The Bloxham Family

In July 2000, Arthur Fraser from Australia emailed the Badsey Website with the following message:
"I am particularly interested in Badsey, as my GG Grandfather, The Rev Charles Bloxham, was the minister at St James Church, for a number of years from 1820. Most of his family having been born there, also his wife died during this time and is probably buried in the church graveyard. It was great to see pictures of the church and village, as I very much doubt I will ever be able to make the trip over."

In St James' Church, there is a list of the Ministers and Assistant Curates at Badsey. From 1807 until 1852, Charles Phillott, MA, was the Minister, but was non-resident. Charles Bloxham, MA, was Assistant Curate from 1820 to 1839, followed by Thomas Robert Griffith, BA, from 1839 to 1845. This is the panel which actually appears in the church, and yet the 1841 Census still has Charles Bloxham living in Badsey as a Clerk. Having checked the 1841 Census for Griffith, I see that Thomas, described also as a Clerk, was living in Badsey with his wife and two young children. I guess there may have been two Clerks for a period.

In a further e-mail, Mr Fraser wrote that a cousin in Sydney has put together a book entitled The Bloxham Lineage. From his information:

"The Rev Charles was instituted at St James in 1820, in 1850 he was made PC (Perpetual Curate) at Swadingcote, Derbyshire (Gentleman's Magazine, 1850). He died 1 March 1860 at 5 Horwell Terrace Haverstock, Middlesex. He married Mary Hope nee Ouchterlony, born Jamaica 1797, daughter of Robert Ouchterlony. She died 31 Oct 1836 at Badsey Vicarage (Gentleman's Magazine). Research in Jamaica has not found a birth for Mary.

There is also a story of a painting donated to the church, in memory of Mary Hope, by one of her sons????
The majority of Chas & Mary's family came to Australia from about the 1840s."

Indeed, the painting is still in the church, with a small plaque beneath as the pictures below show. There is also a marble wall tablet in memory of Mary Hope Bloxham.

"The above picture by OTTO VENIUS, representing "The Raising of the Widow's Son, was given by a Mr Bloxham (probably a son or other near relative of the Rev Chas Bloxham, Curate of Badsey & Wickhamford 1820-1839) when this church was re-opened after restoration in 1885. Otto Venius or Van Veen (1556-1634) was a pupil of ZUCCHERO and master of RUBENS, and many of his pictures may be seen at Antwerp and Brussels."

"Below lie the remains of MARY HOPE the beloved wife of the Reverend CHARLES BLOXHAM. She died October 31 1836 aged 39 years. Stonemason: SHEPPARD Sc. Bretforton."