Part two

11111) Gabriel Maturin, elder son of the Rev: Charles Maturin. Born 1767 (IGI at Bath, Somerset but this must be checked as the entry is from a Mormon Ancestral file which gives Anne Augusta’s birthplace in exactly the same terms) Entered Trin: Coll: Dub: Jan 2, 1785 as a pensioner, schooled by “Mr Ford”, aged 18. Scholar T.C.D. 1787. B.A. Vern: 1789. Married (1st) Jane, daughter of Capt: John Cudmore, F.I.C.E. M.L. dated March 14, 1793. Her will is dated March 23, 1795, proved May 11, 1798. No issue.

Married 2nd (IGI - Nov 25 1798 but affidavit at Eton states Nov 25 1797 at Westport, by her father, the curate there) Anne Augusta, (IGI - born Nov 29 1775 at Bath) 4th daughter of the Hon: and Rev: Walter Shirley, sister of Walter Shirley junior (see Henry Maturin 11112) cousin of the 7th Earl Ferrers and aunt of the Right Rev: Walter Augustus Shirley, Lord Bishop of Sodor and Man. In 1851 census she is described, at the Vicarage, Ringwood, as a “Fund Holder”.

In a letter from Walter Augustus Shirley on his Grand Tour addressed to The Revd Walter Shirley, Ashbourne, Derbyshire stamped Genova Dec 18th, postmarked FPO JA 1 1827;-

The Maturins were extremely kind and useful - they live in a very scrambling manner, but not with much intentional extravagance . The eldest son was there, & his intended wife- he is clever and genteel, but I do not think him particularly pleasing - his lady is very frothy & amiable - the daughter of a good honest miller in Warwickshire her name is Lucy - The third son William is in some office in Paris, & pleased me much. Walter is good natured, but rather a pickle - There is also a very nice clever little girl about 11 years of age - Mrs Maturin looks thin and aged - Mr Maturin is very plausible - he gives me the idea of a man who really would have been a kind thoughtful man of talents if he had not brought himself into circumstances which rendered it expedient for him to leave off wearing a conscience - with the most pious intention, no doubt , of resuming it at some more convenient season - I was grieved to put myself under such obligations to him, but really could not help it

He died at Edgbaston, Birmingham, buried Feb 13, 1840. She died at Ringwood, Hants, March 10, 1855, aged 79. (Railed tomb in Ringwood Churchyard has stone marked “In Memory of Anne Augusta MATURIN who died March 10 1855 aged 79. Also of Ellen Augusta MATURIN granddaughter of above who died July 17 1860. And also of her eldest son, Charles Henry MATURIN, Vicar of this Parish, who died Jan 17 1862 aged 62.” At present no trace can be found of the parents of Ellen Augusta; she was born in Cork, Ireland, aged 14 in the 1851 census (which was taken on Mar 30), and buried in Ringwood on July 21, aged 23 (parish records) so born 1837?.

The Baptismal entry on 27 July 1804 at Eton Parish Church for Charles Henry and George Browne gives Gabriel’s occupation as “private tutor” and adds a footnote “The above two children of Mr Maturin's are said by him to have been born, the eldest in the City of Bath, Sept. 4th 1799, and the youngest at Orlingbury, Northampton, Aug. 16th 1800. From the size of the children J.H. Blenkinsop should think Mr Maturin's acct. probable. They both walked to Church to be baptized. This memorandum is inserted at Mr Maturin's request.” This is very odd that the grandsons of two clerical grandfathers should remain unbaptised for nearly 5 years. It has been suggested that this was a second baptism designed to ease the passage of the boys through Eton; in fact affidavits were required, one for Charles Henry and another from Augusta’s mother Alicia, regarding the birth of George Browne, when the boys were elected as King’s Scholars in 1812.
The Eton College archivist notes that the numbers in the ordinary school lessons at Eton were such that little could be learnt in them. Many boys therefore paid extra for a tutor who would guide their studies and with whom they might prepare their school work. In time this position was always taken by an assistant master - and was indeed the masters' main source of income from teaching - but until the mid 19th century private tutors, i.e. men who were not also masters were common. Some were hired by wealthy or aristocratic fathers to look after their sons exclusively, and these men came to Eton with the boys, but there were several tutors who set up in business at Eton and who had several pupils at a time. Because of the nature of the arrangement little is known about them and there are no papers or records; they had no status as far as the school was concerned, and the arrangement was a private one between parent and tutor.

The book History of Eton College 1440-1910, by Maxwell Lyte, contains a footnote which states that G.B. (likely to be George Browne) Maturin was the editor of a College Literary Magazine entitled The Linger or The Colleger.

The following are the names of his children:-

111111) Rev Charles Henry Maturin, (Born Sep 4 1799 at Bath (Alum. Cantab 4 Nov 1799). CHMatRd3as

IGI - Christened on 27 Jul 1804 at Eton, Bucks). Both he and his brother George Browne entered Eton College as Oppidans in April 1808, and both were elected King’s Scholars * in September 1812 so becoming Collegers. Entered on the roll for King’s College, Cambridge in 1818 but went up 28 April 1819; matriculated Easter 1819; BA 1823, MA 1826, Fellow 1822-46, senior proctor 1840; Senior Fellow, King’s College. M.A. of the University. Ordained deacon (Ely) 1826, priest (Lincoln) 1838. Inducted Vicar of Ringwood and Rector of Harbridge, Hants 31 Dec 1845. Died suddenly of an apoplexy, Jan 17, 1862. He was never married.

In 1851 census the household comprised:
Charles Henry M. as head aged 50
Anne Augusta M. mother aged 75 - a “fundholder”
Anne Augusta M. sister, unmarried, aged 42 - a “fundholder”
Ellen M. niece aged 14 - “scholar at home” born in Cork, Ireland (see below - daughter of Gabriel James 111117)
Mary White, housemaid, unmarried, aged 36 born in Longham, Dorset
Anne ?Abmorne?, cook, unmarried, aged 19 born in Whitsbury, Hants
Jane Ellis, housemaid, aged 19 born in Ringwood.

In 1861 the household was:
Charles Henry M. as head aged 61
Anne Augusta M. sister aged 52
Frances A. M. niece unmarried aged 23, born at Tor Point, Cornwall (see below - daughter of William Francis 111113)
Arthur Sharpe, groom, aged 16 born in Ringwood
Mary Anne Wood, cook, unmarried, aged 24 born in Cranborne, Dorsetshire
Mary A Henstridge, housemaid, aged 17, unmarried, born in Ringwood

The Parish Church of Ringwood was rebuilt during his incumbency at a cost of about £80,000 (sic but Ringwood Parish Church notes state £8,000) and there is a stained glass window erected to his memory on the south side of the chancel (sic - in fact two windows in the chancel, a memorial brass in the south aisle and a railed tomb in the churchyard, see above).

The Salisbury Journal reported on Saturday 18 Jan 1862:
Ringwood Death of the Rev. C H Maturin, the Vicar
It is with deep feelings of regret that it becomes our painful duty to record the above melancholy event which took place at the Vicarage yesterday afternoon arising from an attack of apoplexy, which in a few hours terminated the life of one has always been held in the highest respect by all classes in this town and neighbourhood. As soon as the sad and unexpected event became known there was a universal partial closing of shops by all denominations of Christians, each one seeming to feel that he had sustained a loss by the death of a truly good man, who possessed a liberal mind and a generous disposition, unalloyed by bigotry, and untarnished by selfishness and whose greater energies have been employed during the sixteen years he has been amongst us, in promoting the welfare and happiness of those around him. Amongst the poor his loss will be severely felt, as his charity was unlimited (where he found deserving worth) without regard to ???? or creed. In his manner he was kind, courteous and affable to all; and whilst his loss will be deplored as a heavy affliction on the parish, his memory will be long cherished and revered with love and respect by those with whom he was acquainted. He was in the 63rd year of his life and came in to the possession of the living (to which is annexed the Rectory of Harbridge) as Senior Bachelor of King’s College, Cambridge on the death of the late Vicar, the Rev S B Vince, which took place on the 14th June 1845. He was, we believe the son of the well known author of the drama of “Bertram” (sic but obviously mistaken).

On Saturday 25 January 1862
Ringwood The Funeral of the Late Rev. C H Maturin M.A.
The funeral of our late lamented and beloved vicar, whose death we announced in our last, took place on Thursday and was attended by a greater number of persons than we ever recollect to have seen in this town on any similar occasion, it being calculated that not less than 1200 assembled to witness the obsequies of one, who by his many good qualities, kindness of heart, charity and liberal disposition, had succeeded in winning the affectionate love and regard of his parishioners; nor was this feeling confined to the members of his own congregation but it was disseminated throughout every congregation of Dissenters, no matter of what religious creed or persuasion, for on the melancholy of his burial all seemed to unite in one general feeling to pay the last tribute of respect to the memory of departed worth.   At an early hour a muffled peal was the precursor of a sorrowful day: at 10 o’clock every shop in the town was closed, many indeed had not opened for the day. At half past eleven the mournful procession was seen issuing from the Vicarage, headed by the Court of the Ancient Order of Foresters belonging to this town, of which the deceased was an honorary member, and each one seemed to feel as if he had sustained an individual loss by the death of their departed friend and brother. The pall was borne by the Rev. C H Cheales, the Rev. H M Wilkinson, Robt. Davy Esq, H T Johns Esq, H Oakes Esq and W Reade Esq; the Rev. B Maturin, incumbent of Lymington, who was cousin to the deceased, and the Rev. C Hatch, Vicar of Fordingbridge, followed as chief mourners after which came a train of upwards of 60 persons, attired in deep mourning, amongst whom were the Rev. E Bankes, H Morant Esq, W Tice Esq, R Paris Esq, A Carter Esq, Messrs Conway, Chapple, Kingsbury, Wheaton, Veal, Martin, Massey, Low, Cox, Street, Thomas, Dunn, Holloway, Ayles, Travers, Chapman, Hayter, Cottman, Clark etc. etc. etc.   On arriving at the church the Foresters opened right and left and the procession entered and from the numerous persons that had assembled to witness the mournful ceremony some considerable time was occupied in each one being seated so enormous was the congregation. The service was read in a most solemn and impressive manner by the Rev. Joseph Harriman (?? semi-illegible) amidst the most profound and gloomy silence, which was heightened by the trappings of woe which were hung around the interior of the sacred edifice. On the conclusion of the service the procession was re formed, and proceeded to the vault, in which had previously been deposited the remains of the deceased’s mother and a much loved niece. On depositing the body in the vault not an eye could be scarcely seen but what was dimmed with a tear, whilst on the features of many, they flowed copiously; and never did the grave close over the remains of one in this parish whose memory will be longer cherished and kept alive by the recollections of the many virtues and good qualities that adorned the name of him whose obsequies had on that day been performed.

The weather (in Romsey) reported on 25 January 1862
Visited by a very heavy fall of snow on Tuesday. Commenced at early hour and did not cease for 5 or 6 hours when in places it was nearly knee deep. The following morning (Wednesday) brought a great change ..... it being considerably milder owing to the quantity of rain that had descended during the night thus leaving hardly any vestige of snow to be seen.

Salisbury Journal Saturday August 30th 1862
RINGWOOD
MEMORIAL TO THE LATE VICAR.
Two handsome stained glass windows have been placed in the chancel of the church to the memory of our late vicar, the Rev Charles Henry Maturin They are placed north and south at the east end; and embrace four beautiful illustrations from the Scripture. viz “The Sermon on the Mount,” “Christ Blessing the Little Children,” “Our Saviour’s Charge to St Peter, “and “Christ Walking on the Sea, “the intermediate portions being filled up with striking and appropriate richly-coloured medallions. Beneath each window a brass plate is inserted in the wall, on which is inserted the following:

To the glory of God, in memory of his servant,
The Rev Charles Henry Maturin, M.A,
For sixteen years Vicar of this parish, and Rector of Harbridge;
Died January 17th 1862, aged 62 years.
This memorial window is erected by his parishioners and friends.

In the wall of the south aisle in the nave, a large handsome brass tablet is inserted in a block of black marble, on which the following is inscribed:
In memory of
The Rev Charles Henry Maturin, M.A.
Who died on the 17th January 1862, in the 63rd year of his age.
During sixteen years he was Vicar of this parish and Rector of Harbridge;
And by many virtues secured the love and esteem of all classes of his parishioners and
friends,
Who have erected this tablet, together with two windows,
In the chancel of this church,
As a tribute of their affectionate remembrance of him
And of their regret
At his loss.

Both the tablet and windows are beautiful specimens of artistic execution, and were supplied from the works of Messrs Wailes and Co. Newcastle-upon-Tyne, to whom the greatest credit is due for the manner in which they have carried out the wishes of those who, by their voluntary subscriptions, were anxious to record their feelings to the memory of one who, in the discharge of his several duties as a Christian pastor, a kind neighbour, and an affectionate friend; won for him a name amongst all classes in this town and neighbourhood that will long live in the records of this parish.

In 1440 King Henry VI founded Eton College and endowed that with 12 places at King’s College, Cambridge. As part of the funding of his new college at King’s, in 1445 Henry persuaded the Earl of Salisbury to exchange the rights to the tithes, rectory and manor of Ringwood for a substantial estate in Yorkshire; the Ringwood advowson he then granted to his new college. King’s College is therefore the Patron for S’s Peter & Paul, Ringwood and still appoints the incumbent, with advice from the Bishop, and is still responsible for all repairs to, and even rebuilding, the chancel. From 1446 until 1926 the vicar at Ringwood was appointed from Fellows of the College who had been Scholars at Eton.   * Kings Scholars at Eton College were elected annually, generally at the end of July or beginning of August, when 12 of the head boys were put on the roll to succeed to King’s College, Cambridge as places became available; there were about 9 vacancies in two years on average but at 19 years old the Scholars became to old to take a place (Magna Britannia 1806). The 12 Scholars automatically became “Collegers”, i.e. the 70 pupils who lived in Hall, as opposed to “Oppidans” who were pupils who lived as boarders with either families, often of assistant masters, or in “Dame” houses in the town and only went to classes in the College.

His cousin Benjamin 111127 was his curate, living at Poulner Lane near the Manor House, in 1851.

111112) Rev George Browne Maturin, born Orlingbury, Northampton, Aug. 16th 1800, see note above under parents (IGI - Christened Jul 27, 1804, Eton, Bucks). Both he and his brother Charles Henry entered Eton College as Oppidans in April 1808, and both were elected King’s Scholars * in September 1812 so becoming Collegers. Entered on the roll for King’s College, Cambridge in 1820 and went up in the same year; Mareschal at Montem in 1820, i.e. he led the procession,   see below. Admitted to King’s.. 27 July 1820, matriculated Michaelmas 1820; BA 1825; Fellow 1823-8. Ordained deacon 1824, priest 1826. Fellow, King’s College, M.A. of the University. Died at Malta (sic. list of Eton Scholars and Alum. Cantab. note Corfu in 1828) Oct 20, 1826.
* “Montem” refers to a tradition at Eton College when, every third year on Whit-Tuesday, the scholars processed to a burial mound (ad montem - to the mountain) on the Bath road and collected a toll from all and sundry, including up to £50 from Royalty, which was then presented to the Captain of Montem, the senior Colleger, to support him through his degree. (Magna Britannia) Charles took part in 1817 but held no office.

