Benjamin Parsons Symons

Benjamin Parsons Symons (28 January 1785 – 12 April 1878) was an academic administrator at the University of Oxford in England.

Benjamin Parsons Symons-(1785–1878), Fellow of Wadham College, Oxford, Vice-Chancellor of Oxford University.

Life

Benjamin Symons was born in Cheddar, Somerset, the son of John Symons of Cheddar.[1] He was educated at Sherborne School and matriculated at Wadham College, Oxford, on 2 February 1802, where he was admitted as a scholar on 25 October 1803.[2] He graduated with a BA degree on 14 October 1805 and received an MA degree on 7 July 1810.

Symons was elected a Probationer Fellow at Wadham College on 30 June 1811 and was admitted as a Fellow on 2 July 1812. He graduated with a Bachelor of Divinity on 22 April 1819. He was bursar of the College from 1814 to 1823, after which he became sub-warden. On 23 January 1831 he obtained the degree of Doctor of Divinity and on 16 June of that year he was elected Warden of the College.[3] He was Vice-Chancellor of Oxford University from 1844 to 1848.[4] He resigned the wardenship on 18 October 1871, but continued to reside in Oxford until his death in 1878.

Symons did not follow the high-church Anglican Oxford Movement prevalent at Oxford, and was regarded as the leader of the evangelical wing in later life.[1] He changed the time of dinner at Wadham to inconvenience any students wishing to attend Newman's sermons.[5]

He was buried in the ante-chapel at Wadham College and bequeathed £1,000 to the College to establish an exhibition. His portrait was hung in the College hall.

References

1. Carlyle, Edward Irving (1898). "Symons, Benjamin Parsons" . In Lee, Sidney (ed.). Dictionary of National Biography. Vol. 55. London: Smith, Elder & Co.
2. "The Sherborne Register 1550-1950" (PDF). Old Shirbirnian Society. Retrieved 16 February 2019.
3. "Wardens of Wadham". Wadham College, Oxford, UK. Archived from the original on 19 April 2015. Retrieved 13 July 2011.
4. "Previous Vice-Chancellors". University of Oxford, UK. Retrieved 13 July 2011.
5. Pattison, Mark (1989). Memoirs of an Oxford Don. London: Cassell. pp. 185 (footnote 17). ISBN 0304322199.

Further reading

• Davies, C.S.L. "Symons, Benjamin Parsons (1785–1878)". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/26895. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
• Gardiner's Registers of Wadham, ii. 224.
• Foster, Joseph (1888–1891). "Symons, Benjamin Parsons" . Alumni Oxonienses: the Members of the University of Oxford, 1715–1886. Oxford: James Parker – via Wikisource.
• Ward's Men of the Reign, p. 867.
• The Times, 13 April 1878.

Academic offices
Preceded by William Tournay	Warden of Wadham College, Oxford 1831–1871	Succeeded by John Griffiths
Preceded by Philip Wynter	Vice-Chancellor of Oxford University 1844–1848	Succeeded by Frederick Charles Plumptre