Page images
PDF
EPUB

Mary Ashton, who married at St. Peter's Church, Eaton Square, July 28, 1891, Charles John youngest son of the late General Wood, M.P., of Littleton (Hist. of Wilmer Family, by C. W. Foster, 279).

After spending twenty-one years at Pluckley (where he restored the Church in 1852), Mr. Oxenden was consecrated August 1, 1869, Bishop of Montreal, and Metropolitan of Canada. Having faithfully fulfilled his Episcopal duties for nearly ten years, he returned to England, and was in 1879 presented to the Vicarage of St. Stephen's, Canterbury, which he held till 1885. Health again failing him, Bishop Oxenden retired to Biarritz, where he died February 22nd, 1892, aged 84 years.

Bishop Oxenden was one of the most popular writers of the century, many of his works having commanded a circulation of many thousand copies.

Among some of his best known books are: The Pathway of Safety; Earnest Communicant; Home Beyond; Pastoral Office; Family Prayers; Parables of Our Lord; Portraits from the Bible; Barham and Pluckley Tracts; besides others on Baptism, Confirmation, Lord's Supper, etc.

(Pedigree of Oxenden, Arch. Cant., VI., 277; Berry's Kent Peds., 224; Plain Sermons and Memoir, by Wentworth Webster, 1893.)

A window was placed in Pluckley Church by Professor Plumptre to commemorate Bishop Oxenden's twenty-one years' ministry. In the chancel also, upon the north wall, is a brass bearing this inscription:

To the Glory of God

and in loving memory of

The Right Reverend ASHTON OXENDEN, D.D.,

the 6th son of Sir HENRY OXENDEN, Bart.
He was born at Broome, in the Parish of Barham, Kent,
September 28, 1808, and he entered into rest at

Biarritz, February 22, 1892.

He was Curate of Barham from 1833 to 1840, and afterwards for 21 years Rector of Pluckley. On August 1, 1869, He was consecrated Bishop and Metropolitan of Canada, which important charge he resigned through failing health in 1878. Beloved and honoured by all who knew him for his consistent character and saintly life.

"He being dead yet speaketh."

There are three public memorials at Biarritz.

(1) A handsome cross over his grave in the New Cemetery :

Sacred

To the Memory of
ASHTON OXENDEN, D.D.,
Late Bishop of Montreal
and Metropolitan
of Canada,

Son of Sir HENRY OXENDEN, Bart.,
of Broome Park,

in the County of Kent.
Born 28 Sept 1808.

Died 22 Feby 1892.

(2) Brass plate in chancel, St. Andrew's Church:

In affectionate remembrance of

ASHTON OXENDEN, D.D., who died Feb 22nd 1892,
late Bishop of Montreal
Metropolitan of Canada,

and in grateful recognition of his services in this Church
during the last seven years of his life.

(3) Brass plate on new organ, St. Andrew's Church:
This Organ was erected as a

public memorial of respect and affection

to the late Bishop ASHTON OXENDEN, D.D., 1892.

1869. EDWARD HAYES PLUMPTRE, D.D., Very Reverend Dean of Wells, was descended from the ancient family of Plumptre of Nottingham. He was second son of Edward Hallows Plumptre of the Inner Temple, and was born August 6, 1821.

By his scholarly attainments he rapidly rose to occupy places of distinction, becoming B.A. and Fellow of Brasenose College, Oxford, 1844-7, and receiving his M.A. in the latter year; Assistant Preacher Lincoln's Inn 1851-8; Professor of Pastoral Theology, King's College, London, 1853-63, and of New Testament Exegesis 1863-81; Dean of Queen's College, London, 1855-75; Prebendary of St. Paul's 1863-81; Boyle Lecturer 1866-7, and Grinfield Lecturer on Septuagint at Oxford 1872-4; selected a member of the Old Testament Company for Revision of the Authorized Version

VOL. XXII.

H

of Holy Scripture 1869-74. In 1869 Archbishop Tait collated Mr. Plumptre to Pluckley, which he exchanged in 1873 for the Vicarage of Bickley, Kent, an appointment he held till installed Dean of Wells in 1881. Mr. Plumptre married July 5, 1848, at Herstmonceux, Sussex (Gent. Mag., 315), Harriet Theodosia youngest daughter of Rev. Michael Maurice (Unitarian Minister) of Notting Hill, and youngest sister of Rev. Frederick Denison Maurice.

Dr. Plumptre died at the Deanery, Wells, February 1, 1891, aged 69, and was buried February 6 in the churchyard, south of the choir of the Cathedral. A tombstone of Aberdeen granite with a cross laid upon it, and this inscription, marks the place of his grave:

EDWARD HAYES PLUMPTRE,
Dean of Wells.

