Francis James Chavasse
Encyclopedia
Francis James Chavasse was an Anglican priest. After serving in parishes in Preston, London and Oxford
, he was principal of the evangelical theological college Wycliffe Hall, Oxford
for 11 years from 1889. In 1900 he was appointed Bishop of Liverpool
, the second incumbent of the post. He held it from 1900 to 1923, during which time he was instrumental in the commissioning and the early phases of construction of Liverpool Cathedral
.
A lifelong member of the evangelical wing of the Church of England
, Chavasse strove to unite all strands of Anglicanism, and was widely accepted by members of the High Church
within his diocese.
After retiring from the bishopric in 1923, Chavasse returned to Oxford, where he was the guiding spirit of the establishment of a new academic institution admitting undergraduates of modest means. This opened in 1929, a year after his death, as St Peter's Hall, and was later given full collegiate status as St Peter's College
.
, to a family of Huguenot
origin. He was the eldest son of the surgeon Thomas Chavasse and his second wife, Miriam Sarah née Wyld. His parents intended him to be educated at Chesterfield Grammar School, but he was an unhealthy child; complications after an attack of measles led to curvature of the spine, and he narrowly survived an attack of pneumonia. He was left physically stunted, standing at only five foot three inches tall. Instead of attending the grammar school he was educated privately.
In 1865 Chavasse went up to Corpus Christi College, Oxford
. Earlier in the century, there had been a strong evangelical influence at Oxford, but by Chavasse's days as an undergraduate, leading evangelical academics such as Benjamin Symons
, John Macbride
and Richard Cotton
were old men, with few successors. One of the few was the rector
of St Aldate's
, Canon A M W Christopher (1820–1913), who was a strong influence on Chavasse, encouraging his evangelistic views. Chavasse did not shun the friendships of Anglicans of higher church
views than his own, but he drew the line at Roman Catholicism. He took a first class degree in the school of Law and Modern History in 1869.
In 1870 Chavasse was ordained priest by James Fraser
, Bishop of Manchester
, and appointed to the curacy
of St Paul's, Preston. He became known there as "the Ministering Angel", for his constant visiting the sick during an epidemic. In 1873 he was appointed vicar
of St John's Upper Holloway
, then a prosperous suburb of London, where he served for five years.
. This church was one of two in Oxford recognised as centres of the evangelical wing of the church, in a city generally dominated by High Church
Anglicanism. Chavasse was not invited for many years to preach before the University, but in the words of The Times
, "He had a genius for pastoral work, and his parish became an important centre for those who preferred the simpler services and the more individual teaching of Evangelical Churchmanship."
In 1881 Chavasse married Edith Maude, younger daughter of Canon Joseph Maude, vicar of Chirk
, Denbighshire
. They had seven children: four sons and three daughters.
Chavasse was considered a capable but not an outstanding scholar and theologian; he nevertheless achieved considerable success with his Sunday evening Greek Testament classes for undergraduates. When the principalship of the evangelically inclined theological college Wycliffe Hall, Oxford
fell vacant in 1889, he was invited to take the post. The outgoing principal, Robert Baker Girdlestone
, was known for his great scholarship, but under Chavasse the college suffered no diminution in its prestige. When Chavasse took over from Girdlestone the college was struggling to survive; it was primarily due to Chavasse's personal popularity and pastoral skills that Wycliffe Hall not only survived but flourished.
Though himself a lifelong evangelical, he was sympathetic to churchmen of other views, to the extent that some of the trustees of the college found him more liberal than they were wholly comfortable with. Students at Wycliffe Hall under Chavasse "stood for bright and reverent services, for diligent visitation, and for keen interest in voluntary schools."
, J C Ryle
, gave the Archbishop of York
notice that he intended to retire on 1 March 1900. At that time, the appointment of Anglican bishops was decided by the British prime minister, who in 1899 was Lord Salisbury
. He caused some surprise by offering the bishopric of Liverpool to Chavasse; the diocese was predominantly evangelical, but other eminent clerics from that wing of the church, such as Handley Moule
, were better known. Chavasse, however, had gained the trust and affection of all wings of the church while in Oxford, and his appointment at Liverpool was widely welcomed. The Manchester Guardian commented "Whereas Dr. Ryle's Low Churchmanship, though mellowed by the years, was still combative, Dr. Chavasse was the least pugnacious of partisans. Liverpool welcomed him with acclamation and remained enthusiastically loyal to him."
