Ancestors

Rev. William Harris Roach

William Harris Roach was the eldest son of Thomas Roach, Mayor of Glastonbury in Somerset and a Major in the 2nd Somerset Militia. He was born at Glastonbury about 1816. His mother's name is not known. When his father married Elizabeth Naish at Weston in October 1819, the register described Thomas as single. So either a first marriage has left no trace in any index, or William was born before his father married. Elizabeth was his stepmother. His father's parents were John Roach, a Glastonbury gentleman, and Ann, the widow of John Moxham.

He was eighteen when he was admitted to Pembroke College, Cambridge, on 29 May 1834. He came up as a pensioner, a student paying his own way, and won a scholarship in his first year. His father made his will that February and died the following February. The will called him "my son William Harris Roach now of Pembroke College in the University of Cambridge" and left him £7,000 in trust, to be paid to him at 28. He took his B.A. in 1838. He did not take his M.A. until 1864, twenty-six years later.

He was ordained deacon by the Bishop of Gloucester in 1840 and priest on 18 December 1842. His first post was as curate of Painswick, Gloucestershire, from 1842 to 1845. A curate was the assistant clergyman of a parish.

He married Louisa Constantia in the spring of 1841, in the Gloucester registration district. The marriage notice calls her the daughter of the late B. H. Browne, D.M., of Belle Vue, Gloucestershire. Their son Thomas was born at Painswick on 17 May 1842, and a second son, William Irwin, was baptized there on 15 November 1843.

In 1845 his father's half-sister, Hannah Moxham, died at Glastonbury and left him the contents of her house.

In 1846 he became perpetual curate of Whiteshill, Gloucestershire. A perpetual curate was the permanent minister of a church that was not a full ancient parish. He served there for twenty-five years. In 1871 he became rector of Broad Blunsdon in Wiltshire, and he held that living until his death.

In 1872 he acted in the probate of a Charles William Turner together with a Benjamin Hayward Browne, probably his wife's brother.

Louisa Constantia died on 6 January 1888. He died on 25 September of the same year, while still rector of Broad Blunsdon. Probate of his will was granted in Wiltshire on 24 November 1888 to his son Thomas. He is buried at St Leonard's church, Broad Blunsdon.

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Cite: Heirology, "Rev. William Harris Roach (1816-1888)", https://heirology.com/ancestors/rev-william-harris-roach-1816-1888-11d1c8.