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THE SEVEN
REVERENDS ADAMTHWAITE
R J Adamthwaite
This story starts with the Reverend Mr.
John ADAMTHWAITE, the son of William Adamthwaite and Deborah Allen,
born in 1745 at Sedbergh and died aged 74 in 1819. He was educated at
Queen’s College, Oxford, and obtained the Degree of Doctor of Divinity
in July 1784. For many years he was the Rector of Baxterly, Vicar of
Shakerstone and Curate of Baddesley Ensor all close to Tamworth in
Staffordshire in the diocese of Lichfield. He was one of His Majesty’s
Justices of the Peace at Atherstone, Warwickshire and was, by and large,
a pillar of the community. He published some rather heavy sermons; one
entitled ‘The Nature of Society’.
His cousin William Adamthwaite born in
Sedbergh (1753 – 1826) was son of Thomas Adamthwaite and Ann Morre. He
was Curate of Walkinton, near Beverley and of Pulford near Chester at
£40 per annum. William married Ann Hoggard 1st March 1791
but they parted and he lived with Sarah McEver at Sedburgh where they
had a son but there is no record of a marriage between them. Ann was
left a half share in her father’s farm in the West Riding of Yorkshire.
This made her a rich woman and she was eventually buried in Beverley
Minster.
Some years later in Kirkby Stephen four
Adamthwaite brothers were born who were nephews of the first Rev. John
Adamthwaite, Rector of Baxterly. In order of seniority they were Joseph
born 1774, Edmund born 1777, William born 1780 and John born 1783. With
the exception of Edmund, of whom we shall hear more later on, all of
them became clergymen. William was Vicar of Misterton and East Stockwith
in Nottinghamshire for 40 years and appears to have died well respected,
although at one time he taught at his brother’s academy at Winton. As
the story unfolds we shall see that his two brothers were not so pious
as at first appears.
The Rev. Joseph Adamthwaite was the
Minister of Bowes, Yorkshire and married Ann Bourn at Cotherstone near
Bowes. He was master of The Ancient and Free Grammar School of Bowes at
a salary of £300 per annum. He opened his own academy at Cotherston as
outlined in the following advertisement in The Times 7th July
1801 :
“Board of Education;- The Rev. JOSEPH
ADAMTHWAITE, Minister of Bowes, in the North Riding or Yorkshire, a
Clergyman Of the first respectability, who has for the last 6 years
taught the Ancient Free Grammar School of Bowes, having prepared the
necessary Accommodations, proposes to take a few Boys (the number not to
exceed ten) under his Care, to instruct in the Classics, Mathematics and
every Branch of useful Literature. The very moderate terms the
Advertiser proposes, are 16 Guineas a Year including Education, Board,
Lodging, Washing and every other necessity; it is expected that each boy
will bring with him 2 suits of clothes, 6 good shirts, 6 good pairs of
stockings, 2 night caps, and 2 pair of shoes, 2 hats, etc.”
There were many advertisements placed in
the London Times by Joseph in the same vein wherein the number of
suits, shoes and other accessories required by the boys varied
considerably. Interviews were conducted at several London addresses
usually at “Mr Shuter’s, The Toy Shop, 32 Aldgate” After The Rev.
Joseph’s death in 1811 at the age of 37 years his wife ran the re-named
London Academy with the help of a Mr. G. Chapman and a Mr.
Raisbeck. Mr. Chapman eventually ran his own academy as witnessed by
advertisements he placed in The Times. Whether or not it was the old
Academy started by the Rev. Joseph Adamthwaite is not known.
The youngest brother, the Rev. John
Adamthwaite DD, had an honorary degree conferred on him by The
University of Aberdeen as “a stimulus to future industry”. He was
Curate of Upton and Abington in the Diocese of Peterborough just over
the border from his Uncle’s parishes near Tamworth. Before 1809 he was
a teacher at the Academy of Robert Brownas, the Vicar of Bramham near
Weatherby who gave him a glowing reference. He also worked in a large
school in Chester kept by Mr. Stolterforth and another in Lewes in
Sussex, kept by a Mr. Raymond. In March 1814 he applied for the
position of Master of Clitheroe Royal Grammar School for Boys. His
application was unsuccessful, despite the submission of many
testimonials, probably not helped by his inability to attend on the day
of examination. It also appears that as his degree was not from an
English university it went against him when making applications for
teaching positions. He was highly recommended by the Bishop of
Peterborough and various other clerics and the following is an extract
from one of his own references;
“By way of conclusion I shall refer for
my clerical conduct to Col. Samwell Upton-Hale near Northampton; he is a
man of considerable importance, and was ultimately acquainted with poor
Percival: Also to the Rev. W. Harvey, the only surviving Nephew of the
great Harvey. He was, until lately, not upon his Living, but in
Northampton: He is now at his Rectory, at Colston, near Melton Mowbray
Leicestershire, Also to the Rev. Dr. Adamthwqite, Rector of Baxterly,
Vicar of Shakerstone, and benefieced Curate of Badderly Ensor and one of
His Majesty’s Justice of the Peace, near Atherston Warwickshire. He is
no relation and is intimately acquainted with my literary abilities,
which alone recommended me to his notice. Finally my name and
acquirements have been recommended to Lady Howe and Lord Curzon, and if
it will have any additional weight, I will get a testimonial from her
Lady-ship.”
