His Family

William Henry Havergal married twice, and had six children from his first marriage. For more information on each member of the family, please click on one of the links below

Person	Relation	Born	Died
Jane Head	1st Wife	?	1848
Caroline Ann Cooke	2nd Wife	?	1878
Jane Miriam	Oldest child	1817	1898
Henry East	Oldest son	1820	1875
Maria Vernon Graham	Second daughter	1821	1887
Ellen Prestage	Third daughter	1823	1886
Francis Tebbs	Youngest son	1829	1890
Frances Ridley	Youngest Daughter	1836	1879

 

Jane Head

Jane Head married William Henry Havergal (WHH), in the parish church of East Grinstead, on 2nd May 1816, the same day as the Princess Charlotte of Wales married Prince Leopold. She was the fifth daughter of William and Mary Head of that town, and was described by her daughter, Jane Miriam Crane as being 'beautiful and graceful, and by her piety, energy and practical ability was well fitted for a clergyman's wife.' She was the mother of six children, about whom more details can be found below. She died on 5th July 1848, aged 54 at St. Nicholas Rectory, and was buried in the crypt of that church, and a tablet to her memory was placed on the chancel wall with the inscription:

Jane the beloved wife of the
REV. W. H. HAVERGAL
Rector of this Parish, and Hon. Canon of
Worcester Cathedral;
Died in Holy peace, July 5, 1848.
'I give unto them eternal life.'

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Caroline Ann Cooke

Three years after the death of his first wife WHH married Caroline Ann, the daughter of John Cooke, of Gloucester. Little is known about her, other than that she died in 1878

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Jane Miriam

Jane Miriam was WHH's first child, and was born in 1817. In October 1842 she married Henry Crane of Oakhampton, Stourport, and died at Weston-super-Mare in October 1842. Her sister, Frances Ridley described her picturesque home in Oakhampton as 'the home of the roses,' where she was much liked and was seen as being a very accomplished lady.

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Henry East

Henry East was born at Coaley in Gloucestershire on 22nd July 1820. Between 1843 and 1847 he was chaplain at first Christ Church, and then New College in Oxford before becoming the vicar of Cople in Bedfordshire in 1847 until his death He was a good musician, and published several books containing his songs, hymn tunes and chants. He was also a skilled carpenter, and for his church in Cople he built an organ, on which he carried out experiments, and regularly acted as organist. He also constructed a chiming apparatus, and tended to chime the bells before each service himself. On 16th September 1847 he married Frances Mary, the eldest daughter of George J. A. Walker, and they had seven children, Cecilia, Arthur, Edith, Amy, Eustace, Clement and Ernest. Henry East died on 12 January 1875 aged 54 from apoplexy at the vicarage at Cople, and is buried in the churchyard there.

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Maria Vernon Graham

Maria Vernon Graham was born at Coaley on 15 November 1821, and went to school at Great Campden House, Kensington Park. She was deeply religious from her childhood, and never married, and generally lived with one of her sisters. She died at Weston-super-Mare on 28th June 1887, and was buried at Astley. Her sister Miriam later published her autobiography.

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Ellen Prestage

Ellen Prestage was born on 19th February 1823 at Astley in Worcestershire, and was the third daughter of WHH. On 6th February 1856 she married Giles Shaw of Celbridge, Dublin, who was born in May 1813. She had two sons and two daughters, and died on Christmas Day 1886.

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Francis Tebbs

Francis Tebbs was born on 27 August 1829. In 1857 he received his M.A. from New College Oxford, before becoming vicar-choral at Hereford Cathedral. From 1866 to 1874 he was vicar of Pipe and Lynde, and in his later years he was the vicar of Upton Bishop. His special interest was in archeology, and he wrote several books about Hereford Cathedral. On 6 September 1860 he married Isabel Susan, daughter of Colonel Martin of Hereford. From this marriage there were five children; Bertha Delamain, William Henry Martin, Erskine Francis Ethelbert, Mary Sybil Ellen and Helena Isabel. Francis Tebbs died on 27th July 1890

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Frances Ridley

Frances Ridley is the most well known of all of WHH's children. She was born at Astley rectory on 14th December 1836, and was youngest child of WHH. She was extremely intelligent, and although being skilled in many areas, it is for her poems and hymns that she is best remembered. She, like many other members of her family, was a very good musician, and loved Beethoven, Handel and Mendelssohn, although she did not believe that music was her greatest strength. She published many collections of her poems and hymns in many separate volumes, and some of her poetry became very popular in religious circles, while her hymns still appear in most modern collections. Following her father's death in 1870, Frances Ridley edited, and prepared for publication a new edition of his 'Psalmody.' Throughout her life Frances Ridley suffered much ill health, which prevented her from helping as many people as she would have liked, and eventually lead to her demise. She died at Caswell Bay near Swansea in South Wales on 3rd June 1879, and was buried at Astley in Worcestershire.

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