Chapter I: Front Matter

Note: Project Gutenberg also has an HTML version of this
file which includes the original illustrations.
See 56899-h.htm or 56899-h.zip:
(https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/56899/pg56899-images.html)
or
(https://www.gutenberg.org/files/56899/56899-h.zip)

Images of the original pages are available through
Internet Archive. See
https://archive.org/details/vicarofmorwensto00bariiala

Transcriber’s note:

Wherever an asterisk accompanies a name it is for the purpose of
showing that the real name has not been given, either at the
request of descendants, or because relatives are still alive.

Text in italics is enclosed by underscores (_italics_).

Text in bold face is enclosed by “equal” signs (=bold=).

THE VICAR OF MORWENSTOW

Being a Life of

ROBERT STEPHEN HAWKER, M.A.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

------------------------------------------------------------------------

THE VICAR OF MORWENSTOW

Being a Life of Robert Stephen Hawker, M.A.

by

S. BARING-GOULD, M.A.

New and Revised Edition

Methuen & Co. 36 Essex Street, W.C. London 1899

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Homme étrange, original et supérieur, mais qui, dès l’enfance, portait en soi un germe de folie, et qui à la fin devint fou tout à fait; esprit admirable et mal équilibré, en qui les sensations, les émotions et les images étaient trop fortes; à la fois aveugle et perspicace, véritable poëte et poëte malade, qui au lieu des choses, voyait ses rêves, vivait dans un roman et mourut sous le cauchemar qu’il s’était forgé; incapable de se maîtriser et de se conduire, prenant ses résolutions pour des actes, ses velléités pour des résolutions, et le rôle qu’il se donnait pour le caractère qu’il croyait avoir; en tout disproportionné au train courant du monde, se heurtant, se blessant, se salissant à toutes les bornes du chemin; ayant commis des extravagances, des injustices, et néanmoins gardant jusqu’au bout la sensibilité délicate et profonde, l’humanité, l’attendrissement, le don des larmes, la faculté d’aimer, la passion de la justice, le sentiment religieux, l’enthousiasme, comme autant de racines vivaces où fermente toujours la séve généreuse pendant que la tige et les rameaux avortent, se déforment ou se flétrissent sous l’inclémence de l’air.—H. TAINE.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

CONTENTS

CHAPTER I

PAGE

Birth of Mr. Hawker—Dr. Hawker of Charles Church—The 1
Amended Hymn—Robert S. Hawker runs away from
School—Boyish Pranks—At Cheltenham—Publishes his
_Tendrils_—At Oxford—Marries—The Stowe Ghost—Robert
Hawker and Mr. Jeune at Boscastle—The Mazed
Pigs—Nanny Heale and the Potatoes—_Records of the
Western Shore_—The Bude Mermaid—Takes his
Degree—Comes with his Wife to Morwenstow

CHAPTER II

Ordination—The Black Pig “Gyp”—Writes to the Bishop—His 20
Father appointed to Stratton—He is given
Morwenstow—The Waldron Lantern—St. Morwenna—The
Children of Brychan—St. Modwenna of
Burton-on-Trent—The North Cornish
Coast—Tintagel—Stowe—Sir Bevil Grenville—Mr. Hawker’s
Discovery of the Grenville Letters—Those that
remain—Antony Payne the Giant—Letters of Lady
Grace—Of Lord Lansdown—Cornish Dramatic Power—Mr.
Hicks of Bodmin

CHAPTER III

Description of Morwenstow—The Anerithmon Gelasma—Source 47
of the Tamar—Tonacombe—Morwenstow Church—Norman
Chevron Moulding—Chancel—Altar—Shooting Rubbish—The
Manning Bed—The Yellow Poncho—The Vicarage—Mr. Tom
Knight—The Stag Robin Hood—Visitors—Silent Tower of
Bottreaux—The Pet of Boscastle

