A Collection of Awards to Chaplains formed by Philip Mussell

Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902, 2 clasps, Relief of Ladysmith, Transvaal (Rev: J. C. Prior. C. to F.) surname partially officially corrected, good very fine £200-240

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, A Collection of Awards to Chaplains formed by Philip Mussell.

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Provenance: John Tamplin Collection, Dix Noonan Webb, September 2003.

Jonathan Charles Prior was born in 1851, the only son of Alfred Staff Prior, a cleric, of London, and was educated at St Alban Hall, Oxford, where he matriculated in October 1872, aged 21. He was also at Worcester College, Oxford, and in 1885 he went to the Wells Theological College. He was ordained a Deacon in 1886, and a Priest in 1887. Prior was Curate of St Paul, South Clevedon, Somerset, 1886-87, and of Tichborne, Hampshire, 1887-88. From 1888-95 he was Vicar of Charminster with Stratton in Dorset, and from 1890-95 he was in addition Chaplain of the Dorset County Asylum.

In 1896, Prior went to South Africa and became the incumbent of Estcourt in Natal. Here he stayed until 1901, during which period he was a Chaplain to the Forces in the Boer War. Returning to England, he was next Curate of North Petherton, Somerset, 1901-02; Curate of Swainswick, Somerset, 1902-04; and Curate of Curry Rivel, Somerset, 1904-05. In 1905 he became Vicar of Denham, in the Diocese of Ely, and from 1906 to his death in 1914, he was Rector of Owsden, Newmarket. The Reverend J. C. Prior died on 8 June 1914, aged 62, and was buried in Owsden Old Cemetery.