Person DS/UK/1129 Vavasour; Francis (1900-1981); Jesuit Priest Vavasour Francis 1900-1981 Jesuit Priest Male Born 4 December 1900. Entered the English Province of the Society of Jesus 1 July 1926. Ordained as a Roman Catholic priest 6 September 1934. Final Vows in the Society of Jesus 2 February 1937. Died 18 October 1981 New Zealand.

Francis Vavasour (known affectionately as Frank) was born on the 4 December 1900 and came from an old Catholic family in Yorkshire. During the nineteenth-century members of the Vavasour family, alongside other old English Catholic families, emigrated to New Zealand. The Vavasours built a large estate/ranch named Ugbrooke on the South Island. Francis was one of twelve children, with two of his brothers sadly killed in the Great War, for which Francis was spared due to his youth. During this this tumultous period, he was to stay at Riverview, the Jesuit College in Sydney. Later three of the brothers (who were eight in all) went to Beaumont College in Old Windsor. Upon the death of Francis's father in the 1920s, it was he who took over the management of Ugbrooke in NZ until 1926, when he handed it over to his brother, Edward or Harold. Francis Following this, Francis returned to England and enrolled at Manresa House in Roehampton as a novice. By this time, he was aged 25, the most mature man among twenty or more recent school-leavers. He took to the noviceship well under Fr Peers Smith. Little seems recorded of his years as a scholastic as Heythrop College. Though not a natural intellectual, he assimilated a solid ground in theology and was ordained on 6 September 1934. In 1936, he gained the post as Procurator at Stonyhurst College, which he remained in for 16 years. This was followed by another six years as Rector at Stonyhurst (1952-1958). After a short spell as Revisor Arcarum, he became Procurator of the English Province, a post he held until 1972. A contemporary of Francis, Fr John Tranmar, recalls that the former was meticulous in his role as Procurator at Stonyhurst. While somewhat introverted, he was not entirely aloof, and was known to show a tremendous interest in what younger members of the community were doing, and was fondly remembered for his kindness and spirituality at Stonyhurst. During his time as Rector, he brought all his business acumen and his capacity for hard work to this new task. He was praised for his administrative abilities. Similarly, his time as Procurator of the Province demonstrated a tenacity for hard work and busines, and was described as a ‘dedicated and most efficient administrator’. His previous experience at Stonyhurst enabled him to be a more than efficient financial and estate manager, developing a genuine interest and flair for investments. Fr Edward Ennis, later Procurator of the English Province, wrote ‘I would like to put on record the great affection Fr Vavasour had for the Missions of the English Province. They held a special place in his heart. As Superior of the Salisbury Mission I had personal experience of this. He was not only always encouraging but also helpful in a very practical way’. Following his twenty years of service as Procurator, Vavasour settled back in New Zealand with his brother Pip. After suffering a slight stroke in the summer of 1981, he rallied for some time but eventually succumbed to his illness on the 18th October 1981. Member of the English Province of the Society of Jesus. International Standard Archival Authority Record for Corporate Bodies, Persons and Families - ISAAR(CPF) 2nd edition - ICA 2004 ISBN 2-9521932-2-3 National Council on Archives, Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997 Yes AvanGoethem 25/02/2019 user 14/12/2022 29ceca72-ff27-414a-b59e-928f47cd4c14