Frederick Spurrell
Encyclopedia
The Reverend Frederick Spurrell was the second son, and seventh of eight children, of Charles Spurrell and Hannah Shears (daughter of James Shears, of James Shears and Sons
). He was descended from the Spurrell
family of Thurgarton
, Norfolk
.
He was born on 2 August 1824 at 23, Park Street, Southwark
. At the time, his father worked for Barclay and Perkins Ltd., who then owned the Anchor Brewery, Southwark
; later the family moved to Anchor Terrace
, Southwark Bridge Road
, when it was built in the mid-1830s.
After completing his studies at King's College London
where be became an Associate of King's College
(A.K.C.), he went up to Corpus Christi College, Cambridge
, obtaining a B.A. in 1847 (M.A. 1850). He was ordained deacon
in 1847 by the Bishop of Chichester
and priest
the following year, when began his work as Curate
of Newhaven
, Sussex
. In 1848 he was among a small party that called on Louis-Philippe of France
at Newhaven after the latter had escaped the 1848 revolutions in France
.
In 1849 he was the first person to be appointed Chaplain to the British Residents at Stockholm
, Sweden
. On his return to England, he served as Curate of Barcombe
, Sussex, from 1850 to 1853.
From 1853 to 1898 Frederick Spurrell was Rector of Faulkbourne
, Essex
, where he is remembered for restoring the church in the 1880s. He was also interested in archaeology
and published a number of papers on the subject; he was a member of the Royal Archaeological Society (on whose Council he served) and the Essex Archaeological Society, and an honorary member of the Sussex Archaeological Society
.
On 16 February 1854, at Newhaven church, he married his cousin Frances (1827-1892), youngest daughter of John Gray (of the Gray and Dacre Brewery
, West Ham
) and Lydia Shears. They had three daughters and one son, Charles Henry, who followed his father into the Church, serving for many years as the Organising Secretary for the National Society for Promoting Religious Education
before becoming Rector of Meesden
, Hertfordshire
, from 1911-1923.
He was the uncle of the archaeologist and egyptologist Flaxman Charles John Spurrell
and a cousin of Rev. Augustus Shears
and Rev. Ernest Henry Shears
.
Frederick died at Johnstone Street, Bath, on 23 February 1902 and is buried with his wife at Faulkbourne
.
James Shears and Sons
James Shears and Sons was a firm of London coppersmiths and braziers who were active from c1785 to 1891. The firm was founded by James Shears and continued by his two sons Daniel Towers Shears and James Henry Shears and subsequently by William Shears.-The origins of the company:James Shears was...
). He was descended from the Spurrell
Spurrell
Spurrell is a surname found in a number of parts of England and Wales, as well as other parts of the world.- The Spurrells of Norfolk, England :...
family of Thurgarton
Thurgarton (Norfolk)
Thurgarton is a village in the North Norfolk district of the English county of Norfolk. It lies north of Aylsham and south-west of Cromer, and was in the Erpingham Hundred. It forms part of the civil parish of Aldborough....
, Norfolk
Norfolk
Norfolk is a low-lying county in the East of England. It has borders with Lincolnshire to the west, Cambridgeshire to the west and southwest and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the North Sea coast and to the north-west the county is bordered by The Wash. The county...
.
He was born on 2 August 1824 at 23, Park Street, Southwark
Southwark
Southwark is a district of south London, England, and the administrative headquarters of the London Borough of Southwark. Situated east of Charing Cross, it forms one of the oldest parts of London and fronts the River Thames to the north...
. At the time, his father worked for Barclay and Perkins Ltd., who then owned the Anchor Brewery, Southwark
Anchor Brewery, Southwark
The Anchor Brewery, Southwark, was situated off Southwark Bridge Road and had its main entrance on Park Street, Southwark.- History :The brewery was established in 1616 by James Monger and for many years was a relatively small concern. In the 18th century it was owned by the Thrale family, who were...
; later the family moved to Anchor Terrace
Anchor Terrace
Anchor Terrace is a large symmetrical building on the east side of Southwark Bridge Road in London, situated very close to the River Thames. It was built in 1834, and its original inhabitants were senior employees of the nearby Anchor Brewery, Southwark, which was then owned by Barclay Perkins &...
, Southwark Bridge Road
Southwark Bridge Road
Southwark Bridge Road is a road in Southwark, London, England, between Newington Causeway near Elephant and Castle and Southwark Bridge across the River Thames, leading to the City of London, in a meandering route...
, when it was built in the mid-1830s.
After completing his studies at King's College London
King's College London
King's College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and a constituent college of the federal University of London. King's has a claim to being the third oldest university in England, having been founded by King George IV and the Duke of Wellington in 1829, and...
where be became an Associate of King's College
Associate of King's College
The Associateship or Associate of King's College award has been the degree-equivalent qualification of King's College London since 1833. It is the original qualification that the College awarded to its students since, not being a university, it could not award a degree.Since 1909, only students...
(A.K.C.), he went up to Corpus Christi College, Cambridge
Corpus Christi College, Cambridge
Corpus Christi College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. It is notable as the only college founded by Cambridge townspeople: it was established in 1352 by the Guilds of Corpus Christi and the Blessed Virgin Mary...
, obtaining a B.A. in 1847 (M.A. 1850). He was ordained deacon
Deacon
Deacon is a ministry in the Christian Church that is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions...
in 1847 by the Bishop of Chichester
Bishop of Chichester
The Bishop of Chichester is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Chichester in the Province of Canterbury. The diocese covers the Counties of East and West Sussex. The see is in the City of Chichester where the seat is located at the Cathedral Church of the Holy Trinity...
and priest
Priest
A priest is a person authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities...
the following year, when began his work as Curate
Curate
A curate is a person who is invested with the care or cure of souls of a parish. In this sense "curate" correctly means a parish priest but in English-speaking countries a curate is an assistant to the parish priest...
of Newhaven
Newhaven, East Sussex
Newhaven is a town in the Lewes District of East Sussex in England. It lies at the mouth of the River Ouse, on the English Channel coast, and is a ferry port for services to France.-Origins:...
