Brookfield, William Henry |
| PRIEST, SCHOOL INSPECTOR (ENGLAND) |
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BORN 31 Aug 1809, Sheffield, South Yorkshire - DIED 12 Jul 1874, London: Walpole Street, Chelsea GRAVE LOCATION London: Kensal Green Cemetery, Harrow Road, Kensal Green (075/3 (24445) west of the circle in the south-east quadrant) |
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William Henry Brookfield was the son of a solicitor from Sheffield. He studied at Trinity College, Cambridge. He worked as a tutor before he became curate of Maltby in Lincolnshire in 1834. After a curacy in Southampton he was the curate of St. James's, Piccadilly (1840) and St. Luke's, Berwick Street (1841 onwards). In 1841 he married Jane Octavia Elton. He was often cold towards her and she became a close friend and confidante of the author Thackeray. Presumably their relationship remained platonic. After Thackeray visited the USA in 1852 and her first child Arthur was born in 1853 there was more distance between them. William Brookfield became inspector of schools in 1848 and held this post for seventeen years. In the morning he preached at Berkeley Chapel. After he ended his inspectorship he was the rector of Somerby-cum-Humby, near Grantham. In 1860 he became honorary chaplain to the queen and in later years he was chaplain-in-ordinary. He died in 1874 in London. Family • Wife: Brookfield, Jane Octavia (1841-1874) Related persons • was a friend of Thackeray, William Makepeace |
| Images |
 The grave of William Henry Brookfield and Jane Octavia Brookfield at Kensal Green Cemetery, London. Picture by Androom (02 Aug 2019) |
