Reverend Arthur Cust
(1828-1916)
10 August 1861

Volume 4, page 342, sitting number 5435.

[Identified as ‘Reverend Arthur Cust’ in the Silvy daybooks, this is Revered Arthur Perceval Cust (later Purey-Cust), who in 1880 was appointed the Dean of York.]

Born on 21 February 1828, Arthur Perceval Cust was the fourth son of the Honourable William Cust and his wife Sophia née Newnham. His paternal grandfather was Brownlow Cust, 1st Baron Brownlow of Belton.

He was educated at Wexford and at Brasenose, Oxford (BA, 1850) He subsequently became a Fellow of All Souls’ College (MA, 1854) and was ordained a priest in 1852. His first curacy was at Northchurch in Hertfordshire and his first vicarage was at Cheddington in Buckinghamshire. From there he went to Reading, where he remained for fourteen years, leaving there for Aylesbury, a living he resigned when he was appointed Archdeacon of Buckingham.

On 3 June 1854 he married Lady Emma Bess Bligh, youngest daughter of Edward Bligh, 5th Earl of Darnley. Their marriage produced two sons and one daughter.

In April 1880 Disraeli appointed him the Dean of York, a position he held until his death in 1916. From 1908 he was also Precentor of York.

In 1911 he and his wife were living at the Deanery in York with an unmarried granddaughter and eight servants.

The Very Reverend Doctor Arthur Perceval Purey-Cust died, aged 88, at the Deanery on 23 December 1916. He left an estate valued at £17,216.

His obituary in The Scotsman (25 December 1916) mentioned his ‘supreme interest in the well-being of the inhabitants of the city. But York Minster was his supreme interest, and the preservation of this fine fabric his increasing care. Much valuable restoration work has been carried out under his direction. From his own private resources he did much to beautify the interior of the building. Altogether £60,000 were spent on Minster restoration a few years ago.’