Robert Henry Falkner (1829 - 1907)

Born 13 Mar 1829 in County Tipperary, Ireland

Husband of Henrietta (Wells) Falkner — married 24 Apr 1873 in Wallingford, Berkshire, England, United Kingdom

Descendants

Died 25 Jan 1907 at age 77 in Woodham Walter, Maldon, Essex, England, United Kingdom

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Biography

Robert Henry Falkner was born on 13 March 1829^[1] in County Tipperary, Ireland.^[2] He is the son of Rev. William Newstead Falkner and ......

Robert attended Trinity College, Dublin.^[3]

In 1853 Robert was ordained a deacon, and then ordained a priest in 1854 at Cork Cathedral, Ireland.^[4] All his charges before 1875 have not yet been determined

In 1873 Rev. Robert Henry Falkner married Henrietta Wells at Wallingford. The marriage was registered at Wallingford in the second quarter of the year.^[5]

When the couple's first child, Arthur, was baptised in April 1874 at St Stephen's church, South Kensington, Middlesex, the couple's "abode" was given as both 20 Cornwall Gardens, South Kensington, and New Chapel Glebe, Clonmel, in County Tipperary, Ireland. Robert, Clerk in Holy Orders, took the baptism ceremony, and the baptism record^[6] also notes that at this time he held a position of prebendary (honorary canon) of New Chapel. (It appears his father held this position at New Chapel before him, being so described in the wedding notice of Robert's sister, Lucy Elizabeth, in 1866 - although his father was deceased at this point^[7]).

In 1875 Robert became the rector of Woodham Walter, Essex.^[8]

At the 1881 census, Robert already had a family of five children, and they were now living at The Rectory at Woodham Walter, Essex. Details listed - Robert H Falkner (51, rector of Woodham Walter, born Ireland), wife Henrietta Falkner (34 (age error), born Wallingford, Berkshire), son Arthur N Falkner (7, born Ireland), son Harold N Falkner (5, born Woodham Walter), daughter Ethel N Falkner (4, born Woodham Walter), daughter Kathleen N Falkner (3, born Woodham Walter), and son Earnest M Falkner (1, born Woodham Walter). Also listed were a governess (French?), and four servants.

Between the 1881 census and 1884 a further four children were born. Twins Claude N Falkner and Herbert N Falkner, born in 1881, died soon after birth. Another son, born in 1882 was also called Claude N Falkner, while a daughter Ianthe N Falkner, was born in 1884.

The 1890 Kelly's Directory for Essex confirms Rev. Robert Henry Falkner, M. A. was at the Rectory, Woodham Walter, Maldon, Essex.

At the 1891 census Robert H Falkner (married, 62, rector Woodham Walter, born Ireland) was residing with his brother Frederick Falkner (56, retired Lieutenant Colonel in Army, born Ireland), and his brother's family at Lyncombe and Widcombe, near Bath, Somerset.

At the same 1891 census Robert's wife, with one of their children, Earnest (11), was recorded at her parents' home in Wallingford, Berkshire. Their two oldest sons, Arthur and Harold were at boarding school, daughters Ethel and Kathleen were with a family at Reigate, Surrey, while the two youngest children, Claude and Ianthe, were at the family home, the rectory in Woodham Walter, Essex, being looked after by the servants.

Robert 's wife died in 1896. The family home was still in Woodham Walter, Essex, but Henrietta died in Kensington, London. She was aged 50.

At the 1901 census Robert continued as the rector of Woodham Walter. Details listed - Robert H Falkner (widower, 71, clergyman, Church of England, born Tipperary, Ireland), son Arthur N Falkner (single, 27, member of Stock Exchange), daughter Ethel N Falkner (single, 24) and daughter Kathleen N Falkner (single, 23). A visitor Constance L McComas (single, 23, born Marton, Warwickshire) and two servants - cook and housemaid - were also present. Constance McComas went on to marry Robert's second son, Harold, the next year.

The reverend Robert Henry Falkner of Woodham Walter rectory, Essex, clerk, died 25 January 1907. Probate ...... to Arthur Newstead Falkner, Harold Newstead Falkner and Earnest Newstead Falkner, gentlemen. (National Probate Calendar - 1907) The Scotland probate record confirmed Robert died at home.

His death was registered at Maldon, Essex, in the first quarter of 1907, aged 77.

Robert Henry Falkner was buried at St Michael the Archangel churchyard, Woodham Walter, Maldon District, Essex, England. The inscription on the headstone helpfully gives his full date of birth as 13 March 1829. ^[9]

in 1908, following Robert's death, two almshouses, located in The Street, Woodham Walter, and owned by a charitable trust called the Robert Henry Falkner Almshouses’ Trust, were built by his three surviving sons in his memory. The sons specified in the Trust Deed that in their father’s memory, the two Almshouses were to be occupied by parishioners described as: “… poor persons who are of good character and who, from ill-health accident or infirmity are unable to maintain themselves from their own exertions.” ^[10]

Sources

• England & Wales, Civil Registration Marriage Index, 1837-1915 for Robert Henry Falkner, 1873, Q2-Apr-May-Jun

• 1881 England Census for Robert H. Falkner, Essex, Woodham Walter, District 9

• UK, City and County Directories, 1766 - 1946 for Robert Henry Falkner, England, Essex, 1890 Kelly´s Directory

• 1891 England Census for Robert H Falkner, Somerset, Lyncombe and Widcombe, District 02

• 1901 England Census for Robert H Falkner, Essex, Woodham Walter, District 15

• England & Wales, Civil Registration Death Index, 1837-1915 for Robert Henry Falkner, 1907, Q1-Jan-Feb-Mar

• England & Wales, National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations), 1858-1995 for Robert Henry Falkner, 1907

• Scotland, National Probate Index (Calendar of Confirmations and Inventories), 1876-1936 for Robert Henry Falkner, 1907

Footnotes

1. ↑ Birth date from head stone. Find A Grave - https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/84915625/robert-henry-falkner
2. ↑ Place of birth from 1901 census
3. ↑ The History House. Description of Woodham Walter, Essex, in 1895. - https://historyhouse.co.uk/placeW/essexw35e.html
4. ↑ UK, Clergy List, 1897 for Robt Hy Falkner MA, Clergy List 1897 (Ancestry.com) - Original data: The Clergy List, with which is Incorporated in the Clerical Guide and Ecclesiastical Directory, 1897. Digitized book. London, England: Kelly and Co., Limited, 1897.
5. ↑ Rudkin, compiler of Pedigree of Wells of Wallingford, 1935, gives a marriage date as 24 April 1877, at St Mary's church, Wallingford. It is assumed the year at least is an error
6. ↑ London, England, Church of England Births and Baptisms, 1813-1920 for Robert Harry Falkner, Kensington and Chelsea, St Stephen, Kensington, 1847-1901 (Ancestry.com)
7. ↑ The Belfast News Letter, Thursday September 27, 1866
8. ↑ UK, Clergy List, 1897 for Robt Hy Falkner MA, Clergy List 1897 (Ancestry.com)
9. ↑ Find A Grave - https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/84915625/robert-henry-falkner
10. ↑ Content of this paragraph were originally accessed from the website of St. Michael the Archangel at http://www.stmichaelsww.org.uk/17.html - In 2023 this page is no longer available but more limited information can still be found at https://stmichaelsww.org.uk/?s=Almshouses

Acknowledgments

Thank you to Gilly Wood for creating Falkner-131 on 26 Sep 13. Click the Changes tab for the details on contributions by Gilly and others.