PARSON TURNS PUBLICAN

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXII, Issue 66, 13 March 1912, Page 8

PARSON TURNS PUBLICAN

An extraordinary career is ended by the death of the Rev. Samuel Thackeray, M.A., LL.D., a clerk ia holy, orders, Avho about six years ago shocked tlie ecclesiastics by ‘becoming “minehost” of the “Fish and Eels,” at Hoddesdon, Hertfordshire. Before that time people had heard of fighting parsons and walking parsons, but they had never heard of one who stood behind the har and served out beer. As a youth Mr Thackeray went to Cambridge and became a wrangler. In :1872 he was headmaster of Dartford Grammar School, and curate c-f Bexley Heath. Subsequently ho was assistant chaplain at Tilbury Fort and held the curacies at St. Luke’s, Victoria Docks, All Saints’, Newington, Christ Church, Greenwich, etc. From 1898 to 1906 ho was chaplain of the Gordon Road workhouse, Camberwell, and it was while ho occupied that position that his application for a license of the Fish and Eels Hotel at Hoddesdon brought him into notoriety. The inn adjoins the river Stort, and in the summer large numbers of anglers go into the vicinity to fish—and naturally adjourn to the Fish and Eels. “I can’t provide Divine service there —my duties at the workhouse will prevent that—but 'I shall probably try a few family prayers in the hotel,” said the clerical landlord after getting the license. Ho seldom visited the workhouse, except on Sundays, though he drew £llO a year, and his idea was to leave a manager in charge of the publichouso on that day. But though the Magistrates raised no objections to having a clergyman as a. publican, tlho Bishop of Southwark and the Camberwell Guardians objected strongly. When requested by the guardians to resign his chaplaincy Mr Thackeray declined, and at the guardians’ desire the Local Government Board issued an order removing him from office. Services in Lis tnn. “I shall now,’ ’ho said, “hold services in the inn on -Sundays. I shall I)o the publican behind the bar, the ■sinners will bo in front of me, and durst I hope will be in the midst of us.” Ho certainly did bold services, and sometimes on week-days ho conducted prayer meetings. Not only was Mr Thackeray a brilliant mathematician, but an accomplished muslician, being an Associate of Trinity College, London. He claimed to have invented a now system of music, and so certain was J;o that it would become popular that be patented it. It was called the Uniclef system, from the fact that it reduced all music into one key—C natural. Some time after becoming a- publican Iho obtained a music and dancing license, informing the Magistrates when ho made the application that the students of his new system of music would probably want to give impromptu concerts. When asked if lie thought dancing was a proper recreation be replied he did, and pointed out that be had Biblical sanction. A Christian Socialist, Iho was a mem--her of the Independent Labour Party, and a book of his, “The Land and theCommunity,” in which land nationalisation was urged, ran into several editions. Owing to ill-health, ho resigned the tenancy of the Fish and Eds in June, 1907, and afterwards had a curacy at East Peckham, near Paddock Wood. Kent.