Contents

Biography

Rev W. S. Lach Szyrma M A

Vicar of Barkingside

Wladyslaw Somerville Lach-Szyrma was born at Devonport on Christmas Day 1841. As his mother was much impressed by his being born on the Saviour’s birthday she wished, in his infancy even, that he should be dedicated to the Master’s service. But no pressure was ever put on him to take Holy Orders, & indeed his father (Colonel LachSzyrma) would have preferred that he should enter the diplomatic service for which at one time the family had some interest through Lord Dudley Coutts Stuart. Mr. Lach Szyrma’s early childhood was spent partly at 24 Ker S Devonport, & partly in London - which city was associated with some of his earliest memories e.g. seeing Queen Victoria opening Parliament in 1845 & also seeing the Duke of Wellington. In 1845 the family returned to Devonport.

In 1849 the subject of our memoir joined Mr Duries private school, which was afterwards the middleclass school of S Stephens Church Devonport, then under the able incumbentship of Rev G Proctor. Here the boy was under the tuition in religion instruction of Rev T C Caudwell (afterwards his predecessor at Carnmenellis, & now Vicar of S Matthias Stoke Newington). At this time Devonport was very much to the fore in Church circles & four new churches - i.e. S.S. Stephens, Mary’s, Paul’s & James were erected & parishes formed under the supervision of Bishop Henry Philpotts the once famous "Harry of Exeter". Mr Lach Szyrma took an interest in Church work even as a lad. He was a Sunday school teacher at S Mary’s Devonport under the incumbency of Rev: Alfred Swain who prepared him for Confirmation, & at the early age of 16 he read the lessons in S Mary’s Church. At an early age also he showed fondness for Church history & philology, & when quite a boy i.e. at 14 wrote a little resume of the history of the Christian Church which is still in manuscript. He was also under his father’s direction fond of languages, & before he went to Oxford could speak & think with fair facility in French & Polish besides the usual studies of Latin & Greek. Among his boyish memories are the demonstrations against the Chartists in 1848, the opening of G.W.R. to Plymouth, the visit of Queen Victoria to Plymouth, the embarkation of the Light Brigade at Devonport Dockyard for the Crimean War, the formation of the Polish Legion, & the consecration of their banner at Plymouth Sound, the floating of the Albert Bridge at Saltash. In 1859 he was matriculated at Brasenose College Oxford. Here he did well - never failed in any examination, & took his degree at the age of 20 & received a second class honours in the Law & History School. His reading having been varied he regretted afterwards that he had not gone also in for mathematical honors as his College Tutor recommended. While at Oxford he passed under the instruction of Dean Stanley, Professor Max Muller, Professor Burrows, Professor Rogers, Professor Goldwin Smith & Bishop Jacobson, all of whom had a share in the formation of his mind.

His first published literary work was a book of poems "Heroes of the Day Franklin & Garibaldi" with some short pieces including a poem on "Guardian Angels." An account of this book is to be found in "West Country Poets" by M. & W. K. Wright.

In 1863 he took his BA degree but stayed two terms afterwards for study in Oxford. In 1864 he married Rosina Atkinson, only daughter of Commander Horatio Nelson Atkinson RN, & in 1865 he was ordained Deacon by Bishop Hamilton of Salisbury in Salisbury Cathedral. His first curacy was at Pensilva, a mining village in S Ive parish - where Mr. (afterwards Archdeacon) Hobhouse was rector. Here he laboured for 3 years. In 1866 he suffered the severe loss of his Father’s death. Colonel Lach Szyrma was universally respected & beloved. He had been a Doctor & Professor of Philosophy in the university of Wilna & a colonel in the army in the Revolution of 1830. Most of his life had been spent in England, & he had for many years before his death been a naturalized British subject, & took a certain position in literary circles in London & Plymouth. His death was sudden by apoplexy.

He lived to see his first grandson Horatio, & thus had an earnest of his wish being fulfilled that he should found a family in England.

The work at Pensilva was very interesting, & Mr Lach Szyrma (who was ordained priest by Bishop Hamilton again, on account of the illness of Bishop Philpotts) at Salisbury in 1866, took a lively interest in the Cornish miners there. He fitted up the mission room, procured proper ornaments, established frequent services, formed an Institute for the miners, brought even the leading Methodists to the Church services. The Rector Mr Hobhouse, being ill, was ordered abroad, & so much of the responsibility of this district fell on the curate who was shortly after his ordination put in almost an incumbent’s position. However after 3 years work, feeling a need of further experience he accepted the curacy of Princetown under the well known author & historian Rev Morris Fuller. Here he had a trying but very interesting field. The parish was about the largest in England. The Sunday duty included services at Princetown, Dartmoor & Post Bridge & often implied 20 miles journey, & the sick visiting included some 16 miles drive. Here Mr Lach Szyrma had a share in starting the work at both Dartmeet & Post Bridge Mission Chapels. In 1869 he took the curacy of S Pauls Truro under Prebendary Dumbleton, & had some experience in town work, in what afterwards became the cathedral city of Cornwall.

In 1871 he was nominated by the patroness Mrs.Bradley (better known as "Sister Charlotte" at S Peters Hause Hall) Vicar of Carnmenellis. This was an extensive mining parish, & the work was very trying. A curious event happened here worth noting. Mr Lach Szyrma, being ill, went to London for advice & the servants, by some neglect omitting to pull up the vicarage blinds in the morning, a rumour arose of his death. This was noted by the "West Briton" & other west country journals, & being regarded as a rising young incumbent an obituary of him appeared in several newspapers. As happily he was getting better he at first treated the matter as a joke, but Bishop, now Archbishop Temple communicated with the curate on the subject. All his friends were very glad to welcome him in the West, & the churchwardens wished for a public reception but this well-meant expression of feeling was declined.

As Rev A Gurney’s chaplaincy in Paris was vacant after the war, Mr Lach Szyrma was offered it & accepted under the S P G, giving up his benefice of Carnmenellis to take it, but difficulties arose, & while Bishop Jackson delayed in the resuscitation of the Chaplaincy (which indeed was never effected) Mr Lach Szyrma took the Librarianship & tutorship at S Augustine’s College - Canterbury, where he spent an academical year, & renewed his studies in many subjects.

The early family tree will appear here

But not quite yet

The book is a biography (in Polish) of Krystyn entitled "Krystyn Lach Szyrma - syn ziemi mazurskiej" = "a son of the mazurian region". The working title was "a Polish patriot" but given the political situation in Poland at the time (1971) and the fact that Krystyn had fought against the Russians, it would never have passed the official censor unless the authors were a little diplomatic.

A translation will appear here bit by bit as I can translate it.

 I'm sorry the page hasn't progressed for some time. Something happened and I couldn't do a thing with it!

Hello David & Lynn, glad you could make it. Let me know what you think.