College, Durham Nov 10 1828
Sir,
It has been stated to me though perhaps not altogether upon such authority as I can depend that there is a great complaint amongst your Parishioners at Charlton and Spettisbury that you are never at home, and that your Curate lives at Blandford, that all the children attend at a large Meeting house as there is no Church School in the Parish, & that many converts are made to the Nunnery and Catholic Chapel. I shall be happy to receive a letter from you upon these subjects. By your Parochial return there was some doubt as to residence.
I am Sir,
Your obt. Friend & Brother
R. Bristol
Ditto to Th. Rackett from Bishop of Bristol
College, Durham Nov 20 1828
Revd. Sir,
I am obliged to you for your prompt reply to my enquiries relative to your Parishes and I am very happy to find that you are able to refute so satisfactorily many of the insinuations that had been thrown out respecting the state of Spettisbury and Charlton. I should be sorry to dwell more at length upon the charges which I allude to as coming from such authority as I could not entirely depend upon, and I trust that you will not suppose I have allowed them to leave any unjust impression upon my mind. Permit me to suggest the propriety of making every exertion to counteract the baneful influence of the Roman Catholic Religion in your neighbourhood and of course encouraging the children of the Dissenters as much as possible to attend your church – I rejoice that you have such a well endowed school at Spettisbury. If you had made known to me the cause of your absence from your Parish beyond the time allowed by Law, I should have had no difficulty in granting a License for a few weeks.
I remain,
Revd Sir,
Yr. faithful Friend & Brother,
R. Bristol
Letter to Thomas Rackett from Bishop of Bristol
Cheltenham, Jy. 12 1829
Revd. Sir,
It is with much regret that I feel myself compelled to inform you that complaints are again transmitted to me to which I must request your serious attention. It is alleged in a letter which I have recently received “That you scarcely ever reside, that there is no church school & that a large Catholic Church is now building in your Parish” etc. Allow me to express the hope that the imputation of non residence may not be substantiated, that you will endeavour to establish and effectively keep up a well regulated school which surrounded as you are must be of particular importance. I feel every disposition to give you credit for the past intentions but circumstanced as you are and (sic) peculiar circumspection and exertions are requisite.
If you require a Trustee for your School there would I consider be strong grounds for an application to the National Society. Where does your Curate at present reside. I hope to have the pleasure of seeing you in Dorchester this autumn.
I remain,
Revd. Sir,
Your faith friend and Brother,
R. Bristol
(But C. 22 March 1829)
My Lord,
Having read this day in the report of Thursday’s debate in the H. of Lords an accusation of culpable negligence on the part of the Rector of Spettisbury, in the Marquis of Lansdowne’s speech, I lose no time in submitting to your Lordship the following reply.
It is stated by the noble Marquis that for the last 30 years I have resided in London and have not even had a resident Curate – I positively assert that I have resided in my Rectorial house at Spettisbury every year during the last 40 years, although I will readily admit that some circumstances of a private domestic nature have at various times during that period occasioned my temporary absence beyond the period allowed by Law. Such circumstances were always stated to your Lordship’s predecessor and never on any occasion found to be unreasonable.
My Curate who could not be placed in the Parsonage House occupied by myself has always resided a mile and a half from my Parish and I challenge ever the “good authority” from which the Marquis professed to derive his information to produce a single instance of neglect of duty or complaint during the whole period of my incumbency. With respect to the culpable negligence with which I am accused as respecting the Convent of Augustine Nuns in Spettisbury, I will admit, with his Lordship the great respectability of the members of that religious establishment. I will also admit their zeal, for there are at this moment preparations making for enlarging their Chapel. I beg however to call your Lordship’s attention to the following facts. The number of families in S. is 108 out of which 5 or 3 of the families are connected with the Convent, and were always so. There remain then 2 families and 6 individuals who have been induced to embrace the C. religion. So much for the increase of Catholics in Spettisbury. For other proofs to repel the charge of negligence and abandonment of duty I must refer to a statement I lately remitted to your Lordship respecting a number of children educated at my expence and my exertions for the recovery of an endowed school in the Parish of Spettisbury. I deny therefore the whole of the charge. I deny that I have been for 30 years resident in London. I deny that the number of Catholic proselytes has been owing to the Rector’s abandonment of his duty and I trust that the charge of negligence and abandonment of duty cannot in any shape be proved against him. Had the Noble Marquis directed his inquiries through the medium of his family connections in Dorsetshire, or of his most respectable friend, Mr. O. of Moor Critchill, his information would have been more accurate and his censure less severe.
Under these grave and weighty charges it is a consolation to me, and I think a sufficient refutation of them to reflect that during my residence (I repeat the word) here for nearly half a century I have enjoyed the friendship favour and countenances of many of the most distinguished characters, both of the clergy and laity in this County. I am ready to state to your Lordship and further particulars you may think it necessary or advisable to call for.
The friendship I have formed with some and the favoured countenance I have recvd from many of the most distinguished and worthy characters among the clergy and laity in all parts of the County during a residence of nearly half a century as it completely refutes the charges of having been a non resident, is a source of great consolation to me under the circumstance of having been singled out from the whole body of the clergy to be made the object of a serious, grave and heavy accusation before Parliament.
(Unsigned)
From 36 Gt.Geo.St. March 24 1829
Revd. Sir,
I am obliged to you for your letter which arrived very opportunely and enabled me to shew, with some other Papers in my possession, that the Marquis of Lansdowne had greatly misrepresented your case. I am sorry that you should have been subjected to any unjust reflections, and have little doubt but that in a short time the impression will be counteracted.
I am,
Revd. Sir,
Your faithful friend & Brother,
R. Bristol