The Rodden Rector.

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Well, you can't win 'em all. 

After my adventurous last finger in the ebay pie, and the thoroughly interesting history lesson on Gibraltar which resulted, I thought I'd have another wee dip. Now, we don't want clergy, and we don't want Indian army .. so ... how about this pose-y looking wee gent from Hereford ...

How wrong can you get it. Edward Methuen Rogers Edgell (b Bromham Rectory 17 January 1851; d Rodden Rectory, Style's Hill House, Rodden, Somerset 21 June 1916) was not only a country clergyman, he was a fourth generation country clergyman. There wouldn't be any more, because, shockingly, he was a confirmed bachelor country clergyman. I guess his longtime servant, Frances, whose parents and family lived in a nearby cottage, did the opening of fêtes and cossetting of the worthy ill of the parish for him.

The Edgell family held sway over the Manor of Standerwick in Frome, Somerset for a couple of centuries' having purchased it by deed of chancery ... seat of Admiral Harry Folkes Edmund Edgell 'formerly governor of Languard Fort', son of Caffin Edgell of Standerwick ... Oh, yes, their were army and navy men in the ranks of the Edgells, you can find them piled up in the pages of Burke, but I won't go there: just to the successive Edgells who went to Oxford, got their degree, found themselves a living gifted from within the family and lived out their lives thereupon.

Edward Betenson Edgell (our man's father) became rector of Bromham. E M R succeeded to the living at Rodden, previously held by his grandfather (also forenamed Edward) who had been also of East Hill and later was prebendary at Wells, a grandson of Chaffin. I think. So, our Edward? Trinity Oxford BA. Curate at Hope-under-Dinmore, Dinton with Teffont Magna (1879), Semington, Wilts (1881). And then, thank you, in 1883 he dropped anchor as Perpetual Curate in Rodden. 1884 MA (why?)... 

Poor little country vicar? Not on your nelly...  Amongst the bequests of Edward I to Edward II was a nice painting. Among, I imagine, other items of its ilk and value...

Yes, it's a Titian. And yes, our E M R sold it.

So, E M R lived his life at Rodden ... when he died, in 1916, the only reportage I can see in the press is five lines, saying that his will amounted to eighteen-thousand pounds. I wonder how many times he tripped up to Sotheby's...

Looks as if he'd already mortgaged his share of the patrimony. There are heaps of documents in the Somerset archives concerning the family, for those interested.

• "On 22 Oct 1879 the Revd Edward Betenson Edgell of Bromham Rectory, Wiltshire, clerk conveyed to George Alfred Daniel Percy Wilson, Daniel Cruttwell and Walter Harry Wilson Cruttwell, all of Frome Selwood, gents, the Mansion House known as Standerwick Court, with 147 acres of land in the parishes of Standerwick, Berkley and Beckington. On 29 Jan 1890 the Revd Edward Betenson Edgell and the Revd Edward Methuen Rogers Edgell of Rodden Rectory, clerk appointed Edward Methuen Roger Edgell to the property. On 22 Mar 1890 Revd Edward Betenson Edgell and Hesther his wife appointed Catherine Isabella Edgell and Helen Julia Edgell, both of Bromham Rectory, spinsters to the property. On 24 Oct 1905 the Revd Edward Methuen Rogers Edgell mortgaged the property to Catherine Isabella Edgell of Devizes, Wiltshire, spinster. On 24 Mar 1919 Florence Helen Baxter, wife of Arthur Baxter of Frome, gent and Percy Wilson Daniel Cruttwell of Frome gent conveyed the property to Charles Henry Edgell of Exbridge, Devon, gent.
  Also includes receipt from Catherine Isabella Edgell of Devizes, spinster and Helen Julia Hunt wife of William Alfred Hunt of Yeovil, surgeon for the payment of £3000 from Revd Edward Methuen Rogers of Roddan Rectory, clerk, being a portion charged on Holt Manor Farm, Wiltshire, 20 Oct 1905; indemnity as to the increment value duty by C N Edgell, 27 Aug 1919; acknowledgement of right to production of documents, 27 Aug 1919; abstract of title to portion of the Standerwick Court Estate, 1919; copy death certificate of Caroline Edgell, [6 Sep 1897]."

I think I might just have pulled out the woolly lamb of this particular flock. I wonder what became of little Frances Emily Gaisford (b Semington 1876) who had looked after him for over twenty years. I hope she got some of the 18K. Ah! I sees a Frances E Gaisford wedding a John W Aitchison in Wiltshire in 1924 ... In 1939, at Hillview, Littlemarsh, John is a 'heavy labourer', and if it's Frances she's chopped 3 years off her age. Died 1951. I wish I had a photo of her ... Some people are just more interesting than others ...

PS: I see our man's uncle, the Major got a large obituary ... containing the family history ...