William Marsh
Encyclopedia
William Marsh was a British
priest in the Church of England
and a writer of theological publications, in the 19th century.
, by Catherine, daughter of John Case of Bath, was born on 20 July 1775, and educated under Dr. Valpy at Reading. His intention was to enter the army, but the sudden death in his presence of a young man in a ball-room changed the current of his thoughts. He matriculated from St Edmund Hall, Oxford
on October 10, 1797, graduated B.A.
1801, M.A. 1807, and B.D.
and D.D.
1839. At Christmas 1800 he was ordained to the curacy of St. Lawrence, Reading, and was soon known as an impressive preacher of evangelical doctrines.
, gave him the chapelry of Nettlebed
in Oxfordshire
. His father presented him to the united livings of Basildon
and Ashampstead
in Berkshire
in 1802, when he resigned Nettlebed, but retained the curacy of St. Lawrence, which he served gratuitously for many years. The Rev. Charles Simeon
paid a first visit to Basildon in 1807, and was from that time a friend and correspondent of Marsh. In 1809, with the consent of his bishop, he became vicar of St. James's, Brighton
, but the vicar of Brighton, Dr. R. C. Carr, afterwards bishop of Worcester
, refused his assent to this arrangement, and after some months Marsh resigned. Simeon presented him to St. Peter's, Colchester
, in 1814. His attention was early called by Simeon to the subject of the conversion of the Jews, and in 1818 he went with him to Holland to inquire into their condition in that country.
Ill-health obliged him in 1829 to leave Colchester, and in October of the same year he accepted the rectory of St. Thomas, Birmingham
, where from the frequent subject of his sermons he came to be known as ‘Millennial Marsh’. Early in 1837 he was appointed principal official and commissary of the royal peculiar of the deanery of Bridgnorth
; and in 1839, finally leaving Birmingham, he became incumbent of St. Mary, Leamington.
, and from 1860 to his death rector of Beddington
, Surrey
. Few men preached a greater number of sermons. His conciliatory manners gained him friends among all denominations. He died at Beddington rectory on August 24, 1864. He was married three times: first, in November 1806, to Maria, daughter of Mr. Tilson—she died 24 July 1833; secondly, on 21 April 1840, to Lady Louisa, third daughter of Charles, first earl of Cadogan
—she died in August 1843; thirdly, on 3 March 1848, to the Honourable Louisa Horatia Powys, seventh daughter of Thomas, baron Lilford
. Mackenzie Dalzell Chalmers
was his grandson.
British people
The British are citizens of the United Kingdom, of the Isle of Man, any of the Channel Islands, or of any of the British overseas territories, and their descendants...
priest in the Church of England
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
and a writer of theological publications, in the 19th century.
Early years
Marsh, third son of Colonel Sir Charles Marsh of ReadingReading, Berkshire
Reading is a large town and unitary authority area in England. It is located in the Thames Valley at the confluence of the River Thames and River Kennet, and on both the Great Western Main Line railway and the M4 motorway, some west of London....
, by Catherine, daughter of John Case of Bath, was born on 20 July 1775, and educated under Dr. Valpy at Reading. His intention was to enter the army, but the sudden death in his presence of a young man in a ball-room changed the current of his thoughts. He matriculated from St Edmund Hall, Oxford
St Edmund Hall, Oxford
St Edmund Hall is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. Better known within the University by its nickname, "Teddy Hall", the college has a claim to being "the oldest academical society for the education of undergraduates in any university"...
on October 10, 1797, graduated B.A.
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
1801, M.A. 1807, and B.D.
Bachelor of Divinity
In Western universities, a Bachelor of Divinity is usually an undergraduate academic degree awarded for a course taken in the study of divinity or related disciplines, such as theology or, rarely, religious studies....
and D.D.
Doctor of Divinity
Doctor of Divinity is an advanced academic degree in divinity. Historically, it identified one who had been licensed by a university to teach Christian theology or related religious subjects....
1839. At Christmas 1800 he was ordained to the curacy of St. Lawrence, Reading, and was soon known as an impressive preacher of evangelical doctrines.
Life in the church
In 1801 Thomas Stonor, father of Thomas, Lord CamoysThomas Stonor, 3rd Baron Camoys
Thomas Stonor, 3rd Baron Camoys was a British MP and member of the peerage.Thomas Stonor sat as a Member of Parliament for Oxford from 1832–1833 and was High Sheriff of Oxfordshire for 1836....
, gave him the chapelry of Nettlebed
Nettlebed
Nettlebed is a village in England in the Chiltern Hills about northwest of Henley-on-Thames in Oxfordshire and southeast of Wallingford.-History:Archaeological finds show that the area around Nettlebed has been inhabited since Palaeolithic times....
in Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire is a county in the South East region of England, bordering on Warwickshire and Northamptonshire , Buckinghamshire , Berkshire , Wiltshire and Gloucestershire ....
. His father presented him to the united livings of Basildon
Basildon
Basildon is a town located in the Basildon District of the county of Essex, England.It lies east of Central London and south of the county town of Chelmsford...
and Ashampstead
Ashampstead
Ashampstead is a small village and civil parish in the rural area between Reading, Newbury and Streatley in Berkshire. The parish population is about 400, occupying some 150 dwellings.-History:...
in Berkshire
Berkshire
Berkshire is a historic county in the South of England. It is also often referred to as the Royal County of Berkshire because of the presence of the royal residence of Windsor Castle in the county; this usage, which dates to the 19th century at least, was recognised by the Queen in 1957, and...
in 1802, when he resigned Nettlebed, but retained the curacy of St. Lawrence, which he served gratuitously for many years. The Rev. Charles Simeon
Charles Simeon
Charles Simeon , was an English evangelical clergyman.He was born at Reading, Berkshire and educated at Eton College and King's College, Cambridge. In 1782 he became fellow of King's College, and took orders, receiving the living of Holy Trinity Church, Cambridge, in the following year...
paid a first visit to Basildon in 1807, and was from that time a friend and correspondent of Marsh. In 1809, with the consent of his bishop, he became vicar of St. James's, Brighton
Brighton
Brighton is the major part of the city of Brighton and Hove in East Sussex, England on the south coast of Great Britain...
