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Assumed friend of George Borrow in London and minister who performed George Borrow’s funeral.
This is an in-progress page which lags the final version published in the George Borrow Bulletin. It will be updated in due course.
Nathaniel Liberty was born around 1828 in Westminster, London. [1] His education concluded with him attending King’s College, London, after which he [joined?] the Theological Association in 1850, and was ordained a deacon of the Church of England in the same year, working as curate at Kildwick, Yorkshire, from 1850 to 1854. In May 1851 he was ordained a priest of the Church of England by the Bishop of Ripon at the Cathedral Church, Ripon. [2]
In 1850 there was a need for a church to serve the growing estates of West Brompton, and Robert Gunter (a wealthy landowner) provided a suitable plot of land. The church was initially called “The Church of St. Mary, West Brompton,” but is now known as St. Mary the Boltons, after the estate in which it’s located. The first vicar of St. Mary’s was Rev. Hogarth J. Swale (vicar 1850–52), who was “low church”. [3] Rev. Swale was followed as vicar by Rev. Thomas Pearson (vicar 1852–60), who seems to have been less “low church” in style (but not “high church”). In 1850 Rev. Pearson was living at 12 Hereford Square. [4]
In 1854 Nathaniel was appointed as the first ever curate of St. Mary’s, by Rev. Pearson. Gibbs [5] says that in the 1850’s and 1860’s the parish registers list mainly rural occupations, e.g. farmer, market gardener, cow-keeper, cheesemonger, soap-boiler, cordwainer, letter carrier etc. Blacksmiths, wheelwrights, grooms and coachmen also figure (it was still the age of the horse). This was the congregation Nathaniel worked with. Brompton, however, was steadily moving “up-market” and today the Boltons is one of the most exclusive areas in England.
From 1854 Nathaniel also became a chaplain of the Cancer Hospital, Brompton, (now known as the Royal Marsden Hospital)—and would continue this role until 1893. Rev. Pearson was also a Chaplain to the Cancer Hospital, and perhaps St. Mary’s clergy took on these hospital roles to supplement their incomes. Probably for similar reasons in 1855 Nathaniel became chaplain to the Westminster and West London Cemetery, Brompton. He worked for the Cemetery until 1892.
It’s likely that Nathaniel was very familiar with Hereford Square, for in 1863 he married the daughter of George Pinckney Whitfield, “Gentleman”, of 27 Hereford Square: Miss Elizabeth Miriam Whitfield. The ceremony was in St. Mary Boltons church and was performed by Dr. Irons, the Vicar of Brompton (Holy Trinity). [6]
In 1860 Rev. Pearson resigned owing to “problems in the parish”. The number of communicants at the Easter services was unusually low (70 in 1852, 153 in 1860, falling to 102 in 1868)—there’s no doubt a story behind all this. [7]
St. Mary’s new vicar, the Rev. Mayow Wynde Mayow arrived in 1860, and Nathaniel continued curate for the next seven years, [8] being joined in 1862 by a second curate, J. C. Clutterbuck. There was plenty of church work to be done and sufficient paid work to fund it. Also in 1860 George Borrow moved to 27 Hereford Square, Brompton, and whilst it’s not known which church the Borrows attended in Brompton, St. Mary’s is the most likely: did Borrow and Nathaniel become acquainted via St. Mary’s?
By 1861 Nathaniel had moved to 6 Elm place—possibly he was living with his mother. [9] This didn’t last long though, and on 14th April 1863 Nathaniel married Elizabeth. Gibbs has an entry from the St. Mary’s National School book for the day:
Tuesday, 14th April, 1863
Today was a holiday, being the wedding day of the Revd. N. Liberty, Curate of St. Mary’s. The children had tea & cakes in the school in the afternoon, which was followed by a little play, and the distribution of sweets, &c.
source: St. Mary Boltons, T. F. Gibbs, p. 14
From this it seems that Nathaniel was involved with St. Mary’s National School.
Around 1864 Nathaniel and Elizabeth moved to 27 Hereford Square, where they were joined by Elizabeth’s mother, and unfortunately got burgled. An Internet page reports:
Central Criminal Court, Sessions Paper. Eighth Session, held June 6th, 1864, reference number: t18640606-600:
Nathaniel Liberty: I am a clergyman, and live at 27, Hereford-square, Brompton. 3d May, my house was broken into, and I missed various articles: these spoons, sugar-tongs, and coins (produced) are mine; these other articles are my mother-in-law’s, who lives with me. Also lost £2 10s. 8d. The spoons were safe in the dining-room the night before.
Nathaniel lived at 27 Hereford Square from 1864 to 1866, [10] and if he hadn’t already made George Borrow’s acquaintance, he certainly did in these years, Borrow living at 22 Hereford Square. Clearly there are lots of links between the clergy of St. Mary’s and Hereford Square.
In 1866 Nathaniel’s eldest daughter, Katherine, was born. 1866 was also the time of the great cholera epidemic and the church was very involved with special offerings to help etc.
In 1867 Nathaniel left St. Mary’s and became a curate at Holy Trinity Brompton, which is located just behind the Roman Catholic Oratory on the Brompton Road. On Sunday 16th April 1870 the Rev. William Pepperell visited Holy Trinity and provides our only description of Nathaniel:
The Rev. Nathaniel Liberty read the prayers, the Litany, and the Epistle very devoutly, but a little more power of voice would have made it still more impressive.
...
The clergy, too, in addition to the surplice, wear rather a showy collegiate hood ... in one of a bright violet colour ... The violet hood marks an Associate of King’s College
source: Church Index, William Pepperell, p. 16
As Nathaniel was the clergyman from King’s College, he wore a “rather showy” bright violet collegiate hood. Pepperell notes that whilst St. Mary’s had moved to ritualistic practises under Rev. Du Boulay in the late 1860’s, Holy Trinity had moved the other way at around the same time. It’s possible that Nathaniel’s move was therefore related to his church opinions.
