Richard William Jelf (25 January 179819 September 1871) was the fourth Principal of

King's College, London King's College London (informally King's or KCL) is a public university, public research university in London, England. King's was established by royal charter in 1829 under the patronage of George IV of the United Kingdom, King George IV ...

. He was educated at

Eton College Eton College ( ) is a Public school (United Kingdom), public school providing boarding school, boarding education for boys aged 13–18, in the small town of Eton, Berkshire, Eton, in Berkshire, in the United Kingdom. It has educated Prime Mini ...

and

Christ Church, Oxford Christ Church (, the temple or house, ''wikt:aedes, ædes'', of Christ, and thus sometimes known as "The House") is a Colleges of the University of Oxford, constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. Founded in 1546 by Henry V ...

, and was subsequently made a

Fellow A fellow is a title and form of address for distinguished, learned, or skilled individuals in academia, medicine, research, and industry. The exact meaning of the term differs in each field. In learned society, learned or professional society, p ...

Oriel College, Oxford Oriel College () is Colleges of the University of Oxford, a constituent college of the University of Oxford in Oxford, England. Located in Oriel Square, the college has the distinction of being the oldest royal foundation in Oxford (a title for ...

. He served as

canon Canon or Canons may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Canon (fiction), the material accepted as officially written by an author or an ascribed author * Literary canon, an accepted body of works considered as high culture ** Western canon, th ...

, and

Principal Principal may refer to: Title or rank * Principal (academia), the chief executive of a university ** Principal (education), the head of a school * Principal (civil service) or principal officer, the senior management level in the UK Civil Ser ...

of King's College, London, from 1844 to 1868.

Early life

He was the second son of Sir James Jelf, of

Gloucester Gloucester ( ) is a cathedral city, non-metropolitan district and the county town of Gloucestershire in the South West England, South West of England. Gloucester lies on the River Severn, between the Cotswolds to the east and the Forest of Dean ...

, and brother of

William Edward Jelf William Edward Jelf (1811–1875) was an English churchman and academic, known as a classical scholar. Life Born 3 April 1811, he was fifth son of Sir James Jelf of Gloucester, and brother of Richard William Jelf. He was educated at Eton College ...

. He was educated at Eton, where he began a lifelong friendship with

Edward Bouverie Pusey Edward Bouverie Pusey (; 22 August 180016 September 1882) was an English Anglican cleric, for more than fifty years Regius Professor of Hebrew at the University of Oxford. He was one of the leading figures in the Oxford Movement, with interest ...

, and in December 1816 matriculated at Christ Church, Oxford, where he graduated B.A. (with a second class in classics) in 1820, and M.A. in 1823, B.D. 1831, D.D. 1839.

Career

In 1820 he was elected fellow of Oriel College, took holy orders in 1821, and became one of the tutors in 1823 after receiving his M.A. Jelf was master of the schools in 1824, and classical examiner in 1825. After being for a short time private tutor to Sir George Nugent, Jelf was in 1826 appointed preceptor to

Prince George of Cumberland George V (Georg Friedrich Alexander Karl Ernst August; 27 May 1819 – 12 June 1878) was the last King of Hanover, reigning from 18 November 1851 to 20 September 1866. The only child of King Ernest Augustus and Frederica of Mecklenburg-Strelit ...

. This post he filled for thirteen years, residing much at

Berlin Berlin ( ; ) is the Capital of Germany, capital and largest city of Germany, by both area and List of cities in Germany by population, population. With 3.7 million inhabitants, it has the List of cities in the European Union by population withi ...

before his pupil's father became king of Hanover (in 1837). In 1830 he was appointed canon of Christ Church, as well as married. Jelf never was prominent

Tractarian The Oxford Movement was a theological movement of high-church members of the Church of England which began in the 1830s and eventually developed into Anglo-Catholicism. The movement, whose original devotees were mostly associated with the Uni ...

, but both

John Henry Newman John Henry Newman (21 February 1801 – 11 August 1890) was an English Catholic theologian, academic, philosopher, historian, writer, and poet. He was previously an Anglican priest and after his conversion became a cardinal. He was an ...

and his friend Pusey addressed to him their letters on the interpretation of the Thirty-nine Articles, advocated in

Tract 90 ''Remarks on Certain Passages in the Thirty-Nine Articles'', better known as Tract 90, was a theological pamphlet written by the English theologian and churchman John Henry Newman and published 25 January 1841. It is the most famous and the most c ...

of the ''

Tracts for the Times The Tracts for the Times were a series of 90 theological publications, varying in length from a few pages to book-length, produced by members of the English Oxford Movement, an Anglo-Catholic revival group, from 1833 to 1841. There were about a do ...

