Some biographical details of past rectors may be seen in AbingerParishChurch Third ed. – Gibbs (1946) p21.
Richard Fulvenne Son of Reginald. Inaugurated: 28 April 1286 to Padingden portion. Patron: Sir Adam Gordon (or Gurdon)
Nicholas Inaugurated: 4 May 1294
Peter Goshalin de Stanes Inaugurated to one portion: June 24 1305 in portione medietatis. Patron: Thomas de Jarpenville
Robert de Stokes Inaugurated: June 24 1305 in portione medietatis Patron: Thomas de Jarpenville
William de Jarpenville Cl. Inaugurated: 24 Oct 1314 in portione medietatis Patron: Henry Somerbury haec vice patroni
Thomas de Jarpenville Inaugurated: 25 April 1316 in portione medietatis Patron: Roger de Jarpenville
Thomas de Jarpenville, clerk in portione medietatis Resigned 20 July 1316 Patron: Roger de Jarpenville
William de Jarpenville, Cl. To one portion. Dead in 1349. Patron Roger de Jarpenville
Richard de Polyngford Inaugurated: 1 Apr 1349
Richard de Folefenne Inaugurated: 1 Apr 1349 Of the other portion Dead: 2 April 1349
Peter de Berenden Admitted: 2 April 1349
Roger de Jarpenville Admitted 2 Apr 1349 Patron: Peter de Berenden
Robert Fraunks Inaugurated: 23 Oct 1361 Patron: Roger de Jarpenville
Robert de Warwedon Inaugurated: 1362 Patron: Roger de Jarpenville. Rector of a portion in 1362
Robert de Snokeshulle Inaugurated (to the united parish): 8 Apr 1364 and 12 July 1364 Patron: Roger de Jarpenville. Certificate of the union of the two moities 1st July 1364
Peter de Berendon Inaugurated: 1364 Patron: Roger de Jarpenville Has been rector of a portion
John Douny (or Denny) Inaugurated: 24 Feb 1375 (or 1376) Patron: Bishop of Winchester, by lapse. Dead in 1404)
Moities=Halves/portion
Reginald Longspee Inaugurated: 6 Apr 1404 Patron: Sir John Aylsbury, Knt.
William Malpas Inaugurated: 8 Dec 1405 Patron: Sir John Aylsbury, Knt.
William Hawkesword Inaugurated: 4 Apr 1409 Patron: Bishop of Winchester by collation. Deprived immediately because the presentation had not lawfully lapsed to the Bishop.
Thomas Delham Inaugurated: 4 Apr 1409 Patron: Sir John Aylsbury, Knt
John Ardelthorpe Inaugurated: 7 May 1410 Patron: Sir John Aylsbury, Knt.
Peter Henewyk Inaugurated: 13 May 1411. Deprived immediately owing to a flaw in the presentation.
John Moreys (or Mareys) Inaugurated: 10 Jun 1411 Patron: Sir John Aylsbury, Knt.
Registers 1415-1446 lost
John Cryps Dead in 1462.
Richard (or John) Bateman Inaugurated: 11 Dec 1468 Patron: Eleanor, wife of Sir Humphrey Stafford.
Ralph Dalton Inaugurated: 26 Jun 1484 Patron: Humphrey Stafford.
Registers 1492-1500 lost.
John Jonys
Robert ap Jenkin Inaugurated: 14 Apr 1520 Patron: Sir Richard Germyngham. Also known as Robert Hope (named in Valor Ecclesiasticus of 1535 as Rector of Abinger). Dead in 1548/9
Richard Dean Inaugurated: 20 Feb 1548 (or 1549). Vicar of Harrow 1552-1558. Batchelor of Common Law, Cambridge 1505. Patron: The King (Edward VI) during minority of Humphrey Stafford. Dead in Oct 1558.
Henry Latham BA Inaugurated: Oct 1558 Resigned 1603. Rector of Shere 1552-1572, and residing there in 1562
Edward Griffith, MA Inaugurated: 17 Nov 1603 Patron: Robert Griffith. BA Clare College, Cambridge 1592/3, MA 1596. Buried here 13 May 1637.
