George Thackeray (book-collector and priest)

George Thackeray, DD, FLS (1777–1850) was a classical scholar and bibliophile, who served as Provost of King's College Cambridge from 1814 until his death. He was born in Windsor and baptised in the parish church there on 23rd November 1777. His parents were Frederick Thackeray, a physician, and Elizabeth, née Aldridge. Frederick Rennell Thackeray was one of his brothers, and the novelist William Makepeace Thackeray a cousin. He died at his house in Wimpole Street, London on 21st October 1850, having been ill for some years. He is buried in King's College Chapel.[1][2]

Education and career

George Thackeray entered Eton as a King's Scholar in 1792, and became a scholar of King's College Cambridge in 1796, being elected as a fellow in 1800. In 1801 he was appointed as an assistant master at Eton. He received the Cambridge degrees of BA in 1802, MA in 1805, and BD in 1813.[1] He left his post at Eton to become Provost of the King's College on 4th April 1814; on his election to the Provostship he was awarded the degree of DD by royal mandate,[2] as was then customary when a Cambridge graduate attained a post of distinction.[3] As Provost he oversaw major building developments at the college, including the current college library building.[4] He was elected as Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cambridge in 1814 and again in 1830.[5]

Although described in his obituary in the Times as a "most erudite classic" who was said to have greatly improved the university's courses and examinations in his subject,[2] he does not appear to have published anything as an author or editor.

Thackeray was ordained in the Church of England as a deacon on 13th June 1802, and as a priest on 5th June 1803. Both ordinations took place in the Windsor parish church.[6] He held the appointment of chaplain in ordinary to George III, George IV, William IV, and Queen Victoria.[1]

Personal life

Thackeray was married twice, but both of his wives died young. On 9th November 1803 he married a Miss Carbonill, about whom little is currently known; she is thought to have died in 1810. In 1816 he married Mary Ann Cottin; she died on 18th February 1818, five days after giving birth to a daughter, Mary Ann Elizabeth Thackeray. Mary Ann was attended for the birth (at 86 Wimpole Street, her sister's home) by the accoucheur Sir Richard Croft, who had attended Princess Charlotte when she died in childbirth three months earlier (in the so-called "triple obstetrical tragedy"). Croft shot himself in the house while Mary Ann was in labour; it has been speculated (by A. N. L. Munby) that she may have been showing symptoms similar to those that proved fatal in Princess Charlotte's case, though witnesses at the inquest on his death testified that he had been in mental distress ever since the princess's death.[1][4][7]

Book-collecting

After Mary Ann's death, Thackeray devoted his leisure to book collecting. At his death he owned 165 black-letter volumes, which he left to the library of King's College. His daughter never married,[8] and left the remainder of his library, about 3200 volumes, to the college on her death in 1879. Thackeray was interested in natural history, especially ornithology; he was a fellow of the Linnean Society, and his library includes many natural history volumes. In 2016 the college received a grant from the United Kingdom Heritage Lottery Fund which enabled the online cataloguing and conservation digitisation of the English literature section of the Thackeray rare book collection.[4][9]

References

"Dictionary of National Biography, 1st Edition, Vol. 56, p.90". Internet Archive. Retrieved 2023-10-14.
"University Intelligence in The Times, Issue 20627". The Times Digital Archive. 1818-10-23. Retrieved 2023-10-15.
"Honorary Degrees". Cambridge University Library. Retrieved 2023-10-15.
"Who was George Thackeray?". King's Treasures. Retrieved 2023-10-13.
"List of Vice-Chancellors of the University of Cambridge". Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2023-10-15.
"Person: Thackeray, George (1831–1832)". The Clergy of the Church of England Database. Retrieved 2023-10-14.
"Leading article in The Times, Issue 10381". The Times Digital Archive. 1818-02-16. Retrieved 2023-10-15.
"The London Gazette, June 17th 1879, p.3993" (PDF). The Gazette. Retrieved 2023-10-15.
"Digital Library (Thackeray Project)". King's College Cambridge. 2018-02-13. Retrieved 2023-10-13.

Offices

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[dnb-1] "Dictionary of National Biography, 1st Edition, Vol. 56, p.90". Internet Archive. Retrieved 2023-10-14.

[obit-2] "University Intelligence in The Times, Issue 20627". The Times Digital Archive. 1818-10-23. Retrieved 2023-10-15.

[mandate-3] "Honorary Degrees". Cambridge University Library. Retrieved 2023-10-15.

[treasures-4] "Who was George Thackeray?". King's Treasures. Retrieved 2023-10-13.

