William Plenderleath
Encyclopedia
William Charles Plenderleath (2 June 1831 – 1 April 1906) was an English Anglican
clergy
man, author and antiquarian
, best remembered for his White Horses of the West of England (1885, 2nd edition 1892).
, Plenderleath was the only son of Lieutenant Colonel
Charles Plenderleath, of 27, Richmond Terrace, Clifton. Colonel Plenderleath was a half-pay officer of the 49th Regiment of Foot. He had been commissioned into the 89th Regiment of Foot
on 29 May 1796, served in the War of 1812
, was decorated after the Battle of Crysler's Farm
of 1813, and was a Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB).
Plenderleath was educated at Cheltenham College
in Gloucestershire and at Wadham College, Oxford
, graduating BA
and MA, and entered the ministry of the Church of England
. He was Rector
of Cherhill
, Wiltshire
, from December 1860 to April 1891, and then of Mamhead
in Devon
from 1891 until 1905, dying on 1 April 1906.
While he was at Cherhill, Plenderleath's interest in the Cherhill White Horse
led him to write a paper, On the White Horses of Wiltshire and Its Neighbourhood (1872) for the Wiltshire Archaeological Magazine, followed some years later by a book, White Horses of the West of England (1885). He also kept a notebook of Cherhill's affairs which was first published in 2001, ninety-five years after the author's death, as Plenderleath's Memoranda of Cherhill. He intended this as a record of "what an English country village was in the 19th century, as portrayed by one who had the best opportunities of knowing".
At Mamhead, from 1891, Plenderleath also kept notes of his parish, described as "Includes census details (official and unofficial), offertory accounts, list of communions
, collections in aid of voluntary church rate, and confirmations. In the front is a linen-backed map showing inhabited houses in Mamhead".
for The Rectory, Cherhill, gives a snapshot of Plenderleath's household. His wife, Margaret E.J. [Plenderleath], was aged forty-four and had been born in the West Indies. Margaret Edith Plenderleath (unmarried, age 24, born Bedminster, Gloucestershire), and Maud Mary Plenderleath (unmarried aged 2?, born Clifton
, Gloucestershire) were their daughters. Five domestic servants are also recorded, a cook, a footman, a lady's maid, and two housemaids.
On 20 April 1881, at Cherhill, Plenderleath's daughter Maud Mary Le Fevre Plenderleath married George Bayntun Starky (1858–1926) of Spye Park House, Bromham, Wiltshire
, later of Brackenfield Station, Amberley
, New Zealand
, and they had six sons:
A stained glass
window at St James's church, Cherhill, bears the inscription:
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
clergy
Clergy
Clergy is the generic term used to describe the formal religious leadership within a given religion. A clergyman, churchman or cleric is a member of the clergy, especially one who is a priest, preacher, pastor, or other religious professional....
man, author and antiquarian
Antiquarian
An antiquarian or antiquary is an aficionado or student of antiquities or things of the past. More specifically, the term is used for those who study history with particular attention to ancient objects of art or science, archaeological and historic sites, or historic archives and manuscripts...
, best remembered for his White Horses of the West of England (1885, 2nd edition 1892).
Life
Born at Clifton, BristolClifton, Bristol
Clifton is a suburb of the City of Bristol in England, and the name of both one of the city's thirty-five council wards. The Clifton ward also includes the areas of Cliftonwood and Hotwells...
, Plenderleath was the only son of Lieutenant Colonel
Lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine forces and some air forces of the world, typically ranking above a major and below a colonel. The rank of lieutenant colonel is often shortened to simply "colonel" in conversation and in unofficial correspondence...
Charles Plenderleath, of 27, Richmond Terrace, Clifton. Colonel Plenderleath was a half-pay officer of the 49th Regiment of Foot. He had been commissioned into the 89th Regiment of Foot
89th Regiment of Foot
The 89th Regiment of Foot was a regiment of the British Army, formed on 3 December 1793.Its nickname was 'Blayney's Bloodhounds'...
on 29 May 1796, served in the War of 1812
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
, was decorated after the Battle of Crysler's Farm
Battle of Crysler's Farm
The Battle of Crysler's Farm, also known as the Battle of Crysler's Field, was fought on 11 November 1813, during the Anglo-American War of 1812. A British and Canadian force won a victory over an American force which greatly outnumbered them...
of 1813, and was a Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB).
Plenderleath was educated at Cheltenham College
Cheltenham College
Cheltenham College is a co-educational independent school, located in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England.One of the public schools of the Victorian period, it was opened in July 1841. An Anglican foundation, it is known for its classical, military and sporting traditions.The 1893 book Great...
in Gloucestershire and at Wadham College, Oxford
Wadham College, Oxford
Wadham College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom, located at the southern end of Parks Road in central Oxford. It was founded by Nicholas and Dorothy Wadham, wealthy Somerset landowners, during the reign of King James I...
, graduating BA
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
and MA, and entered the ministry of the Church of England
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
. He was Rector
Rector
The word rector has a number of different meanings; it is widely used to refer to an academic, religious or political administrator...
of Cherhill
Cherhill
Cherhill is a village in Wiltshire, England located on the A4 road between Calne and Marlborough and about west of London.- Overview :Cherhill is known for the Cherhill White Horse cut into the chalk hillside in 1780, the Landsdowne obelisk on the Cherhill Downs, and the crop circles that appeared...
, Wiltshire
Wiltshire
Wiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
, from December 1860 to April 1891, and then of Mamhead
Mamhead
Mamhead is a rural village and civil parish near Dawlish and Kenton in Devon, South West England, in the Teignbridge local authority area.On high ground on the Haldon Hills, dense woodlands open out into views of the coast and the estuary of the River Exe....
in Devon
Devon
Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
from 1891 until 1905, dying on 1 April 1906.