One of the few people uncertain about Chavasse's appointment was Chavasse himself. While pondering Salisbury's offer, he had written to a friend, "A man with my feeble body, average ability and temperament can hardly be intended by God for such a diocese. God is blessing Wycliffe, and ought I to leave it at present? Can I not do more good by training bishops than becoming one?" He finally accepted the post, and was consecrated bishop at York Minster
on 25 April 1900. He was enthroned as Bishop of Liverpool on 31 May 1900.
Liverpool lacked a cathedral. The diocese, founded in 1880, had a "pro-cathedral" in the form of the parish church of St Peter's, Church Street
. It was unsatisfactory, being too small for major church events, and, in the
words of the rector of Liverpool, "ugly & hideous". In 1885 there had been a proposal to construct a purpose-built cathedral worthy of the city, but the chosen site turned out to be unsuitable. Ryle, believing that the considerable expense could be better used elsewhere, supported the project only half-heartedly and it was shelved.
From the outset of his bishopric, Chavasse was determined to revive the project. There was some opposition among those rigorously evangelical members of his diocesan clergy who had earlier agreed with Ryle that there was no need for an expensive new cathedral. Chavasse did not regard evangelism as incompatible with the building of a great church as "a visible witness to God in the midst of a great city". He pressed ahead, and appointed a committee under Sir William Forwood
to consider all possible sites. Within a year a site had been chosen, and a public meeting chaired by Lord Derby
officially launched the scheme. Chavasse made a powerful and effective speech, encouraging the citizens of Liverpool, "We must build for posterity, we must take a leaf out of the book of our noble forefathers, who have handed down to us those great Cathedrals which are among the greatest heritages of the English nation". The proposal to build a cathedral was carried by acclamation. The young architect Giles Gilbert Scott
was chosen to design the building. Work began in 1904, starting with the Lady Chapel
, before building began on the huge main body of the cathedral.
In 1910 the Lady Chapel
of the new cathedral was opened for regular service. The outbreak of the First World War caused grave setbacks for Chavasse. Work on the building slowed down drastically with the diversion of men and materials for the war effort, and Chavasse and his wife lost two of their four sons, killed in action in 1917.
Chavasse had recognised from the outset that the cathedral would take several generations to build. When construction resumed after the war, with the choir and transepts
nearing completion, he decided that the consecration of the main body of the cathedral should not be the crowning glory of his episcopate, but should be the early landmark of a younger successor. He resigned in 1923, retiring to Oxford, where he was elected an honorary fellow of Corpus Christi. Wishing to benefit young men of modest means and evangelical outlook, he worked to set up a new academic institution within the university. His efforts came to fruition after his death: in 1929 the university recognised St Peter's Hall
(later St Peter's College) as a permanent private hall within the university. The first master of the hall was Chavasse's eldest son, Christopher.
Chavasse died in Oxford at the age of 81. He was buried in the precinct of Liverpool Cathedral, and a memorial to him was placed in the south choir aisle, behind the bishop's throne.
and the Croix de Guerre
. He later became rector of St Aldate's, Oxford and subsequently Bishop of Rochester
. His twin brother, Noel
, a surgeon, who won the Military Cross and the only double Victoria Cross
awarded throughout the war, was killed in action in 1917. The third son, Francis Bernard, won the Military Cross and later became a leading ophthalmic surgeon. The youngest, Aidan, was killed in action in 1917. Chavasse's wife died in 1927. In 1986, the Chavasses' twin daughters May and Marjorie entered the British record books, celebrating their 100th birthdays.
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...
, he was principal of the evangelical theological college Wycliffe Hall, Oxford
Wycliffe Hall, Oxford
Wycliffe Hall is a Church of England theological college and a Permanent Private Hall of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. It is located on the Banbury Road in central North Oxford, between Norham Gardens and Norham Road.-Overview:...
for 11 years from 1889. In 1900 he was appointed Bishop of Liverpool
Bishop of Liverpool
The Bishop of Liverpool is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Liverpool in the Province of York.The diocese stretches from Southport in the north, to Widnes in the south, and from the River Mersey to Wigan in the east. Its see is in the City of Liverpool at the Cathedral Church of...
