Andrews Family (Vicars of Hough on the Hill)
The Andrews family were originally from Surrey. Descended from Bishop Andrewes, they held office in the Church of England for many generations.
Robert Gordon Andrews was born in Oxted, Surrey in 1786, the son of Nicholas Andrews and Sarah (nee Castleman). He studied for a BA then an MA at St Johns’ College Oxford. He became a fellow of Corpus Christi College, Oxford before being elected headmaster of the Free (Kings) Grammar School, Grantham in 1815, a post he held until 1837. In 1817 he married Jane Elizabeth Wilson (from Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire). In 1841 they were living in Watergate, Grantham.
In the meantime he was also curate at Hough Church 1817-1821, whilst the Honourable & Rev. Richard Cust, vicar of Belton was responsible for Hough. On the latter’s retirement in 1822 Andrews became vicar of Hough on the Hill from 1822 and remained so until his death in 1842. In 1835 he was investigated for inflicting corporal punishment on Grammar School pupils ‘with undue severity and without just cause’.
Robert Gordon died in Grantham in Nov 1842 and was buried in Oxted. His widow continued to live in Grantham and live off her properties and other funds. In 1851 she was in Castlegate; in 1861 and 1871 she was back in Watergate (at number 16, next to the Swan and Salmon Inn). She died in May 1873 and was buried at Manthorpe, leaving over £11,000 in her estate. Robert Gordon and Jane Elizabeth had the following children in Grantham:
- Sarah Mary Andrews, born 1819
- John Nicholas Andrews, born 1820
- Christopher Robert Andrews, born 1821
- Jane Elizabeth Andrews, born 1824
Next Generation (children of Robert Gordon Andrews & Jane Elizabeth Wilson)
Sarah Mary Andrews (b. Grantham 1819) lived with her mother until her (Sarah’s) death in 1869, at the age of 50.
John Nicholas Andrews (b. Grantham 1820) was educated at Cambridge University and became (by 1851) the curate of Baston (near Market Deeping), Lincolnshire. By 1871 he was the rector of Pickworth, Lincs (near Folkingham), a post he held for 38 years. He died in 1905.
Christopher Robert Andrews (b. Grantham 1821) was educated under his father at Grantham Grammar School. He later studied at Emmanuel College, Oxford. He was awarded his BA in 1840 and was ordained as a deacon by Bishop Kaye of Lincoln in 1844. He became the curate of Bourne (1844-45), then curate at Manea, Cambridgeshire (1845-55). In 1846 his brother John conducted Christopher’s marriage to Mary Anne Mawby at Abbey Church, Bourne. Her late father’s house in Bourne, The Cedars, is now a retirement home. In 1855 he was appointed vicar of Hough on the Hill, a post he held for 45 years, He moved into Hough Vicarage on his 35th birthday, 12 Mar 1856. He oversaw many changes; for example, originally a tuning fork was used for church music, he had this replaced by a harmonium, then by the organ in 1870. He introduced a choral service in 1869 and a surpliced choir in 1888. He had in his possession an original Book of Sermons (first edition) that had belonged to Bishop Andrewes. Mary Anne followed Christopher to Manea then lived at Hough Vicarage until her death in 1891. Rev Andrews died in Nov 1900. Two inscribed stained glass windows were installed in Hough Church in his memory (one of which is pictured below). Christopher and Mary had 9 children:
Mary Elizabeth Charlotte Andrews, born Manea 1847 never married, but stayed with the family in Hough. After her father died in 1900 she lived with her married sister Charlotte at Dunston Vicarage (in 1901). By 1911 she’d moved to 90 Monks Road in Lincoln where she continued to live on private means.
Sarah Jane Andrews, born Manea 1848 never married but stayed with the family in Hough. The year after their father died she too was staying with her married sister Charlotte at Dunston Vicarage. She was the organist at Hough Church for many years. Sarah died in May 1909 at Bengeo, Hertfordshire.
Isabella Frances Andrews, born Manea 1849 died in Hough, aged 11, in 1861.
Charlotte Edith Andrews, born Manea 1851 married Stephen Eugene Bourne in 1885. He was born in Jamaica and was the vicar of New Basford, having previously been the curate at Beckingham, Lincs. They lived at The Vicarage, Dunston, Lincs. Stephen died 1907.
Harriet Clementine Andrews, born Manea 1853. In 1901, after her father’s death, Harriet was living (on her own means) with her uncle John Andrews at Pickworth Rectory. In 1911 she was living with her sister Mary at 90 Monks Road, Lincoln.
Christopher Gordon Andrews, born Manea 1854 was christened the day he was born (17 Nov 1854) and died soon afterwards; he may even have been still-born. It was soon after the death of their first son that his parents moved to Hough.
Christopher Robert Andrews, born Hough 1858. At the age of 12 Christopher was boarding at Newark Grammar School in Appletongate. He left for Keeble College, Oxford in 1877, receiving his BA in Literis Humanioribus in May 1880. Then he worked as tutor for the son of the Rev J M Talmage, rector of Fifield, Oxon. In Sep 1880 he became a teacher at Blair Lodge School, Stirlingshire, a private boarding academy for boys. He was planning to take holy orders at a later date. But in late April 1881 he caught rheumatic fever. Days later his parents arrived just before he died at the school on 1 May, aged 23. His body was brought back for burial at Hough and the early death of the only son clearly had a major impact on the family.
Ethel Frances Andrews, born Hough 1862 married an architect, Arthur Colpoys Wood in 1896. He’d been born in Ruddington, Notts but had studied in Surrey. He’d been architect in Grantham before moving to Crowborough, Sussex. Arthur also came from a church family. His great grandfather, John Bird Sumner, had been Archbishop of Canterbury (1848-1862). His father, Andrew Wood was the Rector of Great Ponton, having previously been the vicar of Skilington, Lincs. The father became (1910) the Canon of Lincoln Cathedral. In 1901 Arthur and Ethel were living in Rotherfield, Sussex. They emigrated to Canada and settled in Toronto in 1922.
Florence Eleanor Andrews, born Hough 1866. After their father died, Florence was staying with her married sister Ethel in Rotherfield in 1901, but by 1911 she’d joined Mary and Harriet in the house in Monks Road, Lincoln.
Jane Elizabeth Andrews (b.1824) lived her mother until the latter died in 1873. In 1881 Jane was living at 1 Church St, Grantham (next to the curate). She died in Grantham 4 Nov 1884.
