Rector - William Ord Hunter Rodwell (1880-1948)
Although Reverend William Ord Hunter Rodwell was rector of St. Cuthbert’s church, Halsall for only two years, his story is interesting nonetheless. He was born on 4th September 1880 in Bury St. Edmunds to Belissa Catherine Beresford Ord and Captain James Hunter Rodwell.
William’s mother died when he was six years old and his younger sister, Lillian, only 4. A year later, William’s father remarried and eventually a half-brother, Benjamin was born – 20 years William’s junior.
William’s maternal grandfather was Captain Alfred Robert Ord, Lieutenant Governor of Malacca, Malaysia, circa 1870. His paternal grandfather was the politician and lawyer, Benjamin Bridges Hunter Rodwell. Benjamin Rodwell – Wikipedia
Haileybury College, a boarding school in Hertfordshire was where William was sent to be educated. Circa 1901 he was studying at Hertford College, Oxford and by 1906 he was ordained.
Two years later, on 26th July 1908, he married Jessie Carter, the marriage being registered at Birkenhead, Cheshire. They went on to have three daughters: Angela, Rosemary and the youngest, Pamela who married Captain Benjamin James Pollard, RASC who was the son of the Bishop of Lancaster, the Rt. Reverend Benjamin Pollard.
His career seems to have been mostly centred in the north of England; in 1911 the couple were living in Cumberland Avenue, Liverpool and William’s occupation was recorded as a clergyman.
From 1921 until 1933, he was the rector of Walton on the Hill in Liverpool, having also been designated an Honorary Canon of Liverpool Cathedral in 1925.
Thereafter he was at Wigan for ten years as rector and Rural Dean.
He came to Halsall in September 1946 however his time here was short-lived. On 28th May 1948, he died at Halsall Rectory, aged 67 years old. He was buried at St. Cuthbert’s church, Halsall on 1st June 1948.
Finally, the words of Sir Wroth Lethbridge reveal the character of this much admired rector:
