Champneys was born in Whitechapel, London, on 17 September 1842 into a family with a modest income, his father, William Weldon Champneys, was an Evangelical Vicar of St Mary's Church, Whitechapel (later Dean of Lichfield), with the problems of London’s poor to worry about.
The first Baronet was the son of William Champneys, Dean of Lichfield from 1868 until 1875; and the younger brother of Weldon Champneys and Basil Champneys.
Champneys took holy orders and in 1881 was vicar of Haslingden, rural dean for Whalley and proctor in convocation for the Archdeaconry of Blackburn.
James Weldon Johnson | Fay Weldon | Curt Weldon | Wilmington and Weldon Railroad | Weldon | William Champneys | Weldon Kees | Weldon, Illinois | Weldon Champneys | Weldon B. Heyburn | Charles Weldon Cannon | Basil Champneys | Allan Joseph Champneys Cunningham | Weldon Brothers Construction Company | Walter Weldon | Thomas Weldon Atherston | Ralph Champneys Williams | John Weldon | Jimmy Weldon | George and Thomas Weldon | Frank Weldon | Felix de Weldon | DeLand-Weldon High School |