Brief Notes on Some Ringmer Curates
If anyone can give us more information on any of the curates of Ringmer, we'd love to hear from you.
Richard Barham: Witnessed (along with his vicar) the will of John Stanvinor, September 1621
Thomas Davies: Son of David Davies of Devynock, Brecknock (who d. Feb 1751).
BA Christchurch Oxford 1747, MA Kings Cambridge 1752.
Curate at Ewhurst 25 Jan 1747-Jun 1748, at Ringmer Jun 1748-Feb 1751.
Vicar of Glynde Feb 1751-15 Aug 1789 death.
Curate of South Malling 1751-1760 [held with Glynde by 4 successive vicars there to 1760]
Married Mary Tisehurst, widow, at Glynde 5 Apr 1761, children.
ESRO/AMS 6253 is his tithe account book 1752-1780. Will PCC 582 Macham.
John Hubbersty: son of Robert Hubbersty of Under Barrow, Westmorland, "pleb".
Matric Queens, Oxford, 17 Mar 1747/8 aged 18. BA 1751.
Letters to brother (Kendal attorney) ESRO/AMS 6126/1-26.
Later curate of Seaford and Barcombe.
25 Jul 1762 will of Henry SNOOKE of Ringmer esq leaves £50 to his respected friend John Hubbersty, curate of Barkham, Sussex.
Jacob Townshend: curate at £40 p.a., complained against Mr Snooke's behaviour in church, and read a paper against him [Secker, 1761].
Of Russell parish, Virginia [same event] [Par Reg].
Theodore Fletcher: File available
Son of George Fletcher of Stoke Lyne, Oxford, clerk.
Matric Magdelen, Oxford, 6 Apr 1734 aged 17, BA 1737.
Laughton registers note affidavits made before Rev Mr Fletcher, curate of Ringmer, in Apr, May & Jun 1759
Salary in 1764-5 £35 p.a. Rented vicarage house [ESRO/Acc.5463].
Theodore Fletcher, wdw, mar Martha Parkham at Ringmer 12 Aug 1762.
Also curate of South Malling 1770-1775 [Sue Lapido]
4 children bapt at Ringmer 1763-1774; two buried at Ringmer 1771 & 1779.
Theodore buried at Ringmer 26 May 1775; Martha Fletcher buried at Ringmer 16 Nov 1792 [P].
Edward Raynes: Perhaps Rev Edward Robert RAYNES who was incumbent of Firle & Beddingham (1784-1824) and Ripe (1795-1825), Archdeacon of Lewes from 1815-1823, and chose to reside at Antioch House, Lewes, where he could more easily indulge his ruling passion, whist [C. Brent, Georgian Lewes].
Mansel Gwynne: File available
Also curate of South Malling 1777-1778 [Sue Lapido]
Robert Gerison: File available
Also curate in the Fletching marriage registers in Nov 1786 and Apr-Aug 1790.
1782; vicarage house leased out to Master Randall & Mrs Bristow [ESRO/Acc.5463].
Also curate of South Malling 1779-1788 [Sue Lapido, who called him rector [sic] of Uckfield]
Thomas Tims: Also curate in Fletching marriage registers Sep 1787.
John Lupton: File available
Born 24 Jun 1764, son of Rev William Lupton, curate of Headingly, Leeds [John Davies].
Noted as a native of Leeds in 5 May 1829 entry in Rev John Constable's diary [ESRO/MOB/1605-6]
Matric Trinity, Camb, 1782; BA 1786; MA 1789 [JD].
Licenced curate 1787, salary £40 p.a.
Also curate in Fletching marriage registers Dec 1787-Nov 1791
Also curate St John sub Castro, Lewes, 1791-1799 [JD].
Also signs Glynde par reg Oct 1791 and Feb 1795, curate there 1804-1808.
Also curate of Laughton 1800 [JD].
Also rector of Cliffe 1807-1841 and buried there 1844.
