William Arundell Bouverie
Rector of Denton from 1839 to 1877.
He was born 6th February 1797 the fourth child of Bartholomew Bouverie.
Bartholomew Bouverie
William's father, Bartholomew, was born 29th October 1753. He was the third son of William Bouverie, 1st Earl of Radnor.
He studied at University College, Oxford, matriculated 8 May, 1772, created MA, 6 July 1775. Nominated by his brother the 2nd Earl of Radnor, he served as Member of Parliament for Downton, Witshire, in 5 parliaments from 1779 to 1830. Downton, a village five miles south of Salisbury (with no Abbey or connection to the TV series!), was a typical pocket borough constituency returning two MPs from 1295 until abolished by the 1832 Reform Act. Nominally a Whig, Bartholomew was not a very active MP but served as a Commissioner for Auditing Public Accounts from 1822 to 26.
Bartholomew married Mary Wyndham Arundell on 9th March 1779. They had three daughters and two sons. He died 31st May 1835 at 81 years of age dividing his estate, £18,000, between his two sons, William and Edward who was also a clergyman and Prebendary of Salisbury Cathedral. Mary was born in 1757 and died 22nd February 1832 aged 74.
William Bouverie
William was educated at Christ Church College, Oxford, matriculated 21 October 1813, BA 1817. He became a fellow of Merton College, MA 1820, BD 1829. While there he served as one of the two University Proctors (responsible, amongst other things, for undergraduate discipline) in 1828.
Ordained Deacon in 1821 and Priest in 1822 he served as: Rector of Hambledon Surrey from 1823 - 33, Curate of Holywell, Oxford 1824 - 28, Rector of West Suderly, Hampshire for three months in 1829 and Rector of West Tytherley, Hampshire, 1829 - 39. He moved to become Rector of Denton in 1839.
He was appointed as an Honary Canon of Norwich Cathedral in 1847 and served as Archdeacon of Norfolk 1850 - 69. In 1851 he circulated "A Charge delivered to the Clergy and Churchwardens of the Archdeaconry of Norfolk" on the occasion of at his first General Visitation in May.
He married, on 8th Feb 1831, Frances Sneyd who had been born in 1798. They did not have any children. They lived at the Rectory
He acquired a substantial land holding in the village which, by his death, extended to 577 acres or 22% of the parish.
The main holdings, and their tenants, comprised:
- Grove Farm, Middle Road – Edward Burgess 75 acres.
- Denton Hall Farm, Middle Road – Francis Chambers 97 acres.
- Boundary Farm, Middle Road – William Holland 23 acres.
- Upland Farm, Norwich Road – Alfred Mayes 106 acres.
- Beck Farm, Trunch Hill – John Warman 53 acres.
- Darrow Green Farm – Mrs Todd & Mr Pearce 143 acres.
One of his many charitable acts, he left a fund called the Bouverie Fund, which is still used today at the discretion of the Trustees (the Bishop of Thetford, the Archdeacon of Norwich and the Rector of Denton), to assist clergy who are sick.
Still holding the position of Rector, he died 23rd August 1877 at 80 years of age