List of Blunham Rectors

Blunham Rectory August 2009

In 1971 the Rector of Blunham also became responsible for Little Barford and Tempsford and additionally, since 1999, Great Barford and Roxton. Each parish retains its own parochial church council, churchwardens and services, however. Mogerhanger|, once part of the parish became a separate ecclesiastical parish| in 1860.

The advowson| of Blunham was always in the hands of the Lord of the Manor| until manors were abolished by successive Law of Property Acts in the 1920s, when it reverted to the crown. At present [2009] with the addition of responsibility for the other parishes, the Rector is chosen by turn, the Crown once, Trinity College, Cambridge, twice and Balliol College, Oxford once in every four incumbents. A list of known incumbents and curates is as follows:

The figure of Christ from the east window August 2009

• Thomas de Hanville;
• Walter Muschet - 1233 [in succession to Thomas de Flanville, appointed to another benefice];
• Stephen de Holewell - 1249 [subdeacon];
• Edward;
• Stephen de Lond'; chaplain;
• Nicholas de Marleberg - 5th August 1271 [subdeacon; on death of Stephen de Lond', chaplain of Edward, last Rector; John de Seleston, chaplain, was presented by Lord of the Manor Henry de Hastinges, but renounced the post];
• Nicholas de Marleborg' - 9th June 1278;
• John de Sancto Walerico - 21st December 1286 [clerk; presented as a minor by Edmund, Earl of Cornwall; custody committed to Philip de Waltham; he was instituted when of age];
• William de Boudon - 16th April 1308 [chaplain; on resignation of John de Sancto Walerico];
• Edmund Lestrange - 10th June 1336 [priest; on death of William de Boudon];
• William de Heuele;
• Peter Brown of Belgrave - 3rd May 1349 [priest; on death of William de Heuele - the Black Death arrived in England in 1349];
• William Herle - 1379 "parish chaplain" - i.e. curate known to be at Blunham in this year;
• John Stacy - 6th March 1386 [priest; on death of Peter de Belgrave];
• Roger Grey - 2nd December 1394 [subdeacon; brother of Reginald Grey, 3rd Baron Ruthin; on the death of John Stacy who died 18th October 1394 at Waterford, Ireland; dispensation was given to Roger Grey, as he was not yet of age];
• Giles Retone - 6th June 1408 [chaplain; on death of Roger Grey];
• John Gardiner - 15th January 1408 [Rector of "St.Mark's Otewych" [St.Martin Outwich?], City of London by exchange with Giles Reton];
• Thomas Felde - 29th January 1409 [Rector of Ross-on-Wyre [Herefordshire] by exchange with John Gardiner];
• Thomas Crystmesse - 25th August 1419 [on the death of Thomas Felde];
• Philip - 1420 "chaplain of the parish" i.e. curate known to be at Blunham in this year;
• William Grepnale - 12th December 1433 [priest; on the death of the last Rector];
• Richard Hende -1442 "chaplain" known to be at Blunham in this year;
• Thomas Boteler - 20th January 1462 [priest; on the death of William Gropenale];
• Robert Browns - 1st November 1472 [on the death of Thomas Botiller];
• Thomas Markham - 26th January 1476 [on the death of Robert Browne];
• Henry Sleford - 27th October 1503 [priest; on the death of Thomas Markham MA];
• Thomas Bruer - [ known to be "parish priest" in this year];
• William Bell - 1528 [clerk, known to be at Blunham in this year];
• William Witter or Wittown 1534 [known to be rector in this year];
• Edward - 1535 "parish priest" i.e. curate known to be at Blunham in this year - wages thirty three shillings and fourpence;
• William Lewes, -c. 1530s or 1540s; former chaplain of the Brotherhood of the Holy Trinity "but meanly learned, no table to serve a cure and hath a pension of four pounds a year of the King's Majesty out of the late Monastery of Warden [dissolved 1537];
• Roger Tonge MA - 7th June 1542 [on the death of William Wytton];
• William Glenton or Gleynton - 1544-1546 "parish priest" i.e. curate known to be at Blunham in these years;
• George Joie or Joyce - 15th November 1549 [clerk; on the death of Roger Tonget; died 1553];
• Barnard Standiforth - 1553?;
• Gabriel Power AM - 12th May 1554 [on the deprivation of Barnard Standiforth presumably for not being a Roman Catholic];
• Edward Blenerhasset also Hasset - 13 Nov 1559; [his will was proved in PCC in 1570];
• Thomas Nortone - 20th Jun 1570 [clerk; on the death of Edward Blannerhasset; buried 11th March 1621; will dated 25th February 1621, proved 9th March 1621; buried in the chancel on the north side near his wife];
• William Butcher - 1607; curate, known to be at Blunham in this year;
• John Donne DD - 14th March 1621 [Dean of Saint Paul's, London; dispensation to hold the Rectory of Blunham in plurality; the famous poet];
• Richard Pearce - 1626-1629 - John Donne's curate known to be at Blunham in these years;
• Timothy Archer DD - 11th April 1631;
• John Willmer - died 1650; known to be at Blunham in this year;
• John Goodman - died 1659; known to be at Blunham in this year;
• Samuel Fowler - 13th January 1672 [vacant by the death of Timothy Archer; ordained priest 3rd February 1660 by Thomas Winniffe, Bishop of Lincoln; married Mrs. Ann Radcliffe at Flitton 21st August 1673; buried 1st December 1704];
• Richard Berrow MA - 16th December 1704;
• John York - 1718-1720; curate known to be at Blunham in these years;
• Ralph Hancock DD - 5th December 1728 [of Saint John'sCollege, Cambridge; chaplain to the Duke of Kent];
• Philip Birt MA - 9th March 1741 [on the death of Ralph Hancock];
• Hadley Cox MA - 8th December 1762 [on the death of Philip Birt; dispensation to hold Silsoe Vicarage with Blunham dated 19th January 1763];
• Samuel Lawry MA - 19th April 1782 [on the death of Hadley Cox];
• Amos Hayton - 1805; curate known to be at Blunham in this year;
• Robert Porter Beachcroft MA - 2nd June 1806 [on the death of Samuel Simon Lawry];
• Edmund Grey - 1817-1819; curate known to be at Blunham in these years;
• W. F. Mansel - 1819; curate;
• James Cooper - 1820-1823; curate;
• Eardley Childers - 1824-1826; curate;
• Charles Pritchard - 1826-1829; curate;
• John Mendham - 1829-1831; curate;

