History
Jun 2024
Blisworth Heritage Society © 2024
On the south wall of the chancel are four white marble tablets. One of these tells of Joseph Ambrose
Lawson, Esq., M.D., who was born in the City of Waterford on July 26
th
, 1806, and died on February
11
th
, 1864. He was Deputy Inspector General of Army Hospitals. This same tablet also recalls the
death of his widow, Caroline Susannah, who died at Vevey in October, 1888.(Vevey – town of the
Lake of Geneva, Switzerland.)
The other three tablets are tablets to the memory of the Barry family, the topmost one to Rose Maria,
wife of the Rev. Henry T. Barry, rector of Blisworth, 1884-1904.
The second tablet is to the memory of Henry Thomas Barry, M.A., who was born at Blisworth in
1847, and was educated at Eton and Trinity College, Cambridge, and who followed in his father’s
footsteps and was rector of Blisworth for twenty years.
The third tablet is to the memory of the Rev. William Henry Barry, M.A., who was rector of
Blisworth from 1904-1914, and was the third generation to hold the living here.
It was this rector’s grandfather who came down from Whitby in 1839 to become rector of
Blisworth, building the new rectory in 1842 from stone excavated from the rectory farm on West
Bridge Hill. This family of grandfather, son, and grandson, reigned supreme for nearly a century and
witnessed many changes in the social and domestic affairs of the village.
It was during the incumbency of the first of the Barrys, 1839-1884, that the complete
restoration of the church was undertaken and the seating enlarged to accommodate 400 worshippers
– and I am told that often all seats were filled.
History of Your Parish Church 28, sadly Part 29 is missing