The Revd Arthur Simon Latter 1882 – 1890
The Revd Edward Douglas Lennox Harvey 1890 – 1894
The Revd William Beaufroy Stillman 1894 – 1902
The Revd Thomas Jervis-Edwards 1902 – 1908
Fr. Edward Pountney Gough 1908 – 1913
The Revd John Wynyard Capron 1914 – 1917
The Revd Arnold Haskins Wells 1917 – 1924
The Revd Wilfrid Bertram Salisbury Dorman 1924 – 1957
The Revd Walter Leslie Jonathan Dunkin 1958 – 1961
The Revd Raymond Sidney Richard Patston 1961-1971
The Revd Brian Hamilton Cooper 1972 – 1982
Fr. Peter Frank Keeling SSC 1983 – 2000 (with the Rt Revd John Richards, the first Bishop of Ebbesfleet)
Fr. James William Mather SSC 2001-
THE PARISH of DOWNHAM MARKET RECTORS and PATRONS
Although the parish is older, the list of Rectors and Patrons begins in 1202
William, circa 1202
1304 Matthew de Tillebroke, presented by the Abbot & Convent of Ramsey
1311 Henry de Deneford, by ditto
1312 Roger de Nassyngton, by ditto
1316 Richard de Weresley, by ditto
? Edward Lascy, by ditto
1357 Jeffrey Lisse, by ditto, on an exchange for Sutton Vicarage in the Isle of Ely
1368 William Brown, by ditto, on an exchange with Lisse for Melbourne in Cambridgeshire
1404 Thomas Ledlady, by ditto
1412 Robert Flode de Aylsham, by ditto, on an exchange with Ledlady for Lynn, All Saints
1412 Robert Brown de Tylney, by ditto
1412 Robert Trussbut, on Brown’s resignation, by ditto
1420 Richard Hereford, by ditto
1425 Henry Martyn, by ditto, on an exchange with Wigenhale St Mary Magdalene
1432 Godfrey Martyn LLB, on Henry Martyn’s resignation, by ditto
1436 Thomas Champneys, by ditto
1438 John Batcomb, on Champney’s death, by ditto
This John Batcombe was one of the Clerks of the King’s Chapel, and the Abbot and Convent of
Ramsey paid him 100s per annum at the King’s request: on this presentation that pension ceased.
1449 Thomas Geyst, by ditto
1449 Richard Howard, by ditto
1449 Richard Vigerous, on Howard’s death, by ditto
? Thomas Goring, a Benedictine monk of Ramsey, by ditto, circa 1455
? Thomas Honyter, by ditto
1508 James Jackson, on Honyter’s death, by ditto
1514 Eliseus Jackson, by ditto
1517 John Emottes, on Jackson’s death, by ditto
1521 John Rogers, on Emottes’ resignation, by ditto
1521 John Horewode, on Rogers’ death, by ditto
In 1539 Ramsey Abbey was dissolved by King Henry VIII
1540 Hugh Hall, on Horewode’s death, by Thomas Gawsell, on a grant from the Abbot of Ramsey
1541 Baldwinus Dereham, on the death of Hall, presented by the King, Henry VIII
1554 Thomas Fretwell, (Dereham being deposed by Queen Mary) presented by Robert Miller, gent.,
to whom King Henry VIII granted the patronage in his 36th year (1545)
1558 Hugh Taylor, on Fretwell’s resignation, by Robert Miller, gent., who died the same year
1558 John Stokes LLB, buried 15th October 1587
Presbyter conjugatis doctus, residet hospitalis non praedicat, nec licentiatus, nullum illiud.
1587 John Butler BA, presented by Francis Gawdy, serjeant-at-law.
Robert Miller conveyed the patronage to John Walpole, and William Walpole, in the 16th year of
Elizabeth I (1563), conveyed it to Gawdy. Butler was buried 18th February 1640. In 1603 there
were 200 communicants, as appears in his answer to the King.
1640 John Gilbert MA, on Butler’s death, by John Dusgate, of Cockley Cley, gent.
1656 William Thetford, by Sir Ralph Hare, Bart.
1688 John Butler MA, by Sir Thomas Hare, Bart. d. 2 February 1732, Rector of West Winch
1733 Richard Eaton, by Sir Thomas Hare, Bart.
1779 Henry Spelman, by Elizabeth Moore
1804 Gilbert Parke*, by Thomas Berners Plestow, Esqre. and John Creasey, gent.
1810 John Richard Thackray, by Marianne Franks, spinster
1847 Charles Boutell, junr, by William Franks, Esq.
1850 Edward Robert Franks, by William Franks, Esq.
1882 Arthur Simon Latter, by the Revd. E.R. Franks
1890 Edward Douglas Lennox Harvey, by the Revd. E.R. Franks
1894 William Beaufroy Stillman, by the Revd. E.R. Franks
1902 Thomas Jarvis-Edwards, by Florence Rachel Franks
1908 Edward Pountney Gough MA, by the Revd. Herbert Edward Jones
In 1914 the Parish was transferred from the Diocese of Norwich to Ely
1914 John Wynard Capron, by the Revd. Herbert Edward Jones
1917 Arnold Haskins Wells, by Mrs. H.E Jones
1924 Wilfrid Bertram Salisbury Dorman, by the Bishop of Ely, resigned 1957
1958 Walter Leslie Jonathan Dunkin, by the Bishop of Ely
1961 Raymond Sidney Richard Patston, by the Bishop of Ely
1971 Brian Hamilton Cooper, by the Bishop of Ely
1982 Peter Frank Keeling SSC, by the Bishop of Ely, resigned 2000
2001 James William Mather SSC, by the Bishop of Ely
* Footnote: The Revd Gilbert Parke, Rector 1804-10, is sometimes wrongly written Parker, presumably based on the spelling in J.D. Wortley’s history of St Edmunds’s. However, Parke (no r) is correct, being confirmed by the records of Wadham College, Oxford, the 1806 Poll Book, contemporary press reports, and the entries for marriages at which he officiated. The Revd Gilbert Parke was Chaplain to HM George lV, first as Prince of Wales and then as King. (Thanks to Mr D Flower for this information.)