Rev. Henry Rix

Contents

1. Biography 1670 -1728
2. Jan 1718
3. April 1718 – loan to Francis Wright of Deopham
4. July 1718
5. Legacy
   1. Henry Rix Charity
   2. Text of the Henry Rix Will concerning the Deopham Charity
   3. Summary of the Will – financial legacies
   4. Summary of the Will – estate legacies
   5. Summary of the Will – library
6. The full Will and Codicil of Henry Rix
7. Footnotes

Biography 1670 -1728

Vicar of Deopham 1713-1728

Henry Rix was baptised in Saffron Walden on October 12^th, 1670. He went to school in Newport, gained his B.A. in 1690 at Gonville and Caius college, Cambridge and his M.A. in 1694. He was ordained deacon in London on May 23^rd 1692, and ordained priest in Norwich on May 25^th 1695. He then held an appointment at Syleham before being appointed Rector of Colton in 1702; he held this post until he died. At the same time as his post at Colton, he held curacies at Horham in Suffolk and Rushall in Norfolk.
In 1713 he was appointed Vicar of Deopham, a post he held alongside his Colton responsibilities. He continued to live in the Colton vicarage.

Source: CCEd – Clergy of the Church of England Database

When appointed as vicar of Deopham on July 30^th 1713, the Rev. Henry Rix had to affirm that he would uphold all the 39 articles of religion agreed at the synod of London of the archbishops held in 1562. He also agreed to conform to the liturgy of the Church of England.

All rights reserved by Norfolk Record Office who hold the original

Jan 1718

Rev. Henry Rix made his first benefaction to the Queen Anne’s Bounty fund – for the augmentation of Deopham.

© Lambeth Palace Library, Ref QAB/4/1/2/183

April 1718 – loan to Francis Wright of Deopham

On April 23^rd 1718 Henry Rix made a loan of £30 to Francis Wright of Deopham. The details of the Indenture relating to this transaction are available here. This mortgage was still outstanding at the time of Henry Rix’s death so his Executrix Mary Cross had to redeem the loan. Details of that transaction are here.

July 1718

Rev. Rix made a second benefaction to the Queen Anne’s Bounty fund – for the augmentation of Deopham. He contributed £130 which the Dean and Chapter of Canterbury topped up with a further £70.

© Lambeth Palace Library, Ref QAB/4/3/1/1, Pg 7

Legacy

Volume 2 of Francis Blomefield’s history records that on a mural monument on the north side of the chancel of Colton Church is the following inscription:

An enhanced machine translation of this memorial reads:-

Henry Rix Charity

The charity founded in his name upon his death is undoubtedly his lasting legacy to Deopham, continuing until the present time. This is memorialised at the east end of the north aisle of St Andrew’s Church in Deopham:

Text of the Henry Rix Will concerning the Deopham Charity

Copy of a clause of the Rev^nd Henry Rix his will relating to this parish.
I give the sum of sixty pounds to be laid out in lands to be put into trustees hands for the teaching of four poor children in the Parish of Deopham in the county of Norfolk to read and to say the Church Catechism and for a sermon to be preached once yearly on the day of my death or on the Sunday next after it to put the people in mind of their Mortality and to advise them to prepare for Death without delay and after the said sermon this clause of my will to be read
The Minister to have £0 10s 0d
The Clarke ” ” £0 1s 0d
Leaving the remainder to be laid out in Bread to be then given to y^e poor of y^e said Parish and my mind is that y^e Minister Church Wardens and Trustees shall have the management of this Charity the Minister to have two votes and the Trustees to be nominated by my executrix. He died Vicar of this Church July 24^th 1728.

It is interesting to note that Henry Rix set up an identical charity in Colton. He also left them £60 which was used to buy a house and 5½ acres of land, the net rent being used to support the school, for an annual distribution of bread, and with 10s provided for a sermon and 1s to the clerk. A substantial sum was also left for the improvement of the Colton vicarage. There is no plaque in Colton church corresponding to that in Deopham church.

Source: White’s Directory of Norfolk, 1883

Summary of the Will – financial legacies

Beneficiary	Relationship to Henry Rix	Original bequest 1726 (£)	Codicil 1727 (£)
Monument at Colton	Himself	20
Mary Cross	Sister	200
Mariana	Niece – daughter of Mary Cross	50
Thomas Buttolph	Godson	30	+20
Mary	Sister of the Godson	20	+20
Samuel Rix	Brother	40	+20
Henry Rix	Nephew	20
John Rix	Nephew	300
Ann	Niece; sister of John Rix	150	+50
Mary	Niece; sister of John Rix	150	Deceased
Society for the Promotion of the Gospel	–	50
Clergy Widows	–	30	+20
Queen Anne’s Bounty for Colton	–	120
Henry Rix towards Queen Anne’s Bounty @ Rickling, Essex	Nephew	200
Teaching poor of Colton	–	60
Teaching poor of Deopham	–	60
Total financial legacies		1,500

Summary of the Will – estate legacies

Beneficiary	Relationship to Henry Rix	Bequest
Henry Rix	Nephew	Estate at Wimbish & Thunderly in Essex

Summary of the Will – library

The Rev. Henry Rix gave the following instructions regarding the disposal of his library:

To his brother, Samuel: Cambridge Bible
To his sister, Mary Cross:- 1) Dr. Scott’s Christian Life in 5 Volumes1 2) Mr. Bragg on ye Parables in 2 Vols2 3) Mr. Bragg on ye Miracles in 2 Vols3
To his niece, Mariana Buttolph	Two books of miscellaneous sermons
To the son & daughter of Mariana Buttolph; To his nephew John Rix and his sister[s] Anne & Mary:	I desire my nephew Henry Rix to to give about 10 books a piece such as he shall think most proper for them
To his nephew Henry Rix	All the rest of his library

The full Will and Codicil of Henry Rix

There is a transcription of the Will and Codicil of Rev. Henry Rix here.

Footnotes

1. Volume IV of Dr. Scott’s Christian Life is available here. ↩︎
2. Volume II of Mr. Bragge on y^e Parables is available here. ↩︎
3. Volume II of Mr. Bragge on y^e Miracles is available here. ↩︎

Date	Change
2/4/25	Oath of allegiance in 1713
25/3/25	Loan to Francis Wright
23/3/25	Link to the full Will and Codicil
22/3/25	Disposal of his Library
20/3/25	Financial and estate summaries from Will
18/3/25	Link to Rix Charity page
16/5/23	Revised
27/11/22	Published