, Sussex
Sussex
Sussex , from the Old English Sūþsēaxe , is an historic county in South East England corresponding roughly in area to the ancient Kingdom of Sussex. It is bounded on the north by Surrey, east by Kent, south by the English Channel, and west by Hampshire, and is divided for local government into West...
. In 1848 he was among a small party that called on Louis-Philippe of France
Louis-Philippe of France
Louis Philippe I was King of the French from 1830 to 1848 in what was known as the July Monarchy. His father was a duke who supported the French Revolution but was nevertheless guillotined. Louis Philippe fled France as a young man and spent 21 years in exile, including considerable time in the...
at Newhaven after the latter had escaped the 1848 revolutions in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
In 1849 he was the first person to be appointed Chaplain to the British Residents at Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
. On his return to England, he served as Curate of Barcombe
Barcombe
Barcombe is an East Sussex village lying some 4–5 miles north of Lewes. It is also the name of one of the civil parishes in the Lewes District of East Sussex...
, Sussex, from 1850 to 1853.
From 1853 to 1898 Frederick Spurrell was Rector of Faulkbourne
Faulkbourne
Faulkbourne is a civil parish in the Braintree district of Essex, about 2 miles north-west of Witham.According to Faulkbourne's Victorian era rector, the Rev...
, Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
, where he is remembered for restoring the church in the 1880s. He was also interested in archaeology
Archaeology
Archaeology, or archeology , is the study of human society, primarily through the recovery and analysis of the material culture and environmental data that they have left behind, which includes artifacts, architecture, biofacts and cultural landscapes...
and published a number of papers on the subject; he was a member of the Royal Archaeological Society (on whose Council he served) and the Essex Archaeological Society, and an honorary member of the Sussex Archaeological Society
Sussex Archaeological Society
The Sussex Archaeological Society, founded in 1846, is the largest county-based archaeological society in the UK. Its headquarters are in Lewes, Sussex...
.
On 16 February 1854, at Newhaven church, he married his cousin Frances (1827-1892), youngest daughter of John Gray (of the Gray and Dacre Brewery
Gray and Dacre Brewery
The Gray and Dacre Brewery operated in West Ham, Essex, in the first half of the 19th century.It was set up by John Gray and a member of the Dacre family, which was resident in West Ham for several generations until the 1860s...
, West Ham
West Ham
West Ham is in the London Borough of Newham in London, England. In the west it is a post-industrial neighbourhood abutting the site of the London Olympic Park and in the east it is mostly residential, consisting of Victorian terraced housing interspersed with higher density post-War social housing...
) and Lydia Shears. They had three daughters and one son, Charles Henry, who followed his father into the Church, serving for many years as the Organising Secretary for the National Society for Promoting Religious Education
National Society for Promoting Religious Education
The National Society for Promoting Religious Education, often just referred to as the National Society, is a Church of England body in England and Wales for the promotion of church schools and Christian education....
before becoming Rector of Meesden
Meesden
Meesden is a village and civil parish in the East Hertfordshire district, in the county of Hertfordshire, England. Other nearby settlements include Anstey and Brent Pelham...
, Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England. The county town is Hertford.The county is one of the Home Counties and lies inland, bordered by Greater London , Buckinghamshire , Bedfordshire , Cambridgeshire and...
, from 1911-1923.
He was the uncle of the archaeologist and egyptologist Flaxman Charles John Spurrell
Flaxman Charles John Spurrell
Flaxman Charles John Spurrell , the archaeologist, geologist and photographer, was born in Mile End, Stepney, London, the eldest son of Dr. Flaxman Spurrell, M.D., F.R.C.S., and Ann Spurrell...
and a cousin of Rev. Augustus Shears
Augustus Shears
The Reverend Augustus Shears was the sixth and youngest son of Daniel Towers Shears , a partner of James Shears and Sons, and Frances Spurrell , daughter of John Spurrell of Bessingham, Norfolk....
and Rev. Ernest Henry Shears
Ernest Henry Shears
The Reverend Ernest Henry Shears was an Anglican clergyman in South Africa.Ernest Henry Shears was the ninth son of James Henry Shears , a partner of James Shears and Sons, and Mary Mann...
.
Frederick died at Johnstone Street, Bath, on 23 February 1902 and is buried with his wife at Faulkbourne
Faulkbourne
Faulkbourne is a civil parish in the Braintree district of Essex, about 2 miles north-west of Witham.According to Faulkbourne's Victorian era rector, the Rev...
.
Publications
The following papers were published by the Rev. Frederick Spurrell:- On the Architecture of Fletching Church, Sussex Archaeological Collections, Vol. V
- Architectural Relics of Lewes Priory, Sussex Archaeological Collections, Vol. VI
- Inventory of the Goods of Cornelius Humphrey, of Newhaven, 1697, Sussex Archaeological Collections, Vol. VI
- Roman Remains Discovered at Newhaven in 1852, Sussex Archaeological Collections, Vol. VIII
- Examples of Mediaeval Seals. Seals Preserved at Wisby in Gottland, Archaeological Journal, Vol. VII (1855)
- Notice of a Wooden Effigy of a Priest in the Church at Little Leighs, Essex Archaeological Society Transperiodical (1867)
- Faulkbourn Church, Essex Archaeological Society Transperiodical (1878)
- Notes on the Death of King John, Archaeological Journal (1881)