Francis Stainforth
Encyclopedia
The Reverend Francis John Stainforth (1797 - 3 September 1866) was an early British philatelist and the Perpetual Curate of All Hallows Staining
church in London where Mount Brown
compiled large parts of his catalogue. The church was believed to be the one mentioned by Charles Dickens in Dombey & Son. Stainforth was a former Captain in the Bengal Cavalry before being ordained in 1830 and licensed 5 December 1851.
Philatelic sources and Stainforth's death certificate all give his forenames as Francis John, however, an 1894 work by the Rev. A. Povah records his names as Frederick J.
, Henry Haslett
, Frederick Philbrick
, William Hughes-Hughes
and Sir Daniel Cooper. Stainforth in particular was said to have had a very fine collection which largely formed the basis for Brown's catalogue.
The group that met at the church were thought to be the most serious British collectors of the day and have been credited with being the nucleus that eventually formed The Philatelic Society, London, which subsequently became the Royal Philatelic Society London, the oldest philatelic society in the world. Stainforth was never a member of the Society as he died before it was formed in 1869.
All Hallows Staining
All Hallows Staining was a Church of England church located at the junction of Fenchurch Avenue and Billiter Street in the north-eastern corner of Langbourn ward in the City of London, close to Fenchurch Street railway station. All that remains of the church is the tower, built around 1320 AD as...
church in London where Mount Brown
Mount Brown (philatelist)
Mount Brown was an early British philatelist and the compiler of only the second published stamp catalogue in the English language...
compiled large parts of his catalogue. The church was believed to be the one mentioned by Charles Dickens in Dombey & Son. Stainforth was a former Captain in the Bengal Cavalry before being ordained in 1830 and licensed 5 December 1851.
Philatelic sources and Stainforth's death certificate all give his forenames as Francis John, however, an 1894 work by the Rev. A. Povah records his names as Frederick J.
Origins of The Royal Philatelic Society
Stainforth met at the Rectory in 9 Mark Lane, which adjoined the church, on Saturday afternoons with a group of like-minded collectors to pool their knowledge. Apart from Mount Brown, these included Dr. Charles W. VinerCharles Viner
Charles William Viner A.M., Ph.D., was a British philatelist who was a founding member of the Philatelic Society, London, later to become the Royal Philatelic Society London, and who was present at the initial meeting of the society on 10 April 1869...
, Henry Haslett
Henry Haslett
Henry Haslett was one of the small group who met regularly at the Rev. Stainforth's Rectory that formed the nucleus from which The Philatelic Society, London, subsequently The Royal Philatelic Society London, was formed...
, Frederick Philbrick
Frederick Philbrick
Frederick Adolphus Philbrick was a lawyer and an early British philatelist.He was one of the founders of the "Philatelic Society, London", which later became the Royal Philatelic Society London...
, William Hughes-Hughes
William Hughes-Hughes
William Hughes-Hughes J.P. D.L. was a founding member of The Philatelic Society, London, which subsequently became The Royal Philatelic Society London, and one of the small group who met regularly at the Rev. Stainforth's Rectory before that society was formed...
and Sir Daniel Cooper. Stainforth in particular was said to have had a very fine collection which largely formed the basis for Brown's catalogue.
The group that met at the church were thought to be the most serious British collectors of the day and have been credited with being the nucleus that eventually formed The Philatelic Society, London, which subsequently became the Royal Philatelic Society London, the oldest philatelic society in the world. Stainforth was never a member of the Society as he died before it was formed in 1869.