111113) William Francis Maturin R.N.   (IGI - Christened Oct 23, 1804 Eton, Bucks). Married Anne Conquer 6 Apr 1835 in the parish of Antony, Cornwall (2 miles west of Torpoint / Devonport) but she died shortly after the birth of Frances Anne, on 4 Sep 1838. William rushed from his ship in Sheerness, despite that he might have missed the sailing and therefore forfeited his position, but he arrived too late on the day she died. Qualified as R.N. Paymaster and Purser 9 Nov 1846. He died in London of cholera Aug 15, 1849 aged 43 (sic but must be 48). Left one daughter

1111131) Frances Anne Maturin, born in Plymouth Aug 29, 1838, who was married Sept 27, 1866 to Henry Samuel Davy Esq. Solicitor, of Ringwood, (he was born in Ringwood, Sept 20, 1842: died April 5, 1918; brother of Elizabeth Grace Davy who married Henry Maturin 1111271) by whom she has 10 children. She died June 9, 1886. In the 1881 Census the family comprised:-

1) Minette Frances Mary Davy, aged 13 (born Aug 11, 1867: died July 18 1931- tablet in Ringwood Parish Church)

2) Beatie Davy, aged 12

3) Henry H. Davy aged 19 in 1891

4) Evelyn F. Davy, aged 8

5) Charlotte A. M. Davy, aged 6

6) Bishop O.N. Davy, aged 5

7) William H. Davy, aged 3

8) Isabel M. Davy, aged 2

9) Adela G M Davy aged 7 in 1891

111114) Henrietta Georgina Maturin. (IGI - Christened Oct 23, 1804 Eton), Bucks Married to - Surean Esq. Died in St. Domingo, 1823 aged 20. The name of William Surean appears in the List of Naturalisations, March 11, 1700 (Agnews “Exiles”, Index Vol: p. 64) (St Domingo now Santo Domingo in Dominican Republic)

111115) Rev: Washington Shirley Maturin, (born about 1807). Admitted to Queen’s College, Cambridge 6 Jul 1842; ordained deacon 1849, priest 1850; curate of Emmanuel Church, Camberwell, Surrey 1850; curate of All Saints, Norwich 1851-52 (Alum Cantab). Rector of Thurgarten, Norfolk 1859 (Alum Cantab 1852). Married in 1839, Elizabeth, daughter of Col: Phillips (IGI - Washington Shirley M. married Elizabeth Phillips in the British Embassy Chapel, Paris on 26 Dec 1836). She died Oct 29, 1873, aged 68. He died Oct 5 1876 aged 69. Their only child,

1111151) Elizabeth Augusta Maturin, died in 1864 aged 16.

111116) Anne Augusta (Augusta) Maturin, (IGI - Christened Oct 28, 1808 Eton, Bucks) resides in England, unmarried. Died May 4, 1890. (1851 & 61 censuses a “fundholder” at The Vicarage, Ringwood with Charles Henry; 1881 census - noted as being aged 72, born at Eton, Berkshire, a “Proprietor of Stocks” at a lodging house, 16 Hamilton Terrace, Leamington Priors, Warwick; c.f. her sister Frances at Milverton, Warwick.)

111117) Gabriel James Maturin, (IGI - Christened Sept 1810 at Eton, Bucks) On Saturday 14 November 1835 The Royal Tar left Cork Harbour for Santander with 301 men to join the Queen of Spain's Own Royal Irish Lancers with officers - Colonel Jacks, Captains Smith, Rooke, Maturin and M'Carthy. There were problems over pay and on 28 September 1837 Colonel Jacks and all his officers in the 2nd Lancers, British Legion at San Sebastian, Spain, including Gabriel, were petitioning for justice from the British Government which had "espoused and forwarded" the cause in Spain. No trace has so far been found of a marriage but a daughter, Ellen Augusta, was born in Cork in about 1837. In April 1842 he was Superintendent of Police in Birmingham during Nailer's riots; present as a Sub-Intendant on the visit to Birmingham by Prince Albert on 29 Nov 1843. As a witness at a trial in London of the instigators of an attempted coup in Ecuador in January 1847 Gabriel was described as "military-man who wore a large moustache"; as a cavalry officer he had been promised a squadron of cavalry when they reached Ecuador and he duly reported for duty on 24 November 1846. The expedition never sailed. He married Margaret King in first quarter of 1848 in Marylebone, London. He emigrated to Australia. with Margaret in 1852 and is recorded as an Officer in the Army. Died at Collingwood, Melbourne Sept 16, 1863, aged 54 of cancer of the tongue. His death certificate declares that he was 11 years in Victoria but that he was aged 35 when he married Margaret in 1848.

1111171) Ellen Augusta Maturin Born in about 1837 in Cork (according to the 1851 census). Lived with her grandmother, Anne Augusta, and uncle, Charles Henry, at Ringwood Vicarage. Died of Dyspnea (a catchall phrase covering lung problems and asthma) aggravated by spinal curvature at Ringwood on 20 July 1860 aged 23.

111118) Walter Augustus Maturin (IGI - Christened Jun 9, 1812 at Eton, Bucks) died at Paris 1821, aged 9 (but Walter Shirley describes him as "pickle" in 1826 - see above).

111119) Frances Charlotte Maturin. (IGI - Christened Nov 15, 1814 at Upton cum Chalvey, Bucks) Married to - Fulton Esq. who died in Australia about 1843. No issue. She resides in England. Died July 1896. (1881 census - Frances Fulton, aged 66, born at Windsor, Berkshire, noted as an “Annuitant” at a lodging house, 21 Church Hill, Milverton, Warwick)

11112) Rev Henry Maturin, younger son of the Rev. Charles Maturin. Born in Prussia St. Dublin Sept. 1771 (IGI Sept 17). Baptised in St Anne’s Church, Sept 22,1771. Entered Trin: Coll: Dub:, Jan 9, 1786 as a pensioner with a private tutor aged 16 (Alum. Dub.). Scholar T.C.D. 1788. B.A. Vern. 1790. Fellow T.C.D. 1792. M.A. Æst. 1793. In the minutes of the meetings of the Board of Trinity College Dublin (TCD MUN/5/5) there is a reference to the appointment of Henry Maturin to the parish of Clondevadogue, Raphoe, County Donegal on the 1st August 1797. “This day the Rev'd Henry Maturin was presented to the living of Clondevadogue in the Diocese of Raphoe, vacant by the death of the Rev'd Docr Hamilton”.   He was Rector of Clondevaddoch, Co. Donegal, dio. Raphoe, from Aug 7, 1797 for 44 years. Married May 25, 1802, Elizabeth, daughter of John Johnston, Esq., Belvedere Place, Dublin. See below for the relationship between Elizabeth’s daughter Emma (111126) who married her first cousin, Benjamin Johnston. Elizabeth was born in 1777. She died at Aghnagaddy Glebe, Ramelton, April 8, 1826 in the 50th year of her age. He died at Fannet Glebe, Jan 3, 1842. He was the author of a Visitation Sermon on “The Pastoral Office”, preached in Raphoe Cathedral in 1801. There is a mural tablet erected to his memory in the Parish Church of Clondevaddoch, with an appropriate inscription concluding with these words:- “He lived beloved and died lamented. A grateful congregation and other friends have erected this monument to the beloved memory of one who being dead, yet speaketh.”

Rev. Combe states: () studied at Trinity College under the tutorship of the learned Dr.Thomas Elrington, afterwards Bishop of Ferns, where he gained a scholarship in 1788 and graduated two years later. In 1792, while still only twenty years of age, he obtained a Fellowship.
At an early age he became involved in the Evangelical Movement and was closely associated with John Walker, Walter Shirley junior (see Gabriel 11111 - brother of his wife Anne Augusta) and Thomas Kelly, the hymnwriter, all four of them having been ordained about the same time. They used to attend special meetings for prayer at the residence of Alderman Hutton in St.Stephen’s Green. During a visit to Ireland the Reverend James Garie, Chaplain to Lady Glenorchy, wrote:
“Breakfasted this morning with my dear friends, Messrs. Walker, Maturin, etc. at College. O how pleasing to see God raising up pious, zealous, wise young men in that place.”
Maturin ministered for a short time at Bethesda Chapel, the well-known evangelical church, and was appointed one of its trustees. When he and his three companions were invited to preach at St.Luke’s by the curate of that parish, their forthright presentation of the Gospel was deeply appreciated and drew large crowds to the church. Alarmed by this turn of events the rector of St.Luke’s reported the matter to Robert Fowler, Archbishop of Dublin, who not only reproved them but forbade them to preach in his diocese.
It was possibly in consequence of this that Henry Maturin resigned from his Fellowship in 1797 and was appointed the same year to the living of Clondevaddock in the Diocese of Raphoe which was in the gift of the Provost and Fellows of Trinity College. Here in this remote parish, one of the most northerly in Ireland, the remaining years of his ministry were spent. He must have entered on his new duties with some trepidation, the vacancy having been occasioned by the murder of the previous rector, Dr.William Hamilton, in March 1797.

Hamilton was born in Derry in 1755, the son of merchant John Hamilton. He entered Trinity College Dublin on 1st November 1771 (Scholar in 1774, B.A. 1776, M.A. at in 1779 and became a Fellow the same year, B.D. 1787 and D.D. 1794). On 16 January 1790 he was installed in the parish of Clondevaddock and eventually became a magistrate. An intelligent man, he founded a society - Palaeosophus, which with another called Neosophus became the Royal Irish Acadamy in 1786. He wrote two books on the geology of the Antrim coast and another condemning the French Napoleonic version of democracy; all were tinged with his virulently anti-catholic and anti-nationalist views in support of the government.   By the age of 42, as a clergyman, magistrate and government supporter he had incurred the wrath of the local rapparees (Irish free booters / banditii) and in the troubled times before the 1798 rebellion he was eliminated - at the house of Dr. Waller at Sharon (between Manorcunningham and Newton Cunningham) on 2nd March 1797.   What little remained of him was buried at Derry in the same tomb as his father.

His widow Sarah was granted an annuity of £700 by the Irish Parliament (about £25,000 today) "he having been lately most cruelly murdered on account of his meritorious exertions as a Magistrate."

Charles Robert Maturin gives a gruesome dramatisation of the events, transferred to Inquisitorial Spain, in Melmoth the Wanderer (OUP 1998 pp 255-6) and footnotes “(The same) circumstance occurred in Ireland 1797, after the murder of the unfortunate Dr Hamilton. The officer was answered, on inquiring what was that heap of mud at his horse’s feet, - ‘The man you came for.””

It was under these circumstances that Henry Maturin was presented to the living of Clondevaddock on 1st August 1797, and made his way alone north to Donegal through all the turmoil leading up to the 1798 rebellion.   North Donegal, and the Lough Swilly area in particular, suffered havoc in the Rebellion.   He later revisited Dublin and on 2 May 1802 married Elizabeth Johnston. Their daughter Elizabeth is recorded as being born in Dublin in 1804 but all the other children were born at Fannet Glebe.

Under his faithful ministry, however, a great transformation took place at Clondevaddock. According to his obituary in the Londonderry Sentinel, when he went to the district it was “notoriously savage and lawless” but when he died, forty five years later, he left it “not behind the very foremost in civilization and piety.”
Though no longer a Fellow of Trinity College, Henry Maturin continued to take an interest in education. Three of his own sons, Henry, Charles and Benjamin, together with Robert McClintock, Francis Turnley and Richard Smith, were prepared by him for university careers. The last of these was almost certainly the same as the Richard Smith who became Rector of Killoe and who challenged a statement of Dr.Cahill, the Roman Catholic Bishop of Raphoe, in 1854. Maturin was also responsible for opening some new schools in the Clondevaddock neighbourhood. A schoolhouse was built by him at Drumfad from a grant of £20 by the Kildare Place Society and from a sum of £5 collected by subscription. The schoolhouses at Glenfanet and Munnagh, both of which were erected by him, were placed under the control of the London Hibernian Society. He also built a schoolhouse at Tamney, raising the money by parochial assessment. It is still (2002) a source of irritation in the parish that when Henry was on his death bed the Presbyterian minister wrote to the London Hibernian Society declaring that he had been instructed to say that the school at Drumbeg was no longer required by the Church of Ireland as it was attended almost entirely by Presbyterian families; control of that school was transferred to the minister and has remained so.
In Raphoe, as in Dublin, Henry Maturin was closely identified with the Evangelical Movement. On Wednesday, 30th July, 1800, he preached a sermon on “The Pastoral Office” in St.Eunan’s Cathedral, Raphoe, on the occasion of the Bishop’s Visitation. Reading through this discourse, one cannot fail to be impressed by the deep sincerity which underlies it. At an early point in the sermon he reminded his clerical hearers of the need for vocation. There were those, he suggested, who entered the ministry from wrong motives. Some might do it with a view to personal advancement; others in order to lead lives of idleness. Without a true sense of vocation, however, one’s ministry could never be effective.
“Unless our credentials be clear, as members of the community we may perhaps be respectable, but in the Church of Christ we can neither speak with authority nor expect with confidence a blessing on our labours.”
When speaking about the content of the minister’s preaching, he enunciated several fundamental evangelical principles - the total depravity of man, the centrality of the Cross and justification by faith. Expounding the last of these three doctrines, he was careful to point out that faith was the instrument rather than the basis of man’s justification.
“Faith itself, of which such glorious things are spoken, forms no meritorious title; it does but credit the glad tidings and receive the free salvation. It comes from God as one of the fruits of the Spirit. Casting down imagination, and chasing away the delusions of self-love, it brings the proud sinner to the feet of the Saviour, and makes the rebel the willing subject of the Redeemer’s Kingdom.”
He also argued that Christian faith was very much more than mere intellectual assent since it involved a change of heart.
Despite its moderate tone and balanced ideas, this sermon does not seem to have been favourably received by all, for when it was published the following year it was prefaced by a letter to the Bishop in which the preacher vindicated his views.
“The doctrines it contains have, I know, been misrepresented by some, and misconceived by many. To me, however, they appear to be founded in Scripture, strictly conformed to our Articles, and essentially connected with life and peace.”
This sermon was preached only three years after his arrival at Clondevaddock. During the many years of his ministry which followed he succeeded in allaying whatever suspicions and prejudices had been aroused against him and built up a fine reputation in the diocese for devoted service and nobility of character. After his death on 3rd January, 1842, two lengthy appreciations appeared in the Londonderry Sentinel. Many years later tribute was paid to his memory by the Reverend James Reid Dill, Presbyterian Minister of Dromore. Describing him as “one of the most saintly men I ever knew”, he continued:
“It was a great treat to hear him converse, he was so fluent and intelligent on every subject. In the Scripture he was a regular concordance; his sermons were evangelical, beautiful, logical and scriptural, and his prayers extempore were the utterances of a mind filled with sacred truth ………It was my privilege to be often in his company, and often to attend Sabbath evening service which he conducted in the Rectory.”
He is commemorated in Clondevaddock Church by a marble tablet erected by the parishioners and also by the lectern which was presented by his relatives. The inscription on the tablet reads:
“To the memory of the Revd. Henry Maturin who for forty four years faithfully discharged the duties of Rector of this parish; affectionate and impressive in his teaching, kind in his manner, mild and humble in his deportment and uncompromising in his testimony to the truth; he lived beloved and died lamented; a grateful congregation and other friends have erected this monument to the beloved memory of one “who being dead yet speaketh”. Obit. 3rd January, 1842, Aetat 70 years.”
His tombstone may be seen in Clondevaddock churchyard.

