Beresford Kidd
Encyclopedia
Beresford James Kidd was an Anglican
priest and Church historian, who was Warden of Keble College, Oxford
from 1920 to 1939. He is best known for his History of the Church to A.D. 461, 3 vols., which with its very full references aimed at "putting students into direct contact with the sources and enabling them to use the originals for themselves" (vol. i, p. v).
, West Midlands
, January 1, 1864, the son of the Revd James and Mary Kidd. He was educated at Christ's Hospital
before going up to Keble College, Oxford
, matriculating on 17 October 1882. At Keble he received honours
: second class in Mods (Honour Moderations
) in 1883, second class in Literae Humaniores
in 1886, and first class in theology in 1887. He received his B.A. in 1886 and his M.A. in 1889. He was awarded a B.D.
in 1898 and a D.D.
in 1904.
Following graduation B. J. Kidd worked both as a clergyman in the Church of England
and as an academic at the University of Oxford
. He was ordained deacon in 1887, priest in 1888, and served as Assistant Curate
at the Church of St Philip and St James Church, Oxford from 1887 to 1900. He served as chaplain of Pembroke College, Oxford
from 1894 to 1896, was a lecturer in theology of the college from 1902 to 1911, and was also Tutor of the Non-Collegiate Students
at Oxford (an institution that later became St Catherine's College, Oxford) from 1889 to 1920. He served as examiner in the honours school of theology, 1902–04 and 1917–19; examining chaplain to the Bishop of Oxford
, 1912; and to the Bishop of London
, 1927. From 1904 to 1920 he was vicar of St Paul's, a Church of England parish church
located on Walton Street, Oxford. He was Proctor in Convocation, 1917, and Prolocutor
of the Convocation of Canterbury, 1932-36. In 1920, he was appointed Warden of Keble College, Oxford
, a position he held until 1939. As for honors, in 1919 he received the Order of St. Sava
(5th class), a Serbian
decoration instituted to recognize civilians for meritorious achievements in the arts and sciences. He was appointed an Honorary Canon of Christ Church, Oxford
in 1915, and an Honorary Fellow of Keble College
in 1940. He died on 15 May 1948. He was married (1894) to Agnes Walker, daughter of W. T. Walker; they had no children.
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...
priest and Church historian, who was Warden of Keble College, Oxford
Keble College, Oxford
Keble College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. Its main buildings are on Parks Road, opposite the University Museum and the University Parks. The college is bordered to the north by Keble Road, to the south by Museum Road, and to the west by Blackhall...
from 1920 to 1939. He is best known for his History of the Church to A.D. 461, 3 vols., which with its very full references aimed at "putting students into direct contact with the sources and enabling them to use the originals for themselves" (vol. i, p. v).
Life
B. J. Kidd was born in BirminghamBirmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
, West Midlands
West Midlands (county)
The West Midlands is a metropolitan county in western central England with a 2009 estimated population of 2,638,700. It came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972, formed from parts of Staffordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire. The...
, January 1, 1864, the son of the Revd James and Mary Kidd. He was educated at Christ's Hospital
Christ's Hospital
Christ's Hospital is an English coeducational independent day and boarding school with Royal Charter located in the Sussex countryside just south of Horsham in Horsham District, West Sussex, England...
before going up to Keble College, Oxford
Keble College, Oxford
Keble College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. Its main buildings are on Parks Road, opposite the University Museum and the University Parks. The college is bordered to the north by Keble Road, to the south by Museum Road, and to the west by Blackhall...
, matriculating on 17 October 1882. At Keble he received honours
British undergraduate degree classification
The British undergraduate degree classification system is a grading scheme for undergraduate degrees in the United Kingdom...
: second class in Mods (Honour Moderations
Honour Moderations
Honour Moderations are a first set of examinations at Oxford University in England during the first part of the degree course for some courses ....
) in 1883, second class in Literae Humaniores
Literae Humaniores
Literae Humaniores is the name given to an undergraduate course focused on Classics at Oxford and some other universities.The Latin name means literally "more humane letters", but is perhaps better rendered as "Advanced Studies", since humaniores has the sense of "more refined" or "more learned",...
in 1886, and first class in theology in 1887. He received his B.A. in 1886 and his M.A. in 1889. He was awarded a B.D.
Bachelor of Divinity
In Western universities, a Bachelor of Divinity is usually an undergraduate academic degree awarded for a course taken in the study of divinity or related disciplines, such as theology or, rarely, religious studies....
in 1898 and a D.D.
