John Stansfeld
Encyclopedia
John Stedwell Stansfeld was a doctor and Anglican priest in Oxford
, England
.
He began his career as a civil servant in HM Customs and Excise. In 1877, he moved to Oxford, and later matriculated as a student at Exeter College
, where he studied theology. He also studied part-time at Wycliffe Hall, although he did not take Holy Orders until 1910. He had qualified as a doctor in 1897 and started a medical mission in Bermondsey
in London
.
Stansfeld returned to Oxford in 1912 as rector of St Ebbe's, then a slum
district. He campaigned successfully for the erection of a children's playground and public baths in St Ebbe's. His philanthropy is commemorated by a blue plaque
in Paradise Square, unveiled in June 2009.
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
, England
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...
.
He began his career as a civil servant in HM Customs and Excise. In 1877, he moved to Oxford, and later matriculated as a student at Exeter College
Exeter College, Oxford
Exeter College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England and the fourth oldest college of the University. The main entrance is on the east side of Turl Street...
, where he studied theology. He also studied part-time at Wycliffe Hall, although he did not take Holy Orders until 1910. He had qualified as a doctor in 1897 and started a medical mission in Bermondsey
Bermondsey
Bermondsey is an area in London on the south bank of the river Thames, and is part of the London Borough of Southwark. To the west lies Southwark, to the east Rotherhithe, and to the south, Walworth and Peckham.-Toponomy:...
in 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...
.
Stansfeld returned to Oxford in 1912 as rector of St Ebbe's, then a slum
Slum
A slum, as defined by United Nations agency UN-HABITAT, is a run-down area of a city characterized by substandard housing and squalor and lacking in tenure security. According to the United Nations, the percentage of urban dwellers living in slums decreased from 47 percent to 37 percent in the...
district. He campaigned successfully for the erection of a children's playground and public baths in St Ebbe's. His philanthropy is commemorated by a blue plaque
Blue plaque
A blue plaque is a permanent sign installed in a public place to commemorate a link between that location and a famous person or event, serving as a historical marker....
in Paradise Square, unveiled in June 2009.
External links
- Jenkins, Stephanie. John Stedwell Stansfeld and Headington
- Smith, Mark K. John Stansfeld ("The Doctor") and "Oxford in Bermondsey", The Encyclopedia of Informal Education (2004)
- Citation from Oxfordshire Blue Plaques BoardOxfordshire Blue Plaques BoardThe Oxfordshire Blue Plaques Board, established in 1999, is administered by the Oxford Civic Society. It oversees the installation of blue plaques on historic buildings in the county of Oxfordshire, England to commemorate famous residents and events...