The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1906-01-20
STORIES OF EccENrR1C PARSONS.

the Rev. Mr.. Hagemore of Calthorn,
who had a mania for collecting, says
London z1t-Biks. When he died he
left behind 80 gowns and cassocks;
100 pairs of shoes, 80 wigs (not one
of which he had ever worn) and 100
pairs breeches. In addition to this
extensive wardrobe he had accumula-
ted 80 wheelbarrows, 200 pickaxes,
200 spades. "a ladders, So dogs, 80
wagons and carts, so ploughs Che
never used one of them), 24o razors
and an enormous number Of walking
sticks, for which toy man gladly
offered G8.
Mr.. Hagemore had two servants,
one of each sex, both of whom he
locked in their bedrooms every night,
and it was through this precautionary
measure that he lost his life. AS he
was walking in his garden very early
one morning his dogs leaped on him
and threw him into pond. The
servants heard their masters cries for
help, but as they were locked in they
could not go to his assistance, and
the reverend gentleman was drowned,
his hoardings going to his next of kin,
a London porter.
1t is a good many years now since
the Rev. John Trueman of Daventry,
departed this life, leaving behind him
the snug fortune of $50, 900, the ac-
cumulation of a niggardly lifetime.
Some remarkable stories are told of
Mr.. Trueman's miserly habits-how
he would take turnips from his pa
rishioners' fields and then beg pieces
of bacon to boil with his purloined
vegetables, and how he would invite
himself as guest to the houses of his
flock in turn and pull the worsted
out of the corners of the blankets to
dorp his stockings.
A more remarkable clerical miser
still was Rev. Morgan Jones, Berk-
shire curate of century or so ago.
During the whole of Mr.. Jones's
forty-th:ee years curacy of Blewbury,
it is said, single coat and hat serv-
ed him. When his coat showed too
palpable signs of wear he would cut
piece off its tails and patch the torn
or worn part with it until in process
of time the tails vanished altogether,
and the quondam coat was converted
into jacket with patch for every day
in the year. When his hat similarly
showed the ravages of time he ap-
propriated the head covering of
scarecrow and used it for repairing
the damage. His one and only shirt
underwent the same patching and rem
ovation, its tails following those of
the coat, while the curate' stockings
underwent so many processes of darn
ing that not vestige of the original
and only pair remained by the time
he had no futher use for them.
For the last twenty years of his
life Mr.. Jones's household expenses
never exceeded half a crown week.
He invariably retired at sunset to
save the cost of candles and in the
coldest weather never allowed him
self the luxury of a fire except on
Sundays, and then the fire was made
from sticks picked up in the roads and
churchyard. His menu was limited
to bread and bacon and tea and half
quartern loaf lasted him a week.
For little short of half century this
odd clergyman lived on his fees and
saved his income of $50 a year, while
subscribing literally to religious So
cieties and giving many a pound to
his needy parishioners.
What thrifty parson can do on
miserably small income was shown by
one time curate of Thulkeld, in
Cumberland, Alexander Naughley,
whose entire income was G8 I5s. a
year. Mr.. Naughley lived absolute
ly alone, slept on a bed of straw and
cooked his own scanty food, but he
never failed to present a respectable
appearance to the world, while not
word of complaint ever passed his
lips.
A very eccentric parson was the
Rev. Langton Freeman, an old time
rector of Billion, in Warwickshire,
who left the following strange in
structions for his funeral: "For four
or FIVE days after my decease I would
not be removed out of the place or
bed shall die on. And then I
would be carried or laid in the same
bed, in the summer house in my gar
den, to be laid in the same bed there,
and to be wrapped in strong double
winding sheet. The doors and win
dows to be locked up and bolted, the
building to be planted around with
evergreen plants, and fenced off with
iron or oak pales and painted of a
dark blue color, and for the due per-
formance of this and for keeping the
building, &c., always in repair, I
give to my nephew, Thomas Free
man, the manor of Whilton," &c.
Shortly before DR.. Donne's death
he gave instructions for large wood
en- urn to be made, and then sum-
moned and artist to paint his portrait
in this fashion: "Several charcoal
fires were made in his study, then
Dome came in with his winding
sheet in his hand. He wrapped him
self up in the sheet, and thus appar-
elled he placed himself on the urn,
with his eyes shut and the sheet suf.
fciently pulled aside to show his pale
emaciated face, which he turned to-
wards the east, whence he expected
the coming of the Saviour"
When the picture was finished he
caused it to be placed by his bedside
where it continued till his death.
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