John Priestman

Sir John Priestman, 1st Baronet (22 March 1855 – 5 August 1941) was a British shipbuilder and charitable benefactor.

[1][2] Aged 14, Priestman became an apprentice to John Blumer, a shipbuilder at Sunderland, and later became chief draughtsman at W. Pickersgill & Sons.

[3] Priestman donated £6000[4] to the building of St Andrew's Church, Roker (completed in 1907), which was built in memory to his mother.

In 1931, he established the Sir John Priestman Trust, whose purposes included 'feeding of poor... in times of distress', the 'employment and payment of nurses for the sick and infirm' and the building, 'maintaining and furnishing (including provision of organs)' of 'churches and mission halls and schools'.

In 1933 he donated £35,000[5] to the rebuilding of St Michael's Church, Sunderland, he paid for the building of St Wilfrid's Church, Halton, Leeds (built 1937–39) and in 1939 he financed £20,000[6] for the construction of the Priestman Building, originally a library for Sunderland Technical College and now part of the University of Sunderland.