On the 25th May, 1802 at St.John’s Church, Dublin, Henry Maturin senior, Rector of Clondevaddock, married Elizabeth Johnston by whom he had a large family.

The following are the names of his children:-

111121) Elizabeth Maturin. Daughter of Rev: Henry Maturin (IGI - born 1804 in Dublin),. Married March 30, 1826 at Clondevaddock Parish Church, to Rev: Thomas Henry Cotter Finny of Dunlear Glebe, Co. Louth. She died at Fannet Glebe, Jan 10, 1833 in the 30th year of her age. Their issue was one son,

1) Henry Maturin Finney, afterwards a clergyman in England who died Feb 14, 1865, leaving a widow, Agnes, daughter of the Rev: Edward Leslie of Lisburn and 3 children. Born at Dunleer Glebe, Co. Louth 14 June 1830, educated at Cork and TCD, Senior Moderator and Silver medallist for Mathematics and Science 1851, BA 1852; ordained by Bishop of Winchester July 1853, Curate of parish church, Lymington, Hants 1853-58 (with his cousin Benjamin Maturin) Secretary to Colonial and Continental Society, Dublin 1858-63; Curate of Gotham 1863-65; died 17 February 1865, buried at Gotham. Agnes’ mother was Margaret, daughter of Thomas Edward Higginson of Lisburn, Co. Antrim; born 23 Dec 1836, baptised at Lisburn Cathedral 8 Jan 1837; married at St. John’s, Ryde, Isle of Wight (by Rev. Benjamin Maturin) 13 Jan 1859. Married secondly 16 May 1874, Rev. George Nesbit Tredennick of Lismore Cathedral.

111122) Rev: Henry Maturin, born Feb 10, 1805 (IGI - at Fanet, Donegal) baptised Clondevaddock 17 Feb 1805. Entered Trin: Coll: Dub:, Oct 14, 1822 aged 17 (pensioner, schooled by his father). B.A. Vern. 1827. M.A. Æst. (Nov) 1832. Rector of Gartan, 1831. Married July 17, 1832, Frances Anne, 4th daughter of Robert Hay Esq. of Spott House, Barny Hill, East Lothian (IGI -incorrectly states “at Barney Hill, Lothian, Ireland” c.f. below: in fact Spott is just west of Dunbar. See below for Hay / Babington line). She died at Gartan Aug 7, 1868 aged 63. In the early 1870’s Rev. Henry Maturin, address Gartan Glebe, Church Hill, is noted as owning 94 acres in Co. Donegal. He died at the Rectory at Gartan Oct 29, 1880, buried at Church Hill, Co. Donegal.

Rev. Combe states: Henry Maturin’s eldest son, Henry, was born at Fanet on the 10th February, 1805 and educated at Trinity College where he graduated in 1827. On the 18th September, 1828 he was ordained deacon in Derry Cathedral for the Diocese of Raphoe. He served for a time in the parish of Tulloghbighy and on the 16th March, 1831 was instituted as Rector of Gartan, some ten miles west of Letterkenny, (Church Hill is next to Lough Gartan) where he remained until his death. Besides being one of the most extensive parishes in Ireland, Gartan was also one of the most poorly paid. He seems to have led a quiet, secluded life and never to have figured prominently in the diocese. In 1857 a schoolhouse was built at Gartan and a couple of years later the church exterior was repainted. It is unlikely that any major repairs were carried out during his incumbency, however, as the building was quite new, having been consecrated in December, 1820. In several places in the Rural Deans’ reports favourable comments are inserted on the excellent attendances at the church services.
Henry Maturin junior deserves to be remembered for his philanthropic works. Together with the Reverend Henry Brougham he founded the Donegal Protestant Orphan Society. In 1846 and again in 1848 he wrote to the press, describing in detail the symptoms of the potato blight and urging that remedial measures should be taken. According to his obituary in the Londonderry Sentinel:
“……..in the terrible famine of 1848 he had been unceasing in his efforts to relieve the poor starving people; he collected large subscriptions for them and chartered a large ship laden with oatmeal for Dunfanaghy from whence he had the cargo carried to Gartan, and not having offices large enough to contain it, had it stored in wooden sheds adjoining the Glebe-house, where he had it distributed daily for six months among the poor of all denominations in the surrounding district; thus, under Providence, saving the lives of hundreds of the starving poor.”
He died on the 29th October, 1880 and was buried at Churchhill, Gartan where he is commemorated by a tablet in the chancel. His funeral was attended by a vast crowd, including all the Roman Catholics of the district, both clergy and laity. In July, 1832, at Burney Hill, Lothian, he had married Frances Ann Hay by whom he had several sons, none of whom entered the Ministry.

Note Hay / Babington (from IGI so needs thorough checking)

William Hay born 30 Dec 1699 married Elizabeth Sinclair 11 May 1759 (?? needs checking - children when he was 60?). Had family:

Robert Hay born about 1766, married Catherine Babington 12 Oct 1791 at Spott, E. Lothian, died 1844. She was born about 1770 at Killaghtee, Donegal and died about 1844. Had family;

William Hay born 1794(??), died 29 Aug 1855

Catherine Hay born 9 Feb 1794 at Spott

Elizabeth Hay born 28 July 1795 at Spott

Isabella Hay born 9 Jan 1797 at Spott

Rebecca Hay born 1 Jun 1798 at Spott
Frances Ann Hay born 4 Jun 1805 at Spott married Henry Maturin as above. Had family including:

Frances Anne Maturin

Letitia Hay born 30 Jun 1808 at Spott

Georgina Hay born 5 Feb 1810 at Spott

Humphrey Babington married Catherine Hamilton 1765. Had family:

Catherine Babington married Robert Hay above.
Ralph Babington born 1766, married Jun 1789 Rebecca Scanlon (Marriages - Walkers Hibernian Magazine p 336), he died 1806

Catherine Babington (heiress of Greenfort, Fannet Head) born 1794, married Major Baptist Johnston Barton of Derryhallagh, Co Monaghan 1815. She died 1865. He was born 1774 and died 1819. Had family:

Baptist John Barton born 1816 at Fannet, died 1857. Had family:

Baptist John Barton born 13 Jul 1848 at Fannet. Had family:

Baptist Johnston Barton born 21 Oct 1876

Edward Humphrey Barton born 1884, married Christian Letitia Aileen Johnston 1911. He died 1952. She was born 1881 and died 1958. See J12156.

Note that Katherine Johnston, second daughter of John Johnston (rector of Clondevaddock to 1731 who married Mildred Hamilton (daughter of Andrew Hamilton, Archdeacon of Raphoe)) married William Babington of Urney.

The issue of Henry Maturin and Frances Anne is as follows:-

1111221) Henry Maturin, born at Gartan Vicarage, 1833 and baptised at Gartan. The Belfast Newsletter reports on Nov 16 1857 that a Henry Maturin was an Ensign in the Prince of Wales Donegal Militia, the "fine regiment, 510 strong . . lying at Ebrington Barracks" (Londonderry); his uncle Charles Maturin was a Captain in that Regiment. Henry was commissioned as Ensign in 81st Foot Apr 16 1858, Lieut: Mar 12 1861 with 1st West India Regt: died unmarried at Sierra Leone Dec 7, 1869 aged 33. Notice in local Army paper in Sierra Leone:

DEATH
On the 7th inst at Tower Hill Barracks, Lieut. Maturin 1st W.I.R. (West Indian Regiment).
The death of this gallant and sincerely lamented officer may be said to have been very sudden. He had been apparently out of sorts for some days; not that the genuine kindliness of manner which endeared him so much to his brother officers was impaired, but he seemed to some extent, ill at ease. He did not however put himself in medical hands.
At noon as we understand, on the 7th. he complained of a fever and pains in the head: medical aid was promptly called in but the fever could not be subdued; and at 5 p.m. Mr Maturin succumbed to the great grief of his friends. His remains were conveyed early next morning to the new Burial ground and consigned to their last resting place with the usual military honours. Peace be with him !

1111222) Catherine Hay Maturin, (IGI - Christened Feb 2, 1834 at Church Hill, Donegal), died at Gartan June 12, 1844 aged 10.

1111223) Elizabeth Maturin born at Gartan Apr 3 1835, died unmarried Mar 6 1897, buried at Church Hill, Gartan on 13 Mar.

1111224) Robert Hay Maturin, born at Gartan Mar 12, 1836; died unmarried at Letterkenny, Co. Donegal, Jan 31, buried at Church Hill, Gartan Feb 3, 1906.

1111225) Frances Anne Maturin, (IGI - born May 28, 1838 at Gartan, Donegal) baptised at Church Hill. In 1910 noted as “of 3 Norwood Place, Letterkenny”. In 1920 Dr Henry Maturin Johnston visited her and found her to be in such poor health that he took her back to Stranolar for her last few days but she rallied and died 9 years later on Oct 5 1929 aged 91.

1111226) Charles Maturin, (IGI - born May 22, 1841 at Gartan, Donegal), Lieut. 17th Madras Native Infantry 1861. Died, after a short illness, unmarried at Gartan Aug 5, 1869 aged 28.

1111227) John Maturin, born Jun 6, 1842 at Gartan Glebe, baptised at Church Hill, Gartan; entered Trinity College, Dublin, October 1858 aged 16, L.R.C.S.I. 1863, L.R.C.P. Edinburgh 1864, F.R.C.S.I. 1889; of the Royal Army Medical Corps, Assistant-Surgeon 30 Sept 1864, Surgeon-Major 30 Sept 1876, Surgeon Lieutenant-Colonel 1884, Brigade Surgeon 11September 1890, Colonel Oct 3, 1895, retired June 6 1902; served in India (3 tours) 1865 - 87, in Ashanti Expedition1873-74 (medal); Ceylon 1891-95, Principal Medical Officer, Colchester, 1895 - 1902. Married Jul 20, 1871 at South Stoneham, Hants Adeline, daughter of Lieut. Col. William Charles Drummond, who was born Mar 19, 1848 and has issue. (Census on 3 April 1881 records the family at sea or in a foreign port on Royal Naval vessel “Crocodile” ; John M. described as “Surgeon Major A M D”, Adeline as aged 38, born in Hampshire). 1901 census - at 21 The Avenue, Colchester with Daniell CP still at home aged 25 and two servants, Alice Spinks (cook) and Eliza Jessupp (housemaid). In 1910 still noted as at The Avenue. Died at Colchester 5 February 1920. Had family as follows:

11112271) John William Henry Maturin Born 20 May 1872, baptised at South Stoneham 15 Jun; educated at Dover College; entered the Army as 2nd Lieut (Prince Albert’s) Somerset Light Infantry 13 Aug 1892, transferred to Army Service Corps 1 Apr 1895, Lieutenant 30 Sep 1895, Captain 11 Mar 1900, Adjutant 1 Jan to 31 Dec 1904, Major 1 Apr 1907, retired 19 Dec 1908; served in South African War 1899-1902, D.A.A.G. 19 Feb to 10 Oct 1902; on Staff at operations in the Orange Free State February to May 1900, including actions at Poplar Grove, Karee Siding, Houtnek (Thoba Mountain), Vet River (5 and 6 May) and Zand River; operations in the Transvaal and Orange River Colony October 1900 to December 1901, in the Transvaal Jan to Feb 1902, in Orange River Colony Feb to May 1902 and in the Cape Colony Sep 1901 (Queen’s medal with three clasps, King’s medal with two clasps). On 1 Aug 1915 as a Major in the Reserve of Officers with the Army Service Corps he was appointed Lt.-Col. (temp), the rank which he relinquished on 6 May 1919, when he ceased to be employed but was granted the rank of Lt.-Col. on that day. The Courts report in the Times 18 Dec 1915 cites Major John in the divorce of Blanche Catherine Marie Johnson (née Everett), proof of adultery being provided at the County Hotel, Salisbury on 1 Aug, the day on which he achieved his Majority .

11112272) Arthur Edward Maturin born at Southampton Sep 30, 1873, baptised at St Marks, Southampton 10 October 1873; educated at Dover College and at Epsom College. In 1910 described as being “of Foxton, New Zealand”. Information from Ian Maturin that he grew up, colourfully, in New Zealand. Married Annie Jamieson (née Young) in Wellington NZ. He died 26 October 1960, buried at Taita, Lower Hutt, NZ. His family is:

111122721) Mavis Lily Maturin born 28 May 1913 at Masterton. Married L L Carter at Wellington Registry Office 14 July 1933. Divorced 15 June 1951.

111122722) Ina Constance Maturin, born 1914, married James Baillie at Wellington Registry Office 14 July 1933. Divorced 12 June 1939

111122723) Living Maturin

111122724) Joyce Florence Maturin born 1917

11112273) Daniel Charles Percy Maturin (Percy) born 5 Apr 1875 in Tynemouth, Northumberland; educated at Epsom College; 1901 census recorded in Essex; joined the 3rd Battalion Suffolk Regiment (West Suffolk Militia) 21 Dec 1901, Lieutenant 6 Feb 1904, resigned Apr 1908. Enlisted in the Canadian Over-Seas Expeditionary Force at Calgary on 7 April 1915 at the age of 39 (described as 5’7” with a 36” chest plus 3” expanded). On 11 Feb 1918 as Temp. Captain with the Alberta Regiment he reverted to the rank of Temp. Lt. and was “secd. for duty with Ministry of Munitions” and “ceased to be secd. for duty” (as a temp. Lt.) on 20 Dec. 1918 (London Gazette). Died at Vancouver BC on 28 July 1960 aged 84 (BC Archives)

11112274) Reginald George Maturin born 13 November 1877 in Poonamalee, Madras, India; educated at Merchant Taylors’ School; joined the Royal Field Artillery as 2nd Lieutenant 24 June 1898, Lieutenant 16 Feb 1901; Captain 21 April 1906, Adjutant Royal Artillery 27 Feb 1908; employed with West African Frontier Force 20 Dec 1902 to 26 Mar 1904; served in South African War 1900-1902, at operations in the Orange Free State, Feb 1900, in Orange River Colony and Cape Colony Feb 1900 to 31 May 1902 (mentioned in despatches, “London Gazette”, 28 Jan 1902, Queen’s medal with two clasps, King’s medal with two clasps, D.S.O.) In 1914 as Captain in the Royal Horse and Royal Field Artillery promoted to Major on 30 Oct 1914, Lt.-Col. (temp) on 13 Apr 1916, awarded Silver Medal for Military Valour on 29 Sep 1918, awarded to be Brevet Lt.-Col on 1 Jan 1919 “for distinguished service in connection with Military Operations in Italy”, relinquished the rank of temp. Lt-Col. on 1 Apr 1920 (London Gazette). Married Ella Jane Maturin-Baird (11112311, daughter of Daniel Maturin-Baird) in 1917. Died 1962 leaving family:

111122741) Anne Maturin married Keith Cameron, who died 1980, lived in Milton under Wychwood, had family.

