William Bree Explained

William Bree (19 November 1822 – 28 January 1917)^[1] was Archdeacon of Coventry^[2] from 1887^[3] until 1908.^[4]

The son of The Rev William Thomas Bree, MA, Rector of Allesley^[5] he was educated at Bridgnorth Endowed School^[6] and Merton College, Oxford.^[7] He was ordained in 1848, and was curate at Polebrook until 1863, when he succeeded his father at Allesley.^[8] He married firstly, in 1853, Mary Duke;^[9] and, secondly, Sophy Adèle Biggs.^[10] His great nephew, the actor James Bree, was patron of the benefice until his death in 2008.^{[11] [12]}

Notes and References

1. News: Death of Archdeacon Bree. 29 January 1917. Coventry Evening Telegraph. 11 August 2019. 8077. 2. British Newspaper Archive. subscription.
2. http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/rd/026b3297-bb4c-4ff9-97cc-bc90f2adbfce National Archives
3. Ecclesiastical Intelligence The Times (London, England), Thursday, 28 April 1887; pg. 15; Issue 32058.
4. Ecclesiastical Intelligence. The Times (London, England), Thursday, 19 December 1907; pg. 9; Issue 38520
5. In all 5 members of his family held the living from 1749 until Bree's death > News in Brief. The Times (London, England), Tuesday, 30 January 1917; pg. 6; Issue 41389
6. ‘BREE, Ven. William’, Who Was Who, A & C Black, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing plc, 1920–2008; online edn, Oxford University Press, December 2012 ; online edn, November 2012 accessed 20 January 2017
7. [s:Alumni Oxonienses: the Members of the University of Oxford, 1715-1886/Bree, William (2)]
8. [Crockford's Clerical Directory]
9. http://www.martinstown.co.uk/WEBSITE/DUKE/DukeofLake.htm Family web-site
10. https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XXKH-TRJ Family Search
11. Web site: James Bree: Actor seen in 'On Her Majesty's Secret Service' and 'Dr. . 6 March 2009.
12. https://web.archive.org/web/20170201234351/http://www.allesley-church.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/Magazine_2010_2.pdf Parish Magazine