William Harvey, Rector
of the Church of St Martin, Fincham,
Norfolk
1700ish-1787
Born: possibly around 1700 and
possibly died 1786 or 1787.
Parents:
Robert Harvey of Crimplesham.
Brother of: Robert
Harvey (1700-1756), of Stoke Ferry, Norfolk
He married: the widow of Joseph
Forby Rector of Fincham from 1723 - 1744.
Had issue: Not
known.
William Harvey: An Overview
The information I have about William Harvey is very limited and comes from the following sources:
1. The diary of his
brother's great grandaughter Elizabeth
Jones (nee Helsham) who makes reference to him but gives no
information about him (written in the mid 1800s).
2. A list of rectors of the Church of St Martin, Fincham, Norfolk.
3. The will of his brother Robert
Harvey.
William Harvey's existance is briefly mentioned in the diary of Elizabeth Jones, however, while she is able to record him as a relative of her grandfather (Robert Harvey) she is not able to identify him as her grandfather's brother. Robert Harvey's will does list William as being his brother and he is also recorded on a list of Rectors inside the Fincham Church as follows:
1745-1787 William Harvey
1787-1799 Joseph Forby
1799-1826 Robert Forby
I have had a quick look aroung the graveyard at Fincham and was not able to find any memorial to William Harvey but as he stopped being the rector of Fincham Church in 1787 after a period of 42 years I think we can assume that he died around 1787 or very shortly afterwards. It is interesting to note that he was followed by Joseph Forby and then Robert Forby. Robert Forby married Susan Harvey who was William's niece.
The diary of Elizabeth Jones (nee Helsham) reads as follows:
My Grandmother was Anne Harvey, and I should think that she was both born and married at Stoke Ferry, her parents being Robert and Mary Harvey. A relative, the Rev William Harvey, was incumbent of Fincham Church the years 1745 and 1787. Another of the name, a cousin, resided at Watton in Norfolk, whose only child married Sir Robert Harvey, and their son is the Mr Harvey whose entertainments at Crown Point cause such a sensation from year to year. My Grandmother had, I believe, more than one brother but the only member of the family we knew and loved was her sister Susan who is very imperfectly represented by the portrait which hangs over my fireplace. She married Mr Forby of Stoke Ferry, whose brother, the Rev. Joseph Forby, was Rector of Fincham from 1787 to 1799 and he it was who, while travelling on the Continent before the French Revolution, left some small sum in the French Fund of which mention was made some years since.
In early 2004 a large portrait of a "William Harvey, Mayor of Norwich" came up for sale at Sotheby's Olympia (21 January 2004). I checked with the County Record office in Norwich who confirmed that there had never been a mayor of Norwich by the name of William Harvey. There is a very small possibility that this portrait may have been of our William Harvey but on the other hand it could have been of someone else?
The following was sent to me from Steward Waterson 1/11/2004.
William Harvey is buried in Crimpleshabm Churchyard. His large tomb
near the church porch is of a "box" type and is collapsing
slo/wly. He was Rector of West Winch for 55 years, as well as
Rector of Fincham from 1744 - 1787. He married the widow of Joseph
Forby, Rector from 1723 - 1744 in the last service held at St.
Michael,s Church, Fincham, before it was pulled down.
Another note sent to me reads as follows:
College: CAIUS Entered: 1713 More Information: Adm. sizar (age 18) at
CAIUS, Sept. 14, 1713. S. of Robert, of Crimplesham, Norfolk, gent.
B. at Beechamwell. School, Norwich (Mr Pate). Matric. 1713-4;
Scholar, 1713-8; B.A. 1717-8; M.A. 1726. Ord. deacon (Norwich) July
13, 1718, as C. of Cockley Cley, Norfolk; priest, June 12, 1720. R.
of West Winch, 1732-86. V. of Crimplesham, 1735-85. R. of Fincham,
1745-86. Buried at Crimplesham, 1786. (Venn, I. 531.)
If you have any information to add to what is listed please contact
me on jj@jjhc.info
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