"Not an hundred miles from the delightful vicinity of Salcombe Regis, a rev. gent., after preaching a sermon to the Friendly Society, was to be seen, standing, with hurdle in hand, superintending the rural sports of Whit-Monday and dispatching the young urchins for a prize with the following exhortation - "Go - go - you young beggars, if you break your necks the doctor's here to mend them." Afterwards figuring in the capacity of ring keeper, master of the dancing ceremonies, course clearer for the wheel-barrows, and assistant to certain ladies whilst running for a bonnet, and last, though not least, was busily engaged in putting money into a tub of water, for the young 'uns to extract therefrom with their mouths, during which operation one of the competitors was nearly stifled by keeping too long under the water. The whole was finished up with a fight, to the evident satisfaction of that stately personage who adorns the white gown on a Sunday morning and according to his own account is the only person in the parish suited for the cure of souls."
This is an attack on the jolly rev. gent. by The Western Times of 30th May, 1845, not, as these days one might imagine, a laudation, the clue to which is the white gown that he wears of a Sunday. He is clearly a beastly Puseyite wearing the much despised, by The Times, surplice. As such nothing he says or does can be to his credit.
This year the celebrated Country Fair at, still delightful, Salcombe Regis (16 miles to the east of Exeter) will be the afternoon of 29th May. (there's tradition for you!) There will be none of the events of 181 years ago, no ladies running for a bonnet, no healthy sports, but lots of fun and, for the active, usually, at least a coconut shy.
I ask myself how an hundred was pronounced.
Addendum, 28th June 2026.
This parson must have been John Haydon Cardew who was for many years the Rector at Curry Mallet and who was also vicar at Salcombe Regis from 1813 to his death, aged 81) in 1853. He was therefore about 74 when he was 'go-going' the little beggars. In true pluralist style, he rented out the vicarage house. He was preferred to Curry Mallet by the Prince of Wales, no less, which suggests that he was well heeled and connected. He, however, seems not to have done much for the parish.
In October 1849 Cardew, the cad,* offended the Western Times and removed all doubt that he was a deep-dyed Puseyite, (27th October) by removing the old, wooden, 'Protestant', communion-table at Salcombe Regis and replacing it with a fixed stone altar, presumably the one still in the church. This, according to The W, Times, infringed Church Law but, of course, the much disrespected Bishop Phillpotts was turning a blind eye to this as to other Romanist depredations.
*For some, perhaps, older readers!
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