Richard Copley Christie facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
The Worshipful Professor
Richard Copley Christie
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A photograph of Christie in an 1885 book
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| Born | 22 July 1830 Lenton, Nottinghamshire, England
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| Died | 9 January 1901 Surrey, England
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Richard Copley Christie (born July 22, 1830 – died January 9, 1901) was an English lawyer and a university teacher. He was also a kind person who gave money to good causes (a philanthropist) and loved collecting books (a bibliophile).
Contents
Early Life and Education
Richard Copley Christie was born in Lenton, Nottinghamshire. His father owned a mill.
He went to Lincoln College, Oxford University for his education. Later, he became a lawyer in 1857. He also taught at Owens College, Manchester. He was a professor of history and political economy there.
Helping Others: Philanthropy
Christie was a good friend of Sir Joseph Whitworth, a rich industrialist. When Whitworth passed away, he left a lot of money to Christie and two other people. They decided to use a big part of this money to help Owens College. They also bought land for what is now the Manchester Royal Infirmary.
In 1897, Christie personally gave over £50,000. This money helped build the Whitworth Hall at Owens College. This hall completed the main quadrangle (a square courtyard) of the college.
He was also the president of the Whitworth Institute from 1890 to 1895. Christie cared a lot about medical charities in Manchester. He was especially interested in the Cancer Pavilion and Home. He led its committee from 1890 to 1893. This hospital later became known as the Christie Hospital. In 1893, the city of Manchester honored him for his contributions.
Church Legal Role
From 1872 to 1894, Christie worked as the Chancellor for the Anglican Diocese of Manchester. In this role, he gave legal advice to the Bishop of Manchester.
Love for Books: Bibliophily
Christie was a very enthusiastic book collector. He gathered about 15,000 books in his personal library. When he died, he gave this amazing collection to Owens College.
His collection included many books printed by famous early printers. For example, he had a complete set of books from Étienne Dolet. He also had many books from the Aldine Press and Sebastian Gryphius. These printers were important during the Renaissance.
Christie also wrote a detailed book about Étienne Dolet. It was called Étienne Dolet, the Martyr of the Renaissance (1880).
Later Life and Legacy
Richard Copley Christie passed away in Surrey after being sick for a long time. His special book collection was kept separate from the main library at Manchester University. In 1972, it was moved to the John Rylands Library building.
A printed list of his books was made in 1915. There is also a beautiful stained glass window that remembers him. It is on the staircase of the Christie Library.
Scholarship and Contributions
Christie wrote many essays and articles for different publications. Some of his writings were published after he died. He was also a member of the Chetham Society. He served on its council and was later its president from 1884 until his death in 1901.
