Rectors and Vicars at St. James

In St. James' church there is a board, near to the organ, which has the list of Rectors and Vicars noted below. As 'Wilton' is often spelt 'Wylton' in earlier times, it is possible that John Wylton, instituted in 1453, is a native of the parish. The union of the two parishes in 1666 with the coming of William Lyng is also mentioned in the notes to the Parish Registers. Some of these gentlemen are well qualified - DD = Doctor of Divinity, and LL.B. = Batchelor of Law. Several also had their wills proved at Norwich, their names are followed by +. Interestingly, there is also a will for Roger Honyngton who was the Vicar of Wilton who died just before the start of this list.

 

Vicars of St. James Wilton  

From 1354 the patron has been Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge. Those marked * were fellows of the college.

 1386*                     William Somersham DD

                                Master of the college 1412 - 16

1394                        John Bomond

1402                        Robert Dorant+

1440                        Walter Drew

1447                        William Gawnton

                                 John Shipmeadow

1453                        John Wylton

1461                        William Bylt

1478                        Thomas Jay

1487                        Thomas Hulet

1491                        Henry Smith

1503                        Simon Cowper+

1508                        Edmund Kypar+

                                 Thomas Dynne

1528                        Robert Raynold

                                 William Farlan

1531                        Henry Barker BA

1544                        Thomas Ireland

1548                        Robert Love

1557                        Richard Sharpe

1579                        Robert Fermour

1614                        Andrew Doughtie MA

1645                        Thomas Randolf MA

 

Vicars of St. James' Wilton and Rectors of St. Peter's Hockwold

 

1666*                     William Lyng MA

1680*                     Charles Longe MA

1681*                     Lancaster Topcliffe LL.B.+

1720*                     Thomas Macro DD

1744*                     Thomas Eglinton DD

1746*                     William Adamson+

1782*                     Edward White MA

1806*                     Henry Tilney MA+

1835*                     William Henry Hainson

1861*                     William Wayman-Hutt MA

1894                        John Still MA

1903                        Frederick Robert Tennant DD

                                 Fellow of Trinity College

                                 Lecturer in Divinity

1913                        James George Clark MA

1926                        John Hawthorn MA

1938                        William Napier Skrine MA

1943                        George William N Archer MA

1949                        Dennis Fountain Page MA

                                 Archdeacon of Huntingdon 1965

1965                        Alan Richard Hearwood MA

1972                        George Humphrey Mackay Webb

1985                        Arthur John Rowe S.Th. Dublin

1995                        John Bishop Rowsell MA