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The following is a list of the names of most of the rectors, commencing with the earliest one recorded, and terminating with the Hon. and Rev. G. V. Wellesley, D.D., who continued of course rector when the new St. Luke’s Church was completed. The list of subsequent rectors will be found placed in the notice of that church:—

Patrons.	Name.	Institution.
Edward II.	Roger de Berners	1316
„	Nicholas Hosbound	1339
Edward III.	Martyn de Moulish	1348
„	William Palmer	1368
Abbot & Conv. West.	Thomas de Preston	1368
There were altogether 29 Rectors instituted by the Abbot and Convent of Westminster.
Sir Thomas More	John Larke [19a]	1530
„	John Richardson [19b]	1543
Duchess of Somerset	Richard Ward [19c]	1585
C. Cheyne, Esq.	Adam Littleton, D.D.	1669
Viscount Cheyne	John King, D.D.	1694
Sir Hans Sloane	Sloane Elsmere, D.D.	1732
„	Reginald Heber, M.A.	1766
Earl Cadogan and Henry Stanley	Thomas Drake, D.D.	1770
Lord Cadogan	W. B. Cadogan, M.A.	1775
Lady Mendip and Mrs. D’Oyley	Charles Sturgess, M.A.	1797
Earl Cadogan	Hon. and Rev. Dr. Wellesley	1805

The Rev. Dr. Littleton was educated at Westminster School, under the celebrated Dr. Busby, and afterwards became Prebendary of Westminster. He was well skilled in the Oriental languages and in rabinnical learning. He died at Chelsea in 1694, in the 67th year of his age.

The Rev. Dr. John King was a divine of considerable literary eminence. Amongst a variety of works he published a sermon, entitled, “The Divine Favour the best Alliance; or, Repentance the Safest Sanctuary in Times of Danger; preached at the Parish Church of Chelsey,” in 1701. There is in the British Museum a small quarto volume, in manuscript, by Dr. King, containing “Remarks on the Life of Sir Thomas More,” and a letter, designed for Mr. Hearne, respecting Sir T. More’s house at Chelsea. He died in this parish in 1732, aged 80, much respected, and was buried at Pertenhall. The family of Dr. King bear the same arms with Robert King, the first Bishop of Oxford.

The Rev. Dr. Sloane Elsmere died in 1776, and left behind him a volume of sermons to be published for the benefit of the “Girls’ Charity School,” of which he was the original founder. He was a relation of Sir Hans Sloane.

The Rev. Reginald Heber received his school education at the Free School, Manchester, from whence he removed to Brasenose College, Oxford. Mr. Heber, in 1766, succeeded to a considerable estate (his elder brother dying unmarried) at Hodnet, in Shropshire; and in the same year he was inducted to the rectory of Chelsea, the presentation to which had several years before been purchased for him by his brother. He found the rectoral house in bad condition, and partly rebuilt and greatly improved the whole of it. In 1770 he exchanged the rectory of Chelsea with Dr. Drake, rector of Amersham, Bucks, for Malpas, in Cheshire. Mr. Heber married, in 1773, the daughter of the Rev. Martin Bayly, which lady died the following year, leaving an infant son, Richard Heber, who became Member for the University of Oxford. Eight years after he married, secondly, the daughter of Dr. Cuthbert Allanson, by whom he had two sons, Reginald, the late lamented Bishop of Calcutta—a prelate whose memory is revered by Christians of all denominations—the other son was Thomas Cuthbert Heber, and he had also one daughter. Mr. Heber died at Malpas in 1804, in his 76th year.

