Rev Peregrine Curtois

A picture of Rev Peregrine Curtois

Born at Branston Hall 10 May 1806, elder son of the first Rev Peregrine Curtois and educated at Grantham and Repton Schools and Trinity Hall, Cambridge (LLB 1st class). Ordained Deacon by the Bishop of Lincoln in Christ's College Chapel 20 December 1829, and Priest by the Bishop of Norwich in his Cathedral 5 June 1831. Curate of Walsoken, Norfolk, 5 January 1830 (on a stipend of £80 plus the surplice fees) (the certificate); Walpole St. Peter, Norfolk, 5 June 1831-1839 (salary £150); of Welney, Norfolk, 1839-1848; Vicar of Hemingford Grey, Hunts., 1849-1868; Rector of Branston 1868-1891, the sixth and last of the family to be so. Died of influenza at Branston Rectory 24 May 1891, five days after his wife, and is buried at Branston (Report, and a photo of his grave and those of some of his family). Residing at Leasingham House, Leasingham, Lincs., in 1851 (described as Curate of Cranwell). In 1874 he owned 1121 acres, with a rental value of £1680. Click here for a letter written in 1889 on the deaths of his children Anne and Atwill. At his death left the advowson of Hemingford Grey to his eldest son, various pecuniary legacies to his children, and a total of £3752 3s 4d.

BRANSTON. The Rev. Peregrine Curtois, rector and patron of the living of Branston, took possession of the church by ringing himself in on Saturday last. It understood that Mr. Curtois' residence here will involve the removal of the curate, Mr. Quick, who has discharged the entire clerical duties for upwards of a year, in a manner which has won for him the general esteem of the parishioners.
A. S. Leslie Melville, Esq., is about to vacate the occupation of "The Rectory House," and take up his residence at "The Longhills," the pleasant seat of the late Rev. Atwill Curtois. Mr. Melville, we understand, has taken the residence on lease, and is expected to occupy it at the latter end of next week.[Lincolnshire Chronicle, Friday 04 December 1868]
CURATE (married), of moderate evangelical views, who has some private means, WANTED, in a country parish in neighbourhood of Lincoln. Stipend £150. Nice house for £20. Addres Rev. P. Curtois, Branston, Lincoln. [John Bull (London, England), Saturday, November 17, 1883, p 730.]

Married 28 April 1834 at East Wickham, Kent, Mary Strong, the daughter of Thomas and Elizabeth Strong of Welling, Kent. Born 25 September 1812, baptised at Bexley, Kent, 18 October 1812 and died 19 May 1891. Buried at Branston.

CURTOIS. On the 19th of May, at Branston Rectory, near Lincoln, of influenza, Mary, wife of the Rev. Peregrine Curtois, aged 78 years. Also on the 24th of May at the same place, of influenza, the Rev. Peregrine Curtois, aged 85 years. [The Argus (Melbourne), Tuesday 7 July 1891, Page 1]

Issue four daughters and seven sons:

  1. Peregrine Curtois, born and died at Walpole St. Peter 14 November and 17 November 1835.

  2. Peregrine Edward Curtois, born at Walpole St. Peter 28 February 1837.

  3. Mary Curtois, born 25 September 1839 and baptised 5 November at Welney, and died at Claybrooke, Leics., 30 November 1893. Buried at Branston.

    Married at Hemingford Grey on 21 June 1866, by Rev Atwill Curtois (her uncle) and Rev Peregrine Edward Curtois (her brother), Rev Charles Hayter, sometime rector of East Mersea, Essex, and vicar of Claybrook cum Wibtoft, Leics. He was born 28 July 1827 (23 July 1826?) in Muswell Hill, London, and died 10 April 1921.

  4. Chauncey Curtois, Major, Madras Infantry. Born at Welney 3 April 1841 and baptised there 22 April, and retired (aged 38) 4 November 1879, and died at his home 'Ellerslie', Perry Road, Buckden, Hunts., 27 June 1905. Buried at Branston. Estate valued at £2836 9s 8d. Ensign 4 November 1859, commision presented by the Marquis of Ripon; Lieutenant 1 January 1862; Captain 10 April 1873; Major 20 October 1879; Retired 4 November 1879. Chauncey was also the name of his father's cousin, but I've no idea where it came from. Legatee of £800 in his fathers will.