'', in 1841. In 1842 he preached a sermon before the university, published as ''Via Media; or the Church of England our providential path between Romanism and Dissent''. In 1847 he was appointed one of the six doctors to examine and report on Pusey's sermon, with the result that Pusey was suspended from preaching for two years. In 1844 Jelf succeeded Bishop

John Lonsdale John Lonsdale (17 January 1788 – 19 October 1867) was an English clergyman, who was the third Principal of King's College, London, and later served as Bishop of Lichfield. He was educated at Eton College and King's College, Cambridge, an ...

as principal of King's College, London, which had been founded in 1829 as in response to the theological controversies surrounding the secular

University of London The University of London (UoL; abbreviated as Lond or more rarely Londin in Post-nominal letters, post-nominals) is a collegiate university, federal Public university, public research university located in London, England, United Kingdom. The ...

in 1826. There Jelf remained for twenty-four years, founding the theological department. When F. D. Maurice, the professor of theology, published his ''Theological Essays'' in 1853, Jelf condemned his views, and the council deprived Maurice of his professorship, although Maurice would be unanimously elected the Knightbridge professorship at Cambridge in 1866. Jelf also served as proctor in convocation for the chapter of Christ Church, and also sub-almoner to the queen. After resigning in 1868 the principalship of King's College, Jelf lived in the house attached to his canonry at Oxford, where he died on 19 September 1871.

Works

Jelf preached the

Bampton lectures The Bampton Lectures at the University of Oxford, England, were founded by a bequest of John Bampton. They have taken place since 1780. They were a series of annual lectures; since the turn of the 20th century they have sometimes been biennial ...

at Oxford in 1844, his subject being ''An Inquiry into the means of Grace, their mutual connection and combined use, with especial reference to the Church of England''. He published a volume of ''Sermons Doctrinal and Practical'', London, 1835; and ''Suggestions respecting the Neglect of the Hebrew Language as a qualification for Holy Orders'', London, 1832. He also edited Bishop

John Jewel John Jewel (''alias'' Jewell) (24 May 1522 – 23 September 1571) of Devon, England was Bishop of Salisbury from 1559 to 1571. Life He was the youngest son of John Jewel of Bowden in the parish of Berry Narbor in Devon, by his wife Alice Bel ...

's ''Works'', Oxford, 1848, 8 vols., and left behind him a series of ''Lectures on the Thirty-nine Articles'', which were edited after his death, 1873, by his son-in-law, the Rev. J. R. King.

Legacy

The Jelf Medal was established at

King's College London King's College London (informally King's or KCL) is a public university, public research university in London, England. King's was established by royal charter in 1829 under the patronage of George IV of the United Kingdom, King George IV ...

in his memory; it is awarded to the student who, in the view of the

, has most distinguished him or herself during their undergraduate career at the College.

Family

Jelf married in 1830 Emmy, countess Schlippenbach, lady-in-waiting to the Duchess of Cumberland; he had seven children, including

George Edward Jelf George Edward Jelf (1834–1908) was an English churchman and Master of Charterhouse. Life The eldest son of seven children of Richard William Jelf and Emmy, Countess of Schlippenbach, lady-in-waiting to Frederica, Duchess of Cumberland, he was b ...

, canon of Rochester, Sir Arthur Richard Jelf, and Colonel

Richard Henry Jelf Colonel Richard Henry Jelf (2 February 1844 – 26 April 1913) was a British army officer and commandant of the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich. Early life Jelf was born in Oxford, the third and youngest son of the Reverend Doctor Richard Wil ...

. His grandsons were Wilfrid Jelf and Henry Jelf, both first-class cricketers and military officers.

References

External links

Correspondence at the National Archives

Bibliographic directory
from

Project Canterbury Project Canterbury (sometimes abbreviated as PC) is an online archive of material related to the history of Anglicanism. It was founded by Richard Mammana, Jr. in 1999 with a grant from Episcopal Church Presiding Bishop Frank T. Griswold, and is ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Jelf, Richard William 1798 births 1871 deaths People educated at Eton College Alumni of Christ Church, Oxford Fellows of Oriel College, Oxford Principals of King's College London