The Hon. and Rev. William Bromley Cadogan, second son of Lord Cadogan, was born in 1751, and had his education at Westminster School, from whence he was removed to Christ Church College, Oxford. He obtained several prizes at the University for classical knowledge. On the death of Dr. Drake he was presented to the rectory of Chelsea. He also became vicar of St. Giles’s, Reading. Mr. Faulkner gives a singular anecdote relating to the unsolicited offer of this vicarage to Mr. Cadogan. Lord Bathurst, who was then Chancellor, called at Lord Cadogan’s house, and desired to see him. His lordship was not at home; and the servants, seeing Lord Bathurst very plainly dressed, admitted him into the hall only, having no suspicion of his high rank. The Chancellor therefore wrote a note at the hall table, requesting Lord Cadogan to accept the vicarage of St. Giles’s, Reading, for his son. The offer of so valuable a preferment, and so near to the family seat at Caversham, was peculiarly acceptable to Lord Cadogan. It appeared, however, that the parishioners were deeply affected by the death of the Rev. Mr. Talbot, their late vicar, and equally grieved at the appointment of his successor; but they flattered themselves that the new vicar, being a young gentleman of noble family, would feel no disposition to do the duties himself, and that the Rev. Mr. Halward, who had been recently appointed, and towards whom they already were much attached, might be continued in the curacy. A petition for this purpose was presented to Mr. Cadogan, but it was rejected with strong marks of disapprobation. The old congregation therefore became dispersed. Some of them, under the patronage of the Countess of Huntingdon, opened a place for Divine worship for themselves, while others, who were unwilling to leave the church altogether, thought that they perceived marks of sincerity in his conduct and preaching, attempted, by frequent admonitory letters, to convince Mr. Cadogan of what they considered to be his “errors,” and to set him “right.” On this occasion several letters passed between him and Mrs. Talbot, the widow of the previous vicar, whose house was opened for religious exercises, and where prayer was occasionally offered up for his conversion. Mr. Cadogan is said to have been highly offended, but at length, humbled and subdued, he fell at the feet of accumulated kindness, and confessed to the last moment of his life, that “Mrs. Talbot’s letters and example were the principal means of leading him to the saving knowledge of Christ.” It produced, it appears, a great change in his manner of preaching, and led the way to his intimacy with the Rev. Mr. Hill, Mr. Romaine, and others, who were distinguished by the title of popular preachers. He likewise offered the curacy to Mr. Halward, who previously he had but “lightly esteemed,” but that gentleman had then accepted some preferment which prevented him from acceding to the offer. Mr. Cadogan divided his time between Chelsea and Reading; but finding his labours in both places too arduous, he let the rectory-house, and left Chelsea in charge of the Rev. Mr. Middleton, his curate, except at the season of Lent, and of the Sacrament, on which occasions the church was crowded. Mr. Cadogan was seized at Reading on a Thursday evening, after his lecture, with an inflammation of the bowels, and departed this life on the following Tuesday, expressing with his lips that which was his “glorious theme, the unbounded love of Christ.” He died in 1797, aged 46.

A monument, designed by Bacon, is erected in the church at Reading. Beneath the inscription are the crosier or pastoral staff; the rod of Aaron, which budded and yielded almonds; and the book mentioned in the Revelations, as sealed with seven seals.

The Rev. Charles Sturges was presented to this rectory in 1797. Respectful mention is made of him in Mrs. Trimmer’s publication on the Sunday Schools of Old Brentford. He has a copy of Latin verses in the Musæ Etonenses, and another in the Academiæ Cantabrigiensis Luctus, on the death of George II. The sudden death of Mr. Sturges was another verification of that passage in our Burial Service, “In the midst of life we are in death,” &c., which he had read many times at the graves of the parishioners. He expired on the 22nd of April, 1805, after only half an hour’s illness, from an apoplectic seizure, immediately before the hour of dinner, at the rectory of Loddington, Northamptonshire, and his remains were interred in the chancel of that church.

The Hon. and Rev. Gerald Valerian Wellesley, D.D., succeeded Mr. Sturgess. A notice of him will be found in the account of the New Parish Church.

The Rev. R. H. Davies, M.A., who had been previously senior curate of the new Parish Church, succeeded the Rev. John Rush when he died in 1855, as Incumbent of the Old Church. Through his exertions and instrumentality, a small vestry, or robing room, has been attached to the church. The great inconvenience and injury to the Minister’s health, arising from his having to walk across the churchyard in his robes, and also to change them, especially in the winter months, had been sadly experienced and justly complained of by almost every officiating clergyman in my recollection. Very considerable alterations and great improvements have likewise been made in the interior of the church, during the fourteen years that Mr. Davies has been the Incumbent, without interfering greatly with its ancient architecture. Perhaps the best way to convey an adequate idea of what has been accomplished will be to give an account of the expenses, taken from a Report recently published.

The New Gallery	£395	11	0
Re-pewing	420	13	6
New Stoves, &c.	44	15	0
Iron Railing	65	0	0
Ventilators	32	18	9
East Window	83	18	7
Reading Desk	5	3	6
New Vestry, &c	94	14	3
Corona in Chancel	12	0	0
Alterations to Organ	60	0	0

A great part of the cost of these extensive and essential alterations was contributed by the Trustees for building the new St. Luke’s Church; a very large portion by the liberal contributions of the congregation, and a part also by the Rev. Mr. Davies’s own friends not connected with the church, and others to whom he applied. The schools, as will be seen, have been greatly benefitted, and various charitable societies established, by which means vast blessings have been conferred on the poor in the neighbourhood.