Jacob Henry Brooke Mountain [Z50/19/21]

• Jacob Henry Brooke Mountain MA - 29th January 1831 [on the death of Robert Porter Beachcroft];
• Richard Seymour - 1831-1833; curate;
• Francis de Lynes - 1834; curate;
• W. K. Clay - 1834-1837; curate known to be at Blunham in these years;
• John Brereton - 1839; curate known to be at Blunham in this year;
• John Clare Pigot - 1840-1843 - curate;
• Richard Hull - 1843-1844; curate known to be at Blunham in this year;
• William Edward Edwards - 1850; curate known to be at Blunham in this year, salary £80;
• Vincent Brooke Clementi - 1854 - curate known to be at Blunham in this yea);
• William Gashell Rouse - 1854-1858; curate known to be at Blunham in these years, salary £50;
• Alfred Field - 1859 - curate known to be at Blunham in this year; salary £100;
• Graham Smith - 1868 - curate known to be at Blunham in this year;
• J. G. C. Campion - 1869-1872; curate known to be at Blunham in these years;
• Thomas Marlborough Berry MA - 9th November 1872 [on the death of Jacob Henry Brooke Mountain];

Charles Henry Farmer [Z50/19/22]

• Charles Henry Farmer - February 1893;
• George Paul Davys - December 1910;
• William Henry Hopkin - December 1918;
• George Mostyn Prichard - June 1941;
• Theodore Charles William Cooper Teape-Fugard - September 1948;
• Gerald Claude Francis Edwards - 1954;
• Thomas Purchas - 1971
• David Kenneth Williams - 1981;
• Peter W.Ricketts - 1986;
• Richard D.Seymour-Whiteley - 1993;
• Barbara Ebeling - 1999

The crucifixion from the east window August 2009

Visitations

Volume 81 published by the Bedfordshire Historical Records Society (2002) is devoted to returns made during episcopal visitations| to the county by the Bishop of Lincoln in the early 18th century, edited by former County Archivist Patricia Bell. It throws some interesting light on the state of the church in the parish.

