Edward Chaplin , MA, Rev.

Fitzroy House North,
Kentish Town,
London,


England ohFrom 'The Chaplin and Skinner Families' December 1902 (page 6):


>> The REV. EDWARD CHAPLIN was born on the 7th July, 1771, at his father's house at Kentish Town, and was educated at Westminster School, whence he obtained a scholarship to Trinity College Cambridge in June 1789. He took his BA degree in January, 1793.

On the 22nd June 1791, he was admitted as a member of Grays Inn and it is clear that at this time he intended to become a lawyer, for his father, Amos Chaplin, in his will, made on 2nd August 1791, made special provision for his "board, washing, and lodging during his stay at the University and during his studies in the profession of the Law in London."

But before he had finished his studies at Cambridge he decided to enter the Church. In November, 1794, he obtained from the Master and Senior Fellows of his college a testimonial as to his fitness for Deacon's Orders, and on the 1st March 1795, the Bishop of Norwich appointed him curate at Watlington, Norfolk, where he remained until 1812.

On the 10th September, 1795, he married Miss Margaret Clarke Theodorick, daughter of Dr. Thomas Theodorick, of Edgefield (see page 3.)

[There exists, kept with the Will of John Clarke Chaplin, a letter from Wm Wallis, Curate at Watlington, nr Downham, Norfolk dated June 18th 1856, which reads ia: "The Revd Edward Chaplin is still remembered by several persons in Watlington"]

After leaving Watlington he was appointed Chaplain of the St Martin's in the Fields Burial Ground, at Pratt Street, Camden Town, and of the almshouses near by. In 1824 he was appointed Reader to the Honourable Society of Grays Inn, an appointment which he held for many years. He lived at Camden town until he resigned his chaplaincy, and then at Fitzroy House North, at Kentish Town, until his death, which occurred on 14 November, 1858, aged 87. He was buried at Highgate Cemetery.

Mrs Matilda Adriana Chaplin in her 'Memoir' published by her son Holroyd Chaplin after her death in 1899 writes of him as follows:- "A very agreeable old gentleman who had a great store of interesting anecdotes. He remembered the Gordon Riots; he was at Westminster School, and when there heard parts of the trial of Warren Hastings. He talked with much animation of great elections at Westminster, in which, he said, some of the school took much interest, and boys would get out in spite of punishment to see the great election. The Westminster boys used to play and hunt cockchafers on the land - then very swampy - on which the whole of Belgravia now stands. He said there was then some risk of highwaymen in crossing Hampstead Heath or Hadley Common late. He and his father when riding felt glad to be safely over. Then he had tales of friends who had been in Paris during the great Revolution (1793). One of these, who could speak French, saw them going to hang someone, saying excitedly, "A la lanterne!" He asked what the man had done, talked to them, and finally they did not hang him."

He also remembered very well being introduced when a boy to the great John Wilkes; and he used to tell his grandson, Holroyd Chaplin, how, when a student at Gray's Inn, he and others returning home to Kentish Town in the evening would wait by the Foundling Hospital until the patrol could accompany them, as the fields between that spot and Kentish Town were frequented by footpads.

Mrs Margaret Clarke Chaplin, his wife, died on the 29th November, 1827, at the age of 56.

In the now disused burial ground of which her husband was chaplain there still stands a monument (No. 358 in the official books of the Borough of St. Pancras) to Mrs. Margaret Clarke Chaplin and several of her children.

The Rev. Edward Chaplin had 13 children of whom several died in infancy; only five were married and of these the three following had children:

(1) Edward Amos Chaplin, born on 28th December, 1796, and died on 19th April, 1851; he became a solicitor in 1829, and carried on business at 3 Grays Inn Square. He married Georgina Morland, one of the Morlands of Abingdon, and left three children of whom one was the Rev. Edward Morland Chaplin, who died on 1st June, 1877, and another was Mrs. Elizabeth Rose Josephine Blake, now living at 12 Stanley Crescent, Notting Hill [see Pedigree B.]
(2) John Clarke Chaplin (see below).
(3) Ann, born on the 21st May, 1811, and died on 21st April, 1880. She was married to the Rev. Samuel Hands Feild, and left Edward James Feild and two other children. <<

Letter from Allan Chaplin, Ootacamud Dec 1994 to his mother:

"Please thank Edith for her letter of December 6 - dated from Bernard St Russell 29th -- a part of the town for which I have always had an affection -- perhaps because of old associations with the Edward Chaplins' and also because the Sedleys and Osbornes lived there. The houses in that part of London seem so solid and comfortable -- I called on a friend -- a retired officer -- there last year. He was saying how good a house it was for the rent -- but he did find it isolated -- in these days -- and has now left it".

Edward Chaplin was "uncle of that most able public servant, Mr Commissioner Holroyd" - noted by Allan Maclean Skinner in his book about his father and brothers.

See Notes on 'Thomas Ayrton' for a description of London in 1790. Col Edward Nugent was on the fringes of high society at that time.
END