R3/4317

Letter Reads- Farmer is an easy, indolent, gouty parson who troubles himself about the spiritual concerns of his parishioners as little or less than any other man I know; the state of his parishes well known. His object may be for his curate, J.V. Moore, who holds adjacent small vicarage of Ridgmont; I should think expects that this vicarage of Crawley, after being separated from Aspley, may be improved by Duke's benevolence & Qn.Anne's bounty, as the present pittance is so small that no one but a man situated as Moore is would accept it; or he may calculate that Bp. will allow him to hold Crawley & Ridgmont & live on his own estate at Aspley as he now does (no parsonage house at either). This is all very well, but a man who plays cricket all summer & goes boat-rowing matches in autumn & winter, continually enjoying all field sports, is hardly the man to take pastoral charge of a demoralised & part heathenish population. However Aspley & Crawley should not be separated; near; good roads; not too much for one really working man - in effect one good-sized parish with 2 churches. Vigilant week-day attention to people in own homes required. This was so in Crawley a few years ago, For there was a hard-working curate, S. Wright, quiet, unpretending, did wonders. He went to another living and in less than year his Sunday schools were all but abandoned & people returned to all their profligate habits. It may be said Ridgmont is too small for resident parson; Lidlington also small; I recommend uniting & getting a good man, (i.e. one good man at Aspley-Crawley; another at Lidlington-Ridgmont). If Crawley to be separate, much will need to be done by Duke as patron, lay impropriator & chief proprietor. I am surprised at Lucas' perqs. for 1838; discussion of same.

19 Dec '40

From: 1840 To: 1840

item

Haedy, C,
Farmer,
Moore, J.V.,
Wright, S.,
Lucas

cricket, letters, WOBURN, Woburn Abbey, RIDGMONT, Crawley, ASPLEY GUISE, LIDLINGTON