The Grueling Life of a Vicar

While reading Jane Austen's books do you find yourself wondering why so many characters' love interests are either in the clergy or planning to enter the clergy as their career path?  Well, the answer could be as simple as the fact that Jane was the daughter of a rector herself, but I believe it has something to do with most of her books dealing with love interests in the upper classes.

In the age of the aristocrat, younger sons were notoriously out of luck when it came to inheriting titles and lands and all other good things that came with be born into a wealthy family.  That meant they had to get a job.  No, not one where they'd actually have to work, Silly! They were still blue blood after all.  The two common options for these younger sons was a career in the military (like Frederick Tilney in Northanger Abbey) or the clergy (like Henry Tilney or Edmund Bertram from Mansfield Park).  Although the two career paths seem quite opposite, one did not necessarily have to have a strong faith in order to become an Anglican vicar or rector.  In fact, having your own rectory or vicarage was quite easy, hence the blue blood career choice, there were books of sermons which you could read from every Sunday in church (most of England didn't attend regularly at the time anyway so it didn't matter).  Local farmers were forced to pay the salary of the local clergy so quality of work was of little consequence.

It's no wonder so many rich young men chose this "humble" career.  It allowed for a lot of free time in order to pursue other hobbies; hobbies which had nothing to do with being a man of God.  In Bill Bryson's book, At Home, he has laid out what a few of these clergymen managed to accomplish with their free time:

• Reverend Thomas Bayes (1701-1761) came up with the extremely complex math theorem which is used today to do things like predict stock market behavior and climate change.
• Laurence Stern (1717-1768) wrote The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman.
• Reverend John Michell (1724–1793) taught William Herschel how to build a telescope, which he did and then discovered Uranus.
• William Buckland (1784-1856) wrote the first scientific description of dinosaurs, and was the one who named Dr Plot's discovery, Megalosaurus.
• Reverend Jack Russell (1795-1883) bred a new breed of terrier.
• Reverend George Garrett (1852–1902) invented the submarine

 The list goes on and on. I wonder what sort of hobbies Henry Tilney and Edmund Bertram picked up after their marriage.

Judaism in England

Those of the Jewish faith were not exactly welcomed to England with open arms. It's a wonder that they were ever inclined to settle there! But throughout the centuries there were Jews in England, and England (being the upstanding Christian country that it was) fighting to get them out. It wasn't until the 18th century that Britain finally warmed up to those of the Jewish faith.

In the Dark ages many Jews were forced to be nomadic due to anti-antisemitism, until King Edward I flat out expelled them from the country. Most left but some remained in hiding. It wasn't until a rabbi approached Oliver Cromwell in 1655 that Jews were finally allowed in England. The Puritan William Prynne and Quaker, Margaret Fell, both from religions who faced prejudice and persecution, were two of the biggest objectors. Hypocrites! Despite the cold welcome, thousands of Jewish people reestablished themselves in England.

The arrival of the 18th century was also the introduction to religious tolerance. For if you were to be Enlightened you must be tolerant of different cultures. It was now fashionable to be open to those of non-Anglican faiths. By the 18th century the Jews were able to establish themselves. During the Jacobite uprising many Jews showed loyalty to the government, and finally the English began looking on them as more than just those responsible for a diety's death. However, when Henry Relham pushed the Jewish Naturalization Act of 1753 which would make Jewish immigrants citizens, there was an outcry, especially among the Tories. The Whigs, in their true character, were all for the act and were happy when it passed.

Jews were an established part of society, especially in London. Sadly though, they were still treated as second class citizens. That treatment, though, could change in the wink of an eye when money was involved. Many of the English Jews showed a knack for money management and became successful money-lenders. So you could be a stuffy aristocrat who looked down on the Jewish but in the future owed s Jewish lender a lot of money. Hmm, maybe it was time to play nice? Mary Robinson was indebted to a Jewish money-lender who she may or may not have given sexual favours to. He later blackmailed her in the height of her celebrity with a tell-all book and fondly nicknamed himself, "The Jew," making light of the negative association of the title.

With the money-lending and other businesses, many Jews established themselves and aided their community. By the Victorian age, the antisemitism was almost forgotten and the Jews had been knighted, titles, and had high positions in the government.

The Gordon Riots

In the first week of June 1780, over 300 people were dead and a good portion of London was either burnt or in ruins. The madness stemmed from a bill that had passed 2 years before and left the residents of London, Bath, and the rest of Great Britain in fear. It was known as the Gordon Riots.

In 1778 the Catholic Relief Act was introduced by the Whig, George Savile, and passed. Although Whigs were traditionally professors of religious tolerance this bill was actually to get more people in the army to fight the American Revolution. The bill absolved Catholics from taking a religious oath which had, until then, prevented them from joining England's forces. The spoilt younger son of the Duke of Gordon, George Gordon was a strong Protestant who had strong feelings against giving Catholics equal rights. He organized the Protestant Association in 1779 in order to upturn the relief act and in June of the following year he marched his followers to Parliament to petition. The group quickly turned into a mob of (at least) 40,000 strong and things quickly got out of hand. Whether this was Gordon's intention or not, we have no idea.

The crazed mob marched onto the House of Commons and then, with their "No Popery" banners and then proceeded to Newgate Prison and the Clink which were both mostly destroyed. The Clink, which had housed religious prisoners since 1151, was never to reopen. The prisoners were released and joined the mob. For a week while the mob raged and grew worse, Catholics and Protestants alike were prisoners in their own homes while London burned. During the day there was some peace but every night the riots reignited and the injured and drunk could be found among the corpses and ashes. Aristocrats' houses were targeted and some barely escaped with their lives. Edmund Burke, George Savile, the Marquis of Rockingham, Lord Mansfield, Lord North (the Prime Minister) and even the Duke of Devonshire narrowly escaped their wrath. An explosion at a Catholic distillery in Holborn sent gin and rum into the streets. People who went down on their hands and knees to drink the free booze from the cobblestones soon crumpled and died in the streets from the deathly acidic concoction. Reports from the time relate the flames of the city to that of volcanic explosions which reached to the heavens.

The army was finally called in on June 7 and ordered to fire on any group of 4 or more who refused to relinquish. It is estimated that 285 were shot dead, hundreds more were wounded, and a couple dozen executed. Although Gordon was charged with high treason he was found not guilty. He later was imprisoned for badmouthing Marie Antoinette and was thrown in Newgate, the same prison his mob almost destroyed. Ironically, he converted to Judaism shortly afterward while London was still was rebuilding (years later) from the week-long riots.

This site has a great map of the damage done in the riots.