Guarlford History Group
St Mary's Church - baptisms (1843 - 1884) and officiating clergyContentsMore about the officiating clergy Baptisms
The baptism registers have been photographed by the church of the Latter Day Saints (LDS), circa 1963. A copy of the film covering 1843 to 1884 is held by the Worcester Records Office at the Hive; there are 95 pages. The microfilm is located in a filing cabinet in the self service area under parish records. The box is labelled Guarlford 123, LDS BA12448, Ref 985, baptisms 1843 - 1884. Copies of pages can be made using a computer connected to a microfilm reader and printer. For this you will need to bring your library card and purchase credits for your account. The current baptism register in the church begins in 1875. Below is a transcription of just a few of the early records, selected at random, to give you an idea of the information that can be found.
Rectors
The board is in memory of Derrick W Medcalf Churchwarden 1933 - 1972, a local farmer. Curates of Malvern Priory1844 Frances H Romney 1846 William J Fancourt 1853 Peter S Dobree 1855 Ellis Bowden Rectors1857 John B Wathen 1905 Hubert Jones 1913 Frederick John Newson 1965 Hartley Brown 1981 David H Martin 1992 John Green 1999 David Nichol 2006 Susan Elizabeth Irwin
The first baptism at Guarlford St Mary (see above) was of Thirza Dee on 31st December 1843, daughter of Joseph and Eliza of Honeypots, which is on the lane leading to Hanley Swan. The trade of her father was recorded as a farmer, and the officiating curate was Rev Francis Henry Romney. We think Thirza Dee, the first child baptised at St Mary Guarlford, married Thomas King Farmer, a general labourer, in 1872, and died aged 78 at Castlemorton in 1922. Later baptisms were conducted by Rev William James Fancourt whose story is told on another page. A baptism in 1848 was conducted by a visiting minister Rev Charles Henry Thomas Baumgarten and with such a unique name we thought we would try to find out a bit more about him, and the some of the other clergy who officiated at baptisms. More about the officiating clergyRev Charles Henry Thomas BaumgartenCharles Henry Thomas Baumgarten was born at Bath, about 1799, the son of Captain Samuel Henry Baumgarten and Ann Brydges. Charles attended Magdalen College Oxford circa 1820, married Frances Ord in 1834, and in the 1841 and 1851 censuses was recorded living at Foley House on the Worcester Road (opposite Brays). With them was Frances's nephew Edward Picton Warlow, son of Major Thomas Warlow, Bengal Engineers, a soldier who had died at Delhi in India in 1839, and Frances's sister, Mary Prudence Ord (1800-1877). The Revd Charles Baumgarten and his wife Frances seem to have had no children of their own and adopted Edward as their heir; Edward later added their surname to his. Edward faced many ups and downs in his life including bullying in the army and bankruptcy, but he seems to have been socially successful. His daughter Helen Baumgarten, born Bengal India about 1863, married civil servant Sir James Miller Dodds KCB who, in later life, became Under Secretary for Scotland. There is a plaque in Mathon church in memory of Revd Charles Henry Thomas Baumgarten. It reads: Sacred to the memory of the Revd C.H.T. BAUMGARTEN who departed this life May 9th 1875 Aged 76 years. Charles is also recorded as owning Gold Hill Farm, Bosbury in 1839 and contributing in 1833 to the building of the tower at St John's, Bognor, where his wife's family lived; (her father was John Ord of Aldwicke Lodge, who died at Bognor in 1838). There is just a little more to this story. Frances Baumgarten's niece, Mary Cecil Picton Warlow (Edward's sister), married Major General Frederick Gadsden (1831-1899) by whom she had ten children. In 1871 their daughter Mary Louisa Gadsden was staying with her grandmother now Mary Prudence Fyffe, Charles and Frances at Highland Grove, Fownhope in Herefordshire. Later Mary Louisa Gadsden married at Brentford in 1892 Arthur Hamilton Norway who in 1911 was recorded as an Assistant Secretary, General Post Office. Their second child, Nevil Shute Norway, born at Ealing in 1899, died in Australia in 1960 became an aeronautical engineer and famous author. His books, published under the pen name Nevil Shute, include, 'No Highway' 1948, 'A Town like Alice' 1948, and 'On the Beach' 1957 (thankyou to Brian Picton Swann for that). Nevil Shute was educated Dragon School, Oxford; Shrewsbury School; Royal Military Academy, Woolwich; and Balliol College, Oxford. Rev S H VoroleWe couldn't find anyone with the name SH Vorole or a similar name in the census or BMD. The name in the register of baptisms was written in very small writing and difficult to read, so perhaps we transcribed it wrongly. Whilst searching for SH Vorole we came across an obscure clergyman HJ Vernan, and here are some details about him. Rev Henry John VernonRev Henry John Vernon (1816-1895) was born at Bilton near Rugby in Warwickshire, the son of Edward Vernon and Theodosia Frances Morrice. His death was announced in the Guardian Newspaper which reported:
In 1847, Henry's elder brother Edward Johnston Vernon died aged 31 years. In 1849, Rev Henry John Vernon married at Brighton, Caroline Anne Drummond the only daughter of Rev Spencer Rodney Drummond, and they had one daughter Laura Louisa Lilia Vernon. At the time of the 1851 census he was staying at a hotel in Birmingham, and later in June 1851 he officiated at the baptism of his daughter Laura at Holy Trinity, Clapham. In 1855, at the same church, he officiated at the marriage of his sister Louisa Theodosia Frances Vernon (1816-1870) to Montague George Burgoyne son of Sir Montague Roger Burgoyne, 8th Baronet. The family cannot be found in the 1861 census, so possibly they were abroad, but in 1871 he was vicar of Holy Trinity Eckington near Pershore, where his mother died in 1875. By 1881 he was retired and the family living in Kensington, where his wife Caroline died suddenly in 1883. In 1884 Henry and Caroline's daughter Laura married barrister David Archer Vaughan Colt-Williams and in 1891 they, and he, are living together in Chester, where he died in 1895. It is possible Henry may have been the curate who baptised the Hill children in 1852, though we cannot say that with any confidence. Rev Edward Acton DaviesReverend Edward Acton Davies was born at the small village of Nately Scures in north Hampshire about 1806. We think he was the third son of Rev Thomas Davies and Martha Thomas. Martha, who lived to a good age, was the daughter of wealthy Rev Alban Thomas whose family built Aberaeron Harbour in west Wales; the Thomas family added Jones and Gwynne to their surname after receiving legacies. We know little of Edward's father except he probably died a yound man in 1813, when Edward was aged only 7 years. Edward was educated at St John's College Oxford obtaining his BA in 1828. In 1833 he married in Yorkshire, Sarah Whitacre, the widow of wealthy Benjamin Haigh Allen JP of Greenhead Hall by whom he acquired five step children. Although Benjamin died aged only 36 years, he had funded the building of Holy Trinity, Huddersfield (1816-1819) and founded the Huddersfield Bank. Edward and Sarah had one son, Edward Whitacre Davies, born in 1835. In 1851 they were visiting Great Malvern, lodging at Aldwin Tower in St Ann's Road, when his occupation was recorded as Perpetual Curate, St Alban, Cardigan. In 1853 he was appointed Vicar of St Matthias in Malvern Link, a position he held until 1875 when he was appointed Rector of Areley Kings, north of Worcester, where he died in 1880. Edward's eldest brother John Birt Davies (1798-1878) MA Edinburgh FRCP, became a surgeon, coroner and JP in Birmingham. Edward's elder brother Alban Thomas Davies, born about 1804, became a soldier in India. The National Library of Wales, Tyglyn Estate Records, tell us:
The 1841 and 1851 census record that Edward's brother Alban Thomas Davies and his large family were living in Llanddewi; Alban's occupation was recorded as a landed proprietor and magistrate. Edward outlived both his brothers and died at Aerely Kings in 1880. He appointed his stepson Benjamin Haigh Allen an executor. Rev John RashdallThe Rev John Rashdall was once vicar of Great Malvern Priory. He was the father of theologian Hastings Rashdall. John's sister Lucy married the water cure Doctor James Loftus Marsden; she died aged only 37 years and is buried in the Priory churchyard. Rev Peter Stephens DobreePeter Stephens Dobree was born at St Peter's Port, Guernsey in 1824, the son of soldier Augustus Frederick Dobree (died Worcester 1845) and Sophia Smith. Sophia was the daughter of Colonel Sir George Smith, once aid de camp of King George III, who died of Malaria in 1805. Sophia died when Peter was aged only 12 years and his father married second, Margaret Le Mesurier, daughter of Rev Thomas Le Mesurier who had died in 1822; Rev Thomas Le Mesurier had been Rector of Haughton Le Skerne, Durham, and Domestic Chaplain to Lord Viscount Sidmouth. Peter Stephens Dobree attended Trinity College, Cambridge, obtaining his BA in 1846, in that year losing his step mother Margaret and sister Alice. He entered Holy Orders in 1849, and became the incumbent of Holy Trinity Clandown, near Bath in 1852, the year he baptised a child at Guarlford. From 1858 to his death in 1879 he was a chaplain to the forces. He was also a Director of Elizabeth College Guernsey 1857-1868 and 1870-1876. He married Charlotte Thompson at Somerset in 1849, and they had five children. At the time of his death he was Chaplain to HM Forces in Guernsey. His sister Clara De Havilland Dobree married Rev Charles Wickham by whom she had 14 children! Either his father or grandfather may have been the Ensign, Augustus Frederick Dobree, who wrote 'A Journal of the military Campaign in Spain in the years 1808-1809'. Rev Ellis BowdenThe last curate, before the 'Chapel of Barnards Green' became a parish church, was Rev Ellis Treacher Bowden. He was born at Aldermanbury, London in 1819, the second son of solicitor John Saunders Bowden and Rebecca Treacher. He married Maria Jones in Leicestershire in 1846 and they had six children. Educated at St Catherine's College Cambridge he obtained his BA in 1853. Ordained Deacon in 1853 he was first curate at Hollingbourne in Kent, before