Chapter 17: 

Reverend Carew Thomas Elers (31 July 1791 - 19 February 1863)

5 generations between Reverend Carew Thomas Elers and James Rupuha Elers

The lives of Reverend Carew Thomas Elers and Sarah Palmer

Reverend Carew Thomas Elers B.D. (Batchelor in Divinity), the eldest son and third child of Carew and Susanna (Farrow) Elers was born on 31 July 1791 in St. Giles, Camden, Middlesex. The 1861 Census and his Ordination record (figures 1 and 2) separately show date and year of birth.

• On 2 March 1821 he was promoted to the Rectory of Rishangles, Suffolk, vacated by the death of his uncle, the Rev Peter Elers, as reported in the Royal Cornwall Gazette on Saturday 17 March 1821.

• On 14 February 1823 he was presented by the Earl of Aylesford to the Vicarage of Bickenhill, Warwickshire, vacated by the death of Rev William Bree. At the time Carew was Chaplain to HRH the Duke of Clarence.

• His attainment of Bachelor In Divinity was reported in The Coventry Herald’s Weekly Adviser on Friday 29 December 1826.

• (A Bachelor In Divinity is a post graduate academic degree awarded for a course taken in the study of divinity or related disciplines, such as theology or, rarely, religious studies. It involves the academic study of religion, including its history, beliefs, practices, and impact on societies. It provides training and information aimed at the needs of churches. A Bachelor Of Theology is the study of religion in a research capacity, whereas a degree in divinity is preparation for ministry).

• Carew died on 19 February 1863 and was buried eight days later. Death record is in figure 3 below. Transcription is: “Nineteenth February 1863. Carew Thomas Elers. Male. 72 years. Clerk in Holy Orders. Heart disease with dropsy certified.”

• His remains were buried in a vault at the east end of the churchyard at St. Peter’s Church, Bickenhill, Birmingham (see the vault and vault numbers in figure 7).

• Carew’s burial record is in figure 4 below showing his burial took place on 27 February 1863.

• Sarah, daughter of Charles and Sarah Palmer, was born in 1800 and was baptised on 29 May of that year Figure 5.

• Carew and Sarah were married on 26 February 1821 in Coleshill, Warwickshire Figure 6.

• Sarah died on 24 March 1892. Her remains are buried in the same vault at St Peter’s as her husband.

• Her probate: “Elers, Sarah of Rugby Road, Leamington, Warwickshire, widow died 24 March 1892. Effects GBP204”.

• Hanging on a wall within St Peter’s Church, Bickenhill, is a memorial plaque dedicated to Carew and his family.

• A section of that memorial is:

“Sacred to the memory of the Reverend Carew Thomas Elers, B.D. who died 19th February 1863. His remains are interred in a vault, at the east end of the churchyard. Also of Sarah, his widow, who died March 24th 1892. Her remains are interred in the same vault.”

• The list of Vicars at St Peter’s shows Carew held the position from 1823 till 1863. This plaque also hangs on a wall in St Peter’s.

Vaults for Carew Elers and his wife Sarah (nee Palmer) to the left, and Carew Elers and his wife Sarah (nee Field) to the right. These two men were father and son.

• Carew seemingly was in a position to liaise with important people in society. On the death of Princess Charlotte in 1817, Carew wrote letters of sympathy to George Augustus Frederick, Prince of Wales, (and father of Princess Charlotte), and to Leopold, Prince of Saxe Cobourg, (Charlotte’s husband).

In the London Gazette on 13 January 1818:

“To His Royal Highness George Augustus Frederick, Prince of Wales, Regent of this United Kingdom. May it please your Royal Highness, Impressed with a deep sense of the mournful event which has deprived your Royal Highness of a most affectionate daughter, Her Royal Highness the Princess Charlotte Augusta, and persuaded that your Royal Highness is graciously disposed to find a melancholy consolation in the painful condolences of a loyal people, we, the inhabitants of the Town and Vicinity of Coleshill, in the County of Warwick, beg leave to assure your Royal Highness, that, in common with His Majesty’s dutiful and devoted subjects, we feelingly participate in your great affliction. Through your Royal Highness’s Illustrious House, the blessings of Providence have abundantly flowed upon our favoured land, and in this hour of its awful visitation, we commit, with unaltered confidence, our hopes and fortunes to the same parental government, under the same Divine protection.

Carew Thomas Elers, Curate of Coleshill.”

In the London Gazette on 31 January 1818:

“To His Serene Highness Leopold Prince of Saxe Cobourg. May it please your Serene Highness, we, the inhabitants of the Town and Vicinity of Coleshill, in the County of Warwick, feeling no slight reluctance to obtrude ourselves upon your Serene Highness under the pressure of your recent sorrow, yet humbly trust that united with your Serene Highness by the bonds of a common loss, we may be allowed to alleviate by our tenderest sympathy the greatness of your domestic affliction. We have witnessed with grateful admiration your conjugal affection to our lamented Princess; in the exercise of the same benevolent and exalted virtues, we are persuaded you will find the surest source of future consolation; and confiding in this hope , and in the sure, inscrutable goodness of Providence, we implore for your Serene Highness a fortitude and resignation as conspicuous as your trial.

Carew Thomas Elers, Curate of Coleshill”

PROGENY OF GEORGE and MARY ELERS

Carew and Sarah had a wretched time with the mortality of their children. They had twelve children in total; eight of them died as youngsters – 16 days, 18 days, 4 months, 7 months, 9 months, 15 months, 5 years, 6 years. In addition, a further two reached the ages of 18 and 20. Thankfully, Carew Thomas Elers (1829-1870) lived to the age of 41; enough time for him to have is own family and keep alive our direct line here in NZ back to King Edward I.

