Voyages In Time ~ Family, Friends & Places

Fifth Generation

9. Frances DAVIES #2083 (6.Ann⁴, 5.Charles³, 2.William², 1.John¹) ref: the tree, married 17.9.1796, Arthur Thomas CORFE #2173, 9.4.1773, Salisbury, Wilts, (son of Joseph CORFE #2181 and ?#2182) occupation Organist. Arthur: Suzanne M Eward MA, FSA, FRHist.S, ALA. Librarian and Keeper of the Muniments of Salisbury Cathedral advised that he was a chorister at Westminster Abbey in his childhood. Between 1804 and 1863 he was the organist at Salisbury Cathedral. He was the son of Joseph CORFE a music teacher, and grandson of Joseph Corfe. The Corfe family appears to have been a very old Salisbury family.

Children:

i John Davies CORFE #2177 1804, Salisbury.

11. ii Charles William CORFE #2178.

Arthur Thomas had at least one sister, Mary Bernard CORFE c 1767 whose descendant Les de Belin shared the following with me

The CORFE family originally came from Winchester in 1692. They were a prolific and musical family, and many of them were choristers. Joseph CORFE c 9.2.1741, son of Joseph Corfe entered the choir at Salisbury Cathedral about 1752/53. Joseph became a well known singer, and apart from the local concerts and the Musical Festival, he was in demand in London, where he was a principal tenor at the Handel Commemoration in 1784.

Joseph also sang at the Three Choirs from 1764 to 1768. In 1783 Joseph became a Gentleman of the Chapels Royal. In 1781, Joseph vied for appointment as Organist of Salisbury Cathedral, but lost out to Robert PARRY. The ill feeling in the city that Joseph CORFE was not chosen divided the musical life of Salisbury for 2 years, and it was not until November 1782, before the Salisbury Journal was able to announce that the "musical dissensions are at length finally adjusted".

On PARRY's death in 1792, Joseph CORFE achieved his ambition of becoming Organist of Salisbury. In 1804 he resigned in favour of his son, Arthur Thomas CORFE. Joseph died in Sept 1820, and was buried at Salisbury Cathedral. Joseph's secular works include "A Treatise on Singing", "Beauties of Handel" and "Beauties of Purcell". He also composed "Lady Anne Bothwell's Lament", in 1791, and some 200 years later, it was available on CD!

Details of Joseph's wife are unknown, however, there were at least two children, being:

1: Mary Bernard CORFE, born about 1759 (she is a direct ancestor). – married Charles BELIN

2: Arthur Thomas CORFE, born in Salisbury, 9th April, 1773. He was a chorister at Westminster Abbey in 1782. In 1804, he succeeded his father as Organist of Salisbury Cathedral, which post he held until his death in 1863, aged 90, when he was found dead kneeling in prayer beside his bed. (lesdebelin@bigpond.com April, 2002)

10. Charles Lockyer CURTOYS #1982 (7.Charles⁴, 5.Charles³, 2.William², 1.John¹) born 27.8.1782, ref: IGI 7702726/wfc, married 24.10.1820, in Boreham, ESSEX (P. Hardy), Fanny TWEED #2089, born 1794, Salison, Essex, ref: Frank Curtoys, died 1867. Charles died 3.8.1852, Nortfleet, Kent, England. was named as Executor in the will of his aunt Elizabeth Davis Curtoys from whom he inherited linen tablecloth and napkin/s bearing the Kings Arms. He also inherited money and property from her estate when she died between 1823-26. Fanny: daughter of Thomas Littell Tweed and Sarah Ruffle, of Bocking Hall, Essex.

Children:

12. i William Joseph CURTOYS Esq #2090.

ii Emily Frances CURTOYS #2091 ref: Will EDC, married William WALFORD #2094, ref: wfc. Emily died 1880. William: William Walford was a popular composer of hymns and I suspect it is likely that he is the same man who married Emily Frances Curtoys although I have not been able to find additional information

iii Thomas Tweed CURTOYS #2092 died New Zealand. was a shop keeper in New Zealand, 1862 had 2 acres at Kawhia district, of the Ngatihikairo tribe. WFDCurtoys tree says he died without issue.

iv Charles H.D. CURTOYS #2093 ref: wfc / PRO - Charles Henry Davis Curtoys leased part of Charlton Estate in Greenwich Kent from Sir John Maryon-Wilson between 1869 and 1884. The address given for Charles H.D. Curtoys was Heath Lodge but I have not found evidence to prove anything. CHDCurtoys also leased land on Shootershill Road from the estate. His name does not appear on the 1881 census of England, so perhaps he too was 'away on business'.

Sixth Generation

11. Charles William CORFE #2178 (9.Frances⁵, 6.Ann⁴, 5.Charles³, 2.William², 1.John¹) 1814, Salisbury, married 7.7.1842, in St Edmunds, Salisbury, IGI Ref M153492, Jane Elizabeth COTHER #2179.

Children:

i Margaret Catherine CORFE #2185 born 1.5.1844, Isleworth, London, ref: C042261 IGI.

13. ii Robert Philip Cother CORFE#2186 born ?.

