Eric Treacy

Eric Treacy MBE (2 June 1907 – 13 May 1978) was an English railway photographer[1] and Anglican bishop.

Life and work

At Christ Church Halifax in 1971, after a wedding
Plaque to Bishop Treacy's life and work at Appleby railway station
ex-LMS black five number 45428 has been named Eric Treacy in preservation

Born in London, Treacy was educated at Haberdashers' Aske's School and at King's College London, though he left without taking a degree. In 1932 he was made a Deacon in the Church of England,[2] and also took up railway photography, being inspired by a visit to Liverpool Lime Street. His photographic work appeared in various magazines during the 1930s.

His photography was interrupted by being an army padre during the Second World War, for which he was awarded an MBE.[3] He published his first book of images in 1946. On demobilisation he became Rector of Keighley and in 1949 was appointed Archdeacon of Halifax. In 1961 he became Suffragan Bishop of Pontefract and in 1968 he was made Bishop of Wakefield,[4] a post in which he remained until he retired in 1976.

On 13 May 1978, Treacy died from a heart attack on Appleby Station on the Settle-Carlisle Railway waiting for a railtour hauled by BR 92220 Evening Star. A slate plaque is displayed on the main station building to his memory. He is buried at St Kentigern's Church, Crosthwaite, Keswick.

The Treacy Collection of 12,000 photographs forms part of the National Railway Museum's archive of over 1.4 million images.

Bibliography

The following are photograph albums of Treacy's work:

Notes

  1. Railway credentials at the Wayback Machine (archived 3 April 2008)
  2. Crockford's clerical directory,(London, Church House 1976) ISBN 0-19-200008-X
  3. The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 37442. p. 625. 22 January 1946. Retrieved 24 May 2011.
  4. Who's Who 1970 p3176 ISBN 0-7136-1140-5

External links

Church of England titles
Preceded by
George Clarkson
Bishop of Pontefract
19611968
Succeeded by
Gordon Fallows
Preceded by
John Ramsbotham
Bishop of Wakefield
19681977
Succeeded by
Colin James