The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1906-01-26
STORIES OF ECCENTRIC
PA RSONS.

Many stories are told of an eigh-
teenth century Leicestershire parson,
the Rev. Mr.. Hagemore of Calthorn,
who had mania for collecting, says
London "Tit-Bits." When he died he
lett behind 80 gowns and cassocks;
100 pair of shoes, 80 wigs (not one of
which he had ever worn) and 100
pairs breechcs. la addition to this ex-
tensive wardrobe he had accumulated
30 wheelbarrows, 20G pickaxes, 200
spades, "A ladders, So dogs, 80 wagons
and carts, 80 ploughs Che never used
one of them) 249 razors and an enor-
nous number of walking sticks for
which toy man gladly offered fS.
Mr.. Hagemore had two servants,
one of each sex, both of whom be
locked in their bedrooms every night,
and it was through this precautionary
measure that be lost his life. As be
was walking in his garden very early
one morning his dogs leaped on him
and threw him into a pond. The
servants heard their masters cries for
belp. 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 good many years now since
the Rev. John Trueman of Daventry,
derarted this life, leaving behind him
the snug fortune of ESQ, 900, the ac
cumulation of niggardly lifetime.
Some remarkable stories are told of
Mr.. Trueman's miserly habits-how
be would take turnips from his pa
rishioners' fields and then beg pieces
of bacon to boil with his purloin-
ed vegetables, aud how be would in
vite himself as guest to the houses of
his flock in turn and pull the worsted
out of the corners of the blankets to
drop bis stockings.
A more remarkable clerical miser
still was Rev. Morgan Jones, a Berk-
shire curate of century or so ago.
D uring the whole of Mr.. Jones forty
three years curacy of Blewbury, it is
said a single coat and bat served him.
When his coat showed too paIpable
signs of wear he would cut a 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 a
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 a
scarecrow and used it for repairing the
damage. His one and only shirt
underwent the same patching and
renovation, its tails following those
Of the coat, while the cura.e's stood
ings underwent so many processes Of
darning that not a vestige Of the
original and only pair remained by
the time he had no further use for
them.
For the last twenty years Of his
te Mr.. Jones household expenses
never exceeded half crown a weed.
He invariably retired at sunset to
save the cost of candles and in the
coolest weather never allowed him.
self the luxury of fire except on
Sundays, and then the fire was made
from sticks picked up in the roads
and churchyard. His menu was limit
eel 20 bread ard bacon and tea and a
a;l.quarLeln loaf lasted him week.
For little short of half century this
odd clergyman lived on his fees and
saved his income of ESQ year, while
subscribing literally to religious so
ceties giving many pound to his
needy parishioners.
What a thrifty parson can do on a
miserably small income was shown by
a one time curate of Thulkeld, in
Cumberland, Alexander Naug ghley,
whose entire income was fS l5s. a
year. Mr.. Naughley lived abolute
ly alone, slept on bed of straw and
cooked his own scanty food, but he
never failed to present respectable
appearance to the world, while not a
word Of complaint ever passed his
lips
A very eccentric parson was the
Rev. Langton Freeman, an old
time rector of Billion, in Warwick
shire, who left the following strange
instructions for his funeral: "FOr
four or five days after my decease |
would not be removed out Of the
place or bed | shall die on. And then
| would be carried or laid in the same
bed, in the summer house in my gar