PRITCHETT, a clerical family in Pembrokeshire

Hailing originally from the English side of the Middle March, and claiming descent from John de la Bere, cup-bearer to William the Conqueror - two of the men named in the present note were called ' Delabere.' But the college records of various Pritchetts in Herefordshire and Worcestershire style their fathers 'pleb.', where they are not clerics.

RICHARD PRITCHETT, licensed medical practitioner

He came from Richard's Castle (on the boundary between Salop and Herefordshire) to Narberth, in the later 17th century, as a licensed medical practitioner, and practised there 'for many years'; he married Sarah, daughter of Charles Evans of Pen-y-wenallt and sister of the historian Theophilus Evans (Theophilus Jones, History of the County of Brecknock, 3rd ed., ii, 247). Two of his sons call for mention. The elder,

RICHARD PRITCHETT (1709 - 1772)

He went up to Jesus College, Oxford, in 1727, and graduated there in 1731, but took his M.A. from King's College, Cambridge, in 1736. He married his cousin, a daughter of Theophilus Evans's brother Josiah (Theophilus Jones, loc. cit.), became rector of Bishop's Castle, and died there 14 October 1772. The younger was

DELABERE PRITCHETT (1713 - 1801)

We have no knowledge of his early career beyond the fact that he was not a graduate, indeed that he is not mentioned in the records of either university. In July 1738 he was appointed master of the chapter grammar-school at S. Davids (W. Wales Hist. Records, vi, 15 and 23 - he held the post till 1754); in 1742 he became succentor of the cathedral; and on 14 November 1743 the bishop gave him the small living of Carew, which he held till his death. He did not reside; but we are told that he removed the fine rood-screen; on the other hand, he gave (or left) money for augmenting the vicar's stipend (Spurrell, Hist. of Carew). On 25 July 1752 he was appointed perpetual curate of the parish of S. Davids (W. Wales Hist. Records, iii, 279). He died at S. Davids in 1801 (Gents. Mag., 1801, ii, 1214-5), ' aged 87, having been succentor for 58 years and parish priest for 49 ' - his incumbency of Carew is thus ignored. We are further told that he practised as a medical man in the district, as there was no licensed practitioner nearer than sixteen miles away; and that he had two sons and two daughters, and numerous grandchildren.

The sons were twins, and the resemblance was so close that at Cambridge they were often confounded. They did not go up together.

RICHARD PRITCHETT (1743 - 1811), rector

Born at S. Davids 29 June 1743, went from Marlborough School to S. John's College in 1759. He graduated (junior optime) in 1763 (B.D. 1773), and was Fellow of his college from 1764, holding various offices in it from 1771 to 1782; in 1781 he became rector of Layham (Suffolk) and died there 17 December 1811.

His brother

CHARLES PIGOTT PRITCHETT (1743 - 1813), prebend

went up to S. John's from Marlborough in 1760, and graduated ('honorary wrangler') in 1764. In 1767 he was chaplain (but not Fellow) of King's College; but returned to Pembrokeshire in 1780, when John Campbell of Cawdor (whose private chaplain he was) gave him the rectory of S. Petrox with Stackpole Elidyr (W. Wales Hist. Records, iii, 304), adding to it in 1782 the vicarage of Castlemartin (op. cit., i, 269); from 1795 to 1796 he was also cursal prebendary at S. Davids (op. cit., v, 221), exchanging that appointment in 1796 (op. cit., v, 195) for the prebend of S. Nicholas, which he held till shortly before his death. His wife was Anne Rogers of Pembrokeshire. He died 9 August 1813 at S. Petrox. His resigned prebend was at once (July) given to his son Delabere (op. cit., v, 195-but the footnote confuses him with his grandfather).

DELABERE PRITCHETT (died 1841)

He went up to Trinity College, Cambridge, in 1792, and had graduated (senior optime) in 1796; he died in 1841.

JAMES PIGOTT PRITCHETT (1798 - 1868), architect

Another son of Charles Pigott Pritchett, was an architect of note at York, a Congregationalist, and a prominent philanthropist in his city - there is an article upon him in the D.N.B.

Author

Emeritus Professor Robert Thomas Jenkins, (1881 - 1969)

Sources

To the sources cited above add Venn, Alumni Cantabrigienses

Published date: 1959

Article Copyright: http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/