Of Ringmer when on 7 Oct 1790 he married Philadelphia Davies at St Paul's, Covent Garden [JD & Family Search].
Children bapt at Ringmer 1791 & 1798.
Rented Ringmer vicarage 1794; salary in c.1802 £50 p.a. [ESRO/Acc.5463]
Secretary to the Sussex National Society for the Education of the Poor, 1812.
Curate of Ringmer until Jun 1841.
Vicar of Ulting, Essex, 1823-1840 [JD].
Non-resident rector of Ovingdean 1841-1844 [JD].
Died 12 Feb 1844 at Riders Wells, South Malling, buried at Cliffe 19 Feb 1844 [JD].
Biography by John Davies of Ovingdean [JD]
R.S. Arnold: Usually signs as officiating minister but once as curate.
F.S. Thornton: information from gt-grandson Robin Thornton, Jul 2007
Born in Germany in 1846 under the surname SCHLEICHER, changed to THORNTON by 1872
Curate of Ringmer 1872-1874; ordained deacon 1872, priest 1873
1874-1878 vicar of Preston Deanery, Northants
1878-1890 vicar of St Sepulchre, Northampton [where F.H. FISHER below was curate]
1890 Hon Canon of Ely Cathedral & rector of Downham near Ely, 1892-
Address in 1897 Crockford's is Downham Rectory, Ely
Frank H. FISHER: File available
Curate 1884-1888
29 Dec 1883 Northampton Mercury: The Rev F.H. FISHER has resigned his curacy at St Sepulchre's on account of ill health and accepted the curacy of Ringmer, where the Rev F.S. THORNTON was curate 12 yr ago.
An account of the presentation to Rev F.H. FISHER, who was leaving Ringmer for Cranbourne, Dorset, after 4 years, preserved in Winifred Martin's 1905 scrapbook
21 Jan 1888 Leeds Mercury notes Rev F.H. FISHER, MA, curate of Ringmer, was to be vicar of Cranborne-with-Boveridge, Dorset, where he was vicar from 1888-1910
At Cranbourne he is said to have carved the chancel screen, the reredos in the Lady chapel and the lower screen
Attended Rev Symons funeral in Aug 1891, then vicar of Cranbourne [14 Aug 1891 Sussex Express]
Charles Douglas Percy DAVIES: File available.
Assistant curate, 1888-1891
Three previous curacies in Salop & Worcs, 1880-1887
1891 census; lodger at The Firs, with grocer and sub-postmaster Thomas Miller.
1891 census; aged 34, single, assistant curate of Ringmer, born Tewksbury, Glos.
Married at Ringmer 11 Feb 1892, aged 35, to Miss Jesse Frances Mudge, 35, of Middleham.
His father was Charles Greenall Davies, deceased, late vicar of Tewkesbury.
Involved in parochial disputes re high church ways and village hall ownership. His chief opponent was People's churchwarden Richard King SAMPSON.
Identified in a series of letters in a May 1891 issue of the East Sussex News as a member of the [Anglo-catholic] English Church Union [Winifred Martin scrapbook]
Noted as "a high one" in Nancy Martin's diary; see Newsletters nos.170 & 199, the latter including information about his death in 1931.
Rector of East Marden & North Marden, Sussex, 1892-
Later a nationally recognised expert on bell ringing, and author of 'Stedman' (1903); he was also an enthusiastic astronomer.
Of Kemerton, Glos, when he died in 1931; obituary in the 20 Feb 1931 'Ringing World'.
Henry TOMLISON, MA: File available
Curate 1900-1902.
5 Dec 1902 Dover Express: Rev Henry TOMLINSON, MA, curate of Ringmer, presented to the living of East Langdon, near Dover, by Earl GUILFORD. He was a Cambridge man, and had been curate at St Ives, Cornwall, and Rayne, in the Diocese of St Albans.
Noted in 1903 local directory as resident at 'Rosemary'.
