Percival Nathan Whitley



Percival Nathan Whitley [1827-1913] OBE was the son of John Henry Whitley. He continued his father's work with young people.

He was educated at Rugby and New College Oxford.

During World War I, he was at Salonika with the British Expeditionary Force.

In the 1930s, after his father's death, he became responsible for the gymnasium and summer camp at Filey for socially deprived Halifax boys.

He was Mayor of Halifax [1941-1942] and his sister, Mrs Margaret Phyllis Bowman, was Mayoress.

After World War II, he arranged exchange visits between the young people of Halifax and Aachen, and led a party of Halifax apprentices to Aachen to repair bomb damage to the German city.

In 1945, he presented Jerusalem Farm to Halifax Corporation. He was chairman of the Halifax education committee, and initiated a major school and college-building programme. In September 1957, the Halifax Technical College was renamed Percival Whitley College of Further Education. In November 1959, the Percival Whitley Memorial Sports Hall was opened at Spring Hall in his memory by his brother Oliver John. He was associated with the Park Congregational Church. He was head of the family firm, S. Whitley & Company Limited.

In his will, A. S. McCrea specified that Whitley and his sister, Mrs Margaret Phyllis Bowman, tenants of cottages at Old Hall Farm, Warley, should be allowed to stay at the farm until their death, or as long as they wished.

He died unmarried at his home, Brantwood, Halifax.

He was buried at Lister Lane Cemetery [Plot 456]




© Malcolm Bull 2021
Revised 20:54 / 10th December 2021 / 4064

Page Ref: X2036

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