William Carmont ALLSEBROOK (1868-1947)

William Carmont Allsebrook (1868-1947) was Vicar of Badsey, Aldington and Wickhamford from 1903 until 1945.  He is mentioned in a number of letters written by the Sladden family.

William was born at West Derby, Lancashire, the son of a butler, William Allsebrook, and his wife, Jane (née Carmont); the couple had met whilst working in service at Sandfield Park, West Derby. William Junior’s mother died in 1872 when he was just four years old and he went to live with his aunt and uncle, James and Sarah Ann Allsebrook, who lived in Sheffield and had no children.  Some time later, William’s father married again in 1889 and a half-brother, Harold was born.  William was already studying at Oxford by this time.

William gained a BA in 1891 from Jesus College, Oxford, and an MA in 1895. He was ordained a deacon in 1891 and a priest in 1892. From 1891-1893 he was Curate of Great Crosby; from 1893-1894 at Sephton; from 1894-1897 at Stratford-on-Avon. He was Chaplain at Jesus College, Oxford from 1897-1900, Senior Procurator at Oxford 1899-1900, Chaplain of Christ Church, Oxford, from 1897-1903, and New College, Oxford, from 1899-1903.  In 1903, he became Vicar of Badsey and Wickhamford, and remained there until 1945. He was also Rural Dean of Evesham from 1931-1945, and Honorary Canon of Worcester Cathedral from 1930-1946.

Reverend Allsebrook married Evelyn Kate Hands (1880-1932) on 24^th June 1909 at Solihull.  It is assumed that Reverend Allsebrook had met Evelyn whilst he lived in Stratford as the Hands family had lived in Stratford at the time that William worked there.  When William became Vicar of Badsey, Evelyn and her parents also came to live at Badsey Vicarage.  His in-laws remained living at Badsey Vicarage until their deaths in 1918 and 1926.

The Allsebrooks had two children: William Basil James (1913-1938) and Evelyn Joyce (1914-2002).  William Allsebrook’s wife died on 16^th February 1932, leaving him with two teenage children.  Further tragedy happened in 1938 when his son, Basil, died, aged 24.  It was about this time that Canon Allsebrook stopped putting entries in the parish registers, so he may have had some kind of a breakdown.

On retirement in 1945, Canon Allsebrook moved to Port Street, Evesham, with his daughter.

Canon Allsebrook died on 14th April 1947 at a Leamington Spa Nursing Home.  A report in The Gloucestershire Echo of 15^th April 1947 begins:

The death of one of the best-loved clergymen ever connected with the Evesham district, Canon William Carmont Allsebrook, until 1845 Vicar of Badsey and Wickhamford, and for 23 years Rural Dean of Evesham, occurred in a Leamington Spa nursing home on Monday.  In his 80^th year, Canon Allsebrook had recently broken his leg on two occasions, but had recovered from these accidents.

He was buried at Badsey on 18^th April 1947, but there was no headstone to mark his burial place.

In 2008, a large box containing documents relating to the late Canon William Carmont Allsebrook was donated to The Badsey Society archive. The box had been kept by Canon Allsebrook’s daughter, Evelyn Joyce Carmont Allsebrook.