The land-owning author of these letters writes from his family’s long-established home at Shermanbury Place in the village of Shermanbury, West Sussex. He was Rector of St Giles, Shermanbury from 1795 but employed a stipendiary curate from 1825; the church of St Giles neighbours his home and was in his own patronage, so originally he would have proposed himself to the Bishop of Chichester for the job; for another example of self-selection see:
https://www.otherpeoplesletters.com/2026/07/the-million-pound-advowson-of-reepham.html
The
independently wealthy Dr Challen was also a pluralist, holding two church livings, and in the two letters
below is seeking a licence of non-residence, allowing him not to live at Bressingham
in Norfolk, on grounds of ill health. He became Rector of Bressingham in
Norfolk in 1800 but with a succession of three stipendiary curates from 1813.
This information is from the Church of England clergy database which as far as
I can see leaves a period of about 12 years in which no assistance with the two
parishes is recorded though it must have existed - the two parishes are about 180 miles apart.
In 1817 Dr Challen was also appointed to two successive prebendary stalls in Chichester Cathedral, the second one worth an insignificant £11 per year (£850 today) and in this case more honorific than lucrative. John Gratwick Challen died in 1835 which suggests that his pleas of ill-health in these letters are genuine; he had no direct descendants.
Shermanbury
Place
Addressed
to: J Kitson Esqr Norwich [Kitson was the Bishop of Norwich’s
Registrar and a great deal of correspondence addressed to him exists outside
any archive]
Datelined:
Shermanbury Octr 17th
33 Postmarked: 18 Oct 1833
No
docketing note
Dear
Sir
I
have returned the nomination of of Mr Harrison to the curacy of Bressingham
signd by me & when you see that Gentleman will thank you to get him to
inform me when he gets to Bressingham that I may enter into correspondence with
him respect to the precise time of his entering upon the duties of the Parish.
I must communicate with Mr Betts [the current curate] upon that
subj as soon as I hear from Mr Harrison as above.
I
believe at Christmas or rather on the 31st Decr next my Licence of
non residence expires. I shall have to petition the Lord Bishop of Norwich for
a renewal of it; in fact two apoplectic attacks have affected my speech, &
otherwise injured my health, that I am incapable of performing the spiritual
duties. I should be extremely obliged to you to inform me whether & what
renewal of Petition is necessary to his Lordship.
I
am Dear Sir most truly yours J G Challen
Transcription
2
Addressed
to: J Kitson Esqr Norwich
Datelined:
Shermanbury Novr 29th 1833
Dear
Sir
On
the other side I enclose a Petition to the Lord Bishop of Norwich for the favor
of renewal of my Licence of non Residence.
I
have a letter from Mr Harrison who is arrived at Bressingham, but I fear he
will not be able to procure a house there sufficient for his numerous Family,
consisting of a wife & five children, nor subsist on the curacy unless he
has other means. I imagined he had been a single man
The
Licence if you please may be sent by post to me here & Mr Davey my
Churchwarden will pay all Fees.
I
am Dear Sir
Most
truly yours
J
G Challen
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