12. William Joseph CURTOYS Esq #2090 (10.Charles⁵, 7.Charles⁴, 5.Charles³, 2.William², 1.John¹) ref: WFC, occupation Reverend, married (1) 12.2.1859, in Old Charlton, Kent, Frances Helen DENNY #2095, born 13.8.1835, ref: the tree, died Montreal Canada, married (2) Emily F. SHEARIN #2097, ref: Burkes Irish FR. was in India 1863, but had previously lived in Canada where his first wife Frances perhaps died in childbirth (unconfirmed) Frances: an obituary for Fanny Curtoys is in the San Francisco newspaper index at ancestry.com, along with William Curtoys (information sought) Emily: After the death of her husband, William Joseph Curtoys, Emily married her daughter in law's father, Col Ingoldsby Thomas William Somerset Smythe

Children by Frances Helen DENNY:

14. i William Francis Denny CURTOYS #2096 born 1860.

Children by Emily F. SHEARIN:

ii Charles CURTOYS #2100 born 25.11.1863, Calcutta, India, occupation Royal Marines, married Maud MATTHEWS #2102. I think his Last Will and Testament is available online from the London PRO - I have not purchased it.

iii Beatrice CURTOYS #2101 married T. COLLEDGE #2103.

Seventh Generation

13. Robert Philip Cother CORFE #2186 (11.Charles⁶, 9.Frances⁵, 6.Ann⁴, 5.Charles³, 2.William², 1.John¹) born ?, married Emily Isabel Caroline ? #2187.

Children:

i Robert Charles Hardy CORFE #2188 born 23.6.1870, St Mary, Aylesbury Bucks, ref: IGI C073645.

ii Emily Katharine Theodora CORFE #2189 born 20.9.1871, St Mary, Aylesbury, Bucks, ref: IGI C073645.

14. William Francis Denny CURTOYS #2096 (12.William⁶, 10.Charles⁵, 7.Charles⁴, 5.Charles³, 2.William², 1.John¹) born 1860, ref: WFC tree, occupation Reverend C of E, married 1898, source the tree, Charlotte Elizabeth SMYTHE #2099, born 21.3.1872, ref: David D-Smythe, died 7.5.1955. William died 1941, 11 Henrietta St. Bath England.

Frank attended Oxford University, who provided the following information from their Archives:

Curtoys, Rev William Francis Denny, first son of William Joseph, a gentleman of Montreal, Canada.

Matriculated from New College, 24 January 1879, aged 19; Bible clerk at Oriel College, 1880; BA 1883, MA 1886. The position of Bible Clerk was one which provided payment (or a reduction in fees) in return for assistance in the day to day running of the Chapel.

Curtoys joined the University as a member of New College, but it would appear that he migrated College to Oriel in the following year. This was allowed to happen for various reasons, ranging from financial to social, but was not very common. William Francis Denny is the only 'Curtoys' in Foster for the whole period from 1500-1886.

Frank matriculated (the formal ceremony of admittance to the University, as opposed to a College) as a member of New College in 1879 from Haileybury School. Incidentally, it may of interest to know that usual format of entries would suggest that Montreal was where he was born; the residence given is usually that of the father at the student's birth.

He entered Oriel College on 26 January 1880. He gained a second class degree in Classical Moderations ('Mods'), the first part of the Classics degree, in Michaelmas (Autumn) Term 1882. He took a second class degree in the final Classical School in Michaelmas Term 1882. In January 1883 he was elected to a Robinson Exhibition, one of three exhibitions for Bachelors of Arts founded by John Robinson, Bishop of London, in 1719 with a gift of £2,500. His B.A. degree was awarded formally on 1 February 1883 and his M.A. on 11 November 1886; the MA was not a research degree but simply conferred full membership of the University

The Registrum Orielense by C.L. Shadwell [volume II 1701-1900] (London 1902) records that he was presented by the College to the Vicarage of Coleby in Lincolnshire in 1890. The right to choose the vicar of Coleby was given to the College by King Edward III in 1328.

Oxford University has in their archives a brief letter written by W.F. Curtoys to the Provost of the College in 1899, sent to him with some fruit from a medlar tree at Coleby. Unfortunately they have no information about Curtoys' later career. His death on 8 October 1941 is recorded in The Oriel Record, the College magazine, but there is no obituary.

Frank contributed much research to the parish of Coleby Lincolnshire as he assisted the Tempest family collate the records. He also researched his family's origins and updated information at Cambridge University.

Frank wrote at least 3 books, "A Short Life of St. Oswald", "The Registers of Coleby Lincs" and "Organ Accounts for St. Andrew Church, Cromhall", published 1911. His book on the life of St. Oswald is on the shelf at the British Library, reference 4805 66 29 (3) 1913 (sources, British Library, Oxford University, Cambridge University)

WFC in this document refers to Frank

Charlotte: Daughter of Colonel Ingoldsby Thomas William Somerset Smythe and Charlotte Elizabeth Ann Plowden who was the daughter of George Augustus Chichele Plowden of the Bengal Civil Service, India. Her father Col. Ingoldsby Smythe married again after the death of his first wife. He married Emily J.F. Shearin, the widow of William Joseph Curtoys, Charlottes father-in-law.

Children:

15. i Oswald CURTOYS (Ollo) #2104.

16. ii Charles Hugo Denny CURTOYS #2105.

17. iii Nicolas CURTOYS #2106.

18. iv Frances Monica CURTOYS #2107 born 1904 - married Eric Hamilton SMYTHE.

Details of later Curtoys generations are available as part of this study but are not published here. Further information and family 'end-notes' may be obtained directly from the author, Judy Jerkins.

Judy's own web site may be accessed via www.geocities.com/courtoy2001 and she may be contacted on bushnook at hotkey.net.au .