Doctor of Divinity
Doctor of Divinity is an advanced academic degree in divinity. Historically, it identified one who had been licensed by a university to teach Christian theology or related religious subjects....
in 1904.
Following graduation B. J. Kidd worked both as a clergyman 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...
and as an academic at the University of Oxford
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
. He was ordained deacon in 1887, priest in 1888, and served as Assistant 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...
at the Church of St Philip and St James Church, Oxford from 1887 to 1900. He served as chaplain of Pembroke College, Oxford
Pembroke College, Oxford
Pembroke College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England, located in Pembroke Square. As of 2009, Pembroke had an estimated financial endowment of £44.9 million.-History:...
from 1894 to 1896, was a lecturer in theology of the college from 1902 to 1911, and was also Tutor of the Non-Collegiate Students
St Catherine's College, Oxford
St Catherine's College, often called Catz, is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. Its motto is Nova et Vetera...
at Oxford (an institution that later became St Catherine's College, Oxford) from 1889 to 1920. He served as examiner in the honours school of theology, 1902–04 and 1917–19; examining chaplain to the Bishop of Oxford
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...
, 1912; and to the Bishop of 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...
, 1927. From 1904 to 1920 he was vicar of St Paul's, a Church of England parish church
Church of England parish church
A parish church in the Church of England is the church which acts as the religious centre for the people within the smallest and most basic Church of England administrative region, known as a parish.-Parishes in England:...
located on Walton Street, Oxford. He was Proctor in Convocation, 1917, and Prolocutor
Prolocutor
A prolocutor is one who speaks for others ; specifically the chairman of the lower house of convocation in the two provinces of the Church of England, who presides in that house and acts as representative and spokesman in the upper house...
of the Convocation of Canterbury, 1932-36. In 1920, he was appointed Warden of Keble College, Oxford
Keble College, Oxford
Keble College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. Its main buildings are on Parks Road, opposite the University Museum and the University Parks. The college is bordered to the north by Keble Road, to the south by Museum Road, and to the west by Blackhall...
, a position he held until 1939. As for honors, in 1919 he received the Order of St. Sava
Order of St. Sava
The Order of St. Sava was a decoration instituted by the order King Milan I of Serbia in 1883. The Order of Saint Sava originally was established to recognize civilians for meritorious achievements in the arts and sciences. In 1914 a change was made permitting military personnel to receive the...
(5th class), a Serbian
Kingdom of Serbia
The Kingdom of Serbia was created when Prince Milan Obrenović, ruler of the Principality of Serbia, was crowned King in 1882. The Principality of Serbia was ruled by the Karađorđevic dynasty from 1817 onwards . The Principality, suzerain to the Porte, had expelled all Ottoman troops by 1867, de...
decoration instituted to recognize civilians for meritorious achievements in the arts and sciences. He was appointed an Honorary Canon of Christ Church, Oxford
Christ Church, Oxford
Christ Church or house of Christ, and thus sometimes known as The House), is one of the largest constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England...
in 1915, and an Honorary Fellow of Keble College
Keble College, Oxford
Keble College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. Its main buildings are on Parks Road, opposite the University Museum and the University Parks. The college is bordered to the north by Keble Road, to the south by Museum Road, and to the west by Blackhall...
in 1940. He died on 15 May 1948. He was married (1894) to Agnes Walker, daughter of W. T. Walker; they had no children.
Works
- The Later Mediaeval Doctrine of the Eucharistic Sacrifice. Church Historical Society [Publications] 46. London: Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, 1898.
- The Thirty-nine Articles: Their History and Explanation, 2 vols. Oxford Church Text Books. London: Rivingtons, 1899.
- The Continental Reformation. 2nd ed. Oxford Church Text Books. New York: Edwin S. Gorham, 1908.
- Documents Illustrative of the Continental Reformation. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1911.
- Documents Illustrative of the History of the Church, 3 vols. Translations of Christian Literature, Series VI. London: Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, 1920.
- A History of the Church to A.D. 461, 3 vols. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1922.
- The Churches of Eastern Christendom from A.D. 451 to the Present Time. London: The Faith Press, 1927.
- The Counter-Reformation, 1550-1600. London: Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, 1933.
- The Roman Primacy to A. D. 461. London: Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, 1936.
External links
- There are four portraits of B. J. Kidd in the National Portrait Gallery, London.