Robert Pargeter was our vicar from 1724 to 1740. Little is known of him, his footprint on Bloxham’s history is faint. He was the first and only of our 18th century vicars to have been educated at Eton. The Church had passed through difficult times, tossed between Catholicism and Puritanism, although the Church of England had gradually become the established church under Queen Elizabeth I. Many vicars of Bloxham were reluctant to state their religious belief too forcibly and Robert Pargeter was one of them.
We know he was a graduate of Oxford University, well educated as were all his family who were mostly men of the cloth. I have found only one visitation return, made to Bishop Secker in 1738; this contained no personal details only a somewhat negative account of his parish which was not a prosperous one, even his Vicarage house was said to be in a poor state. Why did this man of his education and position accept this living? He seems to have attended to his duties adequately but with no great fervour. Even his sermons were in part taken from those of other preachers and give no indication of his character.
(Translated from the Latin) The memorial brass in Bloxham church read:-
Here lies buried
Robert Pargeter, Master of Arts
Vicar of this church for 17 years
Died on the 8th March 1740
In the 47th year of his life
Also Susanna his wife
Who died on the 7th March 1750
In the 61st year of her life
Singularly uninformative and now he is at risk of disappearing from our memories altogether for recently this plaque has been stolen from the church.
In the future unless someone makes deeper researches into his career than I have been able to do, no one will remember him.
Poor Robert Pargeter!
Y S Huntriss
If you wish to read a little more about this vicar and about our other vicars you can buy a copy of “A Flight of Fathers” from the village museum or from Mr Peter Barwell.
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Robert was born in Todmarton, Oxfordshire, and a number of members of the family over several generations became goldsmiths in London – Joseph, Robert, Richard etc. Another Joseph was a prosperous apothecary.
as far as I can see Robert Pargeter and Susanah had a son Robert B 1727 and he had a son Phillip Hanbury Pargeter who Married a Elizabeth Butter they are Eliza’s parents she married James Chubb in 1819 and your Clara Chubb was b 1838
Hello! I have recently discovered that Robert Pargeter is a very distant relation, via Clara Chubbs mother’s side of the family. Clara is my Great-Great Grandmother on my father’s side. She married George Thomas Rawkins, my G G Grandfather.
Clara’s mother was Eliza Pargeter. I am wondering if anyone in your parish might know what relation she was to the Disappearing Vicar! If so, please would you contact me? I am so intrigued to follow my family connections. It’s fascinating stuff! Thankyou so much. Oh and I note that Robert’s wife was Susanna, and I am Susan-ann. How amazing is that!