    It is a great advantage to a club to have a captain who has tbe means and the disposition to be generous in his support of the game. I hear that the Branston Club Captain, Major Curtois, has just given to the members of his team flannel sufficient to make each a jacket.[The Lincolnshire Chronicle, Friday 15 July 1887]

  5. Atwill Curtois, Colonel, Madras Cavalry. Born at Welney 6 January 1843, and became an examiner and government translator in Hindustani and Persian. Died 4 September 1889 at Colombo, Sri Lanka, where he is buried, en route to Australia. There is a memorial plaque on the wall of a church in Ootacamund. Cornet (The fifth commissioned officer in a troop of cavalry, who carried the colours; corresponding to the ensign in infantry {OED}) 4 November 1859, commision presented by the Marquis of Ripon; Lieutenant 21 April 1861; Captain 6 June 1866; Major 4 November 1879; Colonel, Indian Army, 4 November 1883. Examiner in Persian and Hindustanee to the Madras government.

    Married at Umballa, West Bengal, India, on 2 August 1876, Annie Katherine Drever Coats, daughter of Col. John William Coats HEICS (Honourable East India Company Service). Born at Cuttack, Madras, 1 May 1843, was living at Fleet in Hampshire in 1911 and at 29 The Embankment, Bedford, in 1926, and died 25 June 1926. Buried in the Foster Hill Road cemetery in Bedford (Section F, no. 381, but I couldn't find it).

    Issue one daughter:

    Beryl Annie Curtois, born Ootacamund, Tamil Nadu, India, 15 July (June?) 1880, and educated at Bedford High School. Living with her mother at 144 Cromwell Road, Kensington, in 1901; 23 Newton Road, Westbourne Grove, London, in 1928; and at 184 Heene Road, Worthing, in 1953. Executrix to her cousin Mary Henrietta Dering Curtois in 1928, and legatee of £500 from her grandfather in 1891 and £100 from her cousin Florence in 1934. Died unmarried at North View, East Preston, Littlehampton, 1 January 1961, and buried at Littlehampton 7 January 1961. She seems to have been a singer, and as a singing teacher became a licentiate of the Royal Academy of Music in September 1935.

  6. Willoughby Curtois, born at Welney 4 November 1844. Apparently at Oundle in 1861, and then migrated to Australia, becoming a civil engineer on the Australian railways. Legatee of £1200 from his father. According to The Times, died 11 June 1934 at his home "Roanmore", Melbourne, Australia.

    Married at St. Kilda, Melbourne, 25 January 1873, Mary Ann Flaxman, fifth daughter of Charles and Jane Flaxman. She was born at Adelaide 14 April 1848, and apparently died 11 November 1936. They were registered at Berwick in Flinders in 1903, at 22 Wattletree Road, Malvern in 1909, and at 7 Erskine Street, Malvern, on the 1914 and 1924 electoral rolls.

    No issue, but here's a picture of them on their holidays.

    Mrs Mary A. Curtois widow of Mr. Willoughby Curtois who died on Wednesday at her residence, Erskine street, Armadale, was the last surviving member of the family of Mr. Charles Flaxman. She was born at Adelaide in 1848. Her father, who was a public accountant, one of the first trustees of the Savings Bank of South Australia and at one time an editor of the "South Australian Register." came to Melbourne and succeeded Mr. James Smith as comptroller of Savings Banks in 1854, a position he held until his death in 1869. The active interest he took in Church work was maintained by the members of his family. Mrs. Curtois's name will be remembered at Berwick, and especially at Holy Advent Malvern, with which she was associated for the last 35 years. [The Argus (Melbourne), Saturday 14 November 1936, page 19]

  7. Anne Elizabeth Curtois, born at Welney 25 August 1846, and died in London 5 October 1889. Left £1400 in her fathers will (which was written in 1888), but died before he did. Buried at Branston.

  8. John Curtois, born at Leasingham 6 October 1848, and educated at Oundle and Trinity Hall, Cambridge (BA in Theology 1871). Second Master at King James I's Grammar School, Bishop Auckland in 1874, and died at Bishop Auckland 5 December 1875. Buried at Branston.

  9. Jessie Curtois, born 16 March 1850 at Leasingham and died unmarried at The Lodge, Girton, Cambridge, 7 January 1902. Buried at Branston (a report). Was epileptic (1881 census) and spent all her adult life in care {in St Neots (1871, 1881, 1891) and Girton (1901)}. Entrusted to the care of her brothers Chauncey and Arthur in her father's will of 1888.

  10. Arthur Curtois, born 20 May 1852 at Leasingham.

  11. Emily Anne Curtois (her picture), of 8 Delamere Street, London, in 1901, and of 139 Holland Park Avenue, London in 1937. Born 4 September 1854 at Leasingham, and became an accountant specialising in Income Tax Rebates. Legatee of £1400 from her father and of £200 from her cousin Florence in 1924, and was executrix to her brother Chauncey in 1905. Died unmarried 8 June 1937, leaving £3708 10s 11d, and is buried in Gunnersbury Cemetery.