Catalogue description The Reverend John Kirby MA, vicar of Mayfield, 1786-1844

John Kirby's papers are perhaps the most interesting in this section of the archive; in 1811 he engaged Edward Lapidge of Green Street, Grosvenor Square, the county surveyor of Surrey, to design and rebuild Mayfield vicarage; a large collection of his drawings and almost all the craftsmen's and tradesmen's vouchers have survived (KIR/28/11, 12). John Kirby was prominent in the rebuilding of Mayfield School, of which he was a trustee, between 1814 and 1824 (KIR/28/11-32) and was evidently interested in genealogy and local history: he obtained a grant of arms in 1811 and corresponded regularly with his neighbour, William Courthope of Wadhurst and the College of Arms, on matters of antiquarian interest (KIR/28/63-78). At his death in 1844 John Kirby was in a state of severe financial embarrassment as can be seen by the papers of his son as executor (KIR/29/3-14)

For John Kirby's personal, farming and charity accounts, see KIR/28/79-87. For his tithe accounts and parish papers created during his incumbency, see KIR/32

John Kirby, eldest child of the rev John Kirby and his wife Ann-Ruth Baker, was admitted to St John's College, Cambridge in 1805 (BA 1810, MA 1813) and was instituted to the vicarage of Mayfield on his father's presentation in 1810. In 1816 he married Louisa daughter of Thomas Murdoch of Portland Place (for the settlement see KIR/29/3); they had eleven children. MI in Mayfield Church