, the second incumbent of the post. He held it from 1900 to 1923, during which time he was instrumental in the commissioning and the early phases of construction of Liverpool Cathedral
Liverpool Cathedral
Liverpool Cathedral is the Church of England cathedral of the Diocese of Liverpool, built on St James's Mount in Liverpool and is the seat of the Bishop of Liverpool. Its official name is the Cathedral Church of Christ in Liverpool but it is dedicated to Christ and the Blessed Virgin...
.
A lifelong member of the evangelical wing of 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...
, Chavasse strove to unite all strands of Anglicanism, and was widely accepted by members of the High Church
High church
The term "High Church" refers to beliefs and practices of ecclesiology, liturgy and theology, generally with an emphasis on formality, and resistance to "modernization." Although used in connection with various Christian traditions, the term has traditionally been principally associated with the...
within his diocese.
After retiring from the bishopric in 1923, Chavasse returned to Oxford, where he was the guiding spirit of the establishment of a new academic institution admitting undergraduates of modest means. This opened in 1929, a year after his death, as St Peter's Hall, and was later given full collegiate status as St Peter's College
St Peter's College, Oxford
St Peter's College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom, located in New Inn Hall Street. It occupies the site of two of the University's oldest Inns, or medieval hostels - Bishop Trellick's, later New Inn Hall, and Rose Hall - both of which were...
.
Early years
Chavasse was born at Sutton ColdfieldSutton Coldfield
Sutton Coldfield is a suburb of Birmingham, in the West Midlands of England. Sutton is located about from central Birmingham but has borders with Erdington and Kingstanding. Sutton is in the northeast of Birmingham, with a population of 105,000 recorded in the 2001 census...
, to a family of Huguenot
Huguenot
The Huguenots were members of the Protestant Reformed Church of France during the 16th and 17th centuries. Since the 17th century, people who formerly would have been called Huguenots have instead simply been called French Protestants, a title suggested by their German co-religionists, the...
origin. He was the eldest son of the surgeon Thomas Chavasse and his second wife, Miriam Sarah née Wyld. His parents intended him to be educated at Chesterfield Grammar School, but he was an unhealthy child; complications after an attack of measles led to curvature of the spine, and he narrowly survived an attack of pneumonia. He was left physically stunted, standing at only five foot three inches tall. Instead of attending the grammar school he was educated privately.
In 1865 Chavasse went up to Corpus Christi College, Oxford
Corpus Christi College, Oxford
Corpus Christi College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom...
. Earlier in the century, there had been a strong evangelical influence at Oxford, but by Chavasse's days as an undergraduate, leading evangelical academics such as Benjamin Symons
Benjamin Parsons Symons
Benjamin Parsons Symons was an academic administrator at the University of Oxford in England.Benjamin Symons was born in Cheddar, Somerset, the son of John Symons of Cheddar. He matriculated at Wadham College, Oxford on 2 February 1802, was admitted as a scholar on 25 October 1803...
, John Macbride
John Macbride (professor)
John David Macbride was an academic at the University of Oxford in the 19th century,-Life and career:John David Macbride, the son of John MacBride , was born in Plympton St Maurice, Devon, on 28 June 1778. He studied at Cheam School and Exeter College, Oxford, becoming a fellow of the college in...
and Richard Cotton
Richard Lynch Cotton
Rev. Richard Lynch Cotton was a British vicar and academic administrator at the University of Oxford.Cotton was born in Whitchurch, Oxfordshire, the son of Henry Calveley Cotton and Matilda Lockwood, one of 11 children .He was educated at Charterhouse School and Worcester College, Oxford, where he...
were old men, with few successors. One of the few was 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...
of St Aldate's
St Aldate's, Oxford
St Aldate's is a street in central Oxford, England. It is named after Saint Aldate of whom little is known, although it has also been suggested that the name is a corruption of 'old gate', referring to the south gate in the former city walls. St Aldate's Church is on the west side of the street, in...
, Canon A M W Christopher (1820–1913), who was a strong influence on Chavasse, encouraging his evangelistic views. Chavasse did not shun the friendships of Anglicans of higher church
High church
The term "High Church" refers to beliefs and practices of ecclesiology, liturgy and theology, generally with an emphasis on formality, and resistance to "modernization." Although used in connection with various Christian traditions, the term has traditionally been principally associated with the...
views than his own, but he drew the line at Roman Catholicism. He took a first class degree in the school of Law and Modern History in 1869.
James Fraser (bishop)
James Fraser was a reforming Anglican bishop of Manchester, England. An able Church administrator and policy leader, he was active in developing the Church's approach to education and in practical politics and industrial relations...
