List of Vicars – Welcome to Axmouth Church

Calendar Dates

Before 1752, when the Gregorian Calendar was introduced, documents and record book entries raised between 1st January and 24th March would continue to quote the date of the old year, and the New Year would begin only on 25th March. Nowadays, when referring to events which took place on these dates, it is customary to express them in a way that combines the Old and New forms – for example, 10 February 1750-51.

List of Vicars

Date of Institution	Vicar	Patron & Notes
Not known	Vivian Adrian	Not known
24 Nov 1265	Vincent de Lodres	Prior of Loders
28 Jan 1320-1	Brother Roger called Hariel	Prior of Loders [He was Prior of Loders. It is probably his effigy in the Chancel]
13 Jan 1324-5	Sir Wm Rokes (Rogys)	Prior of Loders and Proctor of the Abbott and Convent of Montbourg [Died May 1330]
22 May 1330	Sir Adam called Gilbert	Prior of Loders [Formerly Rector of Rousdon]
12 Dec 1349	Nicholas Godswayn	King Edward III [deacon]
31 Dec 1355	Brother Symon de Londa	Brother Peter [Prior of Loders] Abbott and the Convent of Montbourg.
5 Nov 1361	Brother Robert Dorse	Brother Peter (as above)
22 Mar 1363-4	Brother Sampson Trygal	Brother John, Abbott, etc.
1 Aug 1374	Sir Nicholas	[see below]
29 Oct 1384	Sir Nicholas	[mentioned as Vicar on both dates; Sir Nicholas exchanged Rectory of Cotleigh with Master Wm Slade]
16 Jun 1393	Master Wm Slade	King Richard II [See note on Page 26]
2 Feb 1397-8	John Coterell	King Richard II [See note on Page 26]
Not known	Sir Thomas Stork	Patron not recorded [He exchanged the living with his successor for that of Ashbrittle, Somerset, near Wiveliscombe]
6 Apr 1427	Sir Laurence Wyllynge	Abbess and Convent of Syon (Augustinian)
12 Dec 1428	Sir John Smythe	As above
7 Dec 1450	Sir Wm atte Wylle	Margaret, Abbess & Convent of Syon
10 Dec 1491	John Capel	Abbess and Convent of Syon
30 Sep 1494	Richard Walbeff	Abbess and Convent of Syon
Not known	Thomas Water	[Presumably as before] [also Rector of St. Pancras juxta Lime (Rousdon) 12 June 1510; had previously been appointed Vicar of Ermington, near Modbury, on 30 Jan 1505-6]
24 Jun 1531	John Bellytour	Abbess and Convent of Syon
26 Apr 1536	John Berry or Bury	Abbess and Convent of Syon [of Exeter College, Oxford: BA 30 June 1523 MA 9 Nov 1526 Rector 1534-1536 B.D. 14 June 1543]
21 Jul 1558	John Hopkyns	Walter Erle
27 Oct 1568	Hugh Wood, B.C.L.	Walter Erle [also Rector of Clatworthy, near Wiveliscombe, now in Somerset (1570-78); Vicar of Broadclyst (1578-89), and Tettcott near Holsworthy (1586)].
3 Oct 1589	William Belstone	Thomas Erle of Charborough. MA
30 Mar 1590	Richard Harvey	Thomas Erle of Lyme [See note on Page 27]
26 Jul 1632	William Hooke, MA	Sir Walter Erle, Knight [See note on Page 27]
23 Jul 1639	Nathaniel Dyke, MA	Sir Walter Erle, Knight
18 Aug 1647	Francis Cuffley	[Nominated by Puritans]
12 Dec 1648	William Wright	[Nominated by Puritans] [See note on Page 27]
13 Apr 1670	John Tucker	Professor Robert Hawley and Susanna, widow of Thomas Erle and mother of heir, Thomas Erle who was then a minor
13 Feb 1677-8	Edward Rowe, MA	Thomas Erle of Charborough [also Vicar of Morden, Dorset, with Rectory of Charborough (1663-1695)]
13 Nov 1706	William England, MA	Walter Oke, gentleman [by grant of Thomas Erle]
18 Jan 1709-10	Edward Rowe, BA	Richard Hallet of Stedcombe [son of the former Edward Rowe, he was baptised at Axmouth in 1683; in 1707 married the daughter of the Rector of Musbury, Honor Westcott; was inducted to Axmouth, and died and was buried there in April 1722, aged 39 years]
17 Aug 1722	Thomas Lewis, MA	Richard Hallett [Son of Rector of Chumleigh; buried at Colyton, 1746]
13 Sep 1746	John Davies, MA	Richard Hallett [also Vicar of Stockland, and buried there 4 Oct 1747]
5 Feb 1747-8	George Anstis, B.C.L.	Southcott Hallett [also Vicar of Colyton 1737-1764, when he died, and was buried at Duloe, Cornwall]
23 Jul 1764	Richard Hothersall Hallett	Southcott Hallett MA [See notes on Pages 13 and 28] 15 Jul 1783 Re-admitted after resignation [on his own petition]
23 Jun 1814	Richard Southcott Hallett	Revd. John Comyns, Revd. [Youngest son of former Thomas Putt, and Revd. Wm Vicar, also Rector of Karslake,(Trustees under the Rousdon] Will of the previous patron)
2 Feb 1858	George Thomas Comyns, BA	[on his own petition] [nephew of previous Vicar]
16 May 1864	Edward Templer Harington, MA	John Hothersall Hallett [Died at Bath 11 May 1874. and buried at Kelston, Somerset]
27 Oct 1874	Samuel Clement Davis, MA	William Trelawny Hallett [Died 6 Mar 1894 aged 56 . and buried at Axmouth]
23 Jan 1892	Arthur Lewis, MA	Samuel Sanders Stephens [See note on Page 29]
8 Jun 1896	John Fenwick Starforth	Samuel Sanders Stephens [See note on Page 29]
6 Oct 1928	Henry Meade Swifte	Maud Elizabeth S. Stephens [See note on Page 29]
8 Dec 1946	Hugh Peregrine Griffiths MA	as above [See note on Page 30]
Unknown	Marmaduke Isherwood	Presentation suspended [Rector of Musbury, Priest in charge 1970-71]
1 Sep 1971	John Victor Mapson MA	C.P.A.S. and Dean & Chapter with Musbury of Exeter (jointly) – Licensed as Priest in charge 25 Jul 1972 – Inducted as Vicar Church Pastoral Aid Society May 1973 – also Priest in charge of Musbury 1 Aug 1975 – Vicar of Axmouth
4 Nov 1977	Brian John Rowland Gerry	C.P.A.S. and Bishop of Exeter (jointly)
20 Jan 1986	Frederick Stuart Worth	[Patronage amended in [Rector of Uplyme since 1989 to Hyndeman Trustees 1978, and of Uplyme and C.P.A.S., (jointly)] with Axmouth from 1986]

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