11112275) Edgar Maturin born 4 Feb 1881 at Bellary, Madras, India; educated at St. Helen’s College, Southsea, at the Merchant Taylors’ School, at Bedford Grammar School and at the Royal Military College, Sandhurst; 1901 census recorded in Kent; joined the Army Service Corps 1 May 1901, 1st Lieutenant 1 May 1902, retired June 1907. In 1910 noted as living at 25 Earls Court Gardens, S.W. On 26 Sept 1914 as “late Lt.” in the Army Service Corps he was confirmed as Lieutenant in the Reserve of Officers and made temp Captain on 11 Dec 1914 (London Gazette).

11112276) Hugh Geoffery Maturin born 26 Mar 1885 at Sitapur, Oudh, India and baptised there; educated at St. Helen’s College, Southsea, at the Merchant Taylors’ School, at Bedford Grammar School (1901 census noted as “Geoffrey” at 50 de Parys Avenue, Bedford) and at the Royal Military College, Sandhurst; entered the Army as 2nd Lieutenant unattached 13 Aug 1904, 2nd Lieutenant Indian Army 29 Oct 1905, Lieutenant 61st Regiment of Pioneers 13 Nov 1906. Married Gaynor. Awarded OBE before joining the RAF in 1940. Granted wartime commission as a Pilot Officer (84358) on 1 July 1940, Flying Officer on 2 Apr 1941 (confirmed on 1 Jul), appointed Deputy Assistant Provost Marshal 1 Sep 1941, Flight Lieutenant (temp) on 1 Oct 1942. Relinquished his commission on 18 Sep 1945 (London Gazette).

1111228) William Hay Maturin, (IGI - born Aug 1, 1845 at Gartan Glebe) . LRCSI 1865, Licenciate KQCPI 21 Dec 1865, Home Surgeon for County & City Infirmary Londonderry, Medical Officer for the Churchill Dispensary District of the Letterkenny Union. Died unmarried at Gartan April 1, 1873 aged 29, (“beloved in life for his many amiable qualities, and deeply regretted in his death by every family in the entire district. In him the poor have lost a kind friend, and the sick a skilul and attentive physician”) buried at Church Hill, Gartan.

1111229) Humphrey Lea Sharpe Maturin, (IGI - born Dec 24, 1848 at Gartan Glebe)

Licenciate KQCPI 13 July 1870, LRCSI 1870 Surgeon. 1871 census - noted in Kent, England. Medical Officer for the Churchill Dispensary District of the Letterkenny Union at 18 June 1873. In 1888 noted at Gartan Lodge, Letterkenny. Died unmarried at Gartan Glebe May 17, 1899, (“aged 52”) buried at Church Hill, Gartan.

Derryveagh. John George Adair was a land speculator from Queen’s County who took advantage of the collapse of land prices during the famine. Entranced by Glenveagh he started buying up farms and estates in 1857. One of those near Gartan was bought from a family of Johnstons who had ruined themselves trying to keep their tenants from starvation. His most brutal act was the clearance of 47 families from Derryveagh apparently as an act of revenge for their spoiling his sport as he "trespassed" over land for which he was due ground rent but did not own the shooting rights. Adair cleared the estate for sheepwalks despite the strongest representations from Henry Maturin at Gartan. During a visit by Adair to Gartan Glebe, to discuss the problems with the Rector, the Glebe barns were set ablaze and destroyed. There must have been a very twisted logic as Henry Maturin had only ever supported the cause of those dispossessed by the Clearance.

One of the consequences of the Clearance was the murder of a shepherd, Adam Grierson in 1863. He was a lowland Scot who had been brought in by Adair to look after the newly created sheepwalks but the life was not to his liking, he had taken to drink and made the decision to emigrate. The day before he and his family were due to leave he was murdered. Francis Bradley was one of those evicted from Derryveagh; he had been heard to make threats against Grierson and was immediately accused of the crime. No jury would agree to convict him and he was kept in prison for two years while three trials collapsed. On the fourth trial the defence called Humphrey Lea Sharpe Maturin as a boy of 15 who gave evidence that he had seen the accused in Church Hill at the moment that the estate bell was being rung and therefore a time when it would have been impossible for Bradley to get to the scene of the killing. Though a number of cottagers had said this before it was the word of the Rector's son which was accepted by the judge and the accused was finally freed, though there was still great suspicion of his close involvement with the crime.

111123) Charles Maturin, second son of Henry Maturin 11112, born Aug 13, 1806 (IGI - at Fanet Glebe, Donegal) baptised at Clondevaddock 17 Aug 1806). Entered Trin: Coll: Dub:, Jan 19, 1824. B.A. Æst. 1828. M.A. Æst. 1833. Barrister-at-Law. Captain Prince of Wales Own Donegal Militia. Married at Londonderry Cathedral April 1848, Jane, only surviving child of Daniel Baird Esq. of Boom Hall, Londonderry. She was born in 1820, died at Queenstown, Co. Cork in 1851. He is noted in the 1850 Dublin Directory at 30 Blessington St, Dublin (barrister - Hilary term 1832). He died at Castlerock, Co. Derry on Aug 31 1887, buried at Baron’s Court, Newton Stewart, Co. Tyrone.

Their issue is as follows:-

1111231) Daniel Baird Maturin-Baird, who took the additional surname of Baird under his grandfather’s will by Royal Licence dated Feb 26 1875. Born Jul 27, 1851 at Bessington Street, Dublin, baptised at St. Peter’s, Dublin 1853. Captain Prince of Wales Own Donegal Militia 1869-75. In the late 1870’s he is noted as being a landowner of 4900 acres.. Now (1880) of Mourne Lodge, Newtonstewart and of Boom Hall, Londonderry. Married Eleanor, daughter of John Parsons, Cardiff, (born Jan 16, 1871) on Dec 23, 1889 at St Peter’s, Regent Sq, London. (1910) of Newton Stewart and Croy, Kingston -on-Thames. Had family:

11112311) Ella Jane Maturin-Baird, born Feb 23, 1891 at 30 Holland Park Gardens, London. Married Reginald George Maturin in 1917 (11112274, 4th son of Surgeon Major John Maturin - see above). Had family - see 111122741 Anne above

11112312) Dorothy Lucy (Dinah) Maturin-Baird, born Nov 8, 1893 at 30 Royal Crescent, Holland Park, London. Married Lancelot James (James) Clayton (born Kingston, Surrey 1st qtr 1881) in 1915. James was commissioned as 2nd Lieutenant in the Gloucester Regiment on or about 21 July 1915 and was subsequently promoted to Lieutenant in 1/5th Gloucesters. He was badly gassed in the trenches from which he never recovered. His medal card appears to record his death on 28 November 1921 but family hearsay notes this as being in 1922. Dinah devoted herself to bringing up their only child, Patrick. On his death in 1944 she became increasingly reclusive for 40 years until her death in 1985.

1) Patrick Gerald Maturin Clayton Born 3rd qtr 1919 at Kingston, Surrey. Pictured below at Frinton in 1928.

Hythe, Kent, war memorial records note Patrick Gerald Maturin Clayton Lieutenant H.M. Submarine Stonehenge, Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve, lost at sea on Monday, 20th March 1944, aged 24. Son of Lancelot James and Dorothy Lucy Clayton, of Hythe, Kent.

According to http://home.cogeco.ca/~gchalcraft/sm/stonehenge.html the official Admiralty report stated HMS Stonehenge sailed from Trincomalee, Ceylon on 25 February 1944 for a patrol in the Malacca Straits area. She was due to return to her base on 20 March but did not do so and nothing further has been heard of her; the enemy had no knowledge of her loss. The most likely explanation is that she struck a mine. There were no survivors. However there is some room for elaboration as this was a very young crew with David S. McN. Verschoyle-Campbell, a dashing lieutenant of 23 in command, already awarded the DSO and DSC, who may have been searching for more adventure than luck allowed. More details are given on the above site

In March 2009 an album with 66 photos of Patrick as a young boy in Hythe (above left) was put up for sale at South Downs Auctioneers in Midhurst, West Sussex (http://www.southdownsauctioneers.info/index.php). The auctioneer, Paul Dunn (above right), investigated the inscription, found this site and persuaded the vendor that the "right thing to do" must be to return the album to the family. The album had been found in a charity shop on a border of Wiltshire so evidence of ownership since 1985 is not available. The family is very grateful to the anonymous vendor for his/her generosity and to Paul Dunn for his thoughtful consideration.

11112313) Gladys Muriel Maturin-Baird, born Sep 13 1895, Croy, Kingson-on-Thames. Died 1912.

11112314) Charles Edgar Maturin-Baird, born, Feb 28, 1899 at Croy. Lt Colonel Irish Guards. Married first Angela Harter in 1922. She died in 1979. .

111123141) Patricia Maturin-Baird, married Alastair Montgomerie, Lieut. Commander RNVR DSC who died 1990. Had family:

Married second Evelyn Wilbrahim in 1979; she died in 1997. He died 1994

1111232) Charles Maturin, died in infancy.

111124) John Maturin, third son of Henry Maturin 11112 born June 8, 1808 baptised June 10 at Clondevaddock. Solicitor at Law. Married April 2, 1845, Harriett Humfrey, 4th daughter of John Black Esq. of Sligo, at Booterstown, Co. Dublin. The 1850 Law Directory notes a J Maturin (solicitor) at Upper Temple Street, Dublin but he is not listed in the Dublin Directory as living at that address. He died at Newton Stewart, Co. Tyrone on 8 May 1889 and was buried there. Will proved in the Principal Registry, Dublin (328,89) 13 Aug 1889 by Harriett Maturin, relict and sole executrix. She died at 58B Rathmines Road, Dublin on Jan 31 1907 and was buried at Mount Jerome cemetery.

Their issue is as follows:-

1111241) Elizabeth Maturin, (IGI - born Jun 24, 1846 in Dublin) died Dec 6, 1857, aged 11.

1111242) Leslie Maturin Born in Dublin on 20 May 1848 Leslie was admitted as LRCSI in 1874 and as Licentiate KQCPI on 10 November 1875. Such was his promise as a physician that, even before he obtained his diploma, in 1874 he was selected to fill the responsible post of Assistant-Accoucheur in the Maternity Unit of Dr. Steevens' Hospital in Dublin where he had already held the appointment of Surgical Resident Pupil for a longer-than-normal period (1). He accepted appointments to the wilds of the isles in far western Ireland as "Medical Officer etc" for the Achill Division of the Achill Dispensary District of the Newport Union, Co. Mayo on 1 Mar 1876 and a fortnight later as Medical Attendant to the Royal Irish Constabulary, Achill and Admiralty Surgeon and Agent for the Stations of Keel, Achillbeg, Dugort and Bullsmouth (2). These did not quench his thirst for adventure.

On 26 October 1876 he sailed from the Clyde on emigrant sailing ship The Marlborough as Surgeon-Superintendent, arriving in Port Chalmers (the port for Dunedin, South Island, New Zealand) 85 days later on 20 January after an exemplary voyage in a healthy, clean ship (3). He must have returned almost immediately as he is next recorded as volunteering to be a surgeon to the Russian Sick and Wounded Society during the Russo-Turkish War of 1877-8 (1). After the fall of Plevna in December 1877 thousands of Turkish prisoners were marched to Bucharest under appalling conditions with many dying by the wayside from untreated wounds, rampant typhoid and dysentery. Prince Charles of Rumania personally thanked the Society's surgeons, with "Drs Maturin and Davis" particularly noted for their work (4).

Leslie returned to the comparative peace of temporary Medical Superintendant of Kilmainham Fever Hospital, Dublin on 6 April 1881; the post became permanent and he remained in sole charge until the hospital closed in 1883. Whilst there his work, recorded in the Dublin Journal of Medical Science, was recognised as remarkable. Early in 1883 he became Resident Medical Officer and Registrar to Cork Street Fever Hospital in Dublin (1).

The promotion enabled him to marry a Scots girl he met when she was visiting relations at Blessington. On 3 September 1883, in St Giles Church Edinburgh the wedding took place between Leslie and Leila Scot Skirving (5).

Skirving family records claim that Leslie was Blessington's "handsome debonair doctor". But Blessington is about 15 miles from Dublin (4 hours on a slow horse as the railway did not open until 1888) where Leslie must have been totally occupied managing the Fever Hospital and therefore unlikely to be the local general practitioner. There may have been other connections. Leslie's Scottish great-grandmother, Frances Anne Hay, was brought up at Spott, Lothian, marrying Henry Maturin, Rector of Gartan, Donegal, in July 1832. Spott is about 5 miles from Camptoun and the Hays and Skirvings were both significant landowners. The merchant Perrins were Huguenots as were the Maturins; the Owens owned several properties around Rathdowney, Queen's County / Co. Laois. Leslie's father John was a Dublin solicitor. Such people moved in similar levels of society.

Tragically the happiness of Leslie and Leila was short-lived. On the 4 November 1884 Leslie and a colleague visited a young child with scarlet fever who had a life-threatening abscess near a tonsil. Following the death of Samuel Rabbeth in London only weeks previously, when the doctor contracted diphtheria from a child he was treating, Leslie would have been fully aware of the dangers of operating so close to contagion. Despite that Leslie opened the abscess but the child immediately coughed in his face. Knowing the likely effect he returned to the Hospital and six days later the attack came. After a further nine days of agony his heart failed on 19 November. He was buried at Mount Jerome Cemetery, Dublin on 21 November (1).

The inscription on plot 361 reads;
In / Loving and grateful memory of / LESLIE MATURIN, F.K.O.C.P.I / Dublin / who died 19th November 1884 / aged 35 / and / LEILA SCOT SKIRVING / his wife / who died 27th February 1917 / aged 62 (6)

Leila Elizabeth was born in Haddington, East Lothian on 29 Dec 1854 where her father, Robert Scot Skirving, had a large farm at Camptown (Camptoun or Campton) by Athelstaneford. At the age of 29, according to the 1851 census, he was farming 700 acres employing 20 labourers and 21 women and boys; by 1861, using the latest mechanical innovations for harvesting, threshing and artificial manuring he had become more efficient with 800 acres and 1 bailiff, 1 shepherd, 14 labourers, 3 boys and 13 women.

It is not clear how the Scots farmer met the Irish girl but Robert married Elisabeth (Leila) Owen on 29 September 1852 at St Peter's Church, Dublin (7); Leila was the daughter of William Owen (and Elisabeth Perrin) a "landed proprietor" of Erkindale, Rathdowney, Co Laois (8). Elisabeth was the daughter of a Huguenot merchant James Perrin, trading in Wicklow and Dublin (7 & 9). Some few years after William Owen's death Elisabeth moved in to Dublin, first to 15 Upper Leeson Street and later to 2 Derby Terrace, Wellington Road. She died on 23 February 1865 and was buried in a vault, inscribed only as "Owen", at Mount Jerome Cemetery, south Dublin.

Leila junior was the only daughter; the sons David (born 1 September 1853 - 1935), Owen (17 June 1856 - 26 March 1946), Robert (18 December 1859 - 15 July 1956), William (9 June 1862 - 14 April 1863), Edward (7 May 1864 - 1953) and Archibald Adam (born 29 June 1868 - 1930) were all born at Haddington.

