Nat Gould

Francis Beresford Champion 1854-1931

The Reverend Francis Beresford Champion MA was born on 31 January 1854 at Duncrievie, Kinross in Scotland (1), the son of the Reverend John Champion 1802-1872 and his wife nee Margaret Elizabeth Murray.

After attending Uppingham School in Rutland, he entered Jesus College in Cambridge in October 1873. He graduated BA in 1877 and was ordained deacon at Ely Cathedral in that year and priest there in 1878. He graduated MA in 1889. He was Curate of Huntingdon from 1877 to 1878 and of Mildenhall in Suffolk from 1878 to 1881.

In 1881 he was appointed Vicar of Edale in Derbyshire, where his father had been successively Curate and Vicar until his death in 1872. He paid for the rebuilding of Edale Church at the cost of £3,000, and served there until 1891. He was successively Rector of North Pickenham with Houghton-on-the-Hill in Norfolk from 1891 to 1896, Rural Dean of Cranwich from 1902 to 1916, and Rector of Great Bealings in Suffolk from 1916 until 1930. He died at Peasenhall in Suffolk on 4 June 1931 (2).

At Edale on 4 June 1882 he married Annie Maud Aldrich, daughter of Pelham Aldrich, MRCS. She died on 20 December 1940 at Hill Close, Great Bealings (3).

(1) The home of his mother Margaret Elizabeth Murray.
(2) Alumni Cantabrigienses Part II 1752-1900 volume ii (1944) page 6.
(3) The Times 21 December 1940.