St. Paul’s Church
Birmingham, England

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Historical Overview

Family significance: Many of Theodore Turley’s and Frances Kimberley’s relatives, including their parents, are buried at St. Paul’s Church in Birmingham.

Engraving of a funeral in front of St. Paul’s Church. Photo by Birmingham Museums Trust, licensed under CC0.

Although many of Theodore and Frances’ family members are buried at St. Paul’s Church in Birmingham, noted on the timeline below, only a few have public inscriptions that survived to the late twentieth century. These names are memorialized on a single stone: Charlotte Bradbury (relationship to the family unknown1), Ann Boughton (Theodore’s maternal grandmother), William Turley (Theodore’s father), Elizabeth Turley (Theodore’s mother), and John Boughton (Theodore’s maternal step-grandfather).

Headstone and Footstone. Sacred to the memory of CHARLOTTE BRADBURY who departed this life February 4th 1822 aged 24 years. Also ANN BOUGHTON who died December 5th 1825 aged 67 years. WILLIAM TURLEY died April 6th 1841 aged 70 years. ELIZ.ETH wife of WILLM. TURLEY died March 6th 1848 aged 73 years. JOHN BOUGHTON died December 31st 1849 aged 84 years.

BIRMINGHAM & MIDLAND SOCIETY FOR GENEALOGY & HERALDRY, MONUMENTAL INSCRIPTIONS ST. PAUL’S CHURCH, HOCKLEY, BIRMINGHAM, P. 171.

St. Paul’s church was originally built as a chapel in the parish of St. Martin in the Bull Ring in the late 1700s. Theodore and Frances would’ve witnessed the later installation of the octoganal spire in the early 1820s before they left Birmingham. Besides the repair of bomb damage from World War II, the exterior of the church today looks nearly identical to what Theodore Turley and Frances Kimberley would’ve remembered. Many elements on the interior of the church are also original to the church’s construction in the late 1700s, including a stained-glass window showing the conversion of St. Paul.

St. Paul’s Church in Birmingham (2019). Photo by chrisdorney – stock.adobe.com, licensed for editorial use.

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From Theodore Turley: A Biography by Richard E. Turley, Jr. (these installments mention family members who were later buried at St. Paul’s):

Timeline

1806
December 15: Frances Kimberley’s infant sister, Susanna Kimberley, was buried at St. Paul’s Church in Birmingham.2

1817
October 17: Theodore Turley’s teenage brother, William Turley, Jr., was buried at St. Paul’s Church in Birmingham.3

1825
December 11: Theodore Turley’s maternal grandmother, sixty-seven-year-old Ann (Hart) (Yates) Boughton, was buried at St. Paul’s Church in Birmingham. Her inscription states, “ANN BOUGHTON who died December 5th 1825 aged 67 years.”4

1830
July 28: Theodore Turley’s brother, seventeen-year-old Frederick Turley, was buried at St. Paul’s Church in Birmingham.5

1832
June 18: Frances Kimberley’s father, sixty-six-year-old Thomas Kimberley, was buried at St. Paul’s Church in Birmingham.6

1841
April 11: Theodore Turley’s father, seventy-year-old William Turley, was buried at St. Paul’s Church in Birmingham. His inscription states, “WILLIAM TURLEY died April 6th 1841 aged 70 years.”7

1843
October 18: Frances Kimberley’s mother, seventy-one-year-old Sarah (Hitchins) Kimberley, was buried at St. Paul’s Church in Birmingham.8

1848
March 12: Theodore Turley’s mother, seventy-three-year-old Elizabeth (Yates) Turley, was buried with her mother and husband at St. Paul’s Church in Birmingham. Her inscription states, “ELIZ.ETH wife of WILLM. TURLEY died March 6th 1848 aged 73 years.”9

