The  Death of The Rev William Carter's Wife

(added by Paul Hadley)

(Following the death of the Rev C P Worsley, William Carter the then  curate of  of Foxley  was offered the job of Hullavington vicar. which he accepted. He moved into the vicarage and at some stage took a wife. Sadly his wife was to die quite young. Below is a  newspaper record of the time recording the death and the circumstances surrounding it.  The world was a much more chauvinistic  then and not once does the report give the lady's name, but it did give her age.....  )

'On Sunday week, after the sermon, in compliance with the Queen's letter, was preached in Hullavington Church, Wiltshire, by the Rev. Wm. Carter, Vicar of this parish, the plate was taken to the three principal farmers who each in succession refused to hold it at the door. The vicar's lady on seeing this, left the pew, took the plate, and stationed herself at the door, but, after a few persons had passed, the plate was observed to drop from her hand and she fell in a state of insensibility and so continued until her death which took place between 7 and 8 o'clock in the evening of the same day. A medical gentleman was prompt in attendance who gave his opinion that death was occasioned by apoplexy and a verdict was returned to that effect. The deceased, who was a most amiable lady, was 42 years of age.'

June Badeni, in her book Past people in Wiltshire and Gloucestershire, records the following which helps to throw some light on what happened  

'Evidently, the special collection was for some cause to which Queen Victoria attached enough importance to direct that all congregations should contribute. Equally evidently, it was something of which the local farmers disapproved. Curiously enough, since it seems to have been a national matter, I have not been able to trace any reference to it either in the local press or in the Times so I do not know what the cause was'.