, Bishop of Manchester
Bishop of Manchester
The Bishop of Manchester is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Manchester in the Province of York.The current bishop is the Right Reverend Nigel McCulloch, the 11th Lord Bishop of Manchester, who signs Nigel Manchester. The bishop's official residence is Bishopscourt, Bury New Road,...
, and appointed to the curacy
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 St Paul's, Preston. He became known there as "the Ministering Angel", for his constant visiting the sick during an epidemic. In 1873 he was appointed vicar
Vicar
In the broadest sense, a vicar is a representative, deputy or substitute; anyone acting "in the person of" or agent for a superior . In this sense, the title is comparable to lieutenant...
of St John's Upper Holloway
Upper Holloway
Upper Holloway is a district in the London Borough of Islington, London, centred around the A1 Holloway Road.-Overview:The name has fallen out of common use and the area is generally regarded as being a part of Archway or Holloway. The use of 'Upper Holloway' is most often used for Upper Holloway...
, then a prosperous suburb of London, where he served for five years.
Oxford
In 1878 Chavasse moved back to Oxford as rector of St Peter-le-BaileyChurch of St Peter-le-Bailey
The Church of St Peter-le-Bailey is a church on New Inn Hall Street in central Oxford, England. It was formerly next to Bonn Square, which was originally the churchyard...
. This church was one of two in Oxford recognised as centres of the evangelical wing of the church, in a city generally dominated by High Church
High church
The term "High Church" refers to beliefs and practices of ecclesiology, liturgy and theology, generally with an emphasis on formality, and resistance to "modernization." Although used in connection with various Christian traditions, the term has traditionally been principally associated with the...
Anglicanism. Chavasse was not invited for many years to preach before the University, but in the words of The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
, "He had a genius for pastoral work, and his parish became an important centre for those who preferred the simpler services and the more individual teaching of Evangelical Churchmanship."
Chirk
Chirk is a small town and local government community, the lowest tier of local government, part of Wrexham County Borough in Wales. It has a population of over 4,000....
, Denbighshire
Denbighshire
Denbighshire is a county in north-east Wales. It is named after the historic county of Denbighshire, but has substantially different borders. Denbighshire has the distinction of being the oldest inhabited part of Wales. Pontnewydd Palaeolithic site has remains of Neanderthals from 225,000 years...
. They had seven children: four sons and three daughters.
Chavasse was considered a capable but not an outstanding scholar and theologian; he nevertheless achieved considerable success with his Sunday evening Greek Testament classes for undergraduates. When the principalship of the evangelically inclined theological college Wycliffe Hall, Oxford
Wycliffe Hall, Oxford
Wycliffe Hall is a Church of England theological college and a Permanent Private Hall of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. It is located on the Banbury Road in central North Oxford, between Norham Gardens and Norham Road.-Overview:...
fell vacant in 1889, he was invited to take the post. The outgoing principal, Robert Baker Girdlestone
Robert Baker Girdlestone
Canon Robert Baker Girdlestone was an Anglican priest, first principal of Wycliffe Hall, Oxford, and Hebrew scholar, best known for his reference work Synonyms of the Old Testament.-Life:...
, was known for his great scholarship, but under Chavasse the college suffered no diminution in its prestige. When Chavasse took over from Girdlestone the college was struggling to survive; it was primarily due to Chavasse's personal popularity and pastoral skills that Wycliffe Hall not only survived but flourished.
Though himself a lifelong evangelical, he was sympathetic to churchmen of other views, to the extent that some of the trustees of the college found him more liberal than they were wholly comfortable with. Students at Wycliffe Hall under Chavasse "stood for bright and reverent services, for diligent visitation, and for keen interest in voluntary schools."
Liverpool
In 1899, the octogenarian Bishop of LiverpoolBishop of Liverpool
The Bishop of Liverpool is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Liverpool in the Province of York.The diocese stretches from Southport in the north, to Widnes in the south, and from the River Mersey to Wigan in the east. Its see is in the City of Liverpool at the Cathedral Church of...
, J C Ryle
John Charles Ryle
John Charles Ryle was the first Anglican bishop of Liverpool.-Life:Ryle was born at Macclesfield, and was educated at Eton and at Christ Church, Oxford, where he was Craven Scholar in 1836...