Charles FURNIVAL: File available
Curate for two sessions, both under Rev. Gribbell (and the second, after a brief gap,curate for two sessions, both under Rev. Gribbell (and the second continuing under Rev Rosseter). continuing under Rev Rosseter).
Oct 1910 parish magazine notes that he is visiting America, but will be returning soon
Photo P613 (1908) with Church Lads Brigade.
Crockford's Clerical Directory 1913. BA Oxon 1884, Ely College 1886. Ordained deacon 1886, priest 1887 at Lichfield.
Curate of Fenton 1886-8; St John the Baptist Kidderminster 1888-1891; Muston 1899-1903; Henfield 1903-1908; Ringmer 1908-1909; Northiam 1911-2; at Ringmer in 1913
Feb 1908 school managers resolved to appoint the Rev Charles Furnival BA of Ringmer to the vacancy on the Board of Managers [ESRO/EMA/143/4; 7 Mar 1908 Sussex Express]
Nov 1910 resignation as school manager of Rev Charles Furnival, as he had moved to St Leonards [ESRO/EMA/143/4]
Oct 1915 curate-in-charge during Rev ROSSETER's illness.
John Victor Hamilton READE: File available
Curate 1904-1906
The 1905 directory indicates that he lived at the Vicarage, along with Rev GRIBBELL.
Crockford's Clerical Directory 1913. Emmanuel College, Camb, BA 1892, MA 1898. Ordained deacon 1894, priest 1895 at Rochester.
Curate at Sydenham 1894-9; Rye 1899-1903; Walworth 1903-4; Ringmer 1904-6; Eastbourne 1906-9.
Lecture at St Nicholas, Brighton, on 'Animism or the Religion of Fear' [10 Mar 1906 Sussex Express]
Chaplain West London District School, Ashford, London 1907. Address in 1913 The Peaks, Ashford, Middlesex.
Richard RIGDEN:
24 Nov 1906 Sussex Express: The Rev R. Rigden, temporarily assisting the Vicar of Ringmer, was present at a confirmation.
Herbert Ernest WARD: File available
Assistant curate, Oct 1910->Oct 1911
Formerly curate of Hawarden, Chester, took up his work 15 Oct 1910
Mr & Mrs Ward resided at 'Erin'
Rev Herbert Ward of 'Erin' appointed school manager 12 Nov 1910, in place of Rev Charles Furnival [ESRO/EMA/143/4]
Crockford's 1934 has him as TCD Div Test & Downes Priory, 1891; ordained deacon 1891 & priest 1892, Derry
Crockfords has him as curate of Tamlaghtfinlagen, Londonderry, 1891-1900; rector of Burt-with-Inch, Derry, 1901-2, curate of West Grinstead 1903-8, curate of Hawarden 1908-10, curate of Ringmer 1910-1912, curate of West Grinstead & Partridge Green, 1912-1915, curate of St Wilfred's, Haywards Heath, 1915-19 & 1924-1929, vicar of West Dean with Binderton 1920-1923, curate of West Grinstead & Partridge Green 1931-1933, curate of Haywards Road, Haywards Heath.
John LOWERSON: Non-stipendiary curate.
Lecturer in the Centre for Continuing Education at the University of Sussex.
Main field, modern history.
Resident in Lewes, died Jun 2009 aged 67; notice of him, in advance of a memorial service, in the 13 Nov 2009 Sussex Express.
David PERKS: Non-stipendiary curate.
Anthony CANE: Licensed curate. Dr Cane
Newly appointed adult education officer for the diocese of Chichester in 2001.
Moved to Ringmer with wife Claire and children Josh, Hannah & Jeremy in Aug 2001.
Appointed Chancellor to Chichester cathedral and left Ringmer in 2007 [May 2007 Par Mag].
Sally REEVE: Ordained the day before she took up her Ringmer post.
First female curate for Ringmer; married Sept 2012 to become Sally EPPS.
Sally EPPS became vicar of Burwash, Apr 2014.