All the children started their education at the local Camptoun school with the local dominie - that remarkable system of schooling which gave equality of opportunity to Scotland while the rest of the world was just making plans. As the children grew the family moved to 29 Drummond Place, Edinburgh for the children to be schooled in the city, but returned to Camptoun for the holidays.

29 Drummond Place, Edinburgh New Town is at the second set of steps from the right . © Postcard photo by kind permission of Peter Stubbs at www.edinphoto.org.uk. No 29 is marked in red on the 1872 map

Leila attended school in Edinburgh until she was 17 and then went to Paris, to an establishment at 94 Avenue d'Eylau (off the Place du Trocadero) from October 1871 to November 1872. In August 1872 Robert took her and Midge, an Owen cousin, on a tour of Switzerland and southern Germany, an adventure which was the subject of numerous letters between mother and daughter (9). Leila senior died on 7 September 1874 at Drummond Place after suffering for 18 months with heart disease and finally liver problems as well.

While Robert and Leila were on their wedding tour to Italy, Greece, Lebanon, the Holy Land and Egypt Robert had written back to his mother describing his new wife:

"You tell me to say more of Leila. She is exactly as I expected her to be: cheerful, contented and perfectly good-natured. She is also companionable and intelligent and is a very fond wile — rather more than my nature is made for and at times I tell her "Now. I must be alone". I never thought her good-looking and travelling has not improved her — she knows I think her very plain, but she always says she will look better when she has quiet and gets fat. Still she must have something attractive, probably her manner and conversation. She always meets people ready to devote themselves to her service."

In the way that a wife can often resemble a mother-in-law, given the appropriate added years, it can only be surmise that young Leila would have similar traits to the older Leila and to her grandmother. There are many remarks about young Leila's vivacity, attractiveness, charm and duty, but none about her beauty. In the absence of any photographs perhaps the following pictures of her mother and grandmother may give some clue.

Elisabeth Perrin (left)

Leila Owen (right)

Plates from Owen and Perrin Family History by Hugh Owen (7)

As was expected at the time, and as the only daughter, on the death of her mother Leila put her own life on hold to bring up her young brothers and look after her father. That is not to say that there were not opportunities for leisure. The New Town in Edinburgh at the time had a Young Set who were invited to dinners for a dozen people of all ages, for example not only Robert Louis Stevenson but also his father, to range over conversation from Balzac to the Scottish Highlands in autumn. Leila enjoyed the amateur dramatics which were organised by Professor Fleeming and Mrs Jenkins at their own homes first in Fettes Row and later Great Stuart Street, which were adapted into intimate theatres, complete with stage, footlights and proscenium curtains with spring opening. The young set were theatrically directed and guided by the Jenkins, though some, like Stevenson, occasionally needed reminding of the boundaries! Stevenson became a family friend, albeit an unconventional one. There is one memory of his accompanying Leila and her brother Owen home after a late rehearsal and waking the household with his high spirits - under the influence of "scones, milk and jam" but blaming small beer when "the Governor" appeared in his night shirt (10). By all accounts Leila deserved her description as "brilliant, charming and irrepressible".

Robert junior was foiled in his determination from the age of 12 for a career at sea by a series of incidents ending in being invalided from his ship at the age of 17 when he contracted beri-beri. He changed course and took the medical training at Edinburgh University, graduating in 1881. Too young to be registered as a doctor he studied for another year in Vienna before returning to be House Physician at Edinburgh Royal Infirmary. He had a fascinating circle of friends and acquaintances. He was in the same class as Conan Doyle and both worked in the out-patient clinic taken by Dr Joseph Bell who was the model and inspiration for Sherlock Holmes. In 1883 he followed Leslie Maturin's example from 1876 and sailed as the Surgeon on the emigrant ship "Ellora" to Australia, having been recruited to the team building the new Medical School in Sydney, NSW. After service in both the Boer and Great Wars he returned to Sydney where he remained until his death in 1956 (7).

Archibald seems to have been closest to Leila. Though he followed his elder brother Edward to Cheltenham he returned to Edinburgh to study medicine. He was at Drummond Place for the census in 1881, aged 12. For the 1891 census father Robert was alone with the three servants in Edinburgh but Leila and Archibald were at the Hydropathic Company's new spa at Peebles. It is difficult to know who was suffering from what but it unlikely that they would have gone just to drink the waters as pain-relief and treatment were essential parts of such visits. After suffering for 5 years from heart disease Robert senior died on 17 November 1900 - at Drummond Place (11). Leila and her brother were still there with two servants in 1901. Archibald qualified as a physician and was awarded the CMG in 1900 for his service to the Imperial Yeomanry in the Boer War

Robert senior was passionate about wildlife and had campaigned hard for the bill to preserve Bass Rock in the Firth of Forth as a bird sanctuary. After Leila (his wife) died he immersed himself in nature and stayed for about six months each year at Sunderland House on the Isle of Islay in the Inner Hebrides (7 & 12). It is likely that the widowed Leila dutifully and regularly accompanied him as it was to that address that Joseph Merrick, the Elephant Man, wrote his only preserved letter.

The mystery remains as to how Leila was known to Dr Frederick Treves who practiced in London. Of her brothers, by 1889, David had long left Scotland for his military career, Owen was coffee planting in India, Robert had departed for Australia and Edward had just graduated from Pembroke College, Cambridge before returning to teach at Cheltenham. There may have been a connection through the newly qualified Archibald but he was only 21 and perhaps not on conversational terms with an eminent surgeon commanding £100 a time for appendix operations. It is possible that her father may have been fascinated by Merrick; he was the most likely of the family to have had connections to such a person as Treves.

As Merrick was terrified of women Leila was asked by Dr Treves if he could be introduced to her and shake her hand to help him overcome his fear. Though Treves does not name her in his book, only describing her as an attractive young widow, a subsequent account in The History of the Elephant Man (by Michael Howell and Peter Ford, published by Penguin) identifies her. That book also reproduces an envelope and letter from Merrick to “Miss L Maturin, Sunderland House, Islay, West Coast of Scotland” written on 7 October 1889.

Dear Miss Maturin

Many thanks indeed for the grouse and the book you so kindly sent me, the grouse were splendid. I saw Mr. Treves on Sunday, he said I was to give his best respects to you.

With much gratitude I am Yours Truly

Joseph Merrick London Hospital Whitechapel

Leila never remarried. She died on 27 February 1917 at 8 Randolph Crescent, Edinburgh aged 62 (13). Archibald informed the authorities after Harvey Littlejohn had certified death from "Influenza and sudden heart syncope". She was taken back to be buried with Leslie in Mount Jerome, Dublin - close to her Owen relations.

1) In Memoriam - Leslie Maturin. Dublin Journal of Medical Science Vol 79, no. 1 / January 1885 - available on-line

2) The Kirkpatrick Archive, The Royal College of Physicians of Ireland, Kildare Street, Dublin

3) Report in the Otago Witness, Issue 1313 27 January 1877 Page 11 - available on-line
This sailing compares very well with the voyage taking Charles Jephson and Olivia Kensington with their family to Aukland from July 1862 on the "William Miles". That journey was 106 days, 5 died at sea and the steerage passengers were on the point of insurrection at the filthy conditions and abominable food. Olivia (daughter of Assistant Commissary William Maturin) was a second cousin of Leslie's.

4) Report in The Times 9 January 1878, issue 29147, page 5 col. D

5) Marriage certificate 685/04 0205 witnessed by R Scot Skirving and A H Maturin (Albert Henry - Leslie's brother)

6) Grave at plot 361 Mount Jerome Cemetery, with thanks to Yvonne Russell for making this image available on-line.

7) Owen and Perrin Family History by Hugh Owen - printed for private circulation but available on-line. This very thorough history includes enormous detail of all the Scot Skirvings and their Owen / Perrin relations.

8) Leila's death certificate 685/02 0507 records that she died on 7 September 1874 aged 49; her exact birth year is therefore a little unclear as Robert did not put a date on her tombstone and there are no surviving Irish records. From the birth dates of the children a likely date is 25 December 1823 but the 1861 census records her as 34.

9) In Memoriam for Robert Scot Skirving 1956 - Robert claimed that the Skirving family was originally from Bordeaux - available on-line.

10) "I can Remember Robert Louis Stevenson" edited by Rosaline Masson, W&R Chambers Ltd 1922. An anthology of memories - available on-line.

11) Death certificate for Robert Scot Skirving 685/02 0697

12) Abstract from letter from R Scot Skirving at Sunderland House, Islay 18 September 1884 to Nature, vol 30, issue 778 p 512 - available on-line.

I am specially interested in the Duke of Argyll's letter on the above subject (p. 462), being a resident during nearly half the year in the most southern of the Hebrides. His Grace is so competent a naturalist, and so accurate an observer, that I assume at once he had evidence which satisfied himself that an adder swam from Mull to Iona. Still I must be pardoned if I say that your readers have not been supplied with the proofs which have satisfied his Grace. A boy and girl in Iona, who, I presume, had never seen an adder in their lives, killed a creature in the sea there. Might it not have been an eel?

13) Death Certificate for Leila Maturin 685/02 0133

1111243) Albert Henry Maturin, born Jan 27, 1850. B.A. 1882 Trin: Coll: Dub:. Divinity Test 1884, M.A. 1885; Deacon and Priest 1885; curate Coleraine 1885-90. Rector of Maghera, Co. Derry 1890 - 1926. The living had a value of £282. In 1937 his address was Hafod, The Fields, Alsager. Henry Gabrial M. Memoriam notes him as being at Alsager, Stoke-on-Trent in 1941. Died unmarried Dec 22 1944.

Rev. Combe states: Albert Henry, the eldest son, (sic ??) was born at Blackrock, Co.Dublin, on the 21st January, 1850, and graduated from Trinity College in 1884. On the 20th December, 1885 he was ordained priest in Holywood Church for the Dioceses of Down, Connor and Dromore.
After serving a curacy at St.Patrick’s, Coleraine, he was appointed in 1890 to the living of Maghera in the Diocese of Derry. Here he was responsible for effecting many renovations in the church. In 1902 the Rural Dean observed that the church appeared “rather neglected”, but the following year noted that it had been “repainted externally and internally at a cost of over £250”. During his incumbency two new windows were opened in the north wall of the church, a new heating chamber was built and an effort was made to improve the ventilation. At the last vestry-meeting attended by Maturin he reported that, with the bishop’s approval, he had placed texts over the windows and chancel arch. On the occasion of his departure he presented the church with a brass alms dish and communion linen damask. Two years later he presented the church at Clondevaddock with alms dishes and a baptismal ewer inscribed “These Alms Dishes & Ewer are the gift of the Rev Albert J Maturin in memory of his parents John & Harriet Humfrey Maturin 1928.”

After his retirement in 1928 he lived in England, first at St.Deniol’s Library, Hawarden, Chester, and then for many years at Roslyn House, Alsager, Stoke-on-Trent. No sooner had he resigned from Maghera than he was seized with regrets and misgivings and made an attempt to have himself reappointed. This was not feasible, however, as a new incumbent had meanwhile been nominated. It is possible that this may have embittered him against his former parishioners, for in his will he left £100 to Maghera Presbyterian Church but nothing to the parish.

1111244) Charles Gabriel Maturin, (IGI - born Sep 9, 1852 at Blackrock, Dublin) Surgeon. L.R.C.S.I. Drowned while crossing the Allagalla River in Ceylon, Dec 17, 1877 (sic “Visitations” gives Dec 8, 1878) aged 25.

1111245) Charlotte Florence Maturin, (IGI - born Jan 6, 1857 at Blackrock, Dublin) died Feb 10, 1859, aged 2.

1111246) Frederick Gray Maturin, (IGI - born May 17, 1863 at Blackrock, Dublin) married Adelaide Charlotte (Ada), daughter of William Grant Douglas, Commander Royal Navy, of St. Margarets, St. Andrews, Fife, and widow of Harris W. Dick on Nov 8, 1890 at Windsor. In 1910 described as “of Villa San Mateo, Carmina di Antiquera, Malaga, Spain”. Had family:

11112461) Norah Leslie Maturin, born in London Jun 2, 1891

11112462) Ruth Gabrielle Maturin, born at Egham Oct 5, 1894

1111247) Stopford John Maturin, (IGI - born Aug 26, 1864 at Blackrock, Dublin)

111125) Maria Maturin, 5th child of Henry Maturin 11112, baptised at Clondevaddock 27 Jan 1811, died unmarried at Fannet Glebe, Sept 26 1833 in the 23rd year of her age. Buried at Clondevaddock, Donegal 28 Sep.

111126) Emma Maturin. 6th child of Henry Maturin 11112 born Jan 8, 1812 at Fanet Glebe, baptised at Clondevaddock 10 Jan 1813. Married Jan 11, 1843 (but location uncertain) to Benjamin Johnston Esq. M.D (of Riversdale, Midleton, Co. Cork, B.A. T.C.D 1837, M.B. Dublin 1842, M.D. 1870, F.R.C.S.I. 1845). In Slater’s Directory of 1846 - Johnston, Benjamin, M.D., Physicians & Surgeons, Bridge St, Rathmelton is noted. Afterwards Medical officer at Midleton, Co. Cork, where he died June 2, 1876, aged 59. In the 1870’s the "Trustees of Benjamin Johnston," address Glebe, Tamney, Milford, are noted as owning 85 acres in Co. Donegal. She now resides in Dublin (1880). She died at Gorsehill, Ballybay, Co. Monaghan Nov 6, 1890, aged 78; buried at Midleton. Will proved in the Principal Registry, Dublin by Benjamin Johnston, Henry Maturin Johnston, M.D. of Stranorlar, Donegal the surviving executors. Their issue consisted of 6 sons and 4 daughters - see the pages for The Johnston Story.

111127) Rev: Benjamin Maturin. 4th son of Henry Maturin 11112 Born Dec 16, 1815 at Fanet Glebe, baptised at Clondevaddock 17 Dec 1815. Entered Trin: Coll: Dub:, July 1 1833. Pensioner i.e. paid a fixed annual fee for his education, schooled by his father (Alumni Dublinenses 1935). Downe’s Theological Prize.

B.A. Vern. 1838. Deacon 1839 by Bishop of Dromore; priest 1840 by Bishop of Derry. Curate at Newtownards in Down (1839 -1840), Kilbarron (Ballyshannon) in Raphoe (1840 - 1842) and Raloo in Connor (1842 - 1846). M.A. Æst. 1865. Curate at Biddenden, Beds and then at Ringwood, to his cousin Charles Henry Maturin, from 1848 to 1852.

When Benjamin was appointed to Lymington there had not been an incumbent for a considerable time. The Rectory remained in the the possession of the Bishop of Bristol until 1857 when it was transferred to the Ecclesiastical Commisssioners.
Vicar 1869 to 1905. In 1877 the living’s Patron was Bishop of Winchester with a tithe of £80, with £200 from Eccles. Comm. - a net income of £300 plus a house, (population 4295); in 1889 the TRC was £80 but an average of £67 with £200 stipend, giving a gross income of £267. Rural Dean of Lyndhurst 1892, Canon of Winchester Cathedral 1903, died at Lymington Vicarage on Tues Oct 31, 1905, buried at Lymington Nov 4. Author of Sermons on "The Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper Examined and Explained, and the Duty of Celebrating It Recommended and Enforced" (Lond: 1848 price 2/-).

