Charles Granville GEPP (1844-1903)

Charles Granville Gepp (1844-1903) was Vicar of Badsey from 1887 to 1897.

Charles Gepp was born at Ashbourne, Derbyshire, on 18th January 1844, the sixth of seven children of the Reverend George Edward Gepp and his wife, Emma Sophia (née Arntz).

Charles was educated at Christ Church, Oxford, where he gained 2nd class Mod in 1864, a BA (3rd class Lit Hum) in 1866 and an MA in 1876.  From 1868-1871 he was Sixth Form Master at Tonbridge School.  He was ordained in 1871, and was Curate of Luddington, Warwickshire 1871-1874.

In January 1872, Charles married Harriet Alice Lister Swainson at Wistanstow, Shropshire, where her father was the Rector.  From 1874-1875, he was Classics Master at Elizabeth College, Guernsey.  Harriet died at Winstanstow in December 1875; there were no children from the marriage.

On 3rd January 1877 at North Stoneham, Southampton, Reverend Gepp married widow Charlotte Kinchant (née Foster), who had a 12-year-old daughter, Charlotte.

From 1877-1878 Charles was Second Master at Great Yarmouth Grammar School; from 1878-1880, he was Headmaster of the Grammar School and Chaplain of the Church of the Holy Cross, Stratford-on-Avon.  By 1881, he was Curate of Westhide, Herefordshire, and also described as an author (he had published Key To Progressive Exercises In Latin Elegiac Verse in 1879); his wife Charlotte and step-daughter were also at the Parsonage.  In June 1881, Charlotte gave birth to a daughter, Violet Alice Favel.  Charlotte died just a few weeks later.  Charles remained at Westhide until 1882.

On 28th July 1883, Charles married Alice Wallington, at Leamington Priors, Warwickshire.  He then became Assistant Master of St Andrew’s College, Bradfield, Berkshire, from 1883-1887.  Three children were born whilst at Bradfield:  Blanche Edith (1884-1966), Helen Gertrude (1886-1960) and Lancelot Charles (1887-?).

Charles became Vicar of Badsey in 1887.  His last two children were born at Badsey:  George Asser (1889-1988) and Hermione Jane (1895-1982).

Charles left Badsey in the spring of 1897 and moved to Norfolk where he became Vicar of Wood Norton; he died there in 1903.  At the time of the 1901 census, Charles and Alice were at the Wood Norton Vicarage with their three youngest daughters, Blanche, Helen and Hermione.  Violet was in London and 11-year-old George was in Norwich.