Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Calderbank, Leonard
CALDERBANK, LEONARD (1809–1864), catholic priest and canon of Clifton, nephew of James Calderbank [q. v.], and son of Richard and Jane Calderbank, was born on 3 June 1809 at Standish, near Wigan,in Lancashire. He was educated first at a school in his native village, and afterwards became a student at Ampleforth College in Yorkshire. In December 1829 he removed from study of the questions of civil and spiritual Ampleforth to Prior Park, near Bath. A few years after this Calderbank went to complete his theological studies at Rome, where, on 11 Nov. 1832, he was ordained to the priesthood. Returning to England in 1833 he went at once upon a mission in the western district. He was placed successively at Trelawny, Tawstock, Weobley, Poole, and Cannington. In April 1839 he was appointed chaplain of the convent of the Immaculate Conception, in Sion House, at Spetisbury, near Blandford, in Dorsetshire. On 9 Nov. 1849 he was recalled to Prior Park by Bishop Hendren, then vicar apostolic of the western district. For nearly a year he held at Prior Park the double position of vice-president and professor of theology at St. Paul's College. On 9 Oct. 1850 he was again, however, sent upon the mission, being appointed to the charge of the catholic congregation of St. Peter's in the city of Gloucester. Under the then newly created hierarchy he was not long afterwards installed a canon of Clifton. As missionary rector at Gloucester he contrived by his zealous exertions to build up an entirely new church and presbytery, the former of which was solemnly opened in March 1860. Calderbank died suddenly of heart disease on 24 June 1864.
[Gloucester Journal, 25 June and 2 July 1864; Dr. Oliver's Collections illustrating the History of the Catholic Religion in Cornwall, &c. p. 258; Brady's Episcopal Succession, p. 317.]