Miscellaneous History: Vicars of three parishes
Above: The Revd Joseph Pring was Vicar of St Andrew’s Church for over forty years from 1835 to 1876, but his length of tenure has been easily surpassed by the Revd James Cocke who has been Vicar of All Saints Church since 1957.
St Andrew’s Church, Old Headington
(founded in Saxon times)
For most of its history the church was served by chaplains and curates. From 1222 to 1451 it did have a vicar, but the only one from that period whose name is recorded is John PIPPARD in the mid-fourteenth century. In 1680 the endowment of the living was permanently restored, and the 22 Vicars of St Andrew’s Church since that date are as follows:
| 1680–1693 | Richard NEWTIN |
| 1693–1700 | William SHEMIN |
| 1700–1711 | Thomas ALLEN |
| 1711–1727 | John IRONS |
| 1727–1744 | George BARDITH |
| 1744–1752 | William à DEANE |
| 1752–1776 | William BURROUGH |
| 1776–1804 | John WILLS |
| 1804–1835 | Thomas Henry WHORWOOD |
| 1835–1876 | Joseph Charles PRING |
| 1876–1879 | Alleyn Ward PEARSON |
| 1879–1889 | Francis Guise TYNDALE |
| 1889–1899 | John
Holford SCOTT (who from 1893 to 1908 used the name “John Holford SCOTT-TUCKER”) |
| 1899–1916 | Robert Walter TOWNSON* |
| 1916–1924 | Alexander Nenon ARMSTRONG |
| 1924–1946 | Henry Edward BIRD |
| 1946–1956 | George Edmund DAY |
| 1956–1964 | Derek Ian Tennant EASTMAN |
| 1964–1971 | Christopher Robin Paul ANSTEY |
| 1971–1977 | Robert Martin Colquhoun JEFFERY |
| 1977–1983 | Paul KING |
| 1983– 2010 | Michael BREWIN |
| 1911– | Darren McFARLAND |
* See Oxford Chronicle of 9 April 1915, p. 9, “Headington Church Troubles”, which explains why the Vicar might have to leave because of the reservation of the Holy Sacrament at the church.
Note that before the late nineteenth century the Vicars often did not live in Headington and their Curates did their work. From about 1840 to 1860 the Curate was Charles Pourtales Golightly. By 1863 John Robinson had sole charge of Headington; but in 1864 he died of smallpox after visiting a sick man.
Holy Trinity Church, Headington Quarry
(founded in 1849)
In its first 21 years, Holy Trinity Church had eight vicars; but since 1870 there have only been another nine.
| 1849–1851 | Thomas MASTERMAN |
| 1851–1853 | J. JAMES |
| 1853–1858 | T. C. BROWNE |
| 1858–1863 | Samuel Waring MANGIN |
| 1863–1864 | T. A. WILLS |
| 1864–1866 | W. R. HAVERFIELD |
| 1866–1867 | G. F. WILGRESS |
| 1867–1870 | Arthur DALTON |
| 1870–1891 | Charles Pitman LONGLAND |
| 1891–1916 | Charles Francis Harding JOHNSTON |
| 1916–1924 | Philip Valentine DOYNE |
| 1924–1935 | Wilfred Savage THOMAS |
| 1935–1947 | Thomas Eric BLEIBEN |
| 1947–1956 | Gerald C. MATTHEWS |
| 1956–1990 | Ronald E. HEAD |
| 1990–1995 | Christopher HEWETSON |
| 1995–2007 | Thomas D. HONEY |
| 2007 | Tim STEAD |
All Saints Church, Highfield
(founded in 1910)
In the first 46 years of its life, All Saints Church had five different Vicars; but since 1957 it has had the same one:
| 1910–1920 | Francis Tovey COLSON |
| 1920–1935 | Alured George CLARKE |
| 1935–1943 | David Brownfield PORTER |
| 1943–1947 | Ronald Bryan LUNT |
| 1947–1956 | Cecil Edward Campbell MARKBY |
| 1957– | James Edmund COCKE |
Picture of the Revd Tyndale and family taken in 1888 by Henry Taunt
The above picture on the English Heritage website shows the Revd Francis Guise Tyndale (Vicar of St Andrew’s Church from 1879 to 1889) with his wife Marcia Louisa and his four daughters, baby son, and nursemaid outside the garden door of the former vicarage. His five children were all born here: Mary Elfrida (3 February 1882), Dorothy Frances (10 June 1883), Oriane Sophy (2 July 1884), Marcia Edersheim (13 August 1886), and Henry Edmund Guise (10 December 1887).
