John Quirk

John Nathaniel Quirk (1849 – 26 April 1924) was an Anglican bishop.

A photograph of Dr John Quirk which appeared in the 'Sheffield & District Who's Who' of 1905.

Early life

Quirk was the son of the Revd Charles Thomas Quirk, sometime rector of Golborne.^[1] After being educated at Shrewsbury School and St John's College, Cambridge, he was ordained deacon in 1874 and priest in the following year.^[2]

Ecclesiastical career

His first post was as a curate at St Leonard's, Bridgnorth,^[3] where he served for four years, after which he was at Doncaster.^[4] He was Vicar of St Thomas's, Douglas, for a year, then successively Vicar of Rotherham, of St Mary´s, Beverley and of St Paul´s, Lorrimore Square, before being appointed Canon of York in 1888.^[4] He was appointed Rector and Rural Dean of Bath in 1895, where he was heavily involved with the restoration of Bath Abbey.^[4] Quirk had recently been nominated Vicar Designate of Doncaster, when in September 1901 he became the first and (as it turned out) only Suffragan Bishop of Sheffield.^[5][6] He was consecrated as Bishop in York Minister 18 October 1901.^[7] When Sheffield was selected to form the centre of a new diocese,^[8] Quirk was translated to be the second Bishop of Jarrow.^[9] He also served as Archdeacon of Durham from 1922 to 1924.

He died on 26 April 1924.

Family

Quirk was married, on 22 April 1880 at Brathay Church, Ambleside, to Mary Jane Clay (b. 17 August 1856 at Stapenhill, Burton-on-Trent; d. 21 August 1934 at Ulverstoke^[10] ). She was the daughter of the Revd John Clay^[11](1805–1877) of Burton-on-Trent and his wife, Jessie Harden (1814–1908) of Ambleside. They had two sons and a daughter:

The Revd Robert Quirk (1883–1949), m. Stella Sedgewick in 1908 and had Roger, Diana and Catharine.

Douglas Quirk (1887–1939), m. Inna Obolianoff in 1923, no children.

Margery Quirk (1886–1911) d.unm.

References