Papers of Reverend Henry Stapleton

Correspondence and papers of Reverend Henry Stapleton, 1964-1975. The papers cover his incumbency of Seaton Ross with Everingham, Bielby and Harswell (1961-1966) and then of Skelton (1967-1975) and are for the most part arranged alphabetically by subject and correspondent.

Henry Edward Champneys Stapleton was born in London in 1932. He was educated first at Pembroke College, Cambridge, and then at Ely Theological College. He was ordained deacon in 1956 and priest in 1957.
He began his clerical career in Yorkshire. In 1956 he was appointed curate of York, St Olave with St Giles. This was followed by three years as curate of nearby Pocklington with Yapham cum Meltonby and Owsthorpe between 1959 and 1961, before he was appointed rector of Seaton Ross with Everingham and Bielby and Harswell between 1961 and 1967, and then rector of Skelton from 1967 to 1975. He was also Rural Dean of Weighton from 1966 to 1967.
In 1975 he left Yorkshire for Norfolk to take up the post of vicar at Wroxham with Hoveton St John from 1975 to 1981, and then priest in charge of Belaugh in 1976 and Hoveton St Peter in 1979. In 1981 he became Canon Residentiary and Precentor of Rochester Cathedral, Kent, and in 1988 he became Dean of Carlisle.
Reverend Stapleton retired to Huddersfield in 1998 and was subsequently given permission to officiate at Wakefield from 1998 and at York from 2003. He has been a Fellow of Society of Antiquaries since 1974 and a trustee of the Churches Conservation Trust since 1976. Since 1992 he has also been a member of the Royal Commission on Historical Manuscripts. He has published several books, including ‘Skelton Village’ in 1971, ‘The Skillful Master Builder’ in 1975’ and ‘The Churchyards Handbook’ in 1988.

Records are open to the public, subject to the overriding provisions of relevant legislation, including data protection laws. 24 hours' notice is required to access photographic material.

The archive was deposited at the Borthwick Institute in the 1970s and at a later date.

Henry Edward Champneys Stapleton was born in London in 1932. He was educated first at Pembroke College, Cambridge, and then at Ely Theological College. He was ordained deacon in 1956 and priest in 1957.
He began his clerical career in Yorkshire. In 1956 he was appointed curate of York, St Olave with St Giles. This was followed by three years as curate of nearby Pocklington with Yapham cum Meltonby and Owsthorpe between 1959 and 1961, before he was appointed rector of Seaton Ross with Everingham and Bielby and Harswell between 1961 and 1967, and then rector of Skelton from 1967 to 1975. He was also Rural Dean of Weighton from 1966 to 1967.
In 1975 he left Yorkshire for Norfolk to take up the post of vicar at Wroxham with Hoveton St John from 1975 to 1981, and then priest in charge of Belaugh in 1976 and Hoveton St Peter in 1979. In 1981 he became Canon Residentiary and Precentor of Rochester Cathedral, Kent, and in 1988 he became Dean of Carlisle.
Reverend Stapleton retired to Huddersfield in 1998 and was subsequently given permission to officiate at Wakefield from 1998 and at York from 2003. He has been a Fellow of Society of Antiquaries since 1974 and a trustee of the Churches Conservation Trust since 1976. Since 1992 he has also been a member of the Royal Commission on Historical Manuscripts. He has published several books, including ‘Skelton Village’ in 1971, ‘The Skillful Master Builder’ in 1975’ and ‘The Churchyards Handbook’ in 1988.

The archive has not yet been catalogued. Please contact the Borthwick Institute for further information.

Created by S. A. Shearn, 14.03.17.

A reprographics service is available to researchers subject to the access restrictions outlined above. Copying will not be undertaken if there is any risk of damage to the document. Copies are supplied in accordance with the Borthwick Institute for Archives' terms and conditions for the supply of copies, and under provisions of any relevant copyright legislation. Permission to reproduce images of documents in the custody of the Borthwick Institute must be sought.

The archive comprises two separate deposits. The first deposit, dated 1974-1975, was received in the 1970s as part of the Clergy Records Project which aimed to document the administrative work of individual members of clergy by preserving the records received and generated in the course of their daily work during 1975. A second deposit of Reverend Stapleton's papers, dated 1964-1975, was received at a later date. In 2017 the decision was taken to unite the two deposits into a single archive.

Further accruals are not expected.

Further papers of Reverend Stapleton are deposited at the Borthwick Institute as part of the parish records of Skelton (Reference: PR/SKE).
The records of the Dean and Chapter of Carlisle are deposited at Carlisle Archive Centre.

Published

GB193