• History of Cemetery
• Location/Plans
• Notable people
• Grimsley gravestones
• News
• Burials A–Z
• Current Work
• Photographs
• Restoring a grave
• Contact/Search

William VARNEY (c. 1774–1858)
His son Frederick VARNEY (1801–1858)
His daughter-in-law Mrs Miriam VARNEY, née Crapper (1800–1876)
St Mary Magdalen section: Row 6a, Grave C57

William Varney (sometimes Verney) was born in Wantage in c.1774.

He was living in Oxford when on 21 September 1795 he married Sarah Fisher at St Aldate’s Church: both were described as being of that parish. They had the following children:

• William Fisher Varney (born in Oxford in 1796 and baptised at St Aldate’s Church on 18 September)
• Mariamne or Miriamne Varney (born in Oxford in 1798 and baptised at St Aldate’s Church on 19 July)
• Frederick Varney (born in Oxford in 1801 and baptised at St Aldate’s Church on 31 May).

William’s wife Sarah Varney died in St Mary-the-Virgin parish in early 1819 at the age of 50 but was buried in St Peter-le-Bailey churchyard on 31 January.

At the time of the 1851 census William Varney (83), described as an annuitant and gentleman, was staying with his son Frederick and his family (see below) at 14 St John Street. He died there the following year:

† William Varney died at 14 St John Street at the age of 84 on 27 September 1852 and was buried at St Sepulchre’s Cemetery on 30 September (burial recorded in the parish register of St Mary Magdalen Church).

His death notice in Jackson’s Oxford Journal read: “Sept. 27, aged 84, Mr. W. Varney, at the residence of his son, Mr. F. Varney, 14, St John-street, in this city.”

---

His son Frederick Varney (born 1801)

Frederick was apprenticed to the famous carver & gilder James Wyatt at 115 High Street, and by 1824 had set up his own business in Oriel Street (then called St Mary Hall Lane) in St Mary-the-Virgin parish.

His future wife Miriam Crapper was born in Oxford in 1800 and baptised at St Peter-le-Bailey Church on 29 October at the same time as her twin sister Thirza. She was the daughter of Shem & Elizabeth Crapper, and her other three siblings were also baptised there: Caleb Crapper (1802), Joshua or Joseph Munday Crapper (1808), and Josiah Crapper (1809).

On 9 September 1824 at St Peter-le-Bailey Church, Oxford, Frederick Varney married Miriam Crapper. Both were described as being of that parish, and the witnesses were William and Miriamne Varney, presumably Frederick’s brother and sister. The marriage was announced in Jackson’s Oxford Journal.

They had ten children, but six of them died before reaching adulthood, and only three of them outlived their parents:

• Frederick William Varney (born at Oriel Street, Oxford on 20 June 1825 and baptised at St Mary the Virgin Church on 14 August); died aged 3 in 1828 and buried in that churchyard on 11 July
• Sarah Fisher Varney (born in Oxford on 27 October 1826 and baptised at St Mary the Virgin Church on 26 November)
• Frederick William Varney (born at Oriel Street, Oxford on 20 June 1828 and baptised at St Mary the Virgin Church on 13 July); died aged one and buried in that churchyard on 14 June 1829
• Elizabeth Munday Varney, known as Eliza (born at Oriel Street on 28 December 1829 and baptised at St Mary the Virgin Church on 31 January 1830)
• Joshua Munday Varney (born at Oriel Street, Oxford on 25 May 1832 and baptised at St Mary the Virgin Church on 17 September); died near the beginning of 1850
• Miriam Varney (twin, born at Brewer Street, Oxford in 1836 and baptised at the Wesleyan church in New Inn Hall Street on 11 December); died at Brewer Street on 18 August 1849 (with her death reported in Jackson’s Oxford Journal)
• Thirza Parramore Varney (twin, born at Brewer Street, Oxford in 1836 and baptised at the Wesleyan church in New Inn Hall Street on 11 December); died of influenza at Brewer Street aged five months on 28 January 1837 and buried in St Mary the Virgin churchyard on 1 February, with death announced in Jackson’s Oxford Journal.
• (Martha) Thirza Parramore Varney (born at Brewer Street, Oxford in 1837/8, reg, first quarter 1838)
• John Varney (born at Brewer Street, Oxford in 1840); died aged 1½ on 5 December 1841 and buried in St Mary-the-Virgin churchyard on 9 December, with death announced in Jackson’s Oxford Journal
• Marianne or Maryamne Varney (born at Brewer Street, Oxford in 1842/3 and baptised at the Wesleyan church in New Inn Hall Street on 12 February 1843)

Frederick continued to live at Oriel Street after his marriage in 1824, and is duly listed as a carver & gilder there in Pigot’s 1830 Directory. The man called Thomas Varney who died at Oriel Street at the age of 84 in 1825 and was buried at St Mary-the-Virgin Church on 15 July is likely to be Frederick Varney’s grandfather.

In July 1831 Frederick was returned as one of the three Guardians for St Mary the Virgin parish, and was still living at Oriel Street in 1832.

By 1832 the family had evidently started to attend the Wesleyan church in New Inn Hall Street, as they had some of their children baptised there between that year and 1843. By 1836 they had moved to St Aldate’s, and the baptismal records show that Frederick Varney had changed his trade to that of a tobacconist.

On 31 July 1840 Frederick Varney placed a notice in Jackson’s Oxford Journal advertising his willingness to serve as a Collecting Clerk to the Commissioners of the Oxford Paving and Lighting Act: he was presumably successful, as by 1843 he gave his occupation as rate collector.

The 1841 census shows Frederick & Sarah Varney living at Brewer Street with their children Joshua (9), Marianne (5), Eliza (3), and John (11 months). Also living with them were two young girls Mary Gardner (11) and Mary Osborne (9), suggesting that his wife may already have started a school.