While he was at Cherhill, Plenderleath's interest in the Cherhill White Horse
Cherhill White Horse
The Cherhill White Horse is a hill figure on Cherhill Down, 3.5 miles east of Calne in Wiltshire, England. Dating from the late 18th century, it is the third oldest of several such white horses in Great Britain, with only the Uffington White Horse and the Westbury White Horse being older...
led him to write a paper, On the White Horses of Wiltshire and Its Neighbourhood (1872) for the Wiltshire Archaeological Magazine, followed some years later by a book, White Horses of the West of England (1885). He also kept a notebook of Cherhill's affairs which was first published in 2001, ninety-five years after the author's death, as Plenderleath's Memoranda of Cherhill. He intended this as a record of "what an English country village was in the 19th century, as portrayed by one who had the best opportunities of knowing".
At Mamhead, from 1891, Plenderleath also kept notes of his parish, described as "Includes census details (official and unofficial), offertory accounts, list of communions
Eucharist
The Eucharist , also called Holy Communion, the Sacrament of the Altar, the Blessed Sacrament, the Lord's Supper, and other names, is a Christian sacrament or ordinance...
, collections in aid of voluntary church rate, and confirmations. In the front is a linen-backed map showing inhabited houses in Mamhead".
Publications
- 'On the White Horses of Wiltshire and Its Neighbourhood', in Wilts Archaeological Magazine, vol. 14 for 1872, pp. 12–30
- White Horses of the West of England (London: Alfred Russell Smith; & Calne: Alfred Heath, 1885)
- White Horses of the West of England (London: Allen & Storr, 2nd edition, 1892)
- Plenderleath’s Memoranda of Cherhill, ed. John Reis (Compton BassettCompton BassettCompton Bassett is a village in Wiltshire between Calne and Cherhill with a population of approximately 250. It is a largely rural village with several farms, a church, a pub and a shop.-Midge Mather Incident:...
: Fulmer Publishing, for the Village & Family History Project, 2001, xxxviii + 134 pp., ISBN 1-903979-05-6)
Family
The 1881 censusCensus in the United Kingdom
Coincident full censuses have taken place in the different jurisdictions of the United Kingdom every ten years since 1801, with the exceptions of 1941 and in both Northern Ireland and the Irish Free State in 1921; simultaneous censuses were taken in the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man, with...
for The Rectory, Cherhill, gives a snapshot of Plenderleath's household. His wife, Margaret E.J. [Plenderleath], was aged forty-four and had been born in the West Indies. Margaret Edith Plenderleath (unmarried, age 24, born Bedminster, Gloucestershire), and Maud Mary Plenderleath (unmarried aged 2?, born Clifton
Clifton, Bristol
Clifton is a suburb of the City of Bristol in England, and the name of both one of the city's thirty-five council wards. The Clifton ward also includes the areas of Cliftonwood and Hotwells...
, Gloucestershire) were their daughters. Five domestic servants are also recorded, a cook, a footman, a lady's maid, and two housemaids.
On 20 April 1881, at Cherhill, Plenderleath's daughter Maud Mary Le Fevre Plenderleath married George Bayntun Starky (1858–1926) of Spye Park House, Bromham, Wiltshire
Bromham, Wiltshire
Bromham is a village and civil parish in Wiltshire, England. Besides the main village of Bromham, the parish includes five other settlements: St Edith’s Marsh, Westbrook, Hawkstreet, Netherstreet and Chittoe. These are essentially sub-villages and hamlets all within of the main village centre,...
, later of Brackenfield Station, Amberley
Amberley, New Zealand
Amberley is a town located in the Hurunui District of north Canterbury, on the east coast of the South Island of New Zealand. It is located on State Highway 1 approximately 50 km north of Christchurch...
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, and they had six sons:
- John Bayntun (1882–1944);
- George (1883–1959), who served as an officer in the Wiltshire RegimentWiltshire RegimentThe Wiltshire Regiment was an infantry regiment of the line in the British Army, formed in 1881 by the amalgamation of the 62nd Regiment of Foot and the 99th Duke of Edinburgh's Regiment of Foot....
and became a farmer in New Zealand; - Wadham (1883–1953), a member of the New Zealand Expeditionary ForceNew Zealand Expeditionary ForceThe New Zealand Expeditionary Force was the title of the military forces sent from New Zealand to fight for Britain during World War I and World War II. Ultimately, the NZEF of World War I was known as the First New Zealand Expeditionary Force...
, also a farmer in New Zealand; - Francis (died 1963), a farmer at Toatoa, near OpotikiOpotikiOpotiki is a town in the eastern Bay of Plenty in the North Island of New Zealand. It houses the headquarters of the Opotiki District Council and comes under the Bay of Plenty Regional Council.-Population:* of the town: 4176 - Male 1,989, Female 2,187...
, New Zealand; - Walter (1886–1930), an officer in the Somerset Yeomanry who became a sheep farmer in ArgentinaArgentinaArgentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
; - James (1889–1916), who was killed in action during the First World War while serving in the Wiltshire RegimentWiltshire RegimentThe Wiltshire Regiment was an infantry regiment of the line in the British Army, formed in 1881 by the amalgamation of the 62nd Regiment of Foot and the 99th Duke of Edinburgh's Regiment of Foot....
.
A stained glass
Stained glass
The term stained glass can refer to coloured glass as a material or to works produced from it. Throughout its thousand-year history, the term has been applied almost exclusively to the windows of churches and other significant buildings...
window at St James's church, Cherhill, bears the inscription: