SPIRITUAL PUTREFACTION, EXETER, 1844.

 In the edition of The Western Times of 4th May, 1844, this letter 'addressed to the editor' appeared:

"It is now six weeks since I entered your ancient city,  but only three things have particularly struck my attention, viz. the great number of churches,  the great number of unfortunate females on the town, and a pair of stocks on consecrated ground.

"Now sir, there is something paradoxical in the fact, that in the cities and towns where churches abound, prostitutes abound also.  Should any of your readers doubt the correctness of this statement, I would advise them to visit Oxford or Cambridge, or York and Leeds, (that famous town where the tories catch small fish with a large 'Hook') and they will be satisfied that my statement is founded upon fact.

"But how is this to be acounted for?  'The church is the salt of the earth', to keep the people from spiritual putrefaction.  The Bible, daily read in our churches is 'a light to our feet and a lamp to our path'.  How then can we account for such a fearful mass of iniquity abounding in this our highly favoured land? and especially in Exeter where there is so much consecrated ground, and clergy of all degrees 'with gowns so black, and bands so white, and caps so orthodox'

"How is it that we see these things.  I hope the attention of some of the reverend gentlemen will be called to such matters.  Neither prostitutes nor stocks ought to abound on consecrated ground.  They are a sad hindrance to

"APOSTOLIC SUCCESSION"

I think this must be a fake letter, perhaps one written by a Times reporter to fill space and to discomfort the church party. 

The stocks were still in use in Exeter but that was on the unconsecrated ground of the Guildhall.  Where and why were they on consecrated ground?    

"Females on the town," is a curious euphemism, widely used in these years.  I don't imagine Exeter had more females on the town than many. 

Find the odd man out:  Oxford, Cambridge, Exeter, Leeds!  Leeds!?     The ' Hook' is surely Walter Farquar Hook,  the Anglican Vicar in Victorian Leeds, but  I can't see why Walter and Leeds should be here. There may be some long lost joke.

Entitlement (to all sorts of self-serving mattters) through Apostolic succession  was Bishop Phillpotts' constant claim, one which laid him open to the contempt and ridicule of many.