, but the vicar of Brighton, Dr. R. C. Carr, afterwards bishop of Worcester
Bishop of Worcester
The Bishop of Worcester is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Worcester in the Province of Canterbury, England. He is the head of the Diocese of Worcester in the Province of Canterbury...
, refused his assent to this arrangement, and after some months Marsh resigned. Simeon presented him to St. Peter's, Colchester
Colchester
Colchester is an historic town and the largest settlement within the borough of Colchester in Essex, England.At the time of the census in 2001, it had a population of 104,390. However, the population is rapidly increasing, and has been named as one of Britain's fastest growing towns. As the...
, in 1814. His attention was early called by Simeon to the subject of the conversion of the Jews, and in 1818 he went with him to Holland to inquire into their condition in that country.
Ill-health obliged him in 1829 to leave Colchester, and in October of the same year he accepted the rectory of St. Thomas, Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
, where from the frequent subject of his sermons he came to be known as ‘Millennial Marsh’. Early in 1837 he was appointed principal official and commissary of the royal peculiar of the deanery of Bridgnorth
Bridgnorth
Bridgnorth is a town in Shropshire, England, along the Severn Valley. It is split into Low Town and High Town, named on account of their elevations relative to the River Severn, which separates the upper town on the right bank from the lower on the left...
; and in 1839, finally leaving Birmingham, he became incumbent of St. Mary, Leamington.
Later years and legacy
From 1848 he was an honorary canon of WorcesterWorcester Cathedral
Worcester Cathedral is an Anglican cathedral in Worcester, England; situated on a bank overlooking the River Severn. It is the seat of the Anglican Bishop of Worcester. Its official name is The Cathedral Church of Christ and the Blessed Mary the Virgin of Worcester...
, and from 1860 to his death rector of Beddington
Beddington
Beddington is a settlement between the London Boroughs of Sutton and Croydon. The BedZED low energy housing scheme is located here. In Beddington was a static inverter plant of HVDC Kingsnorth....
, Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
. Few men preached a greater number of sermons. His conciliatory manners gained him friends among all denominations. He died at Beddington rectory on August 24, 1864. He was married three times: first, in November 1806, to Maria, daughter of Mr. Tilson—she died 24 July 1833; secondly, on 21 April 1840, to Lady Louisa, third daughter of Charles, first earl of Cadogan
Charles Cadogan, 1st Earl Cadogan
Charles Sloane Cadogan, 1st Earl Cadogan was a British peer and Whig politician.Cadogan was the only son of the 2nd Baron Cadogan and his wife, Elizabeth, the second daughter of Sir Hans Sloane, Bart. From 1749–54 and again from 1755, Cadogan was a Member of Parliament for Cambridge until he...
—she died in August 1843; thirdly, on 3 March 1848, to the Honourable Louisa Horatia Powys, seventh daughter of Thomas, baron Lilford
Baron Lilford
Baron Lilford, of Lilford in the County of Northampton, is a title in the Peerage of Great Britain. It was created in 1797 for Thomas Powys, who had previously represented Northamptonshire in the House of Commons. His grandson, the third Baron, served as a Lord-in-Waiting from 1837 to 1841 in the...
. Mackenzie Dalzell Chalmers
Mackenzie Dalzell Chalmers
Sir Mackenzie Dalzell Chalmers KCB CSI , judge and civil servant, was Parliamentary Counsel to the Treasury, a Judge of the County Courts and a Law Member of the Viceroy's Council in India. He was also Permanent Under Secretary of State of the Home Office from 1903 to 1908.His mother was Matilda,...
was his grandson.
Works
Besides numerous addresses, lectures, single sermons, speeches, introductions, and prefaces, Marsh printed:-
- A Short Catechism on the Collects, Colchester, 1821; third ed. 1824.
- Select Passages from the Sermons and Conversations of a Clergyman [i.e. W. Marsh], 1823; another ed. 1828.
- The Criterion. By J. Douglas, revised and abridged, 1824.
- A few Plain Thoughts on Prophecy, particularly as it relates to the Latter Days, Colchester, 1840; third ed. 1843.
- The Jews, or the Voice of the New Testament concerning them, Leamington, 1841.
- Justification, or a Short Easy Method of ascertaining the Scriptural View of that important Doctrine, 1842.
- Passages from Letters by a Clergyman on Jewish Prophetical and Scriptural Subjects, 1845.
- The Church of Rome in the Days of St. Paul, lectures, 1853; two numbers only.
- Invitation to United Prayer for the Outpouring of the Holy Spirit, 1854. Similar invitations were issued in 1857, 1859, 1862, and 1863.
- The Right Choice, or the Difference between Worldly Diversions and Rational Recreations, 1857; another ed. 1859.
- The Duty and Privilege of Prayer, 1859.
- Eighty-sixth Birthday. Address on Spiritual Prosperity, 1861.
- An Earnest Exhortation to Christians to Pray for the Pope, 1864.
- A Brief Exposition of St. Paul's Epistle to the Romans, 1865.