the main road between London and Oxford.-History:...
Manor House and Children's Convalescent Home in Cowley and established a countywide contributory scheme that put the hospital on a sound financial footing. It was for such achievements that the Oxford City Council recommended that the freedom of the City
Freedom of the City
Freedom of the City is an honour bestowed by some municipalities in Australia, Canada, Ireland, France, Italy, New Zealand, South Africa, Spain, the United Kingdom, Gibraltar and Rhodesia to esteemed members of its community and to organisations to be honoured, often for service to the community;...
be conferred upon him.
Church and freemasonry
In church life, he undertook the duties of examining chaplain to a number of dioceses: to the Bishop of ChichesterBishop of Chichester
The Bishop of Chichester is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Chichester in the Province of Canterbury. The diocese covers the Counties of East and West Sussex. The see is in the City of Chichester where the seat is located at the Cathedral Church of the Holy Trinity...
from 1919 to 1921 and from 1921 to the Bishop of Carlisle
Bishop of Carlisle
The Bishop of Carlisle is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Carlisle in the Province of York.The diocese covers the County of Cumbria except for Alston Moor and the former Sedbergh Rural District...
. It was observed that he would often cycle 10 or 20 miles out of Oxford on a Sunday to preach or take service in a county parish. He married late in life (1925) to Dorothy Wardle of Scarthwaite near Lancaster, Lancashire
Lancaster, Lancashire
Lancaster is the county town of Lancashire, England. It is situated on the River Lune and has a population of 45,952. Lancaster is a constituent settlement of the wider City of Lancaster, local government district which has a population of 133,914 and encompasses several outlying towns, including...
; they had no children.
An active freemason, Cronshaw was three times Master of the Apollo University Lodge, Grand Senior Warden of the Provincial Grand Lodge of Oxfordshire and Grand Chaplain in the Grand Lodge of England.
St Edmund Hall
George Cronshaw's continuous hard work took its toll on his health and after a bout of influenzaInfluenza
Influenza, commonly referred to as the flu, is an infectious disease caused by RNA viruses of the family Orthomyxoviridae , that affects birds and mammals...
in 1928 he was offered, in May of that year, the position of Principal of St Edmund Hall, Oxford
St Edmund Hall, Oxford
St Edmund Hall is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. Better known within the University by its nickname, "Teddy Hall", the college has a claim to being "the oldest academical society for the education of undergraduates in any university"...
which at that time still had close ties to Queen's College. In accepting the position, upon the retirement of G.B. Allan
Gerald Burton Allen
Gerald Burton Allen was a British scholar and a Church of England priest and bishop.-Life:Allen was born into a clerical family, being the eldest son of The Reverend T.K. Allen, sometime Vicar of Weyhill. He was educated at Cheltenham College, later serving as a member of the College Council ...
, he agreed to give up all his other duties and appointments. However, it was too late to save his health; he took to his bed ill, weeks after his appointment, and he died in his residence at the Hall on 20 December.
He was succeeded as Principal by A.B. Emden
Alfred Brotherston Emden
Alfred Brotherston Emden was an Oxford University historian and Principal of St Edmund Hall from 1929 to 1951. He published widely on matters concerning St Edmund Hall and the medieval church...
who had himself only recently been appointed to Vice-Principal.