Included in this letter of apparent name
dropping is a lie, because the Rev. Dr. Adamthwaite was his Uncle and
bequeathed his books to the younger Reverend John. Why the apparent lie
about his relationship is a mystery, unless a reference from his Uncle
would not be treated seriously. One reference was for a position in the
Classical department in the school of Revd. Dr. Thompson, Kensington,
Nr. London when he was nineteen years of age.
He later purchased the Manor House in
Winton which he opened up as an academy for young men and ran on almost
identical lines to his brother’s school in Bowes. He also regularly
advertised in The Times and went to London to interview and sign up his
pupils.
Illustration: The Manor House at
Winton |
The Times of 22nd June
1815 contained the following advertisement.
“EDUCATION:-
Winton, near Brough, in Westmorland. - Boys are educated, furnished with
books, boarded and clothed, by the Rev. J. Adamthwaite, D.D., beneficed
curate of Badely, at 22 guineas a year, and parlour boarders at 40
guineas. There are no vacations at this school, and from the close
attention of Dr. A. and his assistants, to the education of his
scholars, no school in the kingdom can boast of finer boys. Dr. A. who
was for many years an usher in the public schools, and tutor to a
nobleman’s family, attends each day between the hours of eleven and one
at the Clapham Coffee House, St. Paul’s. Reference to bishops,
clergymen, and laymen of equal eminence.”
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Subsequent advertisements were on the
same lines stating that no Summer or Christmas holidays were allowed but
the boys would be treated as his own and would eat the same food as the
Master. This ban on holidays would prevent the boys telling their
parents how badly they were treated at the school. It was also promised
that parlour boarders would be living in with the master and his family.
Later adverts stated that they also had to bring their own clothes
according to a published list.
The following is taken from “Historical
Kirkby Stephen and N. Westmoreland” by R.R. Sowerby.
“In my youth I have often listened to
tales told by an old employee on my father’s farm at Winton, relating to
this school. The old doctor, like most of his profession in those times
was mainly concerned with extracting the last shilling from his
ill-clothed, half-starved pupils, who were driven to stealing carrots
and turnips from neighbouring farms to eke out their scanty rations.
Small wonder there were no vacations at
his school! The boys were little better than prisoners and were not
allowed to return home until the end of their tuition, in case they
might tell of the miseries they had endured”.
The school at Bowes was used by Charles
Dickens as a model for “Dotheboys” Hall in Nicholas Nickleby and his
exposure of the evil goings-on forced the closure of these and other
schools.
It would appear to us that a lot of the
clergy in those days spent their time supplementing their income
anywhere else but in their own parishes. Due to their education and
learning they were virtually teachers and school masters who travelled
far and wide to ply their trade. Another quote from an old Manorial
Court Book gives an insight to the activities of the clergy and relates
to when The Rev. Scook took up his appointment in 1804 as Rector of
Great Musgrave, Westmorland;
“Be it remembered that on the 12th
September 1804 Scook came by the 8 o’clock Mail Coach to Brough, and
returned by the 1 o’clock Mail the same afternoon, and never was seen at
Musgrave neither afore nor after that time, but he had always some
person to collect the tithes, but not to preach on Sundays.”
The second Reverend John Adamthwaite
ended up in court, not for the ill treatment of boys at his school but
because of his refusal to pay the price he bid at auction for a piece of
land near Appleby. The use of “puffers” at the auction and the beer
being handed out by the organisers added a lot of colour to the way
things were done in those far off days. A “puffer” was someone acting
for the seller and was there to bid up the price to ensure that the
reserve price was reached. So we have an account of the trial as
reported in The Times, Tuesday, Nov. 15. 1825
VICE CHANCELLOR’S COURT, MUNEHOUSE V.
ADAMTHWAITE
This was a suit instituted by the
plaintiff to compel a specific performance on the part of the defendant,
of a contract for the purchase of certain land near Appleby.
