Notes for Alexander THURTELL

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Notes for Alexander THURTELL

The family tree done by Harriet Thurtell about 1900 and the History of the Thurtell Family done by Susan Persia Thurtell about 1968, both in the possession of Susan Persia Thurtell Miller, listed Alexander Thurtell and his wife and children. Much of the following information about Alexander Thurtell was received from the Norwich Public Libraries.

According to this family history, Alexander was born at Bradwell, Suffolk, about 1806. He was educated at the Yarmouth Academy by Mr. Bowles (formerly of Norwich Theatre). He was admitted sizar and when 19 at Trinity. He went on to Caius College and returned Fourth Wrangler in 1829. He received his M. A. in 1832 and was a fellow of Caius from 1830 to 1849. He went to Oxford in 1842. He was ordained deacon in 1830 and priest in 1837 and was a rector of Oxborough and Faulden from 1848 to 1884. In 1854 he married Mary Gordon Ellis (?) [Bartrum (?)], who died January 30, 1857, and had two children. He died on October 21, 1884, at 79.

Information received from Peter Murray in 1997 shows that Alexander Thurtell (Reverend) was born in 1805 in Bradwell, Suffolk, and died October 21, 1884. He was Rector of Oxborough, Norfolk County, England. He went to school at Yarmouth and Trinity College Cambridge and had a distinguished academic record, being a scholar, senior fellow, Hebrew lecturer, and Moderator. After entering Holy Orders, he was appointed H.M.'s Inspector of Schools in 1847, and became Rector of Oxborough. He is buried in Oxborough churchyard. His grandnephew, (Dr.) George A. E. Murray, visited him in 1880 at Oxborough Rectory, Stoke Ferry, Norfolk. (see Mrs.Shearing's "Family Book" pp.27-8 for more about him).

He married, in 1854 (not 1834), Mary Gordon Ellis, who died June 30, 1857, an author (see catalogue of the British Museum Library). The Mickle Collection at the University of Guelph Library shows her name as Mary Gordon Bartrum. They had two children.

He is listed in the 1851 British Census as Alexander Thurtell, age 45, unmarried, Rector of Oxborough and Vicar of Fouldon, born in Bradwell, Suffolk, and living at the Parsonage House, Swaffham, Norfolk, England. Living with him is a pupil, Frederick Heathcote Sutton, age 18 and unmarried, born in Lyndford, Norfolk. (PRO Reference HO/107/1831, Folio 174, Page 11, FHL Film 0207486).

He is very likely the Alexander Thurtell listed in the Free BMD index on the internet in August 2000 at http://freebmd.rootsweb.com shown as being married in the September 1854 quarter at St. Faith's listed in Volume 4b, page 167.

"Kelly's Directory for Cambridgeshire, Norfolk & Suffolk, 1883" on page 462 has an entry for Oxborough as transcribed on the internet in 1999 by E. C. "Paddy" Appling, http://www.btinternet.com/~e.c.apling/Villages/Oxborough.htm. This shows that Oxborough "is a parish, seated on the banks of a small stream running into the navigable Wissey, 7˝ miles south-west from Swaffham station, in the Western division of the county, South Greenhoe hundred, Swaffham union and county court district, Cranwich rural deanery, Norfolk archdeaconry and Norwich diocese. The church of St. John the Evangelist is a large stone Gothic building consisting of chancel, nave, aisles, and square tower with a remarkable lofty spire rebuilt in 1877 (the previous one having been struck by lightning), and containing 6 bells: it has an altar-tomb under a marble Corinthian canopy, to Sir Henry Bedingfield, knight-marshal and constable of the Tower under Queen Mary, ob. 1583. The register dates from the year 1538. The living is a rectory with the vicarage of Foulden annexed, joint yearly value Ł720 with residence, in the gift of Caius College, Cambridge, and held since 1848 by the Rev. Alexander Thurtell M.A. formerly fellow and tutor of that college. Here is a Catholic chapel, built in 1835, dedicated to our Lady and St. Margaret: there is a resident priest. There are charities to the amount of Ł130, the principal of which are derived from 86 acres, the estate of Thomas Hewar, who in 1619 left it in trust to apply two-thirds for the relief of poor parishioners, and one-third for repairing and beautifying the church; from the proceeds of this fund a handsome schoolhouse has been erected at the entrance of the parish. Oxborough was a Roman station, and is mentioned in the Domesday survey. In 1252 a market and fair were granted: the fair is still held on Easter Tuesday, it is a pleasure fair. Oxborough Hall is a castellated mansion of the fifteenth century, entirely surrounded by a moat filled with water: there a few good paintings and a curious tapestry: it is the seat of Sir Henry G. Paston-Bedingfield bart D.L., J.P. who is lord of the manor and chief landowner. The soil is loam and clay, with a portion of fen land; subsoil, chalk and clay. The chief crops are wheat, barley and turnips. The area is 2,528 acres; reateable value, 2,830; and the population in 1881 was 228."

