Born at Battle, Sussex, the eldest son of James Watts, Esq., a Surgeon, of No. 92 High Street, Battle, Sussex, and his wife Mary. He was christened at Battle Parish Church on the 14th of September 1825.
Matriculated at Worcester College on the 21st of March 1844 at the age of 18, later becoming a gentleman commoner at New Hall Inn in 1860.
Enlisted at Maidstone on the 11th of December 1854.
No other enlistment details apart from his trade as a farmer are shown.
Joined the regiment in the Crimea on the 7th of July 1855.
At Scutari General Hospital from the 18th of August 1855 to the 7th of September, when he was invalided to England
Discharged "by purchase," from Cahir on the 14th of March 1859, by a payment of £30.
Served 4 years 93 days. In the Crimea, 1 year 34 days
Conduct: "good."
In possession of one G. C. badge.
Entitled to the Crimea medal with clasp for Sebastopol and the Turkish medal.
Died at Kirtling on the 20th of June 1891.
Graduated as a B.A. in 1861.
Ordained Deacon in 1861.
Curate at Norton, Northamptonshire, 1861.
Curate at Morpeth, Northumberland, 1863.
Vicar of Nether Witts, Northamptonshire, 1863.
Perpetual Curate of St. Luke's, Caterham, Surrey, 1871.
Perpetual Vicar of Kirtling, Cambridgeshire, 1874.
The 1881 Census Returns show him as living at the Vicarage, Kirtling, as Vicar of Kirtling, BA Oxford, aged 55, born at Battle, Sussex, with his wife, Frances P., aged 37, born in Douglas, IOM. A daughter aged 17, and two Domestic Staff are also shown.
Extracts from the "Newmarket Journal " for Saturday the 4th of July 1891:
"Death - June 30th, at Kirtling, the Revd. P. J. Watts, aged 66 years.Local News item. Kirtling - Death of the Vicar. On Thursday the 25th ult. (June) after officiating at a funeral, the Revd. P. J. Watts complained of feeling unwell and retired to rest earlier than usual, but nothing serious was anticipated until Friday last, when Dr. Wright was called in. A professional nurse was obtained from Cambridge, and although everything possible was done for the patient, this was to no avail, as the reverend gentleman gradually grew worse and expired about 7.30 p.m. on the 30th ult. at the age of 66..."
He was buried on the 3rd of July 1891, the ceremony being performed by the Reverend John Wilder. From information furnished by Mrs. Penny Close of the Cambridgeshire Family History Society in 1986, he had officiated at the previous funeral prior to his own, on the 25th of June. She further states that the first entry made by the Revd. Watts in the Burial Register was on the 5th of August 1876, and that she did not know if he was married or not, but there was no Mrs. Watts recorded as being buried in the churchyard between 1876 and 1930.
A tombstone in Kirtling churchyard has the following inscription: "In memory of Percival James Watts, who after serving in the Crimea with the 13th Light Dragoons was (ordained) in Holy Orders, and for seventeen years was Vicar of this parish. Born in Battle in 1825. Died 1891."
(See photograph of this gravestone in the 13th Hussar file.)
The Marquess of Cambridge once recalled an old lady from the village telling his wife that she remembered the Reverend Watt:
"The children loved him, and used to swing on his coat tails. He got drunk every Saturday night and was wheeled home by the churchwarden in a wheelbarrow. But he always preached a good sermon the next day."