The Rev. William Slater Calverley (1847–1898) was an unassuming rural English
vicar
A vicar (; Latin: '' vicarius'') is a representative, deputy or substitute; anyone acting "in the person of" or agent for a superior (compare "vicarious" in the sense of "at second hand"). Linguistically, ''vicar'' is cognate with the English pr ...
who through diligent study and painstaking scrutiny became an extraordinary amateur
antiquarian. Although born in
Leicestershire, Calverley claimed his fame through interpreting the carved sculptured relics that he and others found in
Cumberland churchyards. He made intricate drawings, corresponded with academic authorities, and gave his own interpretations, which he then relayed to a wider audience. Calverley later produced in intricate detail a life-sized reproduction of the famous
Gosforth Cross
The Gosforth Cross is a large stone monument in St Mary's churchyard at Gosforth in the English county of Cumbria, dating to the first half of the 10th century AD. Formerly part of the kingdom of Northumbria, the area was settled by Scandinavi ...
, which now stands in
Aspatria
Aspatria is a town and civil parish in the non-metropolitan district of Allerdale, and is currently embraced in the Parliamentary constituency of Workington, Cumbria, England. Historically within Cumberland the town rests on the north side of ...
churchyard.
Biography
Religion and education
William Slater Calverley (1847–1898) was born at
Kibworth
Kibworth is an area of the Harborough district of Leicestershire, England, that contains two civil parishes: the villages of Kibworth Beauchamp and Kibworth Harcourt . At the 2011 census, Kibworth Beauchamp had a population of 5,433 and Kib ...
, Leicestershire in 1847. After completing his formal education he entered
New College, Oxford
New College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. Founded in 1379 by William of Wykeham in conjunction with Winchester College as its feeder school, New College is one of the oldest colleges at ...
, but left to take up private tuition before attaining his degree. During this period he began to study art at the
South Kensington School of Art
The Royal College of Art (RCA) is a public research university in London, United Kingdom, with campuses in South Kensington, Battersea and White City. It is the only entirely postgraduate art and design university in the United Kingdom. It offe ...
and according to contemporary reports could have achieved the gold medal but for illness. This period of study proved very useful later in life. Notwithstanding his artistic ability he chose to enter the church. He was ordained
deacon
A deacon is a member of the diaconate, an office in Christian churches that is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions. Major Christian churches, such as the Catholic Chur ...
by
Bishop Goodwin at
Carlisle
Carlisle ( , ; from xcb, Caer Luel) is a city that lies within the Northern English county of Cumbria, south of the Scottish border at the confluence of the rivers Eden, Caldew and Petteril. It is the administrative centre of the City ...
, Cumberland, in 1872 and afterwards became curate of
Eskdale parish, South Cumberland. In the following year he took priest's orders and assumed an appointment as
curate
A curate () is a person who is invested with the ''care'' or ''cure'' (''cura'') ''of souls'' of a parish. In this sense, "curate" means a parish priest; but in English-speaking countries the term ''curate'' is commonly used to describe clergy w ...
at
Maryport
Maryport is a town and civil parish in the Allerdale borough of Cumbria, England, historically in Cumberland.
The town is situated just outside the Lake District National Park, at the northern end of the former Cumberland Coalfield.
Locati ...
, moving in 1874 to
Dearham
Dearham is a village and civil parish in the Allerdale district of Cumbria, historically part of Cumberland, near the Lake District National Park in England. It lies about east of Maryport and west of Cockermouth.
According to the 2001 censu ...
, where he served three years as curate and eight years as vicar of the same church. Under his guidance the church was restored, the vicarage and church yard enlarged and improved, and the district church at
Ellenborough Ellenborough could refer to:
* Ellenborough, Cumbria, England
* Ellenborough, New South Wales, Australia
* Ellenborough Park, Weston-super-Mare, a park in Somerset, England
* Baron Ellenborough
Baron Ellenborough, of Ellenborough in the County ...
founded. In 1885, he became vicar of
St. Kentigern's Church, Aspatria
St Kentigern's Church stands in the village of Aspatria, Cumbria, England. It is an active Anglican parish church in the rural deanery of Maryport, the archdeaconry of Carlisle and the diocese of Carlisle. The church has been designated by ...
. One important feature of his pastorate of Aspatria was the acquisition of a peal of bells for the church.
