Reginald Mottershead Hulbert

  Notes:

Found her chr on the IGI child of Charles Augustus Hulbert and Mary. Gave full birth date and second name.

1861 Census; Living as son (age 17) at Parsonage House, Slaithwaite, Yorkshire. With parents, aunt (Elizabeth B Wood, 46), 5 siblings, 3 servants and a pupil. Occupation; Scholar.

1871 Census; Living as lodger (age 27, unmarried) at Lower Houses, Almondbury, Yorkshire. Occupation; Curate of Almondbury.

MI at Slaithwaite;
" M.S. — Reginald Mottershead Hulbert, M.A., of Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge; third son of Charles Augustus Hulbert, M.A., Vicar of this Parish. Where he served as Curate from March, 1867, to September, 187 1. And at Wakefield Parish Church till March, 1874; when, as Chaplain, he sailed for South India, and, at Trichinopoly, laboured devotedly till September, when he left on sick leave, and died November 20th, 1874, aged 31 years, at Ramsgate, in Kent. Where he rests in the Lord, with a beloved Aunt ' Till He come.' Filio tam desiderato Mcestissimi Parentes posuerunt. mdccclxxvi."

Annals of the church and parish of Almondbury, Yorkshire (by his father);
".... whilst it commemorates the brief but intensely interesting connection between this devoted young minister and the people of the village of Almondbury, where, on the appointment of his father as Vicar, he officiated as Curate for four and a half years. He was born at Slaithwaite 9th June, 1843, and died at Ramsgate, Kent, November 20th, 1874. He was educated at Slaithwaite Free School, and afterwards at Huddersfield Collegiate School, under the Rev. Abraham Smith, M.A., but in each case under paternal direction. He walked daily for several years to Huddersfield, a distance of five miles, returning by train and when at Cambridge gained a Cup in the Athletic Sports for walking. * He distinguished himself in the Collegiate School, and proceeded to Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge, where he took the degree of B.A. in 1866. He was so deeply impressed with Missionary zeal that he was ordained
September following, by Bishop Bickersteth, as third Curate to his father, but with special reference to his going out to India or China in connection with the Church Missionary Society. But on the sudden call of his father to the Vicarage of Almondbury, Feb. 26th, 1867, he was placed there as Curate-in-Charge, and soon became fully engaged. He revived the service and Sunday School at Lowerhouses, Longlcy; and on the appointment of an additional Curate, the Rev. George C. B. Madden, took the sole charge of that district; where he remained until autumn 1871, when he became Curate at the Parish Church of Wakefield, at the special wish of the Rev. Canon Camidge, the Vicar ; there he continued resident, as a son, for two and a half years. Neverthe-
less never yielding in his desire for Missionary work. He was eminently useful, and received many tokens of respect and affection on his departure from Wakefield. The offer of an Assistant Government Chaplaincy in the Presidency of Madras, through the instrumentality of the Rev. Canon Hoare, of Tun-
bridge Wells, and the Bishop of Dover, in October, 1873, revived his zeal ; but he was not able to proceed to his destination until March following. Sailing from Brindisi on the 23rd, by way of the Red Sea, he unfortunately arrived in India at the hottest season, without acclimization by a long voyage. All along the way, by sea and land, he conducted divine service or distributed Tracts or Books; even to the Archbishop of Brindisi; and in different languages— for which he had liberal grants from the several Christian Societies. After staying a short time with Bishop Gell, at Madras, who testified that his earnestness was " unmistakeable," he was sent to Trichinopoly, the hottest part of India probably of the world, to supply the place of the Chaplain there ; who was gone up into the Mountains. Being a Hebrew scholar, he applied himself immediately to the acquirement of the Tamil language, and was soon able to officiate in it; he associated with the Missionaries of the Society for Promoting Christianity in Foreign Parts; and some interesting meetings were held. But
unhappily, as it appears to us, he ventured out at night to visit the soldiers and others, and once was in danger from a cobra capella. He took a cold in July which settled upon his heart and lungs. But he persevered in his labours, until September, when the medical officers ordered his return to England on sick leave. Bishop Gell communicated this in the kindest manner to his father; and he returned to England ; but was no longer able to exercise his ministry on the way. He visited St. Paul's Bay at Malta, which was too great an effort, and he arrived at Southampton on the 1st of November (All Saints' Day),, 1874, where he was met by his eldest brother, and proceeded thence to Ramsgate ; there he died on his mother's breast November 20th, and was buried in St.
George's Churchyard there, in the same vault with a beloved aunt. His parents had been suddenly called up, only just in time to take a last farewell. It is remarkable that he laboured in ths Church where his great namesake — Bishop Reginald Heber - after whom he was partly named, had laboured and lies buried. His elder brother, the Rev, James Lacy Hulbert, B.A., Chaplain at Carabacel, Nice, whom he saw on his way outward, has since died also, on the first of November, 1880 (see page 248), leaving a widow and five children. He had ministered there for ten years. The South India Press noticed the departure of the Rev. Reginald M. Hulbert with regret. He was exceedingly faithful in his admonitions; but won the respect of the Officers, as well as others, among whom he laboured. He visited the scenes of Missionary labour in the preceding century, consecrated by the names of Schwartz and others. Sic vixit — sic obiit.