Rectory Lane Cemetery, Berkhamsted

Denham Smith Boyd

03/08/1861 –26/10/1932

Northern Irish clergyman who married late in life

Relatives

Emily Sophia Boyd — wife

• Melanie Hilton

Plot 452 The Reverend Denham Smith Boyd MA (1861-1932)

Denham was born 3^rd August 1861 at Sloperton, Monktown, Co. Dublin, the son of Samuel Boyd, a merchant and JP, and Jane (née Parker). His parents had been married by the Revd. J Denham Smith, after whom, presumably, baby Denham was named.

According to his obituary in The Northern Whig newspaper of 2 November 1932, Denham was educated at Trinity College Dublin, where he was awarded an MA, and at the Presbyterian Assembly’s college in Belfast. According to the Norwood News obituary he studied divinity at Edinburgh and at the Presbyterian Theological College in London.

 On 7 July 1885 he was licenced by Dublin Presbytery and on October 20 1886 “ordained by the Presbytery of Monaghan to the pastoral charge of Middleton congregation.”

The 1894 and 1910 Thom’s Official Directory…Irish Section, names in its list of Presbyterian Ministers, The Rev. Denham S Boyd, MA. Tynan, Armagh.

The 1901 census for Ireland records the household of Sarah Sargeant, a widow and farmer in the townland of Annareagh South. The household consisted of her daughter and sister, a farm servant and a boarder, Denham S Boyd, the unmarried Presbyterian minister of Middletown

He remained at that post until December 9 1912 when he resigned at the request of the Committee on Union of Congregations because they intended to merge it with another congregation. The Norwood News obituary says that he was “beloved not only by his own congregation, but by members of all denominations.”

At some point before this resignation he travelled to Egypt where he married Emily Sophia Fischer on 18th February 1911 at All Saints Church in Cairo, Egypt. Emily was married by her brother, the Rev Frederick Stanley Fischer, M.A., with the Rev J Molesworth, the incumbent of All Saints assisting. Emily was 47 years old at the time and Denham was 50.

The couple moved to Norwood in 1920 and the 1921 census shows them at 4, Gateshead Road with his mother-in-law and her lady’s companion.

Denham died 26^th October 1932 at Shanganagh , Grange Road, Upper Norwood. The Norwood News (4^th November) reported that he took a keen interest in the League of Nations and in the temperance movement. “He was of a retiring disposition, and shrank from publicity, but [was] a man of great charm and brightness. He was widely read and could quote from memory long passages of the English poets.”

The report states that he was buried at Berkhamsted where his brother-in-law, the Reverend Frederick Fischer was vicar. “Before the funeral left Norwood, a short service was conducted at his house in Grange Road by the Rev Henry Martin, M.A.”

The notice in the London Gazette of 20^th December 1932 by the executors for all claims or demands on his estate says he was “Late of 351, Grange Road and formerly of 4, Gatestone Road Upper Norwood in the country of Surrey and of Annarea House, Middletown, Co. Armagh.”

Emily Sophia died in 1937 in Norwood and was buried here with him.

Emily Sophia Boyd

d.22/05/1937

Born in Fife into a family of clergy, married late in life in Egypt, took her own life at 72

Relatives

Denham Smith Boyd — husband

• Karen Evans

Plot Number 452: Ilm Denham Smith Boyd MA TCS, of Shaganagh, Upper Norwood, formerly of Middletown, Co.Armagh.  Born Kingstown, Co.Dublin 3rd August 1861, died Norwood 26th October 1932; And his wife, Emily Sophia, daughter of Sarah Fischer, died 22nd May 1937 aged 72.

Emily Sophia’s Story
Emily Sophia Boyd, nee Fischer, is the fifth member of the Fischer family to be buried at Rectory Lane. Her mother, brother, sister-in-law and nephew are also buried nearby.

Emily Sophia was born on 19th November 1864 at Afton House, St Andrews, Fife in Scotland, the only daughter of Professor William Lewis Ferdinand Fischer and Sarah Sophia nee Cotton. Her father was Prussian by birth but became a “Naturalised British Subject”.

He arrived in England around 1841 and was admitted to Pembroke College Cambridge on 1st May 1841 at the age of 27. The records for Cambridge University show that he obtained his B.A. in 1845, then migrated to Clare College Cambridge, receiving his MA in 1848. Later that same year he moved to St Andrew’s University in Fife to become the Professor of Natural Philosophy. He was Professor of Natural and Experimental Philosophy at St Andrews from 1848 to 1859, and then the Professor of Mathematics 1859 to 1879.

Emily Sophia’s mother, Sarah Sophia Cotton, was part of the wealthy Cotton family of Freshwater on the Isle of Wight. It was a loan from Emily’s grandfather, Benjamin Cotton, that built the beautiful house that she was born and raised in. Afton House was built in St Andrew’s, Fife to be near the University where Emily Sophia’s father worked, but named after Sarah Sophia’s family home in Freshwater. It was finished in 1862, perfect timing to house William and Sarah Sophia’s growing family. It is a magnificent example of Victorian architecture, boasting a hall, drawing room study, dining room, five bedrooms and servants’ quarters.