Born August 6, 1821. Died February 1, 1891.

A brass tablet, put up by his colleagues the Canons, in the north aisle of the choir underneath the window in memory of Bishop Ken, which the late Dean was chiefly instrumental in erecting, bears the following:

In Memoriam

EDWARDI HAYES PLUMPTRE

Decani Wellensis;

Qui hanc fenestram in honorem
Insignis Episcopi THOME KEN,
decorandam curavit,

obdormivit in Christo
Kal. Februarii MDCCCXCI
Hanc tabulam posuere
Mærentes Collega.

A good obituary of him appears in Notes and Queries, 1891 (120); see also Kelly, Handbook to Official Classes; Celebrities of the Century, by Lloyd C. Sanders, 1887.

He was author of Sermons at King's College, London, 1859; Theology and Life; Lazarus and other Poems; Translations of Sophocles and Euripides; Life of Bishop Ken; Editor of Bible Educator, 1877-9, etc.

1873. EDWARD JOHN SELWYN, M.A., like several of his predecessors, was a gentleman of considerable literary attainments, and is described as a man of very great learning and culture, and

66

a most accurate scholar." He descended from a Gloucestershire family. His father was Rev. Edward Selwyn, formerly an officer R.A., and afterwards of St. Katherine's College, Cambridge, and Vicar of Ruddington, Notts, and subsequently of Hemingford Abbots, Hunts; his mother was Fanny daughter of Rev. John Simons, Rector of Paul's Cray, Kent. Their son Edward John was born at Cambridge March 17th, 1822, and brought up at Oakham Grammar School, and at Repton, whence he went up with an exhibition in 1842 to Trinity College, Cambridge. He obtained a College Scholarship and the Bell University Scholarship in 1843; graduated B.A. in 1846, and M.A. 1849, being ordained deacon in 1847, and priest the next year.

Mr. Selwyn became Head Master of the Blackheath Proprietary School, 1847-64; Evening Lecturer of St. Margaret, Lee, Kent, 1859-64; was the first Rector of St. Paul, Wokingham, Berks, 1864-67; Vicar of St. George's, Bickley, Kent, 1867-1873, when he came to Pluckley, a mandate for his induction to the same being dated April 7, 1873. He was Rector twenty years, and for five was Rural Dean. He erected principally at his own expense St. Mary's Church, close to the railway station.

He was twice married; first to Henrietta De la Cour third daughter of Rev. Peter Maingay of St. James, Guernsey; she died September 13, 1851, aged 29, and was buried in the cemetery there; M.I.; secondly, at Clapham, December 22, 1853, to Maria Sophia second daughter of W. Hughes-Hughes, Esq., formerly M.P. for Oxford, a Barrister, and an Alderman of City of London.

Mr. Selwyn died August 15, 1893, aged 71, leaving a widow and three children. His son Rev. E. Carus Selwyn is Head Master of Uppingham School. He was buried on August 16th in Pluckley Churchyard, and by his request laid with his face towards his people, wearing his cassock, surplice, and stole.

(Guardian, August 23, 30, 1893; Canterbury Dioc. Gaz.)

AT BASE OF STONE CROSS IN PLUCKLEY CHURCHYARD.

In Loving Memory of

EDWARD JOHN SELWYN, M.A.
Rector of this Parish for 20 years.
He entered into Rest

August 15, 1893. Aged 71 years.

The following sketch Pedigree by Rev. W. Bazeley of Matson,

co. Gloucester, shews the relationship between Rev. E. J. Selwyn and the Bishop's family:

William Selwyn of Leonard Stanley Elizabeth.

Richard Selwyn of Leonard Stanley Elizabeth Harmer.

William Selwyn of King's Stanley Catherine Clutterbuck.

Jasper Selwyn, Bar.-at-Law, of Matson, d. 1636, æt. 70—Margaret Robbins.

William Selwyn, ob. 1643 Edith Bennett, d. 1632.

William Selwyn, d. 1679—Margaret Nourse.

William Selwyn, Gen. Gov. of Jamaica, d. 1702 Albinia Betenson, d. 1738, æt. 80.

1702TA

Henry Selwyn, 2nd son, d. 1734 Ruth Compton, d. 1761.

1734 Ru

Charles Jasper Elizabeth Coxeter. William, Bar.-at-Law Frances Dod.

די

Henry Charles, Capt., d. 1807 Sarah Thompson. William Letitia Kynaston.

[blocks in formation]

1893. FREDERIC NEWTON STYLE, M.A., the present Rector, was late Scholar of Lincoln College, Oxford, taking the degree of B.A. in 1869, and M.A. in 1873. Being ordained in 1870 to the

« PreviousContinue »