[vclist-5] "List of Vice-Chancellors of the University of Cambridge". Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2023-10-15.

[cced-6] "Person: Thackeray, George (1831–1832)". The Clergy of the Church of England Database. Retrieved 2023-10-14.

[inquest-7] "Leading article in The Times, Issue 10381". The Times Digital Archive. 1818-02-16. Retrieved 2023-10-15.

[gazette-8] "The London Gazette, June 17th 1879, p.3993" (PDF). The Gazette. Retrieved 2023-10-15.

[9] "Digital Library (Thackeray Project)". King's College Cambridge. 2018-02-13. Retrieved 2023-10-13.

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18th century	Thomas Richardson Charles Ashton George Bramston Sir John Ellys Bardsey Fisher John Balderston Edward Lany John Covel Charles Roderick Nathaniel Lloyd Gabriel Quadring John Adams Thomas Green Thomas Sherlock Daniel Waterland William Grigg Sir Thomas Gooch Thomas Crosse Andrew Snape William Savage John Davies Joseph Craven Robert Lambert John Frankland Robert Lambert Matthias Mawson Charles Morgan Roger Long William Towers John Adams John Wilcox William Richardson John Whalley Edward Hubbard Sir Edward Simpson William Sedgwick Robert Smith William George Kenrick Prescot George Rooke Edmund Castle Francis Parris Thomas Chapman Edmund Keene John Wilcox Philip Yonge Hugh Thomas Edmund Law John Sumner John Green Lynford Caryl Sir James Burrough George Sandby Robert Plumptre Peter Godard William Elliston John Barnardiston William Samuel Powell John Smith Sir James Marriott John Hinchliffe William Richardson John Sumner James Brown William Cooke Lynford Caryl Hon. Barton Wallop Richard Farmer John Chevallier Hugh Thomas Robert Plumptre William Colman Lowther Yates John Barker Richard Beadon John Torkington Peter Peckard Joseph Turner Sir James Marriott William Elliston Richard Farmer Francis Barnes William Pearce William Craven Thomas Postlethwaite Isaac Milner William Colman Lowther Yates Philip Douglas Richard Fisher Belward Robert Cory Humphrey Sumner William Lort Mansel William Gretton
19th century	Joseph Proctor Humphrey Sumner Martin Davy John Torkington Joseph Turner William Pearce Francis Barnes Edward Pearson Isaac Milner Philip Douglas Thomas Browne John Davie Robert Cory William Chafy George Thackeray John Kaye James Wood William Webb George Neville William Frere Christopher Wordsworth William French Henry Godfrey John Lamb Thomas Le Blanc Joseph Proctor Christopher Wordsworth Martin Davy Gilbert Ainslie William Chafy George Thackeray John Graham William Webb Joshua King William French George Archdall Gilbert Ainslie Thomas Worsley William Hodgson Ralph Tatham John Graham George Archdall William Whewell William Hodgson Robert Phelps Ralph Tatham Henry Philpott Robert Phelps Henry Wilkinson Cookson James Cartmell George Corrie Richard Okes James Pulling Thomas Geldart Edwin Guest William Whewell Henry Philpott William Henry Bateson Latimer Neville George Phillips Edward Atkinson Henry Wilkinson Cookson James Cartmell William Hepworth Thompson Edward Atkinson John Power Henry Wilkinson Cookson Samuel Phear Edward Atkinson John Power Edward Perowne James Porter Norman Macleod Ferrers Charles Swainson Charles Taylor Charles Edward Searle Henry Montagu Butler John Peile Augustus Austen Leigh Charles Smith Alexander Hill William Chawner
20th century	Adolphus Ward Frederic Chase Edward Beck Ernest Stewart Roberts Arthur James Mason Robert Forsyth Scott Stuart Alexander Donaldson M. R. James Thomas Fitzpatrick Arthur Shipley Peter Giles Edmund Pearce Albert Seward George Weekes Thomas Fitzpatrick Allen Beville Ramsay Will Spens J. F. Cameron Godfrey Wilson Henry Roy Dean Ernest Alfred Benians John Archibald Venn Thomas Hele Henry Thirkill Charles E. Raven Sydney Castle Roberts Sir Lionel Whitby Henry Willink Brian Downs Edgar Adrian Herbert Butterfield Ivor Jennings John Boys Smith Arthur Armitage Eric Ashby Owen Chadwick William Alexander Deer Jack Linnett Rosemary Murray Alan Cottrell Peter Swinnerton-Dyer Harry Hinsley John Butterfield Richard Adrian, 2nd Baron Adrian Michael McCrum
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