THE REVEREND EDWARD CROFTON LEIGH McLAUGHLIN, M.A. (1858-1939), Crofton for short, was educated at Christ Church College, Oxford. He was Rector of Burford, like his grandfather, but of the third portion. That gave him charge of St. Mary's Church, Burford, Shropshire, where he remained Rector from 1887 until 1931.

In 1899 Crofton married Blanche Tolley, daughter of Martin Mence. They had two children, Martin and Rosemary. On the left is Burford Rectory with Crofton, his bald head agleam in the centre, during Rosemary's wedding reception in 1927.

The rectory is an Elizabethan building with later additions. It has become a private residence, a new rectory having been built within its grounds.

St. Mary's Church (below) was built on Saxon foundations. It is mentioned in the Domesday Survey of 1086. Princess Elizabeth Plantagenet (1364 - 1426) is buried in a chapel of St. Mary's. She was born in 1364, the daughter of John of Gaunt, 1st Duke of Lancaster (1339-1398), the third surviving son of my ancestor Edward III. He was called "John of Gaunt" because he was born at Ghent, in Flanders where my wife comes from. Elizabeth married John Cornwall, Lord Fanhope (c. 1364 –1443) before 1401. St. Mary's contains notable monuments to the Cornwall family.

© 2006 G. Harry McLaughlin.
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