Dom Benet Perceval, OSB (1916 – 2009) was the oldest member of the monastic community at

Ampleforth Abbey Ampleforth Abbey is a monastery of Benedictine monks a mile to the east of Ampleforth, North Yorkshire, England, part of the English Benedictine Congregation. It descends from the pre-Reformation community at Westminster Abbey through the las ...

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

, when he died at age 92 on 30 January 2009.

Life

He was born as Peter Perceval in

Wimbledon Wimbledon most often refers to: * Wimbledon, London, a district of southwest London * Wimbledon Championships, the oldest tennis tournament in the world and one of the four Grand Slam championships Wimbledon may also refer to: Places London * W ...

in 1916. In 1926 he began studying at

Ampleforth College Ampleforth College is a co-educational Private schools in the United Kingdom, fee-charging boarding and day school in the English Public school (United Kingdom), public school tradition. It opened in 1803 as a boys' school. It is near the villa ...

. He took the name ''Benet'' in September 1934 when he joined the Ampleforth community. From 1937-1940 he studied at the

University of Oxford The University of Oxford is a collegiate university, collegiate research university in Oxford, England. There is evidence of teaching as early as 1096, making it the oldest university in the English-speaking world and the List of oldest un ...

. Besides the time he spent at the University of Oxford, he lived the entirety his life in

North Yorkshire North Yorkshire is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in Northern England.The Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority areas of City of York, York and North Yorkshire (district), North Yorkshire are in Yorkshire and t ...

. Following his studies at Oxford he fulfilled a variety of roles in the monastery and school, including: * Secretary to the Ampleforth War Memorial Trust Fund which provides bursaries for students to

(1945-2009). * The first Housemaster of St John's House, a post he held until 1980. * The College's Second Master until 1986. *

Prior The term prior may refer to: * Prior (ecclesiastical), the head of a priory (monastery) * Prior convictions, the life history and previous convictions of a suspect or defendant in a criminal case * Prior probability, in Bayesian statistics * Prio ...

of the Community from 1988. * Served on the Abbey's Farm Board/Farm Committee which oversees work on Ampleforth's farmland.

Family

He was a distant relation of

Spencer Perceval Spencer Perceval (1 November 1762 – 11 May 1812) was a British statesman and barrister who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from October 1809 until his assassination in May 1812. He is the only British prime minister to have been as ...

, the only British Prime Minister to be assassinated (shot in the lobby of the

House of Commons of the United Kingdom The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the upper house, the House of Lords, it meets in the Palace of Westminster in London, England. The House of Commons is an elected body consisting of 650 memb ...

in May 1812).

Posthumous tribute

Dom Benet's death was marked the same day by tolling the Abbey's bell, with 1 toll every 30 seconds for each year of his life.

References

Sources

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Perceval, Benet 1916 births 2009 deaths People educated at Ampleforth College Alumni of the University of Oxford People from Ryedale (district) People from Wimbledon, London English Benedictines