George Wigan

Born| 1692

Kensington, Middlesex, England

Died| November 11, 1776(1776-11-11) (aged 82–83)

Oldswinford, Worcestershire, England

Resting place| St Mary's Church, Oldswinford, Worcestershire
Parent(s)| William Wigan, Mary Sonds

George Wigan (c1692 – 11 November 1776) was a tutor at Christ Church, Oxford then rector of St Mary’s, Oldswinford in Worcestershire.

George Wigan was born at Kensington, oldest son of William Wigan and Mary (nee Sonds) to survive to adulthood and brother of John Wigan. He was educated at Westminster School[1] and Christ Church, Oxford, matriculating on 9 June 1711 at the age of 18. He was awarded his BA, 1715; MA, 1718; DD (by diploma) 19 June 1749. Wigan was ordained deacon by George Hooper, Bishop of Bath and Wells (20 December 1719).[2][3]

## Career

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Wigan remained at Christ Church as a tutor. One of his students was John Wesley who wrote to his mother on 23 September 1723 reporting that “Mr Wigan had resigned his pupils and was retired into the country to one of his livings.” Wesley goes on to note that “The small-pox and fever are now very common in Oxford; of the latter a very ingenious young gentleman of our College died yesterday, being the fifth day from the beginning of his illness. There is not any other in the College sick at present, and it is hoped that the approach of winter will stop the spreading of the distemper.”.[4]

George Wigan was resident rector of Oldswinford, Worcestershire, from 1722 until death and non-resident rector of Ashbury, formerly in Berkshire also from 1722 to death, the previous incumbent having died of smallpox (conferred by Bishop Hooper)[5] Wigan acted as steward at the annual Anniversary of the Sons of the Clergy service at St Paul's Cathedral on 12 December 1723,[6]

The early eighteenth century antiquarian, Thomas Hearne, attributed a number of publications to George Wigan. In 1722, Hearne attributed the editing of a volume of John Ernest Grabe's Septuagint which included authoring its Prolegomena.[5] Wigan is variously credited with editing volume 3[7] or volume 4[8] but there is no indication of his contribution in either volume. (It is more probable that he contributed to volume 3 which was published after Grabe's death.) Hearne also claimed that George Wigan was admitted as Principal of New Inn Hall, Oxford.[9] In fact, it was John Wigan.

George Wigan did not marry, living out his life at Oldswinford and being buried there on 16 November 1776.[10][11] For part of that time, his unmarried sister, Mary, lived at Oldswinford. She was buried there on 26 July 1763.[12][13]

## References

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1. ^ Stenning, Alan Herbert; Barker, G. F. Russell (1928). The Record of Old Westminsters: a Biographical List of All Those Who Are Known to Have Been Educated At Westminster School From the Earliest Times to 1927. Vol. 2\. London: Printed at the Chiswick Press. p. 992.
2. ^ "Clergy of the Church of England Database 1540-1835". Retrieved 9 August 2020.
3. ^ Foster, Joseph (1888–1892). "Wigan, George" . Alumni Oxonienses: the Members of the University of Oxford, 1500–1714. Oxford: Parker and Co - via Wikisource.
4. ^ Wesley, John (23 September 1723), The Letters of John Wesley: Letter to Susanna Wesley, Wesley Center Online, retrieved 14 August 2020
5. ^ a b Hearne, Thomas (1907). Remarks and collections of Thomas Hearne; vol 8: 23 September 1722-9 August 1725. Oxford: Printed for the Oxford Historical Society at the Clarendon Press. p. 16.
6. ^ Weston, Phipps (1788). The temporal promises of the Gospel asserted and maintained: in a sermon preached at the anniversary meeting of the Sons of the Clergy, in the Cathedral Church of St. Paul, on Thursday, May 8, 1788. To which are added, Lists of the nobility, clergy, and gentry who have been stewards ... since the year 1721. London: Printed by A. Rivington, sold by J. and C. Rivington. p. 2, Appendix. hdl:2027/yale.39002088441911.
7. ^ Grabe, John Ernest, ed. (1720). Septuaginta interpretum : tomus tertius; quem ex antiquissimo MS. codice Alexandrino accuratè descriptum, et ope aliorum exemplarium, ac priscorum scriptorum ... summa cura edidit Joannes Ernestus Grabe S.T.P. Oxford: At the Sheldonian Theatre.
8. ^ Grabe, John Ernest, ed. (1708). Septuaginta interpretum : tomus ultimus; quem ex antiquissimo MS. codice Alexandrino accuratè descriptum, et ope aliorum exemplarium, ac priscorum scriptorum ... summa cura edidit Joannes Ernestus Grabe S.T.P. Oxford: At the Sheldonian Theatre.
9. ^ Hearne, Thomas (1914). Remarks and collections of Thomas Hearne; vol 9: 10 August 1725-26 March 1728. Oxford: Printed for the Oxford Historical Society at the Clarendon Press. p. 325.
10. ^ The Parish registers of Oldswinford, Worcestershire. Vol 6, 1768-1800 / transcribed by J.L. Fontaine. Birmingham: Birmingham and Midland Society for Genealogy and Heraldry in conjunction with the Stourbridge Historical and Archaeological Society. 1975. p. 204.
11. ^ Wigan, George (1776). "Will of The Reverend George Wigan Doctor in Divinity, dated 9 September 1776 and proved 29 November 1776, PROB 11/1025/262". National Archives. Retrieved 27 July 2020.
12. ^ The Parish registers of Oldswinford, Worcestershire. Vols 4-5, 1736-1768 / transcribed by J.L. Fontaine. Birmingham: Birmingham and Midland Society for Genealogy and Heraldry in conjunction with the Stourbridge Historical and Archaeological Society. 1975. p. 142.
13. ^ Wigan, Mary (1764). "Will of Mary Wigan, Spinster of Old Swinford, Worcestershire, dated 10 July 1763 and proved 11 January 1764, PROB 11/895/130". National Archives. Retrieved 27 July 2020.

Church of England titles

Preceded by

William Hallifax

|  Rector of St Mary's Oldswinford
1699 -1722  | Succeeded by

Thomas Foley