Anthony Smith BD Inaugurated: 25 May 1638 Patron: The King for his turn, and Richard Evelyn. Deprived 1645 (Nathaniel Durant was put in, but migrated to Cheriton next year 1646, and Stephen Geree was put in). Vicar of St Peters, St Albans 1637-1647
Registers 1643-64 lost
Nathaniel Durant Left 1646. Wife: Katherine, d. Elizabeth(b. 1646)
Stephen Geere BA Magdalen Hall 1615. Sometime “minister of Wonersh, Surrey”. Inaugurated: 1646. Buried here 9 Feb 1665. Son: Joseph (b. 1647).
Gabriel Offley, DD Inaugurated: 10 Oct 1665 and 1 June 1670 Patron: George Evelyn Esq. Died 1685. Chaplain to King Charles II, DD by Royal mandate. Rector of Mackeston, Staffs and Prebendary of Lichfield from 1663, rector of Worplesdon from 1670, all four to 1693. Fourth son of Sir Robert Offley, Kt, Brother of the second wife of George Evelyn (d. 1699) of Wotton who was the elder brother of the diarist John Evelyn, his successor at Wotton (d. 1705).
Thomas Crawley, MA Inaugurated: 6 Jul 1683 Patron: Hen. Herbert & Jos. Offley. Son of Francis Crawley, Cursitor Baron of the Exchequer. Maried a daughter of the above-named G Offley. Buried here 7 May 1685.
Robert Gery Inaugurated: 2 Jun 1685 Patron: Hen. Herbert & Jos. Offley. Prebendary of Lincoln 1701-1707.
Robert Offley Inaugurated: 12 Jul 1690 Patron: George Evelyn Esq. Prebendary of Lincoln 1701-07. Chaplain to Bishop Crew of Durham. Died 10 May 1743, buried here 19 May 1743.
Memorandum in baptism register – “That Mr Tho. Crawley Mr in Arts of Trinity Colledg. in Camb. was inducted into the Reall Actuall and Corporall possession of this Rectory of Abingworth by Mr John Higham Rector of Wootton on the 19th day of July Anno Dom. 1683.”
Thomas Fitzgerald Inaugurated: 11 Jun 1743 Patron: Sir John Evelyn, Bart. Rector of Wotton from 1730. Previously under-master at Westminster school. He and his other five predecessors probably did not live at Abinger, holding livings in plurality and appointing curates at Abinger. Died at Bristol 16 Aug and buried at Wotton 21 Aug 1752
Thomas Duncumb Inaugurated: 7 Nov 1752 Patron: Sir John Evelyn, Bart. Son of George Duncumb of Albury. Rector of Shere from 1746 and of Abinger from 1752, both to 1764. Buried at Shere 24 Jun 1764.
Richard Penneck Inaugurated: 26 Jul 1764 Patron: Sir John Evelyn, Bart., son of the former. Chaplain to the Earl of Bristol in his embassy to Spain 1760. Also held living of St John, Southwark. Keeper of the Reading Room, British Library. Had a succession of twelve curates at Abinger. Died 1803
Thomas Taylor LLD Inaugurated: 12 Mar 1803 Patron: Sir Frederick Evelyn, Bart. Chaplain to George III.; Professor of Law at Gresham College 1783; rector of Wotton from 1778; rector of Abinger and archdeacon of Chichester from 1803; all three until 1808. Died 4th January 1808.
Henry Jenkin LLD Inaugurated: 22 May 1808 Patron: Sir Frederick Evelyn, Bart. Dean and rector of Buryan, Cornwall from 1799. Married Hon. Augusta, sister of Sir Frederick Evelyn, Bart of Wotton (d. 1812) and maid-of-honour to the Dowager Princess of Wales. Died 21st December 1817. Buried in the Evelyn vault at Wotton.
John Townsend Lawes Inaugurated: before 25 Jan 1818 (vacated 1818 by exchange) Patron: Sir Frederick Evelyn, Bart. Died in 1828. (probably absentee rector).