Salisbury and Winchester Journal Saturday Nov 4th 1905
Death of the Vicar of Lymington
Canon Benjamin Maturin, Vicar of Lymington, one of ablest and most respected clergy in the diocese of Winchester, died suddenly on Tuesday morning, at the age of 90 years. He greaduated from Trinity College, Dublinin 1938, proceeding to his M.A. In 1853. He was ordained deacon in 1939 and priest in 1840, and became curate of Newtownards and later of Ballyshannon. He came to England in 1846on accepting the curacy of Biddenham =, and had afterwards done 57 years service in the Winchester diocese. He was curate of Ringwood from 1848 to 1852, when Bishop Sumner appointed him to the Vicarage of Lymington, which he held ever since, his jubilee as vicar being celebrated with considerable interest in1902. He was also for 52 years chaplain of the Lyminton Union, resigning that post last year. He had been Rural Dean since 1892, and was made an honorary cannon of Winchester Cathedral in 1903

Married (1st) June 3, 1840, Anna, only daughter of John Johnston Esq. of Belfast. (See note on Johnston pedigree under Emma Maturin 111126.) IGI states her birth in 1817 at Fannet Glebe but there is no such record in the parish registers. She died at Fannet Glebe, May 15, 1842, aged 25, buried at Clondevaddock 18 May. (sic. IGI states, incorrectly, Jun 15).

Recorded on 1851 census at Poulner Lane, Ringwood (near the Manor House) as:
Benjamin Maturin, head, widower aged 35, curate of Ringwood
Henry M., son, aged 8, scholar
Eliza Fenner, servant, ?widow aged 33, born in Ringwood

Appointed incumbent of Lymington, Hants, July 4 1852.

1861 census at 3 Highfield, Lymington
Benjamin Maturin, head, aged 45, curate of Lymington
Adelaide M., wife, aged 30, born in Lymington
Adelaide M. M., daughter, aged 5, born in Lymington
Laura S. M., daughter, aged 2, born in Lymington
Benjamin A. M. Son aged 11 mnths, born in Lymington
Gertice? Rock, cook, unmarried, aged 57 born in Milton, Hants
Jane Henstridge, nurse, unmarried aged 25, born in Ringwood
Susan Gough, servant, unmarried aged 22, born in ???ham, Hants

1891 Census at Belmore Lane, Lymington with “Fanny Elizabeth” still at home, plus three servants. The house at 3 Highfield, Lymington then occupied by Henry Daniell, banker.

Married (2nd) June 5, 1855, Adelaide, youngest daughter of Ralph Allen Daniell Esq. of Fairfield, Lymington, at Lymington. She was born at Fairfield, Lymington on Sep 9, 1830. The Salisbury Journal reported: On 5th June 1855 at Lymington, by Rev C H Maturin, assisted by Rev. W H Thompson, the Rev. Benjamin Maturin, minister at Lymington, married Adelaide, youngest daughter of the late Ralph Allen Daniell Esq of Fairfield, Lymington. Has issue.

By 1st marriage to Anna (Johnston),

1111271) Henry Maturin, born at Fannet April 5, 1842. Educated at Marlborough College, at St. Bartholomew’s Hospital, London and at Paris. M.R.C.S. Eng. 1864, L.S.A. 1865, L.R.C.P. and L.M. Edin. 1872. Surgeon Fleet Cottage Hospital, Medical Officer of Health, Winchfield, Hants for Hartley Wintney Union in 1910.

In 1861 he is noted as a 19 year-old "student in medicine" with Samuel Sumner Dyer at the practice in High Street, Ringwood (on the corner of Lynes Lane). (Dr Dyer had graduated from Kings College, London and, having qualified, returned to his father's practice in Ringwood; Henry's father and his cousin, Revd. Charles Henry Maturin (1799-1862), had both worked closely with the Dyers who were supportive churchmen and Church Wardens.)

Married, by Rev. Benjamin Maturin at Ringwood on Apr 30, 1868, Elizabeth Grace, daughter of Robert Davy Esq. of Ringwood: (by his wife Mary White, daughter of Thomas Manning, Elizabeth was born Jul 28 1844). (cricket.org notes him as a right hand bat playing for Middlesex and Hampshire, rated as First-Class 1863 to 1882: see website for statistics. 1881 census Henry described as a General Practitioner at The Oaklands, Hartley Wintney, Hants, with his family, three domestic servants, and a Swiss governess.

In 'Cricket in North Hants' (published 1905) Lt Colonel J May notes:
'Dr H Maturin, of Oaklands, Hartley Wintney, is probably the oldest man living who still plays cricket regularly, batting and bowling with activity and success. He was born in 1842 but seems to have found out the secret of eternal youth. Dr Maturin, who is the son of the late Rev. Canon Maturin, vicar of Lymington, has been playing cricket ever since he was big enough to handle a bat. When he was 17 he played at Lord's for Marlborough College against MCC. In 1862, when he was only 20, he played for the Gentlemen of Hants against Eleven Players of England, at Southampton, and it is recorded in 'MCC Scores and Biographies' that 'Lillywhite was hit by a ball on the nose by Mr Maturin, and was unable to finish his innings.' Two years later, when playing at Hove, Mr Maturin made 58 for the Gentlemen of Hants against the Gentlemen of Sussex, when the former won by 5 wickets. From 1864 or 1865 til 1876 Dr Maturin played regularly for Hants. In 1863 he played once for Middlesex, and in 1864 and 1865 for Gentlemen of the South v Professionals of the South at The Oval. When he settled down in Hartley Wintney in 1873 the Hartley Row Club was at a very low ebb, but Dr Maturin soon infused new life into it, and as the captain and secretary for the next thirteen years he did much to strengthen the club, which once again became one of the best in North Hants. For several years past Dr Maturin has been president of the club, and, as mentioned above, he is still among the playing members, and there is every appearance of his being in for a long innings yet.' (With thanks to John Childs for his research).

Henry died Feb 24 1920 at Hartley Wintney.

11112711) Violet Elizabeth Maturin - born at Fawley, Hants, (IGI - christened Jul 22, 1870). 1901 Census staying in the house of Francis and Emily de Soyres (a retired civil engineer) at 4 Leicester Place, Clifton, Bristol, “Living on her own means”. Four entries in the London Gazette from 13 Jan to 14 July 1943 refer to her still as Violet Elizabeth Maturin at Oaklands, with a Protection Order, Adjustments and their revocations under the Liabilities (War-time Adjustment) Act 1941.

11112712) Francis Henry Maturin, born at Fawley, Hants Dec 4, 1871, christened Jan 25, 1872; educated at Marlborough College, at St. Bartholomew’s Hospital, London and at Caius College, Cambridge, matriculated 1889 B.A. (Honours) 1892, M.B.C.M. 1899, M.R.C.S., L.R.C.P., Lond. 1896. House physician at St Bartholomews. House Surgeon Royal Infirmary Derby. Medical Officer No. 2 District Lymington Union, Medical Officer of Health, Lymington Rural District. Admiralty Surgeon and Agent. Married Nora Elfrida, elder daughter of Henry Daniell of Fairfield, Lymington by Henrietta his wife, daughter of the late Rev. John Price; married at Lymington (by Rev. Canon Benjamin Maturin) on Tues. Dec 16, 1902. On 2 Apr 1916 Major Francis was promoted to temp. Lt.-Col but this was followed on 14 Apr 1917, for the Territorial Force Hampshire Regiment, that Capt. (temp. Lt.-Col.) F. H. Maturin to be Maj. (temp. Lt.-Col.), with precedence as from 1st June, 1916. 15th Apr. 1917 and Maj. (temp. Lt.-Col.) F. H. Maturin, from temp. Lt.-Col., to be acting Lt.-Col., with precedence as from 2nd Apr. 1916. By 1917 he had moved to the RAMC as Lt.-Col. Temp. on 12 July and confirmed to be full Lt.-Col. on 8 Oct 1917. He relinquished his commission, as a temp. rank ! on 11 Apr 1919. He died 4 Apr 1939, described as “M.B. B.Ch. Cantab” (London Gazette). An undated newspaper clip refers to an estate for “Francis H. Maturin, Monmouth House, Lymington , late Lt.Col. (T.D.) 2/7th Hants Regt. (n.p. £49,339) gross £54,465”. Had family:-

111127121) Benjamin Francis Henry Maturin, born at Monmouth House, Lymington Dec 23, 1903, baptised at Lymington Parish Church. Courts report in Times states that Benjamin had married a divorcee, Kathleen Louise Stone on 20 March 1930; their daughter "D R C", was born on 23 Jan 1930; they divorced in Mar 1938, Benjamin retaining custody of the child. Granted a commission as Acting Pilot Officer (75797) in RAF Equipment Branch on 9 Nov 1939 confirmed on 22 Jan 1940: promoted to Flying Officer on 22 July 1940, and to Flight Lt. temp on 1 Mar 1942, confirmed on 2 Nov 1943 (London Gazette).

111127122) Charles Patrick Maturin (Patrick), born at Monmouth House, Lymington, 17 March 1906, baptised at Lymington Parish Church. There is no record of his schooling (he did not attend Marlborough College to follow his grandfather, father and brother). The only known facts are from the report of the Coroner's inquest following his death from gas poisoning on 11 Sept 1940 at 54 Rawlings Street, Chelsea. Adelaide (of 31 Crompton Court, Brompton Road) gave evidence that Patrick was single, of independent means and in June had been lodging in Danvers Street but had no financial problems and had never threatened to take his own life. Eric Graddon, a retired Army officer of 43a Cadogan Street, Chelsea had known him for three years and had met him on Sunday 8 September when he thought him "very jumpy" so found him the lodgings at Rawlings Street (1). He was buried at Putney Vale Cemetery 17 September. Family hearsay records that Adelaide had been very concerned about Patrick's drinking but had been unable to convince their parents that there was a problem. He must have been a very lonely man. He was of independent means but without an apparent purpose in wartime when his elder brother was already commissioned in the RAF and, by surmise, his sister was already deeply committed to very important but very secret war work.

(1) West London Press, 20 September 1940.

111127123) Adelaide Elfrida Maturin was born at Monmouth House, Lymington 16 November 1909 and baptised at Lymington Parish Church.

Little is known of Adelaide's schooling until her entry into form LV1 at Wycombe Abbey School at the age of 14 in January 1924. The school magazine that year mentions a single attempt to follow her grandfather by "bowling well" at a cricket match on 10 July 1924 for the Under 15 XI against Godstowe but without appearance in any other teams. It is also noted that she was confirmed by the Bishop of Buckingham on 4 December 1924 and left the school in December 1926 (1). There is no further record of her early life until her name was noted in an organisation chart (2) for the Directorate of Intelligence in November 1941. In the Propaganda Section of the Central Intelligence Section Miss Maturin appears with "Lieutenant Wintle" (later Major Colin Wintle, deputy head of the Special Operations Executive D/Q section (3)), Mr JD Carleton (whose name was deleted in February 1942) and Major Neame.

That early Propaganda Section was small but became enormous and a vital part of the war effort. Much has been written, including the work of Lee Richards (3,4) but many documents have still not been released by The National Archives. In August 1941 infighting over the creation and dissemination of propaganda between the "upstart" SOE, the Foreign Office, the Ministry of information, the War Office and MI6 was settled by the creation of the Political Warfare Executive which, under Foreign Office control, took over the responsibility for that area. Department D/Q of the SOE, however, retained control of the Press propaganda which had been developed by the first head of that department, Leslie Sheridan. Before the War he had been a journalist with the old Mirror and the old Herald, before turning to the Bar and heading for a brilliant career which was cut short by the outbreak of War. Though described as "a behind the scenes operator - with more enthusiasm than intellect" (4) he was the prime mover in the Department which was responsible for distributing clandestine propaganda, rumours (true and false) and the British perspective to the world's press via their own local news agencies. The Department was staffed by journalists, many of them recruited by "Sherry" Sheridan including Kim Philby who had been on the staff of The Times. It is an indication of the sensitivity of the work that, even after 50 years, only half the papers for Department D/Q have so far been released.

Adelaide was an integral part of the operation. Lashmar and James (5) comment that "the real power behind the throne (at SOE) was ----- the remarkable SOE secretary, Adealide Maturin. Professionally she had proved highly capable. --- Highly intelligent, attractive and taciturn, Adelaide had natural authority. Capable of great attention to detail, she was (later) considered to be a natural manager of MI6's large, delicate long-term "front" operations." Leslie Sheridan had been married to Doris, a fellow journalist on the Mirror who worked the news agency Britnova in New York for most of the war (4); this agency had been set up by Sheridan to covertly encourage the USA to support the British view and was wholly financed by Dept. D/Q.

MPC_Adelaide

On the 12 October, "quietly in London" Adelaide married Lieutenant-Colonel Sheridan; in the engagement announcement in The Times on 2 October Adelaide's address was 25 Pelham Court London SW3.

With the end of the War most of the SOE returned to civilian life but elements of Atlee's government were increasingly concerned about the spread of Soviet influence and communism. In 1947 Christopher Mayhew, then a Foreign Office junior minister, formulated a plan to use the experience gained by the SOE Dept. D/Q for ideological warfare. The Foreign Secretary, Ernest Bevin, agreed and Leslie Sheridan (whose credentials from the Herald and Mirror must have chimed with Atlee's new government) together with Victor Cannon Brookes (the legal mind in the SOE and private secretary to the war-time head of that department, Lord Selbourne) and Adelaide (in charge of the money and all expenditure) created and operated the Information Research Department, as a department of MI6, financed by the "Secret Vote" within the Foreign Office. The MI6 agencies set up during the War, such as Britnova Ltd, the Arab News Agency and Globe News Agency in Calcutta, were still running under the old regime with the connivance and support from The Hulton Press.

The IRD became a web of inter-related publishing companies, grouped around the publisher Ampersand Ltd., which was added to the news agency core to commission books, commission or massage articles and news items from apparently neutral authors opposing the communist point of view and then make sure that these were made available in every possible outlet, particularly in area where communism was making inroads. Normally local newspapers would have to pay reporters or news agencies for copy. IRD companies made sure that sympathetic articles were available at little, or sometimes no, cost to newspaper or radio news editors all over the world. Co-operation from Reuters was essential and operations in some sensitive geographical areas were substantially but unobtrusively funded by the Foreign Office. Prominent MPs, authors and journalists, including Harold Macmillan's son Maurice, Vic Feather, Robert Conquest, Malcolm Muggeridge, Denis Healey and Christopher Mayhew were recruited, knowingly or not, to write for Ampersand companies. Leslie Sheridan even tried to recruit a young Tony Benn in 1950, tempting him with an offer of a very generous £1100 salary, on top of his pay as an MP but, in his diaries Benn says that his "Dad told (him) to turn it down" as both he and Sheridan knew it was illegal for an MP to take an "office of profit". Many worthy but low-volume publications were subsidised by funds from the Secret Vote as entire print runs were bought for distribution at low cost through British Embassies to libraries and colleges in susceptible areas. It seems that Adelaide sat in the middle of all these machinations, as a secretary extraordinaire, effectively the managing director of a chain of news agencies across the world employing some 600 staff, minutely controlling all expenditure (4). A fascinating glimpse of the mind-set and very real fears of Soviet domination plus reaction to the nuclear threat is set out in Lashmar & James' "Britain's Secret Propaganda War" (5).