1850
January 6: John Boughton, Theodore Turley’s eighty-four-year-old maternal step-grandfather, was buried at St. Paul’s Church in Birmingham. John Boughton resided with Theodore Turley’s parents in his later years, and Theodore mentioned him several times in his 1840 mission journal. His inscription states, “JOHN BOUGHTON died December 31st 1849 aged 84 years.”10

  1. My guess is that Charlotte Bradbury was somehow tied to Theodore’s maternal grandmother, Ann Boughton, as their burial records indicate that they resided on the same street in 1822 and 1825, respectively. Charlotte must’ve been important to William and Elizabeth Turley as well, though, since they named their youngest daughter after her in 1818, several years before the original Charlotte Bradbury died.
  2. No inscription known for Susanna. Birmingham, England, Church of England Baptisms, Marriages and Burials, 1538-1812, Birmingham, St. Paul, 1779-1812, burial of Susannah daughter of Thomas & Sarah Kimberley, 15 Dec. 1806, image at Ancestry.com.
  3. The burial record misstated William’s age as 6 months. He was about thirteen years old. William was noted as the son of William and Elizabeth Turley, and the Turley residence was on Exeter Row. No inscription known for William. Birmingham, England, Church of England Burials, 1813-1964, Birmingham, St. Paul, 1813-1818, p. 178, no. 1419, burial of William son of William & Elizabeth Turley, 17 Oct. 1817, image at Ancestry.com.
  4. Birmingham, England, Church of England Burials, 1813-1964, Birmingham, St. Paul, 1824-1830, p. 95, no. 4129, burial of Ann wife of John Broughton, 11 Dec. 1825, image at Ancestry.com; Birmingham & Midland Society for Genealogy & Heraldry, Monumental Inscriptions St. Paul’s Church, Hockley, Birmingham, p. 171.
  5. Frederick’s parents were given as William and Elizabeth Turley, and their residence was on Horse Fair. No inscription known for Frederick. Birmingham, England, Church of England Burials, 1813-1964, Birmingham, St. Paul, 1830-1836, p. 22, no. 175, burial of Frederick son of William & Elizabeth Turley, 28 Jul. 1830, image at Ancestry.com.
  6. Thomas Kimberley’s residence was Bells Barn Road. No inscription known for Thomas Kimberley. Birmingham, England, Church of England Burials, 1813-1964, Birmingham, St. Paul, 1830-1836, p. 142, no. 1134, burial of Thomas Kimberley, 18 Jun. 1832, image at Ancestry.com.
  7. William’s burial record gave his age as 71 and residence as Hurst Street. Birmingham, England, Church of England Burials, 1813-1964, Birmingham, St. Paul, 1836-1844, p. 376, no. 3013, burial of William Turley, 11 Apr. 1841, image at Ancestry.com; Birmingham & Midland Society for Genealogy & Heraldry, Monumental Inscriptions St. Paul’s Church, Hockley, Birmingham, p. 171.
  8. Sarah Kimberley resided with her son on Bristol Street. No inscription known for Sarah Kimberley. Birmingham, England, Church of England Burials, 1813-1964, Birmingham, St. Paul, 1836-1844, p. 533, no. 4281, burial of Sarah Kimberley Widow, 18 Oct. 1843, image at Ancestry.com.
  9. Birmingham, England, Church of England Burials, 1813-1964, Birmingham, St. Paul, 1844-1852, p. 293, no. 2349, burial of Elizabeth Turley, 12 Mar. 1848, image at Ancestry.com; Birmingham & Midland Society for Genealogy & Heraldry, Monumental Inscriptions St. Paul’s Church, Hockley, Birmingham, p. 171.
  10. Birmingham, England, Church of England Burials, 1813-1964, Birmingham, St. Paul, 1844-1852, p. 393, no. 3150, burial of John Boughton, 6 Jan. 1850, image at Ancestry.com; Birmingham & Midland Society for Genealogy & Heraldry, Monumental Inscriptions St. Paul’s Church, Hockley, Birmingham, p. 171.