Antiquarianism
Calverley ignited an interest in local and
ancient history
Ancient history is a time period from the beginning of writing and recorded human history to as far as late antiquity. The span of recorded history is roughly 5,000 years, beginning with the Sumerian cuneiform script. Ancient history co ...
during the church restorations at Dearham, which brought to light remains of ancient art. Through the study of pre-
Norman
Norman or Normans may refer to:
Ethnic and cultural identity
* The Normans, a people partly descended from Norse Vikings who settled in the territory of Normandy in France in the 10th and 11th centuries
** People or things connected with the Norm ...
stones and artefacts he became one of the world's foremost antiquarian scholars. After finding several pre-Norman sculptures he contacted leading authorities, and formed a close working relationship with the English born professor,
George Stephens George Stephens may refer to:
* George Stephens (playwright) (1800–1851), English author and dramatist
*George Stephens (philologist) (1813–1895), British archaeologist and philologist, who worked in Scandinavia
* George Washington Stephens, Sr ...
of
Copenhagen University
The University of Copenhagen ( da, Københavns Universitet, KU) is a prestigious public university, public research university in Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark. Founded in 1479, the University of Copenhagen is the second-oldest university in ...
. Stephens incorporated and embodied Calverley's discoveries and descriptions into one of the chapters of his book ''Old Northern Runic Monuments'' The communications with Stephens encouraged Calverley to delve deeper into the subject and in 1883 he announced to the Archaeological Institute at Carlisle, his reading of
Edda
"Edda" (; Old Norse ''Edda'', plural ''Eddur'') is an Old Norse term that has been attributed by modern scholars to the collective of two Medieval Icelandic literary works: what is now known as the '' Prose Edda'' and an older collection of poem ...
myths on the Christian cross at
Gosforth
Gosforth is a suburb of the city and metropolitan borough of Newcastle upon Tyne, England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish ...
, West Cumberland. The news created a sensation; prior to these discovery authorities held that Christian monuments contained nothing but Christian subjects. Although others had tried to make a connection with
Buddhism
Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...
,
Druidism
A druid was a member of the high-ranking class in ancient Celtic cultures. Druids were religious leaders as well as legal authorities, adjudicators, lorekeepers, medical professionals and political advisors. Druids left no written accounts. Wh ...
, and
Astronomy
Astronomy () is a natural science that studies astronomical object, celestial objects and phenomena. It uses mathematics, physics, and chemistry in order to explain their origin and chronology of the Universe, evolution. Objects of interest ...
, Calverley identified the '
Pagan overlap' in English relics. His critics were finally silenced after the Rev.
G. F. Browne
George Forrest Browne (4 December 1833 – 1 June 1930) was an English bishop, the first Anglican Bishop of Stepney from 1895 until 1897 when he was appointed Bishop of Bristol. Early life
Browne was born in York 1833 and educated at St Pet ...
(later Bishop of
Bristol
Bristol () is a city, ceremonial county and unitary authority in England. Situated on the River Avon, it is bordered by the ceremonial counties of Gloucestershire to the north and Somerset to the south. Bristol is the most populous city i ...
) published his research into the meaning of the Scandinavian legends on the cross at Leeds, and the one at
Kirk Andreas
Andreas ( or ; gv, Skeerey Andreas) is one of the seventeen parishes of the Isle of Man. It is located in the north of the island (part of the traditional ''North Side'' division) in the sheading of Ayre. The main settlement in the parish in t ...
,
Isle of Man
)
, anthem = " O Land of Our Birth"
, image = Isle of Man by Sentinel-2.jpg
, image_map = Europe-Isle_of_Man.svg
, mapsize =
, map_alt = Location of the Isle of Man in Europe
, map_caption = Location of the Isle of Man (green)
in Europ ...
. In February 1891, Calverley interpreted the
Völsung
In Norse mythology, Völsung ( non, Vǫlsungr ) was the son of Rerir and the eponymous ancestor of the ill-fated Völsung clan (), which includes the well known Norse hero Sigurð. He was murdered by the Geatish king Siggeir and later avenged by ...
myth at
Halton in a lecture to the
Lancaster Lancaster may refer to:
Lands and titles
*The County Palatine of Lancaster, a synonym for Lancashire
*Duchy of Lancaster, one of only two British royal duchies
*Duke of Lancaster
*Earl of Lancaster
*House of Lancaster, a British royal dynasty
...