Henry John Ridley AM Inaugurated: 26 May 1821 Patron: Sir Frederick Evelyn, Bart. Rector of Newdigate, Surrey, from 1814, rector of Abinger from 1821, rector of Kirkby Underdale, Yorks. from 1827, prebendary of Norwich from 1832, all four till 1834 (Al. Ox.). His widow, daughter of Lee Steere of “Jayes,” Wotton, was second wife of the first Lord Abinger. Abinger church was restored under him in 1824. He practically rebuilt Abinger Rectory at a cost to himself of £2,000, the need for it being perhaps due to the house having been either unoccupied or occupied only by curates during the incumbency of his pluralist predecessors since 1743. Died 11 Nov 1834.
John Massey Dawson AM Inaugurated: 26 Mar 1835. Patron: Wm. John Evelyn, Esq. Rector of Abinger and vicar of Oakwood both 1835-50. His niece, Mary Jane Massy Dawson married 1821 George Evelyn of Wotton (d. 1.829), whose son, William John Evelyn presented Dawson to the living. Died 8 Oct 1850.
John Wellsted Powell Inaugurated: 12 Nov 1850 Patron: Wm. John Evelyn, Esq. Rector of Abinger 1850-77 and sometime Rural Dean. Under him Abinger church was restored 1856-57. M.I. in Abinger church and churchyard. Resigned, buried here 1881.
Thomas Prince Hill, MA (Trinity College, Dublin) Inaugurated: 16 Oct 1877 Patron: Wm. John Evelyn, Esq. Curate of Shere in charge of Felday 1871-77. Rector Abinger 1877-1916. Abinger church was further restored under him 1879-80. M.I. in Abinger church and churchyard. Buried here Jan 1916.
Thomas Morgan 1566
Thomas Monger 1574
Thomas Harris 1670
Timothy Holland (1673)
Henry Shukburgh 1697 (deacon)
John Nason 1702
Will./Gui. Vaughan 1724
Edward Emily 1764
Timothy Holland 1773
John Bainbridge 1776
S Hoole 1788
MM Coysgarbe 1795
Francis John Waring A.M. 1797
W S Pritchard 1802
George Ambler 1812
John Taylor Lamb 1813-23
James Phelips MA Inaugurated 12 Jul 1916. Patron John Harcourt Chichester Evelyn, Esq. Prebendary of Wells 1900-16. Rector St John the Baptist, Yeovil 1898-1912. Rector Abinger 1916-23. Resigned, died 22 Mar 1930.
Charles Alex Shaw Page, DSO, MC, MA, Lt. Col. Patron Frances Edith Evelyln, Arthur Fitzgerald Sandys Hill,Bernard Norman Fraser. Served in the Boer War of 1899-1902 and in the European War of 1914-18. M.C. 1917, D.S.O. 1918, wounded and prisoner 1918. B.A. Ca. (Jesus Coll.) 1921, MA. 1925. Ordained 1921. Rector Abinger 1923 to 1930 when he exchanged livings, with his successor Denny.
Henry Littleton Lyster Denny, Bart Inaugurated 1 Jul 1930. Rector Abinger 1930-36 when he exchanged livings with his successor L. G. Meade.
Lionel Grant Meade Inaugurated 1936. Ordained 1914. Served in the War of 1914-18 as a combatant officer (WO 372/13/193857) in the Royal Welsh Fusiliers. Rector Abinger from 1936. Further restoration of the church, begun under his predecessor, was completed under him. In the renewed war an Officiating Chaplain to the Forces from May, 1941.
Clifford Thos. Chapman (21May1913-25May1982). Inaugurated 1950. Patron John Evelyn, Esq.
Paul M H Kelly, MA Inaugurated 1961. Patron John Evelyn, Esq.
Arthur Cardale Inaugurated 1967 (1965-1982). Born 1917 Cornwall, died 1990. Patron Church Patronage Soc.
John C Venus, AKC Inaugurated 1983. Patron JPMH Evelyn, Esq. Buried here February 1999
Anthony N Berry, BA Inaugurated 1993. Patron Church Patronage Society
Kia Pakenham Inaugurated 2022
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