A significant recruit to IRD, in personal terms for Adelaide and Leslie Sheridan, had been Johann Leopold Welser. There had been an announcement in The Times on 10 June 1939 of the forthcoming marriage between the 22 year-old Caroline Margaret Theobold and "Hans" Welser of Geneva. "Margaret's" grandfather was the Revd. Charles Theobald, one-time curate to Charles Henry Maturin at Ringwood shortly after Adelaide's grandfather, Benjamin, had been appointed to Lymington; Charles Theobald moved to Chale on the Isle of Wight and was made Rector at Lasham, Hampshire in August 1883. Despite this background Margaret was described as "German of no occupation" living at 70 Brook Drive, Kennington, London SE11 when she took the Oath of Allegiance to become a British citizen on 6 May 1940 (6). Johan did not apply for his naturalization until May 1946; his address then was given as 106 Wilmot Way, Banstead, Surrey (7). They were living at 14 Coleherne Court, London SW5 in May 1961 when their daughter's engagement was announced in The Times. It must have been very shortly after that the marriage broke up.

At the same time Adelaide's marriage to Sheridan came to an end. In the late spring of 1962 Adelaide married Johann (Hans) Welser in Westminster and, on the same page of the register index, Leslie Sheridan married Caroline Margaret Welser (8).

An OBE was awarded to Johann in the Birthday Honours 1960 when he is described as a Grade 7 Officer, Branch A, Foreign Office. Adelaide had to wait until the Birthday Honours in 1962 before she received her OBE; she was described merely as a Chief Executive Officer, Foreign Office.

Though instrumental in the creation of IRD Sheridan had to accept that career civil servants should head the ever-growing department. In any case he seemed to be most comfortable making deals in the background and retained his public cover as a "public relations consultant" (until just one Foreign Office year book in 1961 named him as assistant head of IRD). A letter from him to The Times on 13 March 1946 about the Dutch in the East Indies is signed off as "Public Relations Advisor in England to Indie in Nood - Geen Uur te Verlliezen, The Hague". Perhaps the pompous Muggeridge reflected an Establishment view when, in his diary for for 13 November 1950, he described Leslie as "Rather a sad piece of debris, former news editor of the The Mirror, now publicity consultant, and black propaganda specialist for the Government, SOE in the war - the whole bag of tricks." Leslie Frederick died on 21 January 1964 at 14 Coleherne Gardens, SW5 (though his address was given as Hurstland Cottage, Hartfield, Sussex - he was described as the "dearly loved husband of Margaret") with the funeral at St Mary the Boltons SW10 on Friday 24 January. "A friend" wrote a rather cryptic obituary in The Times on 28 January. "His utter integrity quickly brought him to the centre (of the SOE) and his caustic wit and gift for friendship illuminated what was for many of us a grim experience. It was fascinating to watch the sureness of his professional approach on a subject like propaganda, befuddled as it was by a crowd of amateurs: and to see how the occasional quickness of his Irish temper was invariably followed by the disarming smile and the spontaneous wisecrack which unanswerably summed up the situation."

Johann, "of the Information Research Department", appears briefly in press reports as a prosecution witness in the trial under the Official Secrets Act of the 27 year-old journalist Jonathan Aitkin (also accused of lying under oath), Brian Roberts (his editor at the Sunday Telegraph) and Colonel Douglas Cairns (Army advisor in Lagos, Nigeria) over a leaked report on the Biafran War in January 1971.

Adealide was at the very centre of the IRD until her retirement in 1970. The department became an embarrassment to Government in the mid 70s as a former employee, Guy Burgess, enabled a spotlight to be put on its activities from Moscow. Investigative journalists in the UK uncovered more than might be desired and Dr David Owen finally axed IRD in 1977     Adelaide and Johann had retired to a cottage near Petworth, West Sussex where she died in March 1990 (9).

An intriguing question arises with regard to the appointment of a distant cousin, Gillian Maturin 111324322 to become secretary to Winston Churchill in about 1950. Gillian left her home in New Zealand and took up her new post despite having had no contact with her estranged father (who was living in England) for many years. It is assumed that Adelaide would have had access to the Great Man through her SOE work and could therefore have been a link and obtain an offer on the prevailing "old-boy network". The mystery is how she would have known of Gillian. There are three possibilities:

a) Gillian's grandfather, William MacCarthy Maturin 1113243, lived at the United Services Club in Pall Mall until just before his death in June 1932. He had risen high in the Navy and was connected to the Beaumonts and Pennymans of Yorkshire. It is possible that the young Adelaide met him as a distant relative.

b) Adelaide's father, Francis Henry Maturin 1112712, a Lieutenant Colonel in WW1 may have known William MacC Maturin, perhaps through the United Services Club.

c) Adelaide's brother, Benjamin Francis Henry Maturin 11127121, was in the RAF as was Gillian's father, Charles Bagot Beaumont Maturin 111342432. They followed parallel wartime careers, both ending as Squadron Leaders but there is no definite information on their postings. It would seem unlikely that two men with such an unusual name could avoid meeting at some stage over six years of war.

More investigation is needed!

Footnotes

(1) Wycombe Abbey School archives - with the very kind help from Mrs Christina Cunninham, school librarian and archivist
(2) National Archives, Kew, HS8/965
(3) Black Propaganda - Clandestine Psychological Warfare of World War II - Lee Richards
(4) Whispers of War - The British World War II Rumour Campaign - Lee Richards
(5) Britain's Secret Propaganda War - Paul Lashmar & Oliver James
(6) London Gazette 14 June 1940
(7) The Times 13 May 1946
(8) Adelaide and Johann in 2nd quarter 1961 Westminster Volume 5c reference 647
Leslie and Caroline in 2nd quarter 1961 Kensington Volume 5c reference 2130 Photographs by kind permission of Michael Pine-Coffin
(9) Chichester March 1990 Volume 18 page 1851 Reg no 390

11112713) Sybil A. Maturin - aged 5 in 1881, born (about 1876) at Hartley Wintney, Hants. 1901 census at 120 Queens Gate, Kensington as a music teacher.

By 2nd marriage

1111272) Adelaide Maude Maturin. (IGI - born Easter Sunday Mar 23, 1856 at Lymington). Married 1st at Parish Church, Marylebone, London Mar 27 1883 Rev. Harry Fiennes Speed, eldest son of William Speed (K.C.); born 1857; Bencher Middle Temple of Brasenose College, Oxford, matriculated 13 Mar 1875, aged 18, Barrister-at-Law of the Middle Temple 9 June 1880: rector of Yarmouth, Isle of Wight 1895; Author of “Cruises in small yachts and big canoes; or, Notes from the "Watersnake," in Holland and on the south coast, the logs of the "Water Rat" and "Viper," on the Thames and south coast, with remarks on anchorages for small craft” London, Norie & Wilson, 1883.
Married 2nd Carl Marsh “of Keyhaven, Hampshire”; still living in 1956 (Ringwood Church Guide - Keppel).

1111273) Laura Susan Maturin. (IGI - born May 20, 1858 at Lymington. 1881 census at Lymington Vicarage aged 22). Married, at Lymington (by her father) on Aug 14 1895, Rev. William Hall M.A. of Trinity College Dublin; curate of Keynsham and Queen Charleton, Somerset 1909, formerly Head Master Portora School, Enniskillen, Co. Fermanagh.

1111274) Benjamin Allen Maturin, (IGI - born May 4, 1860 at the Vicarage, Lymington, baptised at Lymington: educated at Marlborough College and St. Bartholomew’s and St. Thomas’s Hospitals; L.R.C.S., L.R.C.P. and L.M. Edin. 1884. 1881 census - aged 20 a medical student lodging at 16 Woburn Place, St George Bloomsbury, London). Married Elise Agnes Eleanor, daughter of Colonel Alexander Malcolmson of Southsea, Hants (born at Aden 17 July 1864) at St. Jude’s, Southsea Dec 3 1885. Joined R.A.M.C. Aug 1 1885, Substantive Major Aug 1 1897, retired Aug 1 1905. Died Jan 7, 1937 aged 76 at 53 Millbrook Road, Southampton.

1111275) Frances Elizabeth Maturin. (Born Apr 8, 1862 at the Vicarage, Lymington. 1881 census at Lymington Vicarage aged 18 ?). In 1910 “of Castle Court, Boscombe, Hants.”

1111276) Charles Maturin, (IGI - born Jun 26, 1865 at Lymington). At Marlborough College in 1881 census. Baptised at the parish church, Lymington; educated at Marlborough College and at Pembroke College, Cambridge, pensioner aged 20 on 1 Oct 1884, matriculated Michaelmas 1884, B.A. 1887. Deacon (Chichester) 1890, Priest 1892 by Bishop of Chichester, curate at Eastbourne 1890-92, Minstead 1892-99 and Easton 1899-1900. Vicar of Colbury, Hants 1901 and Chaplain to the New Forest Union 1901. Mrs Barker-Mill was patron of Colbury; the net value of the living was £200 plus house (population 1066). Henry Gabriel M. memoriam notes a Charles M. at Parkstone in 1941.

111128) Annie Maturin, (IGI - born 1817 at Fanet Glebe). Resides in Boston, Mass. United States (1880). Died unmarried at Fanet Glebe aged 67 on 22 May 1885. Admon (sic) (with will annexed) was granted at the Principal Registry, Dublin (132,85), to Elizabeth Greydon Dale.

111129) Rev: Edmund Maturin. 5th son of Henry Maturin 11112. Born Dec 1, 1819 at Fanet Glebe, Donegal, baptised 5 Dec 1819. Entered Trin: Coll: Dub:, Oct 21, 1832. Scholar T.C.D. 1836. B.A. Vern: 1838. Hebrew prize 1839, Gold Medallist and Div. Pri. 1840; Downe’s Theologicl Prize 1841. Deacon 1843 by Bishop of Meath and priest 1845 by Bishop of Derry. M.A. (Kings College Windsor N.S. (Nova Scotia)) 1853. Rector of St. John’s West Hoboken, New Jersey, USA 1868. 1871 census in Sussex., Rector of Cloncha, 1874, and of Newbliss Parsonage. Died 21 Nov 1891; “Trustees” were patrons of the living which yielded a £50 endowment, £70 from Diocesan Schedule, a £10 “gl.grant” from “RCB” and a personal augmentation of £50 for a net income of £180 plus house.. He died Nov 21, 1891. Buried at Killevan, Co. Monaghan. Author of various theological pamphlets (1859-67).

In the Memoriam for Henry Gabriel Maturin, Edmund is described as “entered Trinity College, Dublin, (at the age of 13) ex-scholar, gold medallist, first Divinity prizeman, author of "Lectures on the Origin of Christianity in England and Ireland," "Letter to the Lord Bishop of Fredericton," "Thoughts on the Infallibility of the Church," etc.”

Rev. Combe states: Edmund .... had a distinguished career at Trinity College, where he gained a scholarship in 1836, graduated two years later and was awarded the Berkley Gold Medal and the Regius Professor of Divinity’s first premium. On Sunday, 19th March, 1843, he was ordained deacon at St.Patrick’s Cathedral, Armagh, by the Bishop of Meath, in the absence of the Primate who was ill. He then served three curacies, at Desertlyn (Moneymore) in the Armagh Diocese (1843 - 1845), at Clondehorkey in Raphoe (1845 - 1846) and at Drumholm, also in Raphoe (1846 - 1850).
In November, 1850 a power of attorney was issued in which Edmund stated his intention of leaving shortly for the British Colonies in North America, and authorised his solicitor, Alexander Johns, to collect rents from properties which he owned at Pembroke Street, Harcourt Street and Montague Lane in Dublin during his absence. In 1850 he became incumbent of St.Paul’s, Halifax, and in 1853 he was awarded the degree of M.A. by Windsor University, Nova Scotia. On the 6th July, 1854, Dr.Birney, Bishop of Nova Scotia, wrote to him offering him the Professorship of Divinity and Pastoral Theology at King’s College. He did not accept this position, however, choosing to remain in his parish for a further four years.
For some considerable time Edmund Maturin had felt strangely attracted to Roman Catholicism. As early as the 12th December, 1841 he had attended High Mass at the Church of the Immaculate Conception, Marlborough Street, Dublin, and been deeply impressed. During his student days he had studied the Roman Missal, the Canons and Decrees of the Council of Trent, and also Cardinal Wiseman’s “Lectures on the Principal Doctrines and Practices of the Catholic Church”. He maintained a correspondence, moreover, with a priest in his father’s parish of Clondevaddock. The Roman Catholic Bishop of Raphoe must have known something about Maturin’s religious leanings, for in one of the letters the priest stated that the Bishop and himself were of the opinion that he “would ultimately become a Catholic”.
During his years in Canada he became increasingly aware of a deep-seated longing to enter the Roman Communion. Towards the end of 1858 he travelled back to England, partly for the benefit of his health, and during this visit, on All Saints’ Day, he was received into the Roman Catholic Church in London. Much to his delight the ancient Pontifical form of reception was used on this occasion. On returning to Canada he published a letter to his former parishioners at St.Paul’s, outlining the reasons for his decision. After several Protestant controversialists replied to this letter, he published a further treatise in which he explained his beliefs in fuller detail. On at least two occasions he delivered lectures before the Halifax Catholic Institute of which he was appointed President.
Edmund Maturin did not remain a Roman Catholic for long. In 1861 he published another work in which he confessed
“with deep contrition and humiliation, that he was once deceived by the seductive claims of this system”
and also that after “a long and painful mental conflict” he was
“compelled to acknowledge that the whole theory of Church infallibility, as is now held by the Church of Rome, is a mere delusion of human invention”.
Reading through these controversial works one cannot fail to be impressed by the powers of reasoning which induced the author first to enter and then to leave the Church of Rome, the courage and humility which such a course of action required and the kindly attitude which he adopted towards those from whom he differed.
Somewhere about this time he returned to Ireland where he accepted four more curacies, at Conwall in Raphoe until 1862, at Donoughmore in Derry (1863 - 1866), at Errigal Trough in Clogher (1866 - 1867) and at Carlingford in Armagh (1867 - 1868). But though he had left the Church of Rome he had not yet lost the wander-lust. His next two appointments were held outside Ireland. He was first Rector of St.John’s, West Hoboken, New Jersey, USA (1868 - 1870), and then Curate of St.George’s, Hurstpierpoint, in Sussex (1870 - 1872). He was succeeded in the latter parish by James Hannington, later to become the martyred missionary bishop of Eastern Equitorial Africa. In January, 1873 Maturin returned again to Ireland where he served in turn as Rector of Mullaghdun in Clogher (1873 - 1874), Aughavilly in Armagh (1874), Cloncha in Derry (1874 - 1886), Dowra in Kilmore (1886 - 1887) and Newbliss in Clogher (1887 - 1891). He died at Newbliss Parsonage on Saturday, 21st November, 1891 and was buried at Killeevan Churchyard.
As far as the Church of Ireland was concerned Edmund Maturin’s career may be said to have been more interesting than important, since he seldom stopped in a parish for any length of time. His longest period of service was spent at Cloncha in the Inishowen Peninsula where he stayed for twelve years. The church there was kept by him in good condition; it was painted internally in August, 1875, and externally in July, 1879. The wall of the local burial ground at Lagg was repaired and a new gate erected. During his incumbency he improved the heating at Newbliss Church by installing an “Underground Air-Warming Stove”.
Though none of his sermons have been preserved, Edmund Maturin was evidently a gifted preacher. The parishioners of Conwall informed him in an address that his sermons had been “very acceptable to the full congregations who listened to them” and in another address the parishioners of Carlingford praised him for his “clear exposition and forcible application of the sacred truths of the Gospel”. A similar compliment was paid by the members of his congregation at St.George’s, Hurstpierpoint. Captain Hadley Vicars, of the Ninety Seventh Regiment, heard him preach in Canada and noted in his diary
“Sunday, 24th April, 1853. Went to hear Mr.Maturin at St.Luke’s - a very good sermon and enjoyed it.”
Despite his restless nature and the erratic life which he led, Maturin seems to have earned the esteem and good will of all who knew him. On the 18th June, 1866, Bishop Higgin of Derry wrote to him:
“……. I shall at all times be happy to bear testimony to your exemplary conduct and ability.”
Another who appreciated his worth was Dr.James McIver, Rector of Ardstraw and Fellow of Trinity College. On the 22nd September, 1866 he wrote: “I beg to say that I have been intimately acquainted with the Reverend Edmund Maturin for many years - and have always looked on him as one of the ablest and best informed men as well as most upright, single-minded, large-hearted and pious gentleman it has ever been my privilege to know.”
But perhaps the finest tribute of all was paid to him after his death by his own parishioners at Newbliss. In the Vestry Minute Book the following entry appears:
“This being the first meeting since the death of the Reverend E.Maturin, that sad circumstance was referred to by the Vestry; and a deep sense of the loss they have sustained was unanimously expressed, with strong feelings of their warmest gratitude and appreciation of his faithful and loving ministry.”

