Francis Close (11 July 1797 – 18 December 1882) was theAnglican rector ofCheltenham (1826–1856) andDean ofCarlisle (1856–1881).^[1]

Close was born on 11 July 1797 inFrome,Somerset, the youngest son of the Rev.Henry Jackson Close, who was at one time Rector ofBentworth, nearAlton, inHampshire.^[2] Enrolling atSt. John's College, Cambridge, in 1816, he earned aBachelor of Arts in 1820 and was elevated toMA in 1825.^[3] During the same time period, he was ordained adeacon in 1820 and a priest the following year. In 1822, he was assigned ascurate ofWillesden andKingsbury in theLondon area.^[4] Two years later, in 1824, he was assigned toCheltenham and the parish church ofSt Mary's, and when therector died in 1826, he was elevated to that office.^[5]

Close served as rector for thirty years, where he was a popular preacher and a notedevangelical. He was a vociferous opponent of theOxford Movement. He advocated for the creation of a training college for schoolteachers and opposed alcohol, tobacco, horse racing, and theatrical amusements.^[4] He was involved in the provision of new churches in Cheltenham.^[6] On 24 November 1856, he was nominated to be Dean of Carlisle Cathedral by the Prime Minister,Lord Palmerston, and the appointment was approved by the Queen.^[5][7] That same year, theArchbishop of Canterbury conferred aLambethDoctorate of Divinity upon Close. He remained as Dean of Carlisle until 1881, when failing health forced him to resign.^[5] At the time of his resignation, he was the oldest of all deans in the Church of England^[2] He died inPenzance the following year, on 12 December 1882, and was buried in Carlisle Cathedral.^[2]

Close married twice: in 1820, he married Anne Diana Arden, and in 1880, he married Mary Antrim.^[5]

Close was the author of around seventy books and pamphlets, though by 1887 few were considered "of any permanent value."^[5] In 1885, a marble statue of Close was installed in Carlisle Cathedral after a public collection of funds for the purpose.^[5]Dean Close School andFrancis Close Hall, both inCheltenham, were named in his honour.

• Munden, A. F. "Close, Francis".Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press.doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/5703. (Subscription,Wikipedia Library access orUK public library membership required.)

• Bibliographic directory fromProject Canterbury

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