Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1906-05-29
ECCENTRIC PARSONS.
STORIES OF ENGLISH cLeRGYMEN
WITH ODD WAYS.

A Rector Who HAD Mania For coI>
icctinE-A Curntc Who Nude u Cont
last Forty-tircc Years = Rcinnrlsn-
bic Savings From Mcngcr Incomes.
Many stories arc told of an eight.
zenith century Lciccstcrshirc parson,
the Rev. Mr.. IIagcmorc of Culthorn,
who had Il mania for collecting. says
the London TitBits When lie died lie
left behind him 80 gowns and cassocks,
100 pairs OF boots, 100 pairs of shoes,
so wigs mot one OF which he had ever
worm and 100 pairs OF brooches. In
addition to this extensive wardrobe lie
had accumulated 80 whcclbarrows, 200
pickaxcs. 300 spades, II ladders, 90
dogs, so wagons anil carts, so plows
(he never used one of thcm), 2i9 razors
und an enormous number of walking
sticks. for which toy man gladly Of
fcrcd rs.
Mr.. lIagcmorc had two servants, ono
OF each sex, both of whom he locked In
their bedrooms every night. and 1t was
through this precautionary measure
that lie lest his life. AS he was walk
Ing in his garden very carly one morn
Ing his dogs leapcd on him ami throw
him into pond. The servants heard
their masters cries for help, but as
they were locked In they could not go
10 his assistance, and the reverend gen
tleman was drowned, his hoardngi ~
Ing to his next OF kin, London porter,
&c. a
the Rcv. John Trucman OF Davcntry
departed this life. lc.Ving behind him
the snug fortune of 100000, the accu-
mutation of niggatd!y lifetime. Some
remarkable stories Rre told OF Mr..
Trucman's misery habits = how lie
would take turnipa from his parish.
toner's fields and then beg pieces OF
bacon to boil with his purloinetl veg.
etablcs and how no would i,.vite him.
self as guest to the houses Of his flocl;
In turn and pun the wOrst.h out OF the
stockings.
A more remarkable clerical miser
still was the Rev. Morgan Jones,
BERKSHIRE curntc Of century or so
ago. During the Whole of Mr. Jones
forty-thrce years cnracy of Blcwbury,
1t Is said. n single coat and hat served
him. When Ills coat showed too pal
pnhle signs of wear he would cut out n
piece Of It's tails and patch the torn or
worn part with ii until In process Of
time the tails vanished altogether, and
the quondam coat was converted into
a jacket, with patch for almost every
day in the ye:tr. When his hat similar
~ showed tbc ravngcs of time lie APP
pEopriated the head covering of Il scare
crow and nsc,l 1t for requiring the dam
age. His one and only shirt underwent
the same patching and renovation, its
tails following those OF the coat, while
the curntG's stockings underwent so
many processes OF darning that not n
veStiSc OF the. original and only pair
remained by the time lie had no further
use for them.
For the last twenty years OF his life
Mr.. Jones household expenses never
exceeded half Il crown week. He In.
variahly retired at sunset to save the
cost of candles, and In the coolest
weather never allowed himself the lux
ury of frH except on Sundays. and
then the fir. was made from sticks
picked up IL the roads and church.
yard. His menu was limited to broad
and bacon and tea, and a half Quartcrn
loaf lasted bin week. For littla
short of'half n century this old clergy
man lived OH hts fees and saved his In
como of $50 It year, while subscribing
literally to religious societies and Civ
Ing many pound TO his needy parish
toner's.
What thrifty parson can do on
misery small Income was shown by
one time curatc Of Thulkcld in Cum.
berland, Alexander Naughley, whose
entire income WINS IS los. year Mr.
Nnughlcy laved absolutely alone, slept
on he'd OF straw and cooked his own
scnnty food hut he never failed TO
presents respectable appearance to the
world. while not word of complain.
ever passed his lips.
a very eccentric parson was the Rev.
Iangton Freeman. an old time rector
of Billion. In Wnrwicksliirc, who left
the following strange Instructions for
his funeral: "r'or four or five DAYS
after my .dccause would not he re-
moycd out of the place or bed shall
! die on. and thea would be carried or
laid In the same bed in the summer
house In my garden, to be laid in the
same bed there and TO he wrapped in n
strong double winding sheet. the door
and windows to be locked and boltcd,
the building TO be planted around with
evergreen plants md fenced off with
Iron or oak pales and painted Of dark
blue COLOR and for the due perform.
ance of THIS and for keeping the build
ing, ETC., always in repnir give to my
nephew, Thomas Freeman, the manor
Of Wilton" etc.