History

St. Andrews Church, Caversham and the Hissey Family

The involvement of the Hissey family with St. Andrews is obvious throughout the church. To name but a few, the beautiful big west window, the smaller south facing windows, the organ, pews, alter cross, lectern etc. I shall never forget the day upon visiting the church for the first time in 2006 when I came across all of these memorials commemorating my ancestors. You see, we as a family never knew of the existence of St. Andrews and what an important role it played in the lives of our earlier Hissey family.

I am a direct descendant of William and Amy Hissey who are commemorated in the big west window in St. Andrews. William was born on Chequers Farm in Stokenchurch in 1816. He was the son of William Hissey born 1777 who was a descendant of a long line of Hisseys in Longworth Oxfordshire who I and fellow researchers have traced to the late 1500’s. William married Amy Gillett on November 19th 1847 in Hughendon. William and Amy were tenant farmers and farmed during the course of their lives in West Wycombe, Stokenchurch, Compton Surrey and in the latter years on Norcott Farm in Tilehurst where William died in 1881. William’s wife Amy outlived her husband by nearly 30 years. After the death of William, his wife Amy remained on Norcott farm with her daughters Mary and Amy. Her son Henry Childs Hissey also lived on the farm. From memorials and plagues in St. Michaels Church Tilehurst, I have been able to establish that whilst the family lived in Tilehurst they played an active role within the church and congregation there. Amy and her daughters remained on Norcott farm until 1894 after which they moved to their new home, 41 (Warren Towers) St. Peters Avenue, Caversham Heights. Her son Henry Childs remained on Norcott Farm where he was a very successful farmer and owned brickworks located opposite the farm. Henry Childs died at the very young age of 39 on a train travelling from Oxford to Reading on May 16th 1900.

Upon studying records of St. Andrews I have learnt that a church fund was started for the building of a new church in Caversham in 1909. Amy and her daughters Mary and Amy were all benefactors and donated funding toward the build. Mary was part of the building committee which consisted of about 22 members. The building work of St. Andrews started in 1910 and was completed in April 1911 – and the total cost of the building was just over five and a half thousand pounds. On April 29th 1911 St. Andrews Church was consecrated by Francis Paget Lord Bishop of Oxford and Reverend Cleaver the Vicar of the Parish.


St. Andrews photo from Hissey family album.

Sadly Amy Hissey Senior and her daughter Amy (a spinster) never lived to see the finished St. Andrews as they both died the year building work started in 1910.

Amy’s daughter Mary remained in Caversham and St. Andrews for many years. She lived at Warren Towers until 1946/7 when she sold the property and moved in with her godson (my G/Grandfather) William Charles James Hissey in Sindlesham. Mary died a spinster in 1949 and left a sizeable estate to her godchildren and other family members. She requested in her will to have her funeral service at St. Andrews and to be buried in Tilehurst with her sister Amy and her parents William and Amy.

From what I have been told and stories that have come down the generations we know that Mary (daughter of William & Amy) was a very religious lady. She travelled the world and is said to have gone on a windjammer with the bishop. I have been unable to establish whether this rumour is true. We know from diaries and letters that she travelled to Israel and bequeathed very generously in her will to several charities all over the world.

Florence, also commemorated on some of the plaques and windows within St. Andrews was the daughter of William and Amy. She was born in 1859 and died at the age of 11 in 1870 of measles she suffered from for two days.

William Dewe Hissey – the first child born to William and Amy Hissey left England for Australia in 1887. He lived there up to his death in 1933. He had several children of which his descendants now live in Australia.

James, the third child born to William and Amy is my direct ancestor. He was the father of William Charles James Hissey where Mary lived out her last days in Sindlesham. William Charles James’ son James is my grandfather who left England and established himself a life and a farm in the British Colony of Kenya.

I am the first descendant from William and Amy Hissey who can call England home again. I live in Kent with my husband and two children. My father still lives in Africa and will probably remain there until his last days.

Mrs. Janina Hedger (née Hissey) March 2008

To see the original church plans from Lambeth Palace Library, click here.