Frederick Turner SJ

The Reverend Frederick Turner, SJ, who died aged 90 in 2001, was archivist, librarian and former headmaster at Stonyhurst College.

Birth

Frederick Joseph Turner was born on 27th October 1910 at Lytham St Annes, Lancashire, the only son of Joseph William Turner, a successful solicitor. An earlier member of his family had been Bishop William Turner, the first Bishop of Salford, 1851-72.

Education

After his schooling at Stonyhurst College, Turner went to University College, Oxford, in 1929, and secured first-class honours in Mods and Greats.

He entered the novitiate for the Society of Jesus at Manresa House, Roehampton, in 1932 and, after taking first vows in 1934, was sent to study philosophy at the Gregorian University, in Rome. He continued his studies at Heythrop College, Oxfordshire, and in 1937 spent three years teaching Classics at Beaumont College, Berkshire. In 1940 he returned to Heythrop for his theological studies, was ordained deacon in 1943 and priest three months later at St Wilfrid's, Preston.

tonyhurst

Turner was eventually sent to Stonyhurst College to teach Classics in 1948, became prefect of studies in 1952, and in 1961 served two years as the headmaster. He returned to Beaumont until, in 1967, he came back to Stonyhurst, where he remained for the next 33 years.

After an active teaching career, he was in 1971 appointed house librarian and archivist, which put him in charge of the school's four great libraries, one of which, the Museum, was destroyed in 1974 to make way for Higher Line Common Room.