, gave the Archbishop of York
Archbishop of York
The Archbishop of York is a high-ranking cleric in the Church of England, second only to the Archbishop of Canterbury. He is the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of York and metropolitan of the Province of York, which covers the northern portion of England as well as the Isle of Man...
notice that he intended to retire on 1 March 1900. At that time, the appointment of Anglican bishops was decided by the British prime minister, who in 1899 was Lord Salisbury
Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury
Robert Arthur Talbot Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury, KG, GCVO, PC , styled Lord Robert Cecil before 1865 and Viscount Cranborne from June 1865 until April 1868, was a British Conservative statesman and thrice Prime Minister, serving for a total of over 13 years...
. He caused some surprise by offering the bishopric of Liverpool to Chavasse; the diocese was predominantly evangelical, but other eminent clerics from that wing of the church, such as Handley Moule
Handley Moule
Handley Carr Glyn Moule was an evangelical Anglican theologian, writer, poet, and Bishop of Durham from 1901-1920....
, were better known. Chavasse, however, had gained the trust and affection of all wings of the church while in Oxford, and his appointment at Liverpool was widely welcomed. The Manchester Guardian commented "Whereas Dr. Ryle's Low Churchmanship, though mellowed by the years, was still combative, Dr. Chavasse was the least pugnacious of partisans. Liverpool welcomed him with acclamation and remained enthusiastically loyal to him."
One of the few people uncertain about Chavasse's appointment was Chavasse himself. While pondering Salisbury's offer, he had written to a friend, "A man with my feeble body, average ability and temperament can hardly be intended by God for such a diocese. God is blessing Wycliffe, and ought I to leave it at present? Can I not do more good by training bishops than becoming one?" He finally accepted the post, and was consecrated bishop at York Minster
York Minster
York Minster is a Gothic cathedral in York, England and is one of the largest of its kind in Northern Europe alongside Cologne Cathedral. The minster is the seat of the Archbishop of York, the second-highest office of the Church of England, and is the cathedral for the Diocese of York; it is run by...
on 25 April 1900. He was enthroned as Bishop of Liverpool on 31 May 1900.
Liverpool lacked a cathedral. The diocese, founded in 1880, had a "pro-cathedral" in the form of the parish church of St Peter's, Church Street
Church Street, Liverpool
Church Street is Liverpool's main shopping area, lying between Bold Street to the East and Lord Street to the West. It takes its name from St Peters a church consecraited in 1704 and demolished in 1923. Liverpool One opened fully in October 2008 being the redevelopment of a large part of the...
. It was unsatisfactory, being too small for major church events, and, in the
words of the rector of Liverpool, "ugly & hideous". In 1885 there had been a proposal to construct a purpose-built cathedral worthy of the city, but the chosen site turned out to be unsuitable. Ryle, believing that the considerable expense could be better used elsewhere, supported the project only half-heartedly and it was shelved.
From the outset of his bishopric, Chavasse was determined to revive the project. There was some opposition among those rigorously evangelical members of his diocesan clergy who had earlier agreed with Ryle that there was no need for an expensive new cathedral. Chavasse did not regard evangelism as incompatible with the building of a great church as "a visible witness to God in the midst of a great city". He pressed ahead, and appointed a committee under Sir William Forwood
William Bower Forwood
Sir William Bower Forwood was an English merchant, shipowner and politician. He was a wealthy businessman and a local politician in Liverpool who raised money for the building of the Liverpool Overhead Railway and Liverpool Cathedral.-Early life and business:Forwood was born in Edge Hill,...
to consider all possible sites. Within a year a site had been chosen, and a public meeting chaired by Lord Derby
Frederick Stanley, 16th Earl of Derby
Frederick Arthur Stanley, 16th Earl of Derby KG, GCB, GCVO, PC , known as Frederick Stanley until 1886 and as Lord Stanley of Preston between 1886 and 1893, was a Conservative Party politician in the United Kingdom who served as Colonial Secretary from 1885 to 1886 and the sixth Governor General...
officially launched the scheme. Chavasse made a powerful and effective speech, encouraging the citizens of Liverpool, "We must build for posterity, we must take a leaf out of the book of our noble forefathers, who have handed down to us those great Cathedrals which are among the greatest heritages of the English nation". The proposal to build a cathedral was carried by acclamation. The young architect Giles Gilbert Scott
Giles Gilbert Scott
Sir Giles Gilbert Scott, OM, FRIBA was an English architect known for his work on such buildings as Liverpool Cathedral and Battersea Power Station and designing the iconic red telephone box....
was chosen to design the building. Work began in 1904, starting with the Lady Chapel
Lady chapel
A Lady chapel, also called Mary chapel or Marian chapel, is a traditional English term for a chapel inside a cathedral, basilica, or large church dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary...
