Hertfordshire Clergy
Worse and worse -
This local saying is a memorial to an anonymous parson at St. James, Bushey. At one
time there was a single bell at the church. When rung it gave out a peal that sounded
like tom-
This, the villagers said, was shaming him so undaunted he added a third bell. Unfortunately
the bells when rung, made matters worse by declaring him -
Hertfordshire appears to have had its fair share of religious worthies who have made their mark in the history books for acts of eccentricity. Posterity fails to record how many clerics were removed from their posts following a 1654 Act of Parliament that penalised them for ignorance, insufficiency, scandal in their lives and congregations, or negligence in their respective callings and places
We can only surmise what Parliament would have made of things when the Reverend William Jones was appointed to Broxbourne Church in 1801 and failed to find any records beyond 1688. After some detective work in 1804 he finally solved the mystery. A previous vicar had given all the records to his clerk. The latter was by profession a tailor and had cut up all the church records for use as patterns.
Fortunately this was not a universal practice and most church records have been preserved
for inspection. Ecclesiastical records are also maintained by bishops when visiting
outlying parishes although Archdeacon Timothy Neave was not prepared for what he
found on a visit to Walkern parish in the middle of the eighteenth century; for these
were his comments on Edward Sturgess, the vicar:-
He never goes to church or elsewhere, lies in bed ye greater part of his time and drinks and smokes away ye rest, not quite in his senses nor yet quite mad.
He refused to enter the church but spent his time wearing a floral dressing gown
and smoking a hookah. Once the service was ended he could then talk to the parishioners
at his leisure -
Not all clergy were so laid back or dismissive of their duties. One of the most celebrated
preachers at Christ Church Chapel in Cheshunt at the end of the last century was
James Gilmour of Mongolia. He began Sunday evenings standing at the entrance to the
chapel watching the local people taking a gentle stroll. After a moment or two reflection,
with hat removed he would approach every passer-
Unfortunately the enthusiasm of another local vicar was his downfall. The Reverend
Ralph Freeman of St. Marys Aspenden was spending time doing what he loved best -
History doesn't record whether or not the house was saved.
The ringing of bells is an integral part of church life and was the occupation of Isaac Morrell at St. Lawrence, Wormley. He rang the bells as the choir entered and then spat on the floor to drive out evil spirits. It is said that he never actually attended church himself.
But by far the most eccentric, dissolute and outrageous cleric was the Reverend John Alington. He was born in Baldock of wealthy parents on 4th May 1795 and destined to inherit the Letchworth estates from his maternal grandfather John Wilkinson.
At first his education was not dissimilar to that of any other son of well-
Knapp made a pleasant overture to Alington, as Lord of the Manor, and asked if he wished to conduct the occasional service. Alington took Knapp too literally and took all services, including weddings and christenings, leaving the incumbent the unpleasant task of overseeing all the funerals.
Even at this stage, Alington was already exhibiting signs of unorthodoxy by quoting freely from love poems rather than readings from the Bible. This final affront caused Knapp to complain to the Bishop and Alington was suspended. This did not deter the latter who quickly assumed the mantle of a parson gone out of business as he was dubbed by local gypsy. He conducted services at Letchworth Hall and in summertime, in the open air.
He was fond of strong drink which he took liberally before a service; playing the organ and assorted musical boxes, inviting strolling players from amongst the many travellers and groups of gypsies, to accompany him. Quite often he rode a hobby horse (a very clumsy ancestor of a bicycle) up and down the aisles, frequently falling off to raucous laughter, until one of his servants helped him back into the saddle
Alington was taken ill in December 1863. For three days he refused all medicine, forcing the many obnoxious potions down the throat of his servants. Finally he requested a brandy, drained the glass and died.
Perhaps his epitaph, and that of the many other clerics that have lightened the days of their flock, should be that written by the same Reverend William Jones, responsible for tracking down the bespoke tailoring cut from the Broxbourne church records. Jones wrote in his diary in 1806, 15 years before his own death in 1821.
I have eaten and drunk enough; alas I have played the fool while waking as well as
witnessed the fooleries of others. I am satiated -
©John Barber -
You can contact me here:
English Eccentrics by Edith Sitwell £9.09 from Amazon