Philosophical Society and later that year he read a paper on the same subject to an audience at the
Royal Archaeological Institute
The Royal Archaeological Institute (RAI) is a learned society, established in 1844, with interests in all aspects of the archaeological, architectural and landscape history of the British Isles. Membership is open to all with an interest in these ...
at
Edinburgh
Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...
.
Calverley at Aspatria
As vicar at Aspatria, Calverley began to study the ancient relics of that parish. He made intricate drawings of the 'Standing Cross', which at that time stood in its own rectangular socket in the south side of the churchyard, and compared its markings to other artefacts in the county. He also studied the
Saxon
The Saxons ( la, Saxones, german: Sachsen, ang, Seaxan, osx, Sahson, nds, Sassen, nl, Saksen) were a group of Germanic
*
*
*
*
peoples whose name was given in the early Middle Ages to a large country ( Old Saxony, la, Saxonia) near the No ...
hogbacks, the
swastika
The swastika (卐 or 卍) is an ancient religious and cultural symbol, predominantly in various Eurasian, as well as some African and American cultures, now also widely recognized for its appropriation by the Nazi Party and by neo-Nazis. I ...
s, the two spiral shafts, the spiral fragments and began to draw conclusions, which related to the age and importance of the site of the ancient church. Having realised the importance of these relics he removed them to the
vestry
A vestry was a committee for the local secular and ecclesiastical government for a parish in England, Wales and some English colonies which originally met in the vestry or sacristy of the parish church, and consequently became known colloquial ...
. All of his conclusions remain his testimony today. However, it was his interpretation of the meaning of the spiral markings on the Gosforth Cross which assured his fame. Not content to make sketches of the carvings, Calverley determined to make an exact life-size reproduction a means of understanding the Masonic mystery of the sculpture. Aspatria parish is rich in red
freestone
Freestone or free stone may refer to:
Places Australia
* Freestone, Queensland, a locality in the Southern Downs Region
United States
* Freestone, California, United States
* Freestone, Texas, an unincorporated community
* Freestone County, ...
and in due course he acquired from the local quarries, a solid piece of rock 2 feet wide, 2 feet thick and 16 feet long. With the aid of a retired master mason he carved out the cross and then proceeded with the carving. He reproduced the markings in intricate detail and the replica cross now stands in its own socket in the east end of Aspatria churchyard, a few feet away from Calverley's final resting place. As to the significance of the Gosforth Cross; Stephens, on visiting the site, pronounced it, "one of the costliest olden
Roods
A rood or rood cross, sometimes known as a triumphal cross, is a cross or crucifix, especially the large crucifix set above the entrance to the chancel of a medieval church.
Alternatively, it is a large sculpture or painting of the crucifixion ...
in Europe" – unique in all his experience, and "probably of seventh century date." In Calverley's opinion it was a Christian monument, not an heathen pillar surmounted by a cross. He described it as an "elaborately carved Christian cross set in a socket of three Calvary steps.".
Academic achievements
Calverley was elected F.S.A. (Fellow of the
Society of Antiquaries) in 1885, and in that capacity served as the Cumberland secretary, reporting new finds. He was also a member of the
Royal Archaeological Institute
The Royal Archaeological Institute (RAI) is a learned society, established in 1844, with interests in all aspects of the archaeological, architectural and landscape history of the British Isles. Membership is open to all with an interest in these ...
, and a Fellow of the
Royal Historical Society
The Royal Historical Society, founded in 1868, is a learned society of the United Kingdom which advances scholarly studies of history.
Origins
The society was founded and received its royal charter in 1868. Until 1872 it was known as the Histori ...
. In addition to delivering a large number of technical papers to a variety of Societies and historical organisations he was heavily involved in the excavation of the
Hardknott Roman Fort
Hardknott Roman Fort is an archeological site, the remains of the Roman fort ''Mediobogdum'', located on the western side of the Hardknott Pass in the English county of Cumbria. The fort was built between 120 and 138 on a rocky spur, and was i ...
, South Cumberland. He also became one of the committee of experts who superintended the exploration of
Hadrian's Wall in northern England. He died before the publication of his ''magnum opus'' entitled ''Notes on the Early Sculptured Crosses, Shrines and Monuments in the Present Diocese of Carlisle'', which was published in 1898 with
W. G. Collingwood
William Gershom Collingwood (; 6 August 1854, in Liverpool – 1 October 1932) was an English author, artist, antiquary and professor of Fine Arts at University College, Reading.Obituary in ''The Times'', ''Mr W.G. Collingwood'', ''Artist, Auth ...
as editor.