Edmund Maturin was the author of several works, all but one of which were produced in Canada. His only literary contribution to the Church of Ireland was a history of the Post-Reformation Bishops of Derry, published in 1867 entitled “Brief Memoirs of All the Bishops of Derry since the Reformation”. Though scarcely deserving to be classed as a scholarly work, it is, nevertheless, a useful handbook, containing much valuable biographical information.

Married 1st, Thursday Dec 24, 1844, in the parish Church of Ramelton, by the Rev. William Welsh, to Elizabeth Catherine, 2nd daughter of Dominick Persse Esq. of Ramelton (when Edmund was curate of Tartarahan, in the diocese of Armagh). She died at Rathmullan , Nov 16, 1862, aged 41.

Married 2nd, Feb 2, 1864, (IGI - at Tamlaghtard, Londonderry) Eliza Anne, 2nd daughter of Mr John Cust of Magilligan. She died at Magilligan May 18, 1879, aged 54. -

Married 3rd, May 10, 1883 at St Peter’s, Dublin Charlotte Amelia, 6th daughter of John Hunter of London, MRCS, and widow of William Hutchinson of Dublin.

Has issue as follows:

by 1st marriage,

1111291) Edmund Maturin. (IGI - born Nov 18, 1845 at Dunfanaghy, Donegal) Manager, Belfast Bank, Moville. Married June 17, 1879, Mary, 3rd daughter of Mr W. Hegarty of Letterkenny; she died at 2 Sutton Villas, Darglo Road, Bray on Mar 8 1923. He died Nov 24 or 28, 1928. Has family:-

11112911) William Edmund Maturin. Born Nov 19, 1880 at Moville, baptised at St Columb’s, Moville 1 Jan 1881; educated at Kilkenny College Died unmarried. A “William Edmund” M is noted in the British Columbia Archives aged 37 at his death at “Essondale” (so born 1880/1) on 10 Nov 1918.

11112912) Mary Frances (Maymie) Maturin. Born April 25, 1883. Died unmarried Nov 6, 1939

1111292) Elizabeth Maturin. Born Jan 15 1847 at Rathmelton. Died unmarried at Ballyscaddens, Knocklong, Co Limerick Nov 30, 1896, buried at Knocklong.

1111293) Catherine (Kathleen) Maturin. (IGI - born Mar 18, 1848 at Malin, Donegal). At 1871 census in Sussex. Married March 30, 1880, at Malin, Co. Donegal, to Dominick Dudley Persse, Bank of Ireland. Died March 25, 1932. Has family:-

1) Caroline Elizabeth (Elsie) Persse. Born Feb 5, 1881. Died 1961.

2) Kathleen Dunbar Persse. Born Aug 31, 1882. Married Godfrey Ellis Foy May 16, 1917 She died Nov 2, 1957. He was born in 1871 Inspector with Royal Irish Constabulary in Meath and Kilkenny until partition in 1922 when forced to move to Warrenpoint, Co. Down; died Sep 28 1953. Has living family:-

3) Dudley Persse. Born April 3, 1884. Died unmarried May 19, 1946.

4) Mary Isabel (Mollie) Persse. Born Mar 14, 1886. Married John Charles Prosper (Jack) de Mestre July 22, 1914: she died at Kings Heath, Birmingham 1955. He was born Oct 28 1879 in Australia, went to South Africa to fight in the Boer War and came to the UK for service in the Great War with the Westmoreland and Cumberland Yeomanry, stationed at Tralee, Buttevant and Dublin; died at Kings Heath Aug 21 1957. Has family:-

1) Dudley John de Mestre. Born 23 Feb 1916 at the Bank House, Callan, Co. Kilkenny. Educated Harrow House School, Ealing and King Edward VI School, Birmingham. Joined Lloyds Bank until war service. Volunteered as a despatch rider with RASC in 1939 and evacuated with the BEF from Dunkirk. Commissioned 2nd Lieutenant in Royal Tank Regiment 1942, 1st Lieutenant 1943, Captain o/c HQ Squadron RAC Depot at Poona, India 1944-46. Manager with Lloyds Bank at Earlsdon, Coventry and Birmingham until early retirement in 1971. Married Sheila Lilian Finney Dec 10, 1941. She died 1980. He died in Ringwood, Hampshire on 23 February 2007. Has living family.

2) André (Andy) de Mestre. Born Dec 4, 1920 at Alverstoke, Hampshire. Married Margaret Birtwisle Jun 3, 1946 at Hartford, Cheshire. Emigrated to Australia Feb 12 1959; Spare Parts manager for Chamberlain Deere in NW District, NSW; was ordained in St John’s Anglican Church, Tamworth, New South Wales in 1982. Died April 23 1993. Has living family family:-

3) Mary Mélanie (Mélanie) de Mestre. Married 1st Harry Rawcliffe Jan 29, 1944 at Lahore, India: had family.

Mélanie married 2nd Thomas Neville-Hadley in 1952 at Nicosia, Cyprus: has living family:

Married 3rd, but divorced

Died 2008

5) Agnes Winifred (Winnie) Persse. Born Jan 30, 1888. Died unmarried 1960

6) Edmund Maturin Persse. Born Oct 2, 1890, married Kathleen Mary, daughter of Captain (later Major) William Arthur Persse RA, of Roxburgh, Co. Galway, June 6, 1931. He served with West Yorks Regiment in 1914-18 and was awarded the MC, then joined the Colonial Service in Uganda. He died Oct 25 1964. She died Nov 10 1979. Has living family.

1111294) Henry Maturin. Born Jan 25 1850 Manager Belfast Bank, Ballibay, Castleblayney Co Monaghan 1898 - May 1 1910. Married by licence at Ballybay May 28, 1879, Martha, 2nd daughter of Mr Robert Skelly of Drogheda. Died Oct 20, 1912. Has family:-

11112941) Jane Maturin. Born Feb 18 1883 at Castleblaney, married ?? Howard. Died Jan 10, 1920

11112942) Henry Gabriel Maturin. Born Aug 16, 1885. Educated Portora Royal School, Enniskillen; Trinity College Dublin B.A. 1908. Div. Test 1908. Ordained Deacon June 6, 1909, priest 1910. Curate of Blackhill, Co Durham 1909 - 1911; curate Omey 1911-13, Delgany 1913-14; married Sept 10, 1913 Margaret Wanstead; curate Dingle 1914-15, All Saints Belfast 1915-20, St Nicholas Belfast 1920-23; chaplain to Mission to Seamen 1923-26; diocesan curate for Diocese of Down 1926-29. In 1926 lived at 9 Sandhurst Drive, Belfast; 1937 at 52 Malone Road, Belfast; curate at All Saints Belfast 1929-41. Died Sept 24, 1941 (funeral at All Saint’s Church, Belfast Sept 26).

Rev. Combe states: In 1911 he (Henry Gabriel) came back to Ireland where he served three brief curacies, at Omey in Tuam (1911 - 1913), at Dalgany in Glendalough (1913 - 1914), and at Dingle in Ardfert (1914 - 1915). In 1915 he moved to the Diocese of Connor where he was curate of All Saints’, Belfast until 1920. For the next three years he was curate of the neighbouring parish of St.Nicholas’ and from 1923 until 1926 he acted as Chaplain to the Mission to Seamen in Belfast. In the latter year he became Diocesan Curate for Down. Finally in 1929 he returned to All Saints’ Parish, Belfast and remained there as curate until his death on the 25th September, 1941. He was buried at Deane Grange, Co.Dublin, where his grave may be seen in the older part of the cemetery, surmounted by a simple white cross. He was survived by a wife and two daughters. A man of unassuming manners and retiring habits, Henry Gabriel Maturin exercised a gracious, spiritual ministry. He was much beloved in the parish of All Saints’ because of his pastoral gifts and thought-provoking sermons. In one of his obituaries it was stated that his “preaching had attracted much attention in the Diocese”. “The product of a cultured, well-informed mind, his pulpit utterances never failed to captivate the congregation”. Unfortunately none of his sermons have survived as they were delivered extemporaneously.

Has family:-

111129421) Twin boys, died at birth, buried in Co. Kerry

111129422) Patricia Gloria Gabrielle Maturin, born Jun 10, 1923, died May 10, 1996

111129423) Living

1111295) William Cogswell Maturin, died at Halifax, Nova Scotia, April 14, 1859 aged 7.

1111296) Mary Emily Maturin, born Sep 1 1853 in Nova Scotia. Married Rev: Alexander Knox Aug 12, 1886 at the Parish Church of Ardstraw, Newtownstewart, Co. Tyrone, (by her father Rev. Edmund Maturin and her brother Merrick Persse Maturin) when Rev. Knox was Rector of Passage, Co. Cork. In 1910 at 9 St Peter’s Place, Drogheda. She died Feb 20, 1943. Had family:-

1) Alexander Edmund (Teddy) Knox. Born Nov 26, 1889. Engineering degree at T.C.D. before working in India. Married Gertrude Nye. He died April 27, 1929, leaving family who eventually emigrated to Australia:-

1) Bruce Alexander Knox, born Aug 3, 1924.

2) Diana Knox, born Dec, 1928.

1111297) Caroline Isabella Louisa Maturin. Born Dec 4 1855 in Nova Scotia. At 1871 census in Sussex. Deaconess 1890. In Chester from 1891 to 1900. 1901 census recorded in Staffordshire. Died Feb 8 1948.

1111298) Benjamin Maturin. Born Feb 14 1858 at Halifax, Nova Scotia. Educated at St John’s College, Hurstpierpoint, (1871 census in Sussex) entered Trin: Coll: Dub: Oct. 10 1878 aged 20 years, B.A. 1885 M.A. 1892. Deacon 1887 by the Bishop of Armagh and priest in 1888. Rev. Combe states: Benjamin was curate of Derryloran (Cookstown) in Armagh (1887 - 1889), Clones, (Co. Monaghan) in Clogher (1889 - 1890) and Rincurran, near Kinsale, in Cork (1890 - 1891). C. of Milborne Port, Somerset, 1891-93; C. of Churchdown (Gloucester), 1893; C. of Lower Mitton, Stourport, 1895-96; C. of Badgeworth, Cheltenham, 1901-03; 1901 census recorded in Worcstershire; C. of Nafferton, Yorks 1904-07. Rector of St.Magnus’ Episcopal Church, Lerwick, in the Shetland Islands 1908-17. He died, unmarried Feb. 9,1917

1111299) Anna Maria Maturin, died at Halifax, Nov 10, 1861, aged 2

111129T) Rev: Merrick Persse Maturin, born 22 October 1862 at Rathmullen, Co. Donegal. Trin: Coll: Dub: 1880. B.A. and Div. Test 1884, Deacon and priest in Derry in 1886; M.A. 1887. Fellow T.C.D. Married Elizabeth (“Lillie”) Knox Warke at Castlerock, Co. Derry on Aug 5 1890. She was the daughter of William Warke of Coleraine (and a descendant of John Knox), born Mar 22 1865 and died on 29 Dec. 1951.

Curate of Castlerock in Derry (1886 - 1891), rector of Cumber Lower, also in Derry (1891 - 1894) and then curate of Enniskillen in Clogher (1894-5).

Curate at Battersea 1895-98, instituted as vicar of Wormleighton, Warwickshire on 23 September 1898 to 1899, curate at Christchurch Forest Hill 1899-1902, St Clement’s Notting Hill 1902-04, Eakring (Notts) 1904-06, curate of Holy Trinity, Upper Tooting in 1906-1912, (living at 13 Crockerton Road, Wandsworth Common in 1910), Eakring (Notts) again 1912-15 vicar of West Stockwith, Nottinghamshire on 12 February 1916, rector of Winterbourne Came cum Winterbourne Farringdon, Dorset and perpetual curate of Whitcombe, Dorset (the last with an “annual value of £12 and 13 shillings”) both on 21 November 1919, rector of West Parley, Dorset on 6 December 1921 and finally as rector of Theydon Garnon, (near Epping) Essex on 2 December 1923 where he found Sir R W Abdy Bt. as patron of a living yielding £679 + 64 acres of glebe, giving a net £617 plus a house for a population of 687.

Author of “Ich Dien” in 1915, “The Spiritual War” 1916, “The Golden Stair” (a series of sermons on the Red Letter Saints) in 1928, “The Mind and Art of Dante” 1928 etc.

Living at Edgar Hotel Bath in 1937. Died Feb 14, 1938 at Bath but buried at Theydon Garnon Feb 17. They were known as Uncle Persse (pronounced Percy) and Aunt Lillie to Ellis Foy. After Merrick's death Lillie moved first to an address in London and subsequently, during the war to become a PG in a family home in Warwickshire. Ellis Foy was working in the Land Army close by and was able to look after her, scooping her up when she got lost in the maze of corridors. When Jack and Mollie de Mestre confirmed that she was being systematically overcharged they arranged for her to stay in a home in Birmingham.

Edmund - by 2nd marriage

111129E) Charles Maturin,. Born Dec 4, 1864, (IGI - at Magilligan), educated Ardingley College, in 1910 described as “of Belfast, of the Civil Service Post Office Department, Belfast”; died unmarried May 16, 1919