In July 1848 Frederick Varney, who was newly elected as one of the three Guardians for St Aldate’s parish, was elected auditor for the Board of Guardians.

The family was still living in Brewer Street in August 1849, but by the time of the 1851 census the family had moved to 14 St John Street, the south end of which was in St Mary Magdalen parish. Following the death of their son Joshua near the beginning of 1850, they were left with just four daughters. Frederick Varney was now an accountant in 1851, and his wife Miriam ran a school in their house, and they are both described with these occupations in Gardner’s Directory for 1852. At home with them in 1851 were their daughters Sarah (20), Elizabeth (18), Thirza (11), and Marianne (8), plus one servant. Frederick’s father William Varney (83) had also come to live with them: he died the following year (see above).

Frederick & Sarah’s eldest daughter Sarah Fisher Varney died at 13 St John Street at the age of 27 on 18 April 1854 and her death notice in Jackson’s Oxford Journal stated that she was “in sure and certain hope of a glorious resurrection”. Her place of burial is uncertain: it does not appear to have been St Sepulchre’s Cemetery.

Frederick Varney died in 1858 (just six years after his father) at 47 St John Street, the house of his brother-in-law Joseph Munday Crapper (who also ran a school in his home):

† Frederick Varney died at 47 St John Street at the age of 57 on 20 November 1858 and was buried at St Sepulchre’s Cemetery on 24 November (burial recorded in the parish register of St Mary Magdalen Church).

His death notice in Jackson’s Oxford Journal was very brief: “Nov. 20, at 47, St John-street, Mr. Frederick Varney.”

Their daughter Elizabeth was married in 1860:

• On 7 April 1860 at St Mary Magdalen Church, Oxford, Elizabeth Munday Varney married James Blinkhorn, clerk of St Botolph’s, London and the son of William Blinkhorn, a gentleman. Her uncle William Fisher Munday and her sister Thirza Passmore Varney were witnesses.

At the time of the 1861 census Mrs Varney, a widow of 58 described as a schoolmistress, was still living at 13 St John Street with her two unmarried daughters (Martha) Thirza (19) and Mary Anne (17), who were working as teachers for her. Four pupils also lived in the house, and one servant.

Her daughter Martha was married in 1863:

• On 9 June 1863 at Yarnton, Martha Thirza Parramore Varney (22), who was then living at Yarnton, married Edmund Lambe of Croydon, the son of William Lambe, Esq.;

In Kelly’s Directory for 1869 Mrs Varney was described as running a ladies’ school at 13 St John Street.

At the time of the 1871 census Miriam Varney (70) was still living at 14 St John Street and described herself as a schoolmistress. Living with her were her daughter Marianne (28), who was also a schoolmistress; her grandson Frederick Lambe (7), who was born in Croydon; and her unmarried brother-in-law William Fisher Varney (75), who was a builder. They also had a seven-year-old boy boarding with them, and one servant.

Mrs Varney died in 1876:

† Mrs Miriam Varney née Crapper died at 13 St John Street at the age of 75 on 10 January 1876 and was buried at St Sepulchre’s Cemetery on 13 January (burial recorded in the parish register of St Mary Magdalen Church).

Her death was announced briefly in Jackson’s Oxford Journal: “Jan. 10, at her residence, 13, St. John-street, Miriam, widow of Mr Frederick Varney.”

---

Frederick Varney’s brother William Fisher Varney (born 1796)

Frederick Varney’s brother William Fisher Varney had been apprenticed to the carpenter William Fisher. He was living with his sister-in-law Mrs Miriam Varney in 1871, but after her death in 1876 appears to have moved to Kennington, as his death notice in Jackson’s Oxford Journal stated he was late of that village. He then moved to Nettleswell in Essex to live with his niece Mrs Marianne Coleman at Bury Farm,

He died there on 13 March 1886 at the age of 89 and was buried in a separate grave in the St Giles’s section of the cemetery (Row 21, Grave 39) with Ann Fisher, who had died in 1856 at the age of 82.

---

Surviving children of Frederick & Miriam Varney

• Elizabeth Munday Varney, Mrs James Blinkhorn (born 1829) was living at Parson’s Mead, Croydon in 1861 with her husband James Blinkhorn, who was a banker’s clerk, and a servant girl. In 1871 they were at 2 Frederick Villas, Croydon with their daughter Lily (7) and one servant. Mrs Elizabeth Munday Blinkhorn died in Croydon at the age of 41 in 1874.
• (Martha) Thirza Parramore Varney, Mrs Lamb(e) (born 1837/8) was living at 38 Canning Road, Croydon in 1901 with her husband Edmund Lambe (66), who was a bank cashier, and their daughter Mabel (24), plus a servant. In 1911 she was a widow of 72 living at Kingston-on-Thames with her daughter Mrs Ethel Jones and her family. Mrs Martha Thirza Parramore Lambe died in Kingston at the age of 89 near the beginning of 1927.
• Marianne or Maryamne Varney, Mrs Coleman (born 1842/3) married the widower John Frederick Coleman, Esq., a farmer of The Bury, Netteswell, Essex, on 3 June 1879 at Ss Anne & Agnes Church in London, and they had one son, (John) Cecil Coleman, born in 1881. They remained at Bury Farm, and the 1881 census reveals that Marianne’s husband was a farmer of 351 acres employing nine men and three boys: Marianne was then looking after her three stepchildren Alfred (10), Minnie (9), and George Coleman (6). In 1901 her stepson George (25) was working on the farm, while her son Cecil (19) was a bank clerk. Just Marianne and her husband were at the farm in 1911. Marianne (with her name now reverting to Mariamne) died at the age of 86 in 1929.