Civic duties
Calverley took a keen interest in the affairs of Aspatria. He occupied a seat on the
Local Board
Local boards or local boards of health were local authorities in urban areas of England and Wales from 1848 to 1894. They were formed in response to cholera epidemics and were given powers to control sewers, clean the streets, regulate environment ...
, and afterwards the Aspatria
Urban District Council
In England and Wales, Northern Ireland, and the Republic of Ireland, an urban district was a type of local government district that covered an urbanised area. Urban districts had an elected urban district council (UDC), which shared local gove ...
. He also had a position on the Aspatria and Brayton
School Board
A board of education, school committee or school board is the board of directors or board of trustees of a school, local school district or an equivalent institution.
The elected council determines the educational policy in a small regional ar ...
.
[''West Cumberland Times'', 24 September 1898]
Academic contributions
* All references below, unless otherwise stated, were written for the Cumberland and Westmoreland Antiquarian and Archaeological Society and are printed in their ''Transactions''.
* Notes on the Sculptured Stones at Dearham Church, Read at Dearham, 17 June 1880.
* Illustrations of Teutonic Mythology from early Christian Monuments at Brigham and Dearham. Read at Egremont, 30 August 1881.
* The Sculptured Cross at Gosforth, West Cumberland, by the Rev W. S. Calverley. Printed in the ''Transactions of the Cumberland & Westmorland Antiquarian and Archaeological Society'' 1883.
* Early Sculptured Cross Shaft at Dearham Church, Cumberland. Read at Kirby Lonsdale 27 June 1883
* Barbon Cross. Read at Caldbeck. 22 August 1883.(Not printed in the ''Transactions'')
* Some Ancient Dials in the Diocese of Carlisle. Read at Alston, 10 July 1884
* Sculptured Stone at Isel Church, Cumberland, bearing the 'Swastika', 'Triskele' and other symbols. Read at Carlisle, 23 July 1885.
* Cross fragments at St. Michael's Church, Workington. Read at Kirkby Stephen, 7 July 1887
* Notes on some coped pre-Norman Tombstones at Aspatria, Lowther, Cross-Canonby, and Plumbland. Read at Ulverston, 13 September 1887.
* Red sandstone Cross-Shaft at Cross-Canonby. Read at Ulverston, 13 September 1887.
* The Giant's Grave, Penrith. Read at Penrith, 12 July 1888. (Not printed in the ''Transactions'')
* The Parish of Westward. Read at Westward, 13 September 1888.(Not printed in the ''Transactions'')
* Fragments of a British Cross and many Early English and other grave-covers found in Bromfield churchyard. Read at Carlisle, 13 September 1888.
* Pre-Norman Cross fragments at Aspatria, Workington, Distington, Bridekirk, Gilcrux, Plumbland, and Isel. Read at Penrith 4 July and Ambleside, 6 September 1889.
* The Dacre Stone. Printed in the ''Transaction'' 1890.
* Fragments of Pre-Norman Crosses at Workington and Bromfield, and the Standing Cross at Rocliffe. Read at Appleby, 3 July 1890.
* Bewcastle Cross. Read at Bewcastle, 21 August 1891.
* Tympanum at Bridekirk Church. Read at Seascale, 21 September 1892.
* Crosses at Waberthwaite Church and at High Aketon Farm in the Parish of Bromfield. Read at Seascale, 21 September 1892.
* The Roman Fort at Hardknott. Printed in the Transaction for 1893 and 1895.
* Pre-Norman Cross Shaft at Haversham. Read at Haversham 25 September 1893.
* Shrine-shaped or Coped Tombstone at Gosforth, Cumberland. Read at Shap, 15 July and at Penrith 23 September 1897.
* He also wrote for the Archaeological Institute two papers on the sculptured Cross at Gosforth. A preliminary paper read at the meeting at Carlisle, 3 August 1882, and a second paper with full-sized drawings laid before the Institute at their meeting, 2 December 1882 and printed in the ''Archaeological Journal'', vol. xl, p. 143.
References
Bibliography
*
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Calverley, William Slater
People from Aspatria
19th-century English Anglican priests
1847 births
1898 deaths
English antiquarians
Anglo-Saxon art
Anglo-Norse England
High crosses
Anglo-Saxon studies scholars
People from Kibworth
Fellows of the Society of Antiquaries of London
Fellows of the Royal Historical Society
People from Dearham