IF you are attending a Christmas service at the parish church of St Peter and St Paul in Wantage this December, please take a look at this stained glass window which was installed in the church just before Christmas in 1861.

The window – which depicts the Institution of the Eucharist – is the east window of the south transept and is dedicated to the memory of a curate in Wantage in the 19th Century named the Hon. Rev Edward Foyle Nelson.

Edward Foyle Nelson was born on November 11, 1833, at Whiteparish in Wiltshire, the 8th child and 4th son of the 2nd Earl Nelson and Frances Eyre.

He was the grandson of Susannah Nelson, the sister of Admiral Lord Horatio Nelson.

The title of Earl was bestowed on the family of Lord Nelson, victor of Trafalgar in 1806, the first Earl being Horatio’s elder brother, Rev William Nelson, who died without issue.

The title passing to the male descendants of Horatio’s sister Susannah. Susannah married Thomas Bolton and their eldest son also Thomas changed his surname to Nelson becoming the 2nd Earl Nelson.

Edward Nelson was educated at Eton and Trinity College Cambridge. MA 1855.

On September 17, 1857, 12 candidates for ordination for either priest or deacon arrived in Wantage lodging at St Michaels School in Priory Road.

The Bishop of Oxford was also in residence at the school to take the ordination service.

This took place on Sunday, September 20, 1857 at the parish church where Edward read the gospel.

Subsequently, the Rev Nelson became a curate in Wantage and one of the vicar William John Butler's hardworking team.

He is mentioned several times in the parish diary by the Rev Butler at this time, visiting parishioners and taking a funeral service.

Although efforts were being made to improve sanitation in the town, epidemics were prevalent in 1859.

Diphtheria, Scarlet fever and typhoid were especially insidious, with around five cases of the latter at St Michael’s School.

On May 29, 1859, the Rev Butler writes in the parish diary: "Nelson is very ill – Typhoid Fever with cerebral complications. Dr Clarke however speaks quite hopefully of him."

On June 27, Edward Nelson left Wantage going to live in Scarborough, probably in the hope that the sea air would be good for his health.

Sadly it was not to be, for it was here at the Royal Hotel on September 8, 1859, that the Hon Rev Edward Foyle Nelson passed away due to TB.

The Vicar and two of his other curates attended the funeral at Trafalgar Park near Salisbury where the Rev Nelson was buried at the private chapel on the estate.

The Rev Butler recorded in his diary the great loss he felt at the death of Edward Nelson who had laboured with diligence and success in the two years he had been at Wantage.