STRANGE AND DISGRACEFUL HOAX, EXETER, 1840.

Under this heading The Western Times of 5th September 1840 reported how all the old sympathizers of the slave were fooled into attending a meeting at the Exeter Subscription Rooms that never took place.  It was advertised that Dr. Scoresby would be there as chairman.

Dr. William Scoresby was a whaler, a scientist, an explorer and a clergyman.  He was a great man, too great to require more to be written about him here.      He had been well-known and well-loved in Exeter, where he had been, for seven years, 1832 to 1839, Chaplain of the Bedford Chapel. but he left Exeter, according to The Times, 'under a cloud'.

The bills advertising the meeting had, allegedly, been sent up from London and they read:

"Abolition of Slavery, Royal Subscription Rooms, Exeter.  A Public Meeting will be holden (D.V.) at the above rooms , on Monday August 31st, 1840.  The Rev Dr. Scoresby in the Chair, to take into consideration the propriety of adopting means of procuring the general abolition of negro slavery, throughout the United States of America....The Chair will be taken at one o' clock precisely."

Accordingly at one o'clock:

"A full muster of the Bedford Chapel congregation took place, and the ladies schools in which he (Dr. Scoresby) found so many admirers poured forth their pattern pupils to see the worthy doctor as President.  The general question drew forth all the old sympathizers of the slave, and many a drab bonnett with mild and gentle features beneath graced the foremost seats,  the broad brim and the peculiar cut broad-cloth betokening the presence of the genuine devoted undomitable. haters of slavery and oppression. We observed also most of the leaders of the evangelical sections of the Christian Country and the sturdy Unitarian also was present - and taken in." 

It was no more than an elaborate hoax.  Neither Dr Scoresby nor any of the promised speakers turned up.  Some disgraceful, 'cakes-and-ale' joker had had his fun with the then Exeter progressives.  After waiting over an hour the sympathizers and the admirers all went home. 

Bring back 'holden'!!  

Undomitable is different.

I like the subtlety of 'D.V.'-  He clearly wasn't willing! - and in 1840 everybody knew what D.V. meant  - and  I like the ambiguity of 'taken in'! 

There is a crater on the moon named after William Scoresby.