Chaplain Rupert Edward Inglis was born on the 17th of May 1863, at St George, Hanover Square, London, one of seven children of Major General John Eardley Wilmot Inglis KCB “Defender of Lucknow” in the Indian Mutiny, and the Honourable Julia Selina Thesiger, the fourth daughter of the first Baron Chelmsford, Lord Chancellor.

He was baptised at St Paul, Wilton Place, Knightsbridge; the baptism roll records the family address as 7, Eaton Square. In 1871 he was living with his family at The Lawn, Rugby, Warwickshire. His father is not recorded and Julia, aged 37, born Middlesex is head of the family.

Children recorded are J ohn F, aged 17, born in the East Indies, Alfred M. aged 14, and Victoria A, aged 12, both born in Middlesex, Julia M, aged 9, born in Scotland, and Rupert, aged 7.

Family servants are Fanny Jailby, aged 27, born Leicestershire, Elizabeth Hughes, aged 27, born Monmouthshire, Jane Oakshott, aged 16, born Sussex and Anne Burbridge, aged 6, born Warwickshire. 

In 1881, he was boarding at Rugby School. Following from Rugby, he was educated at University College, Oxford and Ely Theological College, from where he was ordained in 1889 at St Clement’s Church, York, in a ceremony conducted by the Bishop of Beverley. He then became Curate at Helmsley and at Basingstoke. Ordained as a priest by the Bishop of Winchester in 1894, he was appointed Rector of Frittenden in 1900.

Before continuing with other aspects of his life, his sporting achievements should be mentioned. Whilst at Rugby School he was a member of the cricket and rugby teams, He played cricket for the MCC at the age of 16.

He played rugby for Oxford University in 1883 and 1884 and subsequently joined the Blackheath rugby club and played for the England national side on three occasions.

 On the 11th of June 1900, Rupert married Helen Mary Gilchrist at Paddington, and in the 1901 census, the couple are recorded at The Vicarage, Frittenden. Rupert, aged 37, was a clergyman (CofE), Helen, aged 20, was born Australia. No children are recorded. Servants noted are Elsie Nygren, aged 22, born Sweden, Annie Fulker, aged 21, born Hampshire and Ethel Bickerton, aged 23, born New Cross, Surrey.

Still at the Vicarage in 1911, the couple have been married for ten years and have two children, Joan Clara Thesiger, aged 9, born south west London and John Gilchrist Thesiger, aged 4, born Frittenden. 

There are four servants, Florence Mary Edwards, aged 27, born at Buxted, Bertha Elvig, aged 42, birth place not known, Elizabeth Rose Park, aged 17, born Portsmouth and Martha Ada Lynch, aged 27, born Southampton. Later in the year, following the census, the couple had their third and final child, Margaret Cochrane "Margy" Inglis.

In 1915 Rupert enlisted as a Chaplain and was commissioned as a Chaplain 4th Class on the 5th of July and attached to the 1st Battalion, King’s Shropshire Light Infantry. He performed duties at the 23rd General Field Hospital at Etaples and then the 21st Casualty Clearing Station at Corbie, near Albert.

In December 1915, he was attached to the 16th Infantry Brigade, 6th Division, at Ypres. He continued with his work of tending to the needs of the wounded, dressing their wounds and assisting in surgery as the division moved through the battlefields of Belgium and France, all the while writing home to his family and parishioners.

In September 1916, he was present at the Battle of Ginchy, from where he wrote his final letter home; On the 18th, he was struck by a shell fragment whilst assisting a stretcher party to bring back the wounded from the field and whilst his wounds were being tended to, another shell landed close by and he was killed.

He was buried at Ginchy but his grave was lost and is therefore remembered on the Thiepval memorial as having no known grave