The following information has been extracted from a number of sources including Alumni Oxonienses and Crockfords Clerical Directory,1868.
John Mathias Procter was the second son of Edward Procter, a solicitor of Macclesfield in Cheshire . He was born on 7 September 1835 and educated at Macclesfield Grammar School. John entered Trinity College, Oxford in 1854, where he was awarded the degree of B.A. in 1858 and that of M.A. in 1861. He was elected a fellow of Jesus College, Oxford in 1859, a position he held until 1865.
John was ordained Deacon in 1859 and was appointed Curate of North Rode, in the rural deanery of Macclesfied. He was ordained Priest the following year.
In 1864 John married Marian Marden, the only daughter of Samuel Mitchell of Great Newbury, Ilford. They had two sons, John Edward Ingleby Procter who was born in 1865 and Francis Henry Procter who was born in 1868, and one daughter, Constance Marian Procter who was born in 1872.
In 1864 John was installed as Vicar of Holy Trinity, Barkingside in Essex, and additionally as that of St Peter's, Aldborough Hatch in 1865. He resigned from both benefices in 1878, when he was instituted Rector of St Nicholas', Laindon, also in Essex. He remained at St Nicholas' until his collation as Rector of Thorley on 22 January 1883, following his appointment the previous year as an Honorary Canon of St Alban's. John served at St James' until 8 September 1909, when he was succeeded as Rector by his son, John Edward Ingleby Procter, who had been Curate during the latter years of his incumbency.
John died on 22 January 1917, aged 81, and is buried in St James' Churchyard, along with his wife, who died on 21 March 1923, aged 83.
Philip Hargrave
January 2012