MR. HEALD and MR. LEMOYNE, on the behalf
of the plaintiff, stated, that the premises had been put up to auction
and that, according to a custom prevalent in Westmoreland and
Cumberland, two persons were employed to raise the biddings to a certain
amount. That the sale was conducted in this manner, and that a person
employed by the plaintiff bid for the estate, while another also
employed by him was to bid occasionally, so as to prevent the property
being bought in at a low sum, lest that circumstance might have a
prejudicial effect on any future sale. Dr. Adamthwaite was desirous of
becoming the purchaser, and commissioned a person to bid for him to the
amount of 600 l (£). When the sale had reached this price, the agent
went again to Dr. Adamthwaite and was commissioned by him to bid up to
800 l. He did so, and at this period Dr. Adamthwaite himself entered
from an adjoining room, and bid 800 guineas for the property, at which
sum he was declared the purchaser. Soon after the sale the defendant
objected to complete his purchase on several grounds. He complained that
the price had been unfairly raised against him by puffers, he being the
only real bidder: that the property was not of the value described, and
that he, the defendant, was in a state of intoxication at the time he
purchased. Some attempts were made at a compromise, but they all
failed, and subsequently this suit was instituted. The plaintiff
contended, that he had done no more in employing puffers than he had a
right to do, in order to prevent the disparagement of his property, and
that their biddings had no effect in raising the price unfairly, because
it had always been resolved by him that the estate should not be sold
for less than 800 l., and the agent of the defendant himself offered
that price at which the estate was knocked down to him. With respect of
the statement of the defendants’ being intoxicated, and which stated to
be in consequence of the people at the sale having delayed it very
unnecessarily, and in the mean time handed about a plentiful supply of
liquor: this was met by the reply, that if the defendant really was
tipsy, it was his own fault, for that he was sitting during the sale in
an adjoining room, where whatever he drank was at his own expense. The
difference between the description of the property in the particulars of
sale and its actual condition was also denied.
MR. SUGDEN and MR. LOVATT for the
defendant, contended, that this was a sale of which a court of equity
could not decree the completion. From the evidence of the persons
employed as puffers, it appeared that one of them, of the name of
Hammond, had been instructed to bid up to the sum of 600 l., and that
afterwards he was requested to raise the price up to 800 l. He did
continue bidding, and as he was a person of substance, and considered to
be a good judge of the value of land, every body present believed that
he was a bone fide bidder. The other circumstances alluded to by the
plaintiff were abandoned by the defendant, and he relied upon this
alone, as a reason why the purchase aught not to be completed. Mr.
Sugden argued at great length upon the illegality of two puffers having
been employed, and contended that the excuse offered by the plaintiff of
having done this for the protection of his property, could not be held
good, because that object would be as easily attained by one as by two
puffers. The evidence was read on both sides.
The VICE-CHANCELLOR said, that the
question here seemed to be, whether the biddings of the puffers had such
an effect upon the sale as to raise the price fraudulently against the
purchaser. It seemed from the evidence, that Dr. Adamthwaite knew that
Hammond was a puffer: but it did not appear to what amount Hammond’s
biddings actually reached. This must be ascertained before that point on
which the case turned could be made clear. In order to do this,
therefore, his Honour directed that it should be referred to the Master
to ascertain what were the several biddings of Hammond at the sale, with
leave to state any special circumstances.
The only one of the original four
brothers who was not ordained was Edmund who in turn has four sons,
three of whom emigrated to Australia. Many years later, two of their
descendants became clergymen in Australia many years later, so we had
another Reverend John Adamthwaite and his son Reverend Murray
Adamthwaite. The former was a Minister of the Methodist Church until
they amalgamated with the Presbyterian and Congregational Churches to
become the Uniting Church of Australia. John was a very popular man
with his congregation and was not averse to rolling up his sleeves at
harvest time and helping the local farmers to gather in their crops.
His last appointment to a diocese was in Italy where he became fluent in
the Italian language. He used this skill on his return to Australia and
was able to serve Italian prisoners and the large Italian community
where he lived. He was in charge of a prison farm at Moe, Victoria and
later became Chaplain of Pentridge gaol in Melbourne. During the Second
World War his mathematical skills helped him to become a navigator and
eventually an instructor in the Royal Australian Air force. He lived by
the Biblican text “Faith without work is dead”. He died in 2000 after a
fall whilst on a fishing trip to Tasmania where he was born. His son
Murray is an acknowledged archaeologist and has held many teaching
posts.
Acknowledgements
to Elizabeth Adamthwaite, John’s sister in law, an Aussie now living in
New Zealand, for supplying information on her family and for guiding me
through this narrative. Also to the Rev. John’s sister in Australia.
Article originally published in the
Newsletter of the Cumbria Family History Society, No. 118, Feb 2006
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