, before building began on the huge main body of the cathedral.
Factionalism
Religious factionalism was rife in Liverpool when Chavasse succeeded Ryle. There was little contact or sympathy between Anglicans, Roman Catholics, and nonconformists, and even within the Church of England there were entrenched and opposing factions. Although the evangelicals were in a large majority, there was a small but determined High Church, Anglo-Catholic faction, with whom Chavasse had to deal. As far as possible he reached accommodation with them. The Manchester Guardian reported one leading Ritualist as saying, "You cannot quarrel with the Bishop: he loves too much". In those few cases where the more extreme Anglo-Catholics defied church rulings on such matters as the use of incense, Chavasse, said The Times, "manfully stood his ground, speaking his mind as freely about them as he did about the fanatical Orange orators at the other end of the scale." The paper also remarked on "his singular power of bringing together people of all creeds and conditions."Later years
Lady chapel
A Lady chapel, also called Mary chapel or Marian chapel, is a traditional English term for a chapel inside a cathedral, basilica, or large church dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary...
of the new cathedral was opened for regular service. The outbreak of the First World War caused grave setbacks for Chavasse. Work on the building slowed down drastically with the diversion of men and materials for the war effort, and Chavasse and his wife lost two of their four sons, killed in action in 1917.
Chavasse had recognised from the outset that the cathedral would take several generations to build. When construction resumed after the war, with the choir and transepts
Transept
For the periodical go to The Transept.A transept is a transverse section, of any building, which lies across the main body of the building. In Christian churches, a transept is an area set crosswise to the nave in a cruciform building in Romanesque and Gothic Christian church architecture...
nearing completion, he decided that the consecration of the main body of the cathedral should not be the crowning glory of his episcopate, but should be the early landmark of a younger successor. He resigned in 1923, retiring to Oxford, where he was elected an honorary fellow of Corpus Christi. Wishing to benefit young men of modest means and evangelical outlook, he worked to set up a new academic institution within the university. His efforts came to fruition after his death: in 1929 the university recognised St Peter's Hall
St Peter's College, Oxford
St Peter's College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom, located in New Inn Hall Street. It occupies the site of two of the University's oldest Inns, or medieval hostels - Bishop Trellick's, later New Inn Hall, and Rose Hall - both of which were...
(later St Peter's College) as a permanent private hall within the university. The first master of the hall was Chavasse's eldest son, Christopher.
Chavasse died in Oxford at the age of 81. He was buried in the precinct of Liverpool Cathedral, and a memorial to him was placed in the south choir aisle, behind the bishop's throne.
Family
All four of Chavasse's sons served with distinction in the First World War. The eldest, Christopher Chavasse, won the Military CrossMilitary Cross
The Military Cross is the third-level military decoration awarded to officers and other ranks of the British Armed Forces; and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries....
and the Croix de Guerre
Croix de guerre
The Croix de guerre is a military decoration of France. It was first created in 1915 and consists of a square-cross medal on two crossed swords, hanging from a ribbon with various degree pins. The decoration was awarded during World War I, again in World War II, and in other conflicts...
. He later became rector of St Aldate's, Oxford and subsequently Bishop of Rochester
Bishop of Rochester
The Bishop of Rochester is the ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Rochester in the Province of Canterbury.The diocese covers the west of the county of Kent and is centred in the city of Rochester where the bishop's seat is located at the Cathedral Church of Christ and the Blessed Virgin...
. His twin brother, Noel
Noel Godfrey Chavasse
Captain Noel Godfrey Chavasse VC & Bar, MC was a British medical doctor and British Army officer who is one of only three people to be awarded a Victoria Cross twice....
, a surgeon, who won the Military Cross and the only double Victoria Cross
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
awarded throughout the war, was killed in action in 1917. The third son, Francis Bernard, won the Military Cross and later became a leading ophthalmic surgeon. The youngest, Aidan, was killed in action in 1917. Chavasse's wife died in 1927. In 1986, the Chavasses' twin daughters May and Marjorie entered the British record books, celebrating their 100th birthdays.