Individual Details
Rev Richard MESSITER M.A.
(25 Jun 1800 - 15 May 1885)
Ryan Weller wrote in The Greenwood Tree Vol.50 No.4 December 2025:
"The Rev John MESSITER
(1763-1828), was the brother of
my 4xgreat-grandmother, Mary
MESSITER. He officiated at several
of his relatives’ weddings, including
that of the afore-mentioned
Mary to my 4xgreat-grandfather,
Rev Thomas TOMKINS. Rev John
MESSITER’s son Richard MESSITER
(my first cousin 5xremoved) was
also a priest. Father and son held
rector or curate positions at Bratton
St Maur’s, Caundle Marsh and Purse
Caundle (sometimes referred to as
Caundle Purse, depending on the
source) spanning an incredible 99
years, from Rev John MESSITER’s
appointment as curate for Purse
Caundle in 1786 to his son, Rev
Richard MESSITER’s death in
1885, at which time Richard
was still the rector at Bratton
St. Maur’s, Caundle Marsh and
Purse Caundle. The Rev Richard
MESSITER was also perpetual
curate for Stourton Caundle
from 1830 to 1864.
I could not find Bratton St
Maur’s on a modern map, but I
realised that Bratton Seymour,
which I could find, must be a
corruption of Bratton St Maur’s."
"The Rev John MESSITER
(1763-1828), was the brother of
my 4xgreat-grandmother, Mary
MESSITER. He officiated at several
of his relatives’ weddings, including
that of the afore-mentioned
Mary to my 4xgreat-grandfather,
Rev Thomas TOMKINS. Rev John
MESSITER’s son Richard MESSITER
(my first cousin 5xremoved) was
also a priest. Father and son held
rector or curate positions at Bratton
St Maur’s, Caundle Marsh and Purse
Caundle (sometimes referred to as
Caundle Purse, depending on the
source) spanning an incredible 99
years, from Rev John MESSITER’s
appointment as curate for Purse
Caundle in 1786 to his son, Rev
Richard MESSITER’s death in
1885, at which time Richard
was still the rector at Bratton
St. Maur’s, Caundle Marsh and
Purse Caundle. The Rev Richard
MESSITER was also perpetual
curate for Stourton Caundle
from 1830 to 1864.
I could not find Bratton St
Maur’s on a modern map, but I
realised that Bratton Seymour,
which I could find, must be a
corruption of Bratton St Maur’s."
Events
| Birth | 25 Jun 1800 | Wincanton, Somerset, England, Great Britain | |||
| Education | 22 Oct 1817 | Matriculation - Wadham College, Oxford University, Oxford, Oxfordshire, England, United Kingdom | |||
| Education | 1818 - 1821 | Exhibitioner and B.A. - Corpus Christi College, Oxford University, Oxford, Oxfordshire, England, United Kingdom | |||
| Education | 1827 | M.A. - Corpus Christi College, Oxford University, Oxford, Oxfordshire, England, United Kingdom | |||
| Occupation | 1829 - 1885 | Rector - Caundle Purse and Bratton, St Maur's, Dorset, England, United Kingdom | |||
| Occupation | 1830 - 1864 | Perpetual curate - Caundle Stourton, Dorset, England, United Kingdom | |||
| Marriage | 25 Jun 1830 | Cotleigh, Devonshire, England, United Kingdom - Laura MITCHELL |  | ||
| Death | 15 May 1885 | Caundle Marsh, Dorset, England, United Kingdom |
Families
| Spouse | Laura MITCHELL (1811 - 1887) |
| Child | Effield MESSITER (1833 - 1905) |
| Father | Rev John MESSITER B.A. (1764 - 1828) |
| Mother | Effield DYNE (1767 - 1852) |
Notes
Marriage
Ryan Weller wrote in The Greenwood Tree Vol.50 No.4 December 2025:"The Rev Richard MESSITER
married Laura MICHELL, the
daughter of the late Rev William
MICHELL, in Cotleigh, Devon, on 25
June 1830. I began to notice it was
quite common for the offspring of
a clergyman to marry the offspring
of another clergyman. Richard’s
cousin, Lucy MESSITER, had married
Laura MICHELL’s brother William,
also a clergyman, nearly two years
earlier on 22 July 1828. William had
been appointed rector of Barwick,
near Yeovil, in June 1827. Lucy and
William were first cousins through
their respective mothers, the
sisters Lucy and Mary NEWMAN,
the daughters of John and Grace
NEWMAN, who are credited with
building Barwick House around
1770."