The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1868-04-04 00:00:00

3tourfiribg OlperVer.

SATURDAY, APRIL 4, 1869.

The REV. C. H. CRAUFURD ON HIS
SECOND MARRIAGE.

It will be seen that we have in another column
a report of Mr. Craufurda sermon on his second
marriage. Certainly those who were present
enjoyed the pleasure of lieteuing to a most
" senaational eerilion." After a few ',lamina.
tory remarks, the rev. gehtleman blaanned forth '
his trumpet, by giving a history of his birth
awl parentage. He said he WAS the son of a
soldier " second to the Great Duke :done."
That in the year 1806, though only a Colonel,
he was raised to the grade of Prigadier, awl
scut Out as COIIIIIIRIIder-111-Cillef on an expedi.
tiou ; and that he fell whilst fighting with " mere
than knightly courage " before the walle of Rod-
rigo. He was the friend of Qwwiisburv, of
Grenville, of Windham, and of Moore. *Also
the friend awl intimate associate of the Father
of our Queen, and was not without the favour.
able regard of the heroic Frederick of Prussia.
The gallant Marquess of Londonderry loved
him as a brother—followed him to his grave as
Chief Mourner, lirokewhearted—and regarded
him us inferior in opportunity alone to Nelson,
Abercrombie, or Moore. Such is a brief
tory of the Rector's gallant father. As regards
his own ancestry, he was not unconnected with
the heroic Wallace ; and was collaterally allied
to, if not lineally deecended from, the Lords of
Cranfurd, who ruled their broad domains in all
the Majesty of Feudal State before the many
mushrooms which now swarin in the peerage
had sprang from their native danehills.
Why the Rector deigned to give this account
.to his parishioners we are at a loss to conceive
latter keeping it to himself for thirty-two years,
unless it is that his little pride was touched in
conmegnerice of one in the parish daring to as-
pire to his daughter's hand. Surely, iu coin.
anon justice, this does not justify hint in giving
vent to a tirade of abuse against his neighbour,.
A woman, he says, who marries A man below her
station, fells to his station ; but a man who !oar.
rice a woman beneath him exalts her to his jw.
sitien. This, we admit, but there is nothing so
new in this old truism that it shottid be heralded
forth from the pulpit. If Mr. Cr:Admit wished
to marry, he had a perfect right to do as he
thought proper, and marry whom he liked ; but
because he happened to marry his servant it
does not justify him in bringing her before the
public, and then giving the history of her ple-
beian birth. There is no doubt that she is pos. .
seised of good qualities—kindness of heart and
piety—which, to Mr. Crunfurd, are of touch
more importance than her birth. It cannot be
said that he married her for her money, as no
doubt Mr. Craufurd possesses a goodly share of
that ; therefore we cannot but think that it Was
very bad taste to bring his new wife's position
so prominently before the public. No donbt the
Rector thought that hie wife would be shunned
and looked coldly upon by some of her neigh-
bours, and consequently he took time by the
forelock, and from the pulpit said," Should ally
one think proper to ridicule my wife, I w.nld
just vended such satirists that their tenements
are constructed of a material largely manufac-
tured in this neighbourhood (certainly not iron)
and that to such persons the throwing of stones
is a proverbially dangerous pastime." Mr. Crew
ford then went on saying that if any one taunted
him with his wife's birth he should say, " Who
was your grandfather." This, no doubt, is in-
tended to be a severe rebuke to some of his
neighbours. He also remarked that some ladies
could make bad drawings," play a little, sing a
little, awl dance considerably," and then gave a
list of abuses of the letter " h," concluding by
exalting his wife's good qualities; aud that
though she was not educated it would be his
duty and his cure to educate her, and that she
would be his especial care.
What can be said ef such a sermon? Seeing
it has never been our lot to hear such a one be.
fore, and we trust it never will be again, we
cannot help but think that it WAS uncalled for,
unfit to be delivered in a church set apart for
God'a worship, awl a desecration of the pulpit.
The occasional laughter of the congregation,
put us mere in iniud of a theatre than a place
of worship. If the Rector was anxious to in.
form the public of his family antecedents and
his nwe wife's position, we cannot help but think
that it could have been done in a school-room
in is lecture, which would have been far better
adapted far it than a place of worship.