CHAPTER IV

Mr. Hawker’s Politics—Election of 1857—His Zeal for the 78
Labourers—“The Poor Man and his Parish Church”—Letter
to a Landlord—Death of his Man Tape—Kindness to the
Poor—Verses over his Door—Reckless
Charity—Hospitality—A Breakdown—His Eccentric
Dress—The Devil and his Barn—His Ecclesiastical
Vestments—Ceremonial—The Nine Cats—The Church
Garden—Kindness to Animals—The Rooks and Jackdaws—The
Well of St. John—Letter to a Young Man entering the
University

CHAPTER V

The Inhabitants of Morwenstow in 1834—Cruel 105
Coppinger—Whips the Parson of Kilkhampton—Gives Tom
Tape a Ride—Tristam Pentire—Parminter and his Dog
Satan—The Gauger’s Pocket—Wrecking—The Wrecker and
the Ravens—The Loss of the _Margaret Quail_—The Wreck
of the _Ben Coolan_—“A Croon on Hennacliff”—Letters
concerning Wrecks—The Donkeys and the Copper Ore—The
Ship _Morwenna_—Flotsam and Jetsam—Wrecks on 14th
Nov., 1875—Bodies in Poundstock Church—The Loss of
the _Caledonia_—The Wreck of the _Phœnix_ and of the
_Alonzo_

CHAPTER VI

Wellcombe—Mr. Hawker Postman to Wellcombe—The Miss 148
Kitties—Advertisement of Roger
Giles—Superstitions—The Evil Eye—The Spiritual
Ether—The Vicar’s Pigs Bewitched—Horse killed by a
Witch—He finds a lost Hen—A Lecture against
Witchcraft—Its Failure—An Encounter with the
Pixies—Curious Picture of a Pixie Revel—The
Fairy-Ring—Antony Cleverdon and the Mermaids

CHAPTER VII

Condition of the Church last Century—Parson Radford—The 167
Death of a Pluralist—Opposition Mr. Hawker met
with—The Bryanites—Hunting the Devil—Bill Martin’s
Prayer-meeting—Mr. Pengelly and the
Candle-end—Cheated by a Tramp—Mr. Hawker and the
Dissenters—Mr. B——’s Pew—A Special Providence over
the Church—His Prayer when threatened with the Loss
of St. John’s Well—Objection to Hysterical
Religion—Mr. Vincent’s Hat—Regard felt for him by old
Pupils—“He did not Appreciate Me”—Modryb Marya—A
Parable—A Carol—Love of Children—Angels—A Sermon,
“Here am I”

CHAPTER VIII

The Vicar of Morwenstow as a Poet—His Epigrams—The 202
“Carol of the Pruss”—“Down with the Church”—The
“Quest of the Sangreal”—Editions of his
Poems—Ballads—The “Song of the Western Men”—The
“Cornish Mother’s Lament”—“A Thought”—Churchyards

CHAPTER IX

Restoration of Morwenstow Church—The Shingle Roof—The 218
First Ruridecanal Synod—The Weekly
Offertory—Correspondence with Mr. Walter—On
Alms—Harvest Thanksgiving—The School—Mr. Hawker
belonged to no Party—His Eastern
Proclivities—Theological Ideas—Baptism—Original
Sin—The Eucharist—His Preaching—Some Sermons

CHAPTER X

The First Mrs. Hawker—Her Influence over her 241
Husband—Anxiety about her Health—His Fits of
Depression—Letter on the Death of Sir Thomas
Acland—Reads Novels to his Wife—His
Visions—Mysticism—Death of his Wife—Unhappy
Condition—Burning of his Papers—Meets with his Second
Wife—The Unburied Dead—Birth of his Child—Ruinous
Condition of his Church—Goes to London—Resumes
Opium-eating—Sickness—Goes to Boscastle—To
Plymouth—His Death and Funeral—Conclusion

FOOTNOTES xxx

------------------------------------------------------------------------

LIFE OF
ROBERT STEPHEN HAWKER