30/04/2026
āŖBreedon Lives: The Story of Thomas Boultbee (1663ā1751)
We have been asked about this name, with thanks to our previous heritage office Rachel who had discovered this information, allowing us to share a little of what is known of the story.
Hidden beneath the carpet of Breedonās ancient church lies a voice from another ageāquiet, resolute, and deeply revealing. It belongs to Thomas Boultbee, a man whose life bridged turbulence and tradition, and whose story still echoes centuries after his passing.
Thomas Boultbee lived at Stordon Grange, a now-vanished residence near Osgathorpe. Though the house itself has long since disappeared from the landscape, Boultbeeās presence endures in the church where he was laid to rest. His epitaph, tucked discreetly into the central aisle, offers a striking glimpse into both his character and the world he inhabited.
It reads with conviction and clarity: he was āA member of the Church of England, Contra distinguished from Popish Superstition & Presbyterian Fanaticism, A Zealous Patriot, A Good Parent, A sincere Friend.ā The phrasing is bold, even combative to modern ears, but it reflects the anxieties and allegiances of early 18th-century England. Religion and politics were inseparable forces, shaping identity and loyalty in profound ways.
Just six years before Boultbeeās death in 1751, those tensions had come perilously close to home. The Jacobite rising, led by Bonnie Prince Charlie, saw a combined Catholic and Scottish Presbyterian army advance as far as Swarkestone Bridge, only a short distance from Breedon. Though the army ultimately turned back, the threat it posed left a lasting impression on communities like Boultbeeāsāperhaps explaining the emphatic tone of his epitaph.
Yet beyond the political and religious declarations lies a more personal story, one carried forward by his son, also named Thomas. It is widely believed that the younger Thomas was responsible for composing his fatherās epitaph, and if so, it reveals as much about filial devotion as it does about ideology.
The younger Thomas led a life intertwined with both the church and the local aristocracy. He married Lucy, who is thought to have been the illegitimate daughter of Robert Shirley, the 1st Earl Ferrers. This connection likely influenced his appointment as rector of Brailsford, another estate under Shirley patronage.
Tragedy, however, marked his later years. In March 1751, within the span of just eight days, he lost both his father and his wife. Such a double bereavement must have been devastating, and perhaps it is in this context that we understand the tenderness behind the repeated epitaph he chose for the women in his life. Both his wife and his mother are remembered with the same quiet tribute: āin piety and virtue inferior to none.ā
Taken together, these inscriptions form a small but poignant family archiveāone etched in stone rather than paper. They speak of conviction, loss, loyalty, and love. They remind us that beneath the grand narratives of history are individual lives, shaped by the same emotions and uncertainties we recognise today.
Other references can be found here: https://boultbee.info/bfh/iv.htm
