Rectory & Rectors

Dr Benjamin Heath Benjamin was born in Exeter in 1739 the eldest of 13 children. His father, also Dr Benjamin Heath (1703-1766), was the Town Clerk of Exeter and an avid and well-known collector of rare books. Although originally destined for the...

John Gorsuch became rector of Walkern in the 1630s, in the climate of political and religious turbulence preceding the English Civil War. In fact he was one of the few village priests to be ejected from their living by Act of Parliament. Ultimately,...

List of Walkern Rectors from 12th century to present day The church of St Mary's in Walkern was given to the Abbey of St John's in Colchester in the last quarter of the 12th century by Walkern's lord William (I) de Lanvalei who was also govenor of Colchester...

Walkern's Medieval Rectory The rectory before Daniel Gorsuch built the brick rectory for his son John in 1632, was sited within the medieval Walkern Park. The most likely contender for the original building is this house, now two residences, at Clay...

The Old Rectory The Old Rectory, now a private house, was built around 1632 for Rector Dr John Gorsuch (1600-48). It is an early example of a brick house, described in 1638 as having: 'below, one parlour, a hall, a kitchen, a milk house, a brew house,...