ARCHDEACON PHILIP JACOB

Born 28th October 1803 - Died 20th December 1884

 

 

A son of John Jacob of Guernsey, he was born on 28th October 1803, died on 20th December 1884 at the Close, Winchester. He was admitted to Corpus Christi College, Oxford, matriculating on 16th October 1821, aged 17; exhibitioner 1821-1825; BA 1825; MA 1828. He was canon residentiary of Winchester in 1834, Archdeacon in 1860 and rector of Crawley, Wiltshire, from 1831 until his death. He was appointed Archdeacon on 25th April 1860.

A watercolour

He married Sophia, daughter of the Honourable and Reverend Gerard Thomas Noel, Canon of Winchester and vicar of Romney, Hampshire. They had children:

1 Charles Sumner Noel, born 4th September 1833, died 23rd May 1836.
2 Eustace Wilberforce, born 17th February 1835, baptized 5th April 1835, died without issue 9th July 1878.
3 Edith Sophia, born 24th May 1836, baptized 10th June 1836, died on 31st March 1915.
4 Gertrude Louisa, born 4th November 1837, baptized 10th December 1837, died 9th January 1898.
5 Augustus, Commander Royal Navy, born 20th August 1839, baptized 22nd September 1839, died 10th December 1893.
6 Isabel Margaret, born 20th May 1841, baptized 25th April 1841. On 2nd October 1862 she married the Reverend William Castleman.
7 Alfred Noel, born 22nd June 1842, died 10th August 1843.
8 The Right Reverend Edgar, born 16th November 1844, baptized 20th May 1849, died 25th March 1920.
9 Ernest Henry, born 5th April, baptized 20th May 1849, died 1st March 1904.
10 Cecil, born 29th August, baptized 19th October 1851, died 4th October 1854.

His will was dated 6th February 1866, in which he left all his goods and moneys to his daughter Edith Sophia (original will - Jacob MSS).


Philip and his family were close knit. They were also prolific correspondents, especially with one another. Many letters have survived and make interesting reading and give an excellent insight into a middle class family of the period.

What astonishes me is how they suffered from colds; hardly a letter is written without complaining of one. They also seem to have had so many teeth capped (filled) and more importantly pulled (extracted) that they can have had few teeth left by the time they reached middle age! They also were rather fond of having their photographs taken and sending them to one another and to friends. A few of these have survived.

I go into detail under the pages of the individuals named above. Philip's handwriittng is particularly difficult to read, being written in a small, very cursive hand.

His wife Sophia was not well in mid and later life. She spent much of her later life at Romsey, with her father's family, yet writing to Philip affectionally. They were all very devout Christians.

From left to right: Philip. Sophia,  Sir George Legrand Jacob,.

 

Philip died at the Close, Winchester on 20th December 1884. An appeal was made to erect a memorial to him:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sources:

Jacob MSS.
Pedigree registered with the College of Arms.
The Complete Peerage GEC.
TC & EC Jack, The Plantagenet Roll of the Blood Royal, The Anne of Exeter Volume, London 1907.
Sir Bernard Burke, Ulster King of Arms, 'A Selection of Arms Authorised by the Laws of Heraldry', London 1860.
Boase 1897, p 43.

Crawley Register of Burials: http://www.downs-benefice.hampshire.org.uk/benefice/cbur2.pdf

Home Sample of handwriting Sample of Sophia's handwriting