At this date it was common for a rector or vicar to not live in the parish he nominally served, often because he had more than one, and so employed a curate to undertake their parochial duties for him. The Rector of Blunham, however, Richard Berrow lived in the Rectory, though he still employed a curate.

The returns ask for numbers of communicants, whether any came to church that were unbaptized, the frequency of services and other matters applying to the congregation. Rev. Berrow, or his curate, seem, to judge by reports, to have been a reasonably conscientious parson. The returns for Blunham are as follows:

• 1709: "Two or three unbaptized come to Church. They promise speedily to receive that Holy Sacrament. Many of late Confirmed. Communicants about 30. But 17 received last Easter";
• 1712: "The Rector resides in his Parsonage house. Two Adults Baptized since my last Visitation [i.e. the last one the Rector had to complete a form for - 1709]. One remains un-baptized who comes to church. Few not Confirmed. Divine Service twice every Lord's day, once upon Litanie days and Holy-days. Catechizing [i.e. teaching the scriptures] generally every Sunday in the year. Communion 4 times a year. Not above 26 usually receive".
• 1717: "I do reside Personally upon my Cure, and in my Parsonage House. My Curate resides with me, to whom I do allow Twenty Pounds per annum Salary, beside Board and many other Conveniences. Several are not Confirmed…The Public Service is read in Our Church twice every Lord's Day, and on all the Feasts and Fasts of the Church and State Days of either Kind. There are Sermons twice on the Lord's Days…The Sacrament of the Lord's Supper is administered in Our Church at least 3 times a Year, viz. the 3 Great Festivals [Christmas, Easter and Whitsun]; and sometimes at the Michaelmas season [September]. Our Communicants are 26 or a few more, I hope. Last Easter but 13 received. Sometimes more and sometimes fewer. Alas! Alas!"
• 1720: "I do reside Personally upon my Cure, and in my parsonage House. I have a Residing Curate. His name is John York; He hath been Curate near upon Two Years. He is duly qalified and lives with me in my Parsonage Huse. I do allow Him twenty Pounds per Annum together with Board and Fire and Candle in his Chamber, and Washing and Lodging. Unbaptized - I know of none. The Publick Service is read in our church, and duly perform's twice every Lord's Day, as also on The Festivals and Fasts enjoyn'e by the Church or State…the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper is administer'd in Our Church at least three times every Year. The whole Number of communicants We do suppose to amount to Six and twenty. Sixteen received last Easter at Church and One at Home challeng'd a Private Communion as testifying Her constant adherence and it was duly performed…The chief Difficulties are in bringing Servants as well as Children to be Catechized".

View from the north door August 2009

Ecclesiastical Census

On Sunday 30th March 1851 a census of all churches, chapels and preaching-houses of every denomination was undertaken in England and Wales. The local results were published by Bedfordshire Historical Records Society in 1975 as Volume 54, edited by D. W. Bushby. The return for Blunham church was made by the Rector - Jacob Brooke Mountain, who noted that the morning service attracted 133 adults and 89 Sunday scholars, that in the afternoon 250 adults and 78 Sunday scholars - totals of 222 and 328 respectively. He noted that average attendances were 260 and 492 respectively (Sunday 30th March was cold, wet and windy). He added: "The Church belongs to the four Hamlets [Blunham, Mogerhanger, Chalton and South Mills]. The numbers are at present below average from several families having been driven by agricultural distress into the union workhouse".