Emily Sophia had five brothers:

• Max Temple Fisher born at the original Afton House on the Isle of Wight and baptised at All Saints Church in Freshwater on 25th July 1861, almost exactly a year after his parents were married there
• Lewis Gordon Fischer, born in St Andrew’s on 2nd August 1862, but baptised on 14th September 1862 at Freshwater
• Ernest Cotton Fischer born at St Andrews on 23rd March 1866
• Francis Norton Fischer born at St Andrews in 1866
• Frederick Stanley Fischer born at St Andrews in 1872

In 1871, the Fischer family employed two nursemaids, a cook and a domestic servant to help look after the growing family. By 1881 William had retired and with the children growing up fast the household staff was reduced to a cook, a table maid and one nurse.

Professor William Lewis Ferdinand Fischer died on 8th January 1890, living his wife the executrix of his will and an estate valued at over £21,000.

One can only assume that with the death of her husband and her children grown-up and leaving home, St Andrews no longer held the same attraction for Emily Sophia’s mother. She was only 52 years old and had a comfortable income, so the academic centric environs of St Andrews gave way to the warmer climes of southern England. At the time of the 1891 census Emily Sophia can be found lodging at The Royal Huts Inn in Hindhead, with her mother, Sarah and brothers, Max, Ernest and Frederick. Her brother, Frederick Stanley was admitted to Clare College, Cambridge on 21st March 1891, just days before the 1891 census was taken. He obtained his B.A. from Cambridge University in 1894 before being ordained at Rochester in 1899.

Being a woman never stopped Emily Sophia from travelling to some of the exotic places that her brothers went to. Emily Sophia was married on 18th February 1911 at All Saints Church in Cairo, Egypt to the Reverend Denham Smith Boyd, M.A.,of Middletown, Co Armagh, Ireland. Emily was married by her brother, the Rev Frederick Stanley Fischer, M.A., with the Rev J Molesworth, the incumbent of All Saints assisting. The church must have played a very important part in Emily Sophia’s life, being both wife and sister to members of the clergy.  She was 47 years old at the time of her marriage and appears never to have had any children.

In 1882 the British invaded and conquered Egypt after a seven- year economic and political crisis there. From 1882 to 1922 Egypt was under British Occupation, although it was never formally part of the British Empire. The main interest of the British in Egypt was to keep control of the trade route that ran through Egypt to the Red Sea and then on to India. The Egyptians were also an important market for British industries to sell to. On the whole, the rich and powerful ruling classes in Egypt accepted British rule. They often sent their children to be educated in Britain. They became lawyers and administrators on behalf of the British. As Britain controlled the finances, government personnel and armed forces, it was not unusual for families such as the Fischers to be there as part of the administration.

Emily Sophia’s was not the first overseas marriage in the family. Eight years earlier her brother Francis Norton Fischer had married Marjorie Owen on 1st October 1903 at the Anglican Church in Cuttack, India.

Neither Emily Sophia nor her husband appear in any English records until Denham’s death in October 1932. Denham died at Grange Road, Upper Norwood, Surrey, less than one mile away from where Emily Sophia’s mother, Sarah Sophia, had died on 30th May 1926 at 4 Gatestone Road, Upper Norwood. The Norwood News that reported on his passing stated that the Boyds had been residents of Norwood for the past twelve years. The report states that he was buried at Berkhamsted where his brother-in-law, the Rev Fred Fischer was vicar. “Before the funeral left Norwood, a short service was conducted at his house in Grange Road by the Rev Henry Martin, M.A.”

Emily Sophia died on 22nd May 1937 at 35 Beulah Hill, Upper Norwood. Probate of her will was given to her brothers Ernest Cotton Fischer, retired Ophthalmic surgeon, and Francis Norton Fischer, retired civil servant. Her effects were valued at £8702 15s 8d. Being buried at Rectory Lane would have laid Emily Sophia to rest with her eldest brother and his family, her mother and her husband.

But Emily Sophia’s departure from this life is not as genteel as those details would have us believe. Her death made the front page of the Norwood News.

The paper reports that Emily Sophia was found hanging by the cord of her dressing-gown in a nursing home in Beulah Hill. Because of the circumstances of her death an inquest was held at Croydon. Her brother Dr Ernest Cotton Fischer testified at the inquest, saying that her physical health was good until thirty years ago (circa 1907) when she had a nervous breakdown whilst travelling in America. She recovered rapidly and remained quite well. Emily Sophia’s doctor, Dr H. Hamilton saw her on 15th May and sent her to the nursing home in Beulah Hill for rest care.
The report reads as follows:
“Miss Eliza Mary Hilliard, proprietress of the nursing home, said she was aware Mrs Boyd suffered from depression, but she had no idea she was likely to take her life. She was not particularly depressed on admission.
The witness added that during a conversation she had with her on Friday Mrs Boyd spoke of her late husband. About 11:20am on Saturday the witness was called by a nurse who had entered Mrs Boyd’s room and found her lying huddled on the floor behind the door.
DR Hamilton was sent for, and pending his arrival she and the nurse administered oxygen, and carried out artificial respiration. Mrs Boyd showed no signs of life, and when Dr Hamiltion came he pronounced life extinct.”
“The jury returned a verdict that Mrs Boyd killed herself by hanging, but that she was of unsound mind at the time”.