Venn: Adm. pens. (age 18) at PETERHOUSE, Feb. 11, 1793. S. of Francis (1744-5), R. of South Dalton, Yorks. B. Apr. 2, 1775, at York. School, Beverley. Migrated to Clare, Nov. 7, 1793. ' Matric. Easter, 1794; B.A. 1797; M.A. 1803. Ord. deacon (York) Oct. 1, 1797; priest, Oct. 13, 1799; C. of South Dalton, 1797; succeeded his father as R. there, 1802-44. The famous Parson Best. ‘Did he hunt? No, but his hacks were the neatest, his cows and pigs were the sleekest, his flowers were the choicest and his garden was the best kept. The hedgerows of his little glebe were often copied but never approached in trimness....He lived in the affection of his parishioners respected by great and small and he died in the same room in the quaint little rectory in which he was born 69 years before, and the generous willings of his largest of hearts rise yet in the memory like the working reminiscences of a buried joy’ (E.R. Ant. Soc. Trans., XII. 18). Died unmarried Apr. 16, 1844.
| Year | Type | Name as Recorded | Location | Office/Status | Full Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1797 | Ordi(ordination) | Best, Francis | / | deacon | View |
| 1797 | Appt(Licensing) | Best, Francis | South Dalton / | Curate | View |
| 1799 | Ordi(ordination) | Best, Francis | / | priest | View |
| 1802 | Appt(Institution) | Best, Francis | South Dalton / | Rector | View |