The Ven. ''The Venerable'' often shortened to Venerable is a style, title, or epithet used in some Christian churches. The title is often accorded to holy persons for their spiritual perfection and wisdom. Catholic In the Catholic Church, after a dec ...

Charles Webber, MA (1762–1848) was

Archdeacon of Chichester The post of Archdeacon of Chichester was created in the 12th century, although the Diocese of Sussex was founded by St Wilfrid, the exiled Bishop of York, in AD 681. The original location of the see was in Selsey. The see was moved to Chicheste ...

from 1808 until his death.

Life

Baptised on 17 May 1762 in the church of All Saints in Chichester, he was the eldest surviving son of the Reverend William Webber (1724–1790), a canon of Chichester Cathedral. The Canon's father, Robert Webber, was said to be an illegitimate son of

Charles Lennox, 1st Duke of Richmond Charles Lennox, 1st Duke of Richmond, 1st Duke of Lennox (29 July 167227 May 1723), of Goodwood House near Chichester in Sussex, was the youngest of the seven illegitimate sons of King Charles II, and was that king's only son by his French- ...

, himself an illegitimate son of King Charles II, while the Canon's mother was Mary Maybank, reputedly a descendant of

Louise de Kérouaille, Duchess of Portsmouth Louise Renée de Penancoët de Kérouaille, Duchess of Portsmouth (5 September 1649 – 14 November 1734) was a French mistress of King Charles II of England. She was also made Duke of Aubigny#Lennox_Dukes_of_Aubigny, Duchess of Aubigny in the p ...

, a mistress of King Charles II. William's mother had less elevated but wholly legitimate origins, being Anne Smith (1731–1806), daughter of John Smith, a surgeon in Chichester, and his wife Sarah Buckenham. Among his uncles were Rear-Admiral Charles Webber (1722–1783), nominal father of Lieutenant-General

James Webber Smith Lieutenant-General James Webber Smith (1778–1853) was a British Royal Artillery officer who fought in the French Revolutionary Wars and Napoleonic Wars. Origins Born on 19 November 1778 and christened on 5 August 1779 at the church of St Fai ...

, as well as the rector of

West Stoke West is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from east and is the direction in which the Sun sets on the Earth. Etymology The word "west" is a Germanic word passed into some Romance langu ...

outside Chichester, the Reverend Charles Smith (1729–1803). His younger brother, the Reverend

James Webber James Webber (1772 – 3 September 1847) was an English churchman, Dean of Ripon from 1828 until his death. Webber was the son of Rev. William Webber, canon of Chichester Cathedral, and his wife Anne . He was educated at Westminster School and ...

(1772–1847), became Dean of Ripon. A graduate of

Christ Church, Oxford Christ Church (, the temple or house, ''wikt:aedes, ædes'', of Christ, and thus sometimes known as "The House") is a Colleges of the University of Oxford, constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. Founded in 1546 by Henry V ...

, he was a

master Master, master's or masters may refer to: Ranks or titles In education: *Master (college), head of a college *Master's degree, a postgraduate or sometimes undergraduate degree in the specified discipline *Schoolmaster or master, presiding office ...

at the

Prebendal School The Prebendal School is a private preparatory school in Chichester, situated adjacent to the Chichester Cathedral precinct. It is a boarding and day school educating the cathedral choristers. The school has ancient origins as the medieval cat ...

and from 1788

Vicar A vicar (; Latin: '' vicarius'') is a representative, deputy or substitute; anyone acting "in the person of" or agent for a superior (compare "vicarious" in the sense of "at second hand"). Linguistically, ''vicar'' is cognate with the English p ...

Boxgrove Boxgrove is a village, parish, ecclesiastical parish and civil parishes in England, civil parish in the Chichester (district), Chichester District of the English county of West Sussex, about north east of the city of Chichester. The village is ...

, holding the living for the rest of his life. Appointed to the

Chapter Chapter or Chapters may refer to: Books * Chapter (books), a main division of a piece of writing or document * Chapter book, a story book intended for intermediate readers, generally age 7–10 * Chapters (bookstore), Canadian big box bookstore ...

, he was granted the Prebend of

Eartham Eartham is a village and civil parish in the Chichester (district), District of Chichester in West Sussex, England located northeast of Chichester east of the A285 road. There is an Anglican parish church dedicated to St Margaret and a public ...

on 6 May 1801, later acquiring the Prebend of Bishopshurst. In 1803 he was made a Canon Residentiary of the Cathedral for life. Then on 3 May 1808 he was installed as Archdeacon. From 1808 to 1828 he also held the post of vicar of

Amport Amport is a village and civil parish in the Test Valley district of Hampshire, England, a few miles west of Andover. It incorporates the small hamlet of East Cholderton and has a population of about 1,200. There is a village green is surrou ...

in Hampshire. From 1825 to 1828 he served as Warden of the Hospital of St. Mary, Chichester, and on 8 December 1826 was made a trustee of the Bishop's daughter, Sibella Jane Carr, when she married a local landowner, Charles Peckham Peckham, relinquishing the rôle on 2 March 1840. Dying on 15 June 1848, he was buried on 22 June 1848 at Boxgrove Priory.

Family

On 18 November 1789 at

St George's, Hanover Square St George's, Hanover Square, is an Church of England, Anglican church, the parish church of Mayfair in the City of Westminster, central London, built in the early eighteenth century as part of a project to build fifty new churches around London ...

, he married Mary Peirson (1762–1845),« 1789 Nov.18 The Rev. Charles Webber, Clerk, of Boxgrove, Sussex, & Mary Peirson, of this parish » The Register Book of Marriages Belonging to the Parish of St. George, Hanover Square, in the County of Middlesex, 1788–1809 http://www.mocavo.com/ Retrieved 2 November 2015 daughter of a Yorkshire landowner, Francis Peirson of

Lowthorpe Lowthorpe is a village and former civil parish, now in the parish of Harpham, in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It is situated approximately north-east of Driffield town centre and south-west of Bridlington town centre. In 1931 the pa ...

, and his wife Sarah Cogdell. Mary's brother was the celebrated Army officer

Francis Peirson Major Francis Peirson (January 1757 – 6 January 1781) was a British Army officer who was serving on Jersey, in the Channel Islands off the coast of France. He was killed in the Battle of Jersey, one of the last battles to take place in the Bri ...

. They had six children, including: : Reverend Charles Webber (1794–1850), also a canon residentiary of Chichester and warden of the Hospital of St. Mary. : William Charles Webber (1797–1869), a

commander Commander (commonly abbreviated as Cmdr.) is a common naval officer rank as well as a job title in many army, armies. Commander is also used as a rank or title in other formal organizations, including several police forces. In several countri ...

in the

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the naval warfare force of the United Kingdom. It is a component of His Majesty's Naval Service, and its officers hold their commissions from the King of the United Kingdom, King. Although warships were used by Kingdom ...

. : Reverend George Henry Webber (1801–1858), a prebendary of Chichester from 1827 to 1840 and of Ripon from 1830 to 1858.

Notes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Webber, Charles 1762 births People from Chichester Alumni of Christ Church, Oxford Archdeacons of Chichester 1848 deaths