Samuel Wesley DEAKIN (1886-1956)

Samuel Wesley DEAKIN was the eldest son of William Robert Deakin and Betsy Hodson. Samuel was born on 16 July 1886 in Wigan, Lancashire.

After leaving school, Samuel worked in the Deakin family business but his passion was to join the Ministry, and on 19 August 1911¹ he emigrated to the United States of America and joined the Episcopal Methodist Ministry in Iowa in the United States (see Rev. Samuel W. Deakin Writes Home from the USA).

Samuel returned to Worcestershire to live at Boxbush Farm near Norton Hall, Pershore, but in 1914² he enrolled at Drake University, Des Moines, Iowa, to study Theology.

During the First World War, Samuel was drafted as a Private in the US Infantry (his address at the time was 1321 26th Street, Des Moines), and Samuel had to relinquish his British citizenship and allegiance to King George V. His Declaration of Intention, signed on 27 March 1918, states that he was 5ft 3½” tall, with a light complexion and blue eyes. Samuel was naturalised as a citizen of the United States, on 9 August 1918 whilst residing at Fort Douglas, Salt Lake City, Utah³. After the war, Samuel applied for a US passport which was granted on 11 October 1919 and he returned to England shortly afterwards.

Samuel returned to England in the early 1920s. He married Norah Gertrude FOX (b. 14 April 1902) in Pershore in 1924 and the couple lived at Boxbush Farm, Stoulton, Worcestershire, and they had one son:

1. David Curzon DEAKIN, b. 11 Oct 1934, Hackney, London, d. 1944, Ashby-de-la-Zouch, Leicestershire.

Samuel later attended Wycliffe Hall, an evangelical college set within the University of Oxford, graduating in 1930. In 1931, he was appointed Deacon and the couple moved to 16 Church Street, Golborne, Lancashire⁴. In 1934 the couple are recorded on the electoral roll for Hackney in London. In June 1937, Samuel was appointed as curate at Fladbury, Worcestershire. The Evening Despatch reported on 3 July 1937:

The new curate at Fladbury, near Pershore, is a former Wesleyan minister, the Rev. Samuel Wesley Deakin, youngest (sic) son of Mr. W.R. Deakin, the well-known fruit grower and jam manufacturer of Norton Hall, Worcester.

He was engaged in missionary work abroad before being ordained deacon by the Bishop of Liverpool in 1921, and priest the following year, when he became curate of Golbourne in the Liverpool diocese. For the past year he has worked in the Gloucestershire diocese.

The couple later lived at 17 Highfield Avenue, Immingham, Lincolnshire, and in 1939 whilst a Clerk in Holy Orders lis recorded as living at Marsh Green Cottages, Ashover.

At the end of March 1942, Samuel and his family moved to The Vicarage, Woodville, when he succeeded Rev. G.S.D. Black as vicar of St Stephen’s Church. His induction ceremony was performed by the Ven. E. Spencer Noakes, MA, LLD, Archdeacon of Derby.

On 4th August 1944, Samuel and Norah’s son, David, sadly died, aged 9, of accidental drowning in a disused clay hole belonging to the Albion Clay Company, at Bowthorpe, near Moira, three to four miles from the family home.

Samuel died at his home, 23 Hackney Grove, London, in 1956, and his widow, Norah died in 1980.