Although causes of death were not quoted on death certificates, infectious diseases were the greatest cause of mortality around this time. Most of these diseases were old scourges, but in 1831 Britain suffered its first epidemic of cholera.

1.Sarah Elizabeth Elers:

•  Sarah was born in 1822 and was baptised on 2 April of that year.

• She died on 6 April 1840 aged 18 years (as per the plaques in St Peter’s Church):

• Sarah was buried at St Peter’s Church, Bickenhill, on 11 April 1840, aged 18.

2. Charlotte Elers:

•  Charlotte was born in 1823 and was baptised at St Peter’s Church on 28 November of that year.

• According to the 1891 Census, Charlotte at age 68 was living at the home of her mother Sarah (Carew was deceased at this point); in the 1901 Census, she was at the home of Sarah HH Smith (her mother was now deceased); and in the 1911 Census, aged 88, she was a lodger at 20 Russell Terrace, Leamington, and her marital status is listed as ‘single’.

• Charlotte’s probate states she died as a spinster on 21 April 1919 her estate of GBP 4685 was left to her brother Walter and his son Guy. (Note: spinster is defined as "an unmarried woman, typically an older woman beyond the usual age for marriage."

3. Sophia Elers:

• Sophia was born on 14 November 1825 and baptised at St Peter’s Church, Bickenhill three days later.

• She died on 9 July 1845 (as per the plaques in St Peter’s Church).

• Sophia was buried at St Peter’s Church, Bickenhill, on 15 July 1845.

• Steve Elers found ‘The Commonplace book of Sophia Elers’ in existence at Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, USA. He made an approach to the university to ascertain if they were prepared to release the book to us as we are closely connected to Sophia (we are direct descendants of her father and brother). Unfortunately, they did not want to part ways with the book, so Steve asked a student at Johns Hopkins University to scan the entire book and email it to him. To download the book, click here.

4. Carew Elers:

•  Carew was born in December 1827 and was baptised on 2 January 1828.

•  He died on 12 April 1828 aged 15 weeks (as per the plaques in St Peter’s).

•  He was buried at St Peter’s Church, Bickenhill, on 16 April.

5. Carew Thomas Elers:

•  See his bio in “The lives of Carew Thomas Elers and Sarah Field” – Chapter 18.

6. George Elers:

• George was born in 1831 and baptised on 12 June of that year at St. Peter’s Church, Bickenhill.

• He died on 27 January 1832 aged 7 months (as per the plaques in St. Peter’s):

• George was buried on 30 January 1832 at St. Peter’s Church, Bickenhill.

7. Charles George Elers:

•  Charles George was born in 1832 and baptised on 6 July 1832 at St. Peter’s Church, Bickenhill.

• He died on 26 April 1833, aged 9 months (as per the plaques in St. Peter’s).

• Charles George was buried on 1 May 1833 at St. Peter’s Church, Bickenhill.

8. Louisa Elers:

• Louisa was born in 1834 and was baptised on 30 May 1834 of that year at St. Peter’s Church, Bickenhill.

• The 1861 Census shows Louisa living at home at the Vicarage with her parents and her sole surviving sibling Charlotte (except Carew Thomas who had married in 1855).

• In the 1871 Census, Louisa was still living with her mother (no longer in the Vicarage at Bickenhill, but at 1 Heath Terrace, Leamington Spa, as her father (the Rev Carew Elers) had died in 1863. Also in the house was Rev Carew and Sarah’s granddaughter Charlotte Louisa Elers, aged 11 years, (daughter of Carew Elers and his wife Sarah Field). This Carew was Louisa’s brother who had married Sarah Field in 1855. Both this Carew and Sarah were deceased by the 1871 Census (Carew in 1870 and Sarah in 1868 – see chapter 18). So the Rev Carew’s wife Sarah had obviously taken on the responsibility of raising her granddaughter.

• However, according to the 1871 census, the Rev Carew’s wife was blind at that point in her life, at age 71, so Louisa was presumably charged with the care of Charlotte Louisa.

• According to ‘Find A Grave’, Louisa died on 11 August 1885 and was buried at Milverton Cemetery, Leamington Spa. The fact Louisa lived at Leamington Spa possibly explains her break from the family tradition by not having been buried at St Peter’s, Bickenhill.

• According to Louisa’s probate, she died as a spinster, just as her sister Charlotte did. Louisa lived at Rugby Road, Leamington. The probate was proved by her sister Charlotte.

9. Adeline Elers:

• Adeline was born on 20 March 1836 and was baptised the next day at St. Peter’s, Bickenhill.

• She died on 13 January 1842 at 6 years of age (as per the plaques in St Peter’s).

• She was buried on 18 January 1842 at St. Peter’s Church.

10. Charles Henry Elers:

•  Charles Henry was born on 10 July 1837 and was baptised the next day at St. Peter’s.

• He died at only 16 days of age on 26 July 1837 (as per the plaques at St. Peter’s Church).

• He was buried two days after his death on 28 July 1837.

11. Caroline Elers:

•  Caroline was born in September 1839 and was baptised on 5 October 1839 at St. Peter’s Church.

• She died on 24 January 1844 aged 5 years and 17 weeks (as per the plaques in St. Peter’s Church).

• She was buried 5 days after her death on 29 January 1844 at St. Peter’s.

12. Walter Waring Elers:

•  See his bio in “The lives of Walter Waring Elers and Margaret Elizabeth Williams” – Chapter 17.1