A CHURLISH PRIEST, EXETER, 1841.

 William, Webber, a smith in the employ of Mr. W.C. Bodley, Bonhay, wrote to The Western Times  (9th January 1841) this letter:

"Sir, - Having a child lying dead,  I applied to the Rev. Mr. Atkinson,  Rector of St. Edmund's parish for its interment.   I waited upon him on the Wednesday, intending to have my child buried on the following day,  and he directed me to come again in the evening at half-past seven,

I did so, and his order then was , I were to be in the yard at 1 o'clock the following day.  I told him I could not, as I had some friends in the country coming to the funeral.  To this he answered by asking what had I to do with the appointment of the funeral - and added that he would not be in the yard at any time else.

I sent to him again the next morning, and his answer was just the same.  I was then obliged to apply to Mr. Wood, a Dissenting Minister, who buried my child, after having had another grave dug.

Knowing you to be a working man's friend, I take the liberty of writing to you the above, and trust you will be so kind as to insert it in your paper, which will always be remembered by your very grateful and humble servant,

WM. WEBBER

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It was not uncommon for poor parents to have trouble with Anglican parsons when it came to burying their dead children and without a parson a child could not be buried.  Often Dissenters came to the rescue bur not always.  A last resort was the Quakers.

The editor of The Times subscribed this letter with the comment:  "The act of this priest, if perfectly lawful, was at the same time, perfectly churlish."

"Having a child lying dead." reads like the first line of a poem.  Walt Whitman?

Though a working man,  William Webber wrote a fair hand.  Something, I guess, that came as a surprise to the Rev. Mr. Atkinson.  The March of Mind was changing the game.