becoming curate at Guarlford in 1855. From 1857-1892 he was Rector of St Michael, Rochford, on the western side of the Malvern Hills. His wife Maria died in 1875 and he died at Clapham in 1896. Their youngest son Ernest Monnington Bowden was educated at Malvern College, and Pembroke College Cambridge, obtaining his BA in 1881. He is known for inventing the Bowden wire and brake for cycles, and died in 1904 aged only 44 years. Ellis's elder brother John Treacher Bowden (1815-1865), a woollen draper and trader, was declared bankrupt in 1843. He was later Master of the Union Workhouse at Rye in Sussex, where his wife became matron. His brother Frederick Leopold Treacher Bowden born 1820, became an articled clerk in 1836, and trained to become a solicitor like his father who was an attorney on the Kings Bench. In 1881 he was admitted to the list of legal practioners in Tasmania, Australia. He died in the district of Croydon, England in 1908. Ellis's youngest brother Thomas Adolphus Bowden (1824-1906) also took Holy Orders. He was educated at Magdalen Hall Oxford and in 1847 was ordained priest and licenced to Holy Brompton in London. He married his cousin Caroline Treacher and after residing for some time in the Scilly Isles he emigrated from England to New Zealand where he was greatly involved in church and educational matters. He died in New Zealand leaving a widow, four sons and three daughters. Rev John Bateman WathenRev John Bateman was the incumbent at St Mary Guarlford for 47 years, from 1857 to 1904. Nowayadays it seems the clergy are moved on roughly every ten years.
He was the son of Obadiah Paul Wathen (1783 - 1868) and Margaret Bateman. Obadiah was the son of Sir Samuel Wathen and Margaret Peach whose family owned woollen mills around Woodchester which were powered by water mills; sadly the business went bankrupt about 1837, possibly due to competition from steam driven factories. John's maternal grandfather was James Bateman (1749 - 1824) a wealthy manufacturer who built Islington House, a mansion in Salford, near Manchester. Here is a short extract from the Nat Gould website (see link above) about the career of James Bateman:-
John Bateman Wathern, with financial support from his mother's brother John Bateman, attended Queen's College Oxford obtaining his degree in 1847. He was ordained that year by Bishop James Henry Monk 1784 - 1856 who is mentioned in the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. His first post was Curate of Prestbury, near the racecourse at Cheltenham and it was there that he met his future wife Emma Maria Louisa Andrew, whose wealthy family had taken a house near Cheltenham to attend the races. In 1851 the couple married, at Stockport in Cheshire. In 1857 Rev JB Wathen was appointed curate of the chapel of Barnards Green; later in 1866 the parish of Guarlford was formed, out of Madresfield and Great Malvern, with St Mary as its parish church and so it was that Rev Wathen became the first Rector and he remained Rector of Guarlford until 1904. He died at St Asaph in 1906 and is buried in the churchyard at Guarlford where he had served for so many years; his grave lies opposite the church door. Children of Rev J B WathenJohn and Emma had eight children, Grace Margaret born 1852 at Prestbury, Herbert Reginald born 1853, Bertha Midwood born 1855, Constance Emma born 1856, Gertrude Margaret born 1857, Alice Fanny born 1859, George William born 1860 and Percy Montague. Grace and Gertrude died in infancy, and Gertrude who died in 1858, is buried in Guarlford churchyard not far from her parents. Youngest son Percy, born Guarlford in 1863, took Holy Orders like his father; he was educated at Malvern College (as were his brothers) and University College Oxford obtaining his BA in theology in 1885. From 1886 - 1889 he was a missionary in the Newala district of Tanzania which borders Masasi. Between 1890 and 1892 he was Curate of Almondbury in Yorkshire. From 1892 to 1895 he was Organisational Secretary, Universities' Mission to (North Province) Central Africa; the UMCA had been founded about 1858 following the return of David Livingstone from Africa in 1857. Between 1895 and 1902 Percy was vicar of Barking in Essex. Finally Percy settled and was Rector of old Welwyn in the county of Hertfordshire from 1903 to 1930.
St Mary's church, old Welwyn, Herts in 2018
Rev J B Wathen's brother, James Bateman Wathen, married Esther Venables and then left for Australia where two children were born, after which the family returned to Staffordshire and engaged in the manufacture of earthenware and colour paint; later their son Ernest John Wathen emigrated from England to the USA and another son William Montague Wathen emigrated from England to New Zealand. Quite an adventurous family! Transcribed and researched by Angus and Rosemary McCulloch Last updated 11th March 2018 |
The
first baptism recorded at St Mary's chapel of ease at Barnards Green was on December 30th
1843.
A
board on the north wall of St Mary's records the incumbents of the church since it was consecrated in
1844.
The
Rev John Bateman Wathen was born at Woodchester in Gloucestershire
about 1820.