HOLY SOIL, TEIGNMOUTH, 1843.

A letter to the Editor of The Western Times  of 16th December 1843 from F. Rice,  the Independent minister at Teignmouth,  described how the Rev. Walter Brunt, the curate at West Teignmouth and an ardent disciple of the Tractarian school of theology, tried to forbid him, F Rice, from walking across the Anglican churchyard:  

"Until within the last few years there was a public foot path through West Teignmouth churchyard, which, for convenience sake, some of the Independent dissenters availed themselves of to go to their chapel on Sundays; and since the public path was stopped, they have, till now, continued to go through the yard without hindrance, when the gates were open.

"In common with others, I did the same, unmolested, till the 15th inst. but on the morning of that day the curate saw me pass through the yard, and enquired who I was, and was told the Independent Minister.

"In the afternoon a message was brought me from the sexton to this effect - that the parson had ordered him to prevent me from going through the yard any more!! the pretext for this being that the ground is consecrated!!

Probably, sir, it may be necessary to re-consecrate the holy soil, or if not, to perform  some ceremony in order to remove the pollution which it has received from the heretical feet of the teacher of a 'conventicle.' 

How devoutly is it to be wished that this intolerant priest would pause awhile when he next reads the following petition in the liturgy - From all uncharitableness,  Good Lord deliver us.

I am, sir, your obedient servant,

F. RICE."  

The next Sunday when F. Rice crossed the churchyard again, the curate came out,  he must have been watching for him, and followed him into the street.  The priest argued that the minister was a trespasser.  F. Rice felt he needed to write an account of their meeting to The Times again.  These petty squabbles were hardly edifying!

The Puseyite, Rev. Walter Brunt MA,  lasted less than another year in Teignmouth.  He became the curate at Helston where, in November 1844, he became famous for fifteen minutes when the complaints of his Cornish parishioners and the consequences thereof hit the national press.

I think and hope that a 'holy soil' story like this could not be credited today.  It is surely progress much to be applauded that much of the silliness, as it seems now to the vast majority of citizens, of the Victorian Christian churches, orthodox or dissenting, has disappeared like the snows of yesteryear and it was a tough struggle for freedom of thought which should be remembered and taught in our schools with many a hero fighting against gammon and Bible tyranny.

Our leaders are cowards. There is still a lot of gammon about!  Islam in particular  gammons a lot of people.  It is a faith that is tyrannical and threatens all of us.  It prescribes all our our liberties and our leaders choose not to speak of it.  They do not speak out for the largely secular society that they represent and that wants none of the nonsense.  They are too fearful to act against the sillinesses, injustices and worse that Islam and perhaps other religions imply even though they recognise them.