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Ecclesiastical - the Ministers of Holy Cross
A chronological list of the Ministers of Holy Cross.
Records relating to the period before 1349 do not exist; possibly there was no residential incumbent during this period.
The rector of Ashridge from 1336 to 1346 was Richard of Saretta, which might indicate Sarrett. Records from 134 9 to 1551 are very fragmentary, some of the dates simply indicating a particular incumbent`s presence in the year shown; some others have been deduced. The early incumbents were vicars but later the terms rector and vicar were used variously until 1866 when the living was formally constituted a rectory. From 1987 the incumbent has been a priest-in-charge. Occasionally, but especially during the 16th and 17th centuries, the vicar had the services of a curate (see separate list)
nk = not known
Vicars/Rectors/Priests-in-Charge
(specific dates shown are dates of institution; Jan-Mar events prior to 1752 are shown in year of new reckoning)
John Clerk of Langley 1349 - 1392
John of Langetoft 1392 - nk
John Caldecote nk - 1436 deceased
James Roche nk - 1462 ejected for murder
John Skeltone 14 June 1462 - nk
Thomas Hemmyngforthe 1479 - 1485 ejected for apostasy
John Jubbe 25 May 1485 - nk
John Alenson nlt 1502 - 1519 deceased
John Plough 1544 - nk
William Hutchinson 1557 - 1558
vacancy / nk
William Smyth 1564 - 1565
vacancy / nk
William Smyth 1566 - 1569 deceased
John Lane 8 Nov 1569 - 1571 resigned
William Edwards 17 Nov 1571 - 1579 resigned
John Butler 18 Aug 1579 - 1593 resigned
Richard Betts 24 Feb 1593 - 1594
John Butler 1594 - 1606 resigned
George Clerk 18 Aug 1606 - 1615 deceased
John Cockshott 19 Feb 1616 - 1617 deceased
Alexander Clerk (son of George) 10 Jan 1618 - 1635
Robert Clarke 1635 - 1644
John Chiswick 1650 - 1661 deceased
William Joel 25 Sept 1661 - 1702 deceased
George Smith 6 Nov 1702 - 1724 deceased
Gilbert Williams 4 Feb 1725 - 1768 deceased
William Williams (son of Gilbert) 1770 - 1807 deceased
Charles Jeffreys Cottrell 6 Mar 1807 - 1814 cessation
John Foster 24 Jan 1815 - 1838 deceased
William John Moore* 6 Oct 1838 - 1859 resigned
Edward Ryley 12 Oct 1859 - 1912 deceased
Gilbert Noel Ryley (son of Edward) 1912 - 1950 retired
Vincent Straun Robertson 1950 - 1953
Thomas Ernest McArdle 1953 - 1961
Arthur John Faulkner Tomlinson 1962 - 1985
Martin Phillip Culverwell 1987 - 1990 resigned
David John Dredge 1990 - 1995
John Peter Hart 23 May 1996 - April 2004
James (Jim) Anthony Stevens March 2005
* changed surname to Moore-Brabazon in 1845
Assistant Curates
Anthony Emery c1519
John Draper c1520
Robert Taylor c1545
Richard Preston 1551 - 1553
William Smyth 1559 - 1564
William Smyth 1565 - 1566
William Crowther c1572
Ralph Turner c1575
Richard Betts 1584 - 1593
Thomas Chapman 1584 - 1593
John Starr c1600
John Fryer 1606 - 1607 (probably)
John Cockshott 1609 - 1616
Edward Tipsell 1616 - nk
Mr Cowheard 1617 - 1620
J Johnson c1840
 Revd. Jim and Judy Stevens March 2005 | ||