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Celebrating Hampshire Historians

Davies, John Silvester (Rev)

22.05.1830-14.02.1909

The son of a customs officer, John Silvester was born in Bloomsbury. His higher education was undertaken at Pembroke College, Oxford. He was ordained in 1853 and served as a curate  at St Algate’s Oxford until 1855.

He then succeeded his uncle as priest in charge of Jesus Chapel, Peartree Green (now a suburb of Southampton on the eastern side of the Itchen), where he remained until 1860. After a year as assistant chaplain in Alexandria he returned to Southampton in 1861 and was appointed a curate at St Peters, where he stayed until 1864 when he was appointed as the first incumbent of  St Mark’s Woolston.

In 1880 he moved to St James’ Enfield Highway, where he was vicar until retirement in 1895. He never married and died at Adelaide House in Enfield in 1909 aged 78.

Sources

https://www.peartreeandstmarkschurches.org/the-davies-family

Crockford’s Directories

Portrait

Cover of J S Davies book on Old Southampton\

The cover of Davies' book on Southampton.

Contribution to county’s history

With respect to local history, John Silverster’s magnum opus was his history of Southampton (see above/below). This served as an inspiration for later historians of the town. Temple Patterson, for example, listed it as a ‘secondary authority’.   

Relevant published works

  • A History of Southampton; partly from the Ms of Dr Speed in the Southampton archives (Gilbert & Co, Adams & Co, Southampton & London, 1883)

  • ‘Dissolution of the Friary at Southampton’, Proceedings of the HFC, Vol 1, Pt 4, 1890, pp.17-22.

  • 'The Borough of Southampton: general historical account' and 'Southampton: Churches public buildings and charities' in A History of the County of Hampshire: Volume 3 (London: Victoria County History, 1908), pp.490-537.

Critical Comments

Other Comments

In a tribute on the Jesus Chapel website Davies is described as ‘a brilliant scholar and researcher’, with one of his major interests being the reigns of Richard II, Henry IV, Henry V and Henry VI. Some idea of his motivation and approach to local history can be gained from his preface to A History of Southampton, which is quoted at length:

‘During a residence of several years in the immediate neighbourhood of Southampton free access to the Town Records was given me by the courtesy of the town authorities of which I availed myself as opportunities offered; and toward the close of 1877 it was suggested by the present publishers that I should undertake a history of the town, or at least, on obtaining permission, should edit the MS. of Dr Speed’s History among the Southampton Archives, continuing the work, and adding such matter as should bring it into conformity with present knowledge. I accepted the latter proposal as the less ambitious task, collated Speed’s documents with the originals in view of publishing the texts but soon found that I could construct no history by a reproduction of Dr Speed’s work without going to a length beyond all warrant, though much had to be cut out as inadequate or faulty. Under these circumstances I felt myself driven to greater freedom, and in the following pages I have produced substantially new history, while all that is valuable in Dr Speed’s work has been preserved, whether in his own words, within quotation marks, or condensed and acknowledged in the notes.’

This offers considerable insight into the manner in which Davies viewed his indebtedness to Speed, while seeking to put his own stamp on Southampton’s history. He also sought to be as comprehensive as possible, covering, for example, the town’s municipal institutions, educational provision, built environment and religious history, both Anglican and Nonconformist. Unsurprisingly, given his interests, Davies was a member of the Hamposhire Field Club for a number of years.

Contributor

Roger Ottewill (16 September 2023)

Keywords

Hampshire Field Club, Southampton

Any queries or further suggestions for this part of the list should be addressed to celebrating@hantsfieldclub.org.uk.

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