The same directory, in the section for Foulden on page 318 (internet transcription at http://www.btinternet.com/~e.c.apling/Villages/Foulden. htm) shows Foulden "is a parish and scattered village, separated from Northwold by the river Wissey, about 7˝ miles south-west from Swaffham railway station, and 8 north from Brandon station, in the Western division of the county, South Greenhoe hundred, Swaffham union and county court district, Cranwich rural deanery, Norfolk archdeaconry and Norwich diocese. The church of All Saints, at the western part of the village, which has been a noble building, is in the Early English style and consists of chancel and nave; the tower has long been in ruin, and there are now only remains of one side of it, with a portion of the old circular stone staircase which led to the belfry: this is in great part overhung with ivy: the nave, which is used for divine service, is in good repair, and seems to be of the same age as the tower, but the chancel is less ancient. The register dates from the year 1538. The living is a discharged vicarage, annexed to the rectory of Oxborough, gross joint yearly value Ł720 with house, in the gift of Caius College, Cambridge, and held since 1848 by the Rev. Alexander Thurtell M.A. formerly tutor and fellow of that college, who resides at Oxborough. There is a Wesleyan Methodist and Primitive Methodist chapels. There are charities of about Ł22 10s. a year for clothing, and there are about 300 acres of land, still unenclosed. W. Amhurst Tyssen Amherst esq. M.P., J.P. is lord of the manor, and E. Oldfield esq. is the chief landowner. The soil is light and clay; subsoil, chalk. The chief crops are wheat, barley and oats. The area is 2,395 acres; rateable value, Ł3,273; and the population in 1881 was 459."

The "Alumni Cantabrigienses," by J. A. Venn, published in 1921 in London by Cambridge University Press as a list of all known students, graduates, and officers at the University of Cambridge, 1261-1900, posted on the internet in November 1999 as part of the Ancestry.Com Library shows that Alexander Thurtell was admitted sizer (age 19) at Trinity College of Cambridge University on April 6, 1825. He was the son of John, surveyor, of Norwich, and was born at Bradwell, Suffolk, England. His school was Great Yarmouth. He migrated to Caius on November 9, 1825. He matriculated Michs. 1825; B.A. (4th Wrangler) 1829; M. A. 1832. He was a fellow of Caius 1830-49 and Tutor 1836-46. He was admitted ad eundem at Oxford in 1842. He was ordained a deacon (Norwich) on October 10, 1830, and a priest in 1837. H.M. Inspector of Schools, 1847. He was Rector of Oxburgh and Foulden, 1848-84, Rector of Caldecot, Norfolk, 1851-84. On July 13, 1854, he married Mary Gordon, daughter of Alfred Bartrum, Esq. of Mauritius. Alexander Thurtell died October 21, 1884, at Oxburgh rectory. He was the father of William E. Thurtell, who entered Cambridge in 1874.

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