Crockford’s Clerical Directories for 1868 and 1870 have Nathaniel again living at 6 Elm-place, Brompton. As this was his parents’ old address, he might have been experiencing financial pressures.
In 1873 Nathaniel left Holy Trinity (where he’d been curate) but continued being chaplain at the Cancer Hospital and also the Brompton Cemetery. By 1877 he’d moved to 188 Finborough Road where he appears to have lived until his death. [11]
George Borrow died on 26th July 1881, and on 4th August 1881 his body was taken to London and buried beside Mary, his wife, in Brompton Cemetery, with Nathaniel conducting the burial. [12] It’s not known whether Nathaniel officiated because he would have known Borrow, or simply because he was chaplain to the cemetery.
The 1881 census has Nathaniel and his family at 188 Finborough Road and his occupation is “Chaplain of the Cancer Hospl &tc”—he may have ceased to be curate by this time. [13] The 1881 census gives his household:
Name |
Relation |
Age at census |
Year of birth |
Elizabeth M. Liberty |
Wife |
50 |
1831 |
Katherine |
Daughter |
15 |
1866 |
Elizabeth |
Daughter |
11 |
1870 |
Stephen |
Son |
9 |
1872 |
Mary |
Daughter |
1 |
1880 |
Martha M. Slade |
Servant |
29 |
1852 |
Sophia Chant |
Servant |
25 |
1856 |
1892 and 1893 see Nathaniel retire from his chaplaincies at the Cancer Hospital and Brompton Cemetery—he’d have been around 65 years old by this time.
Nathaniel appears to have died in early 1907 and is buried in Brompton Cemetery where he worked as Chaplain all those years.
[1] This is deduced from the 1881 Census, which has him living at 188 Finborough Road, Brompton, London, aged 53.
[2] Many of the key dates in Nathaniel’s career come from Crockford’s Clerical Directory, 1907 (see below). There’s also a minor mention of the ordination in The York Herald of 1st June 1850.
LIBERTY, Nathaniel, 188, Finborough-road, S.W.—King’s College London; Theological Associate 1850. deacon 1850, priest 1851 Ripon, formerly curate of Kildwick 1850–53; St. Mary West Brompton. 1854–67; Chaplain Cancer Hospital 1854–93; Chaplain West-mr. and West London Cemetery Brompton, 1855–92; Church of Holy Trinity Brompton, 1867–73.
[3] The Clarion, the church magazine of St. Mary Boltons (December 1964-February 1968 at Kensington Library), carries a reprint of a long note by Reverend William Pepperell, which appeared in The Church Index, 1871. It complains that St. Mary’s, under their new vicar Rev. William Thomas Du Boulay (vicar 1868–1909), was increasingly adopting practises which were “High Church”, “ritualistic”, “adoration of the saints” etc. Rev. Pepperell says this is very different from Hogarth J. Swale (first vicar, 1850–52) and “even” Thomas Pearson (second vicar, 1852–60). This would seem to indicate a drift from “low” to “high” church, something George Borrow, if he attended St. Mary’s, would not have been in favour of.
[4] Source: Kelly’s Post Office directory. I’ve not checked earlier editions and he may have been at this address for some time. He had moved out by the 1851 directory.
[5] Source: St. Mary Boltons, “The Country Church in Kensington”, 1850–1964. A Short History by T. F. Gibbs. Kensington Library have a copy and it’s full of information about the development of the church, some of which has been included above.
[6] Source for marriage details is St. Mary Boltons by Gibbs, p. 27.
[7] St. Mary Boltons, p. 27.
[8] There’s uncertainty over when Nathaniel ceased to be a curate at St. Mary’s. Gibbs (St. Mary Boltons) says he was a curate for 11 years, which would have him leaving in 1866. Crockford’s Clerical Directory of 1868 lists him as curate at St. Mary’s. There’s a newspaper report (The Morning Post, 8th May 1867) which has “the Rev. Nathaniel Liberty, and the Rev. J. D. G. Wickham, described as the curates of Holy Trinity Church, Brompton” which implies he’d moved from St. Mary’s to Holy Trinity. However, Holy Trinity was the parish church and so it may be inaccurate phrasing.
[9] See the 1861 census where he’s listed as “son”. The Post Office London and Suburban Court Guide for 1861 gives the same information, but since it only lists him (as opposed to his father), it’s likely his mother was widowed by then.
[10] Kelly’s Post Office directory for London, lists Rev. N. Liberty at 27 Hereford Square, Brompton, 1864–66.
[11] Directories etc. giving Nathaniel at 188 Finborough Road are: The Royal Blue Book for 1877, The Kensington Directory of 1882. He’s listed there as a voter (Redcliffe district) in the Voter’s lists for: 1890, 1895, 1897, 1898 and 1899. He disappears in the voter list of 1900, but so does 188 Finborough Road. There presumably was some reason for this. He was again listed at 188 Finborough Road in the 1900–1, 1903–4 list. From 1905 onwards he’s not listed, and neither is 188 Finborough Road, until the 1912–13 voter list where a different person is listed.
[12] Brompton Cemetery records provide the basic details of George Borrow’s burial, and it’s these that link “Rev. N. Liberty” to George Borrow, which then caused the above investigation to find out who Rev. N. Liberty was.
[13] The Kensington Directory of 1888 doesn’t list Nathaniel as a curate of Holy Trinity but does list others. Unfortunately Kensington Local Studies don’t have earlier directories.