Researching William Vyse

The family's earlier history in Staffordshire is outlined by the editor of Erdeswicke. Vyse was educated at Pembroke College, Oxford, matriculating in 1727 and graduating B.A. in 1730. He held the living of St Philip, Birmingham and became Treasurer of Lichfield Cathedral in 1734. One of the "Lichfield literati", an example of his skills in improvised verse is preserved by Anna Seward.

One of his sons, Richard, became a General. Another, William, was Archdeacon of Coventry, and it was he (according to the inscription) who had the monument to his father set up in Birmingham Cathedral. William had also daughters, one of whom, Mary (born 1745), married the Right Revd. Spencer Madan, Lord Bishop of Peterborough; and, dying in 1827, she was buried at Lichfield in the same vault as her brother General George Vyse. Their sister Catherine in 1768 became the second wife of Sir George Smith, 1st Bart., was widowed in the following year, and died in 1786.

He also has a wall monument at Lichfield Cathedral, which shows that he married Catherine, daughter of Richard Smalbroke, Lord Bishop of Lichfield. Both were buried in the south aisle of Lichfield Cathedral.

The family's earlier history in Staffordshire is outlined by the editor of Erdeswicke. The son of William Vyse, Archdeacon of Salop and his wife Catherine Smalbroke, he matriculated at Brasenose College, Oxford in 1758, but received his degrees from All Souls' College, Oxford. In 1765-66 he travelled in France, Switzerland and Italy with Patrick Brydone and William Beckford of Somerley, and was in Rome with Beckford in 1770 when they travelled about with Dr Charles Burney, who was collecting materials for a General History of Music. He held livings in Newington, Brasted, Lambeth and Sundridge. He made inquiries on Dr. Samuel Johnson's behalf in search of Johnson's relatives around Lichfield, at the time when the Doctor was making his will in 1784.

His younger brother Richard was a General, and Comptroller of the Household of the Duke of Cumberland. His sister, Mary (1745-1827), married the Right Revd. Spencer Madan, Lord Bishop of Peterborough, and was buried at Lichfield in the same vault as her brother General Richard Vyse. Their sister Catherine in 1768 became the second wife of Sir George Smith, 1st Bart., was widowed in the following year, and died in 1786.