Edward Drax Free (1764–1843) was an
English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
** English national ide ...
clergyman.
The youngest son of a clergyman, Edward Drax Free became a member of
St John's College, Oxford
St John's College is a constituent college of the University of Oxford. Founded as a men's college in 1555, it has been coeducational since 1979.Communication from Michael Riordan, college archivist Its founder, Sir Thomas White, intended to pro ...
, where he proceeded to the degrees of
BA,
MA,
BD, and
DD and was eventually elected to a
Fellowship
A fellow is a concept whose exact meaning depends on context.
In learned or professional societies, it refers to a privileged member who is specially elected in recognition of their work and achievements.
Within the context of higher education ...
. He was also appointed Vicar of
St Giles' Church,
Oxford
Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...
.
In Oxford he lived a very scandalous life and was on the verge of being sent down from St John's College when he was appointed Rector of the
Church of All Saints,
Sutton
Sutton (''south settlement'' or ''south town'' in Old English) may refer to:
Places
United Kingdom
England
In alphabetical order by county:
* Sutton, Bedfordshire
* Sutton, Berkshire, a List of United Kingdom locations: Stu-Sz#Su, location
* S ...
, Bedfordshire in 1808.
It is alleged that he stole the
lead
Lead is a chemical element with the symbol Pb (from the Latin ) and atomic number 82. It is a heavy metal that is denser than most common materials. Lead is soft and malleable, and also has a relatively low melting point. When freshly cu ...
off his own church
roof
A roof ( : roofs or rooves) is the top covering of a building, including all materials and constructions necessary to support it on the walls of the building or on uprights, providing protection against rain, snow, sunlight, extremes of temper ...
to sell for scrap. He also impregnated several of his housekeepers, allowed swine to desecrate the graveyard, and had been publicly abusive, both sober and drunk.
His downfall came when he attempted to have the churchwarden
Montagu Burgoyne
Montagu Burgoyne (19 July 1750 – 6 March 1836) was a British politician and writer.
Life
Burgoyne was a younger son of Sir Roger Burgoyne, 6th Baronet (1710–1780) of Burgoyne of Sutton, Bedfordshire. He was a member of Trinity Hall, Cambr ...
fined for non-attendance at
church
Church may refer to:
Religion
* Church (building), a building for Christian religious activities
* Church (congregation), a local congregation of a Christian denomination
* Church service, a formalized period of Christian communal worship
* Chris ...
using a law passed during the reign of
Elizabeth I
Elizabeth I (7 September 153324 March 1603) was Queen of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death in 1603. Elizabeth was the last of the five House of Tudor monarchs and is sometimes referred to as the "Virgin Queen".
El ...
. He was removed from his living at the parish in 1830.
He died in 1843 when a
cart
A cart or dray (Australia and New Zealand) is a vehicle designed for transport, using two wheels and normally pulled by one or a pair of draught animals. A handcart is pulled or pushed by one or more people.
It is different from the flatbed tr ...
hit him in a road accident.
Further reading
*
R.B. Outhwaite, ''Scandal in the church: Dr Edward Drax Free, 1764-1843'' (London: Hambledon Press, 1997)
*
Montagu Burgoyne
Montagu Burgoyne (19 July 1750 – 6 March 1836) was a British politician and writer.
Life
Burgoyne was a younger son of Sir Roger Burgoyne, 6th Baronet (1710–1780) of Burgoyne of Sutton, Bedfordshire. He was a member of Trinity Hall, Cambr ...
, ''A letter from Montagu Burgoyne to his brother churchwardens in the diocese of Lincoln, giving a summary account of the prosecution, conviction, and deprivation of the rev. dr. Edward Drax Free'' (London: n.p., 1830)
*Edward Drax Free, ''In his majesty's High court of delegates. The reverend Edward Drax Free against Montagu Burgoyne, an appeal from the Arches court of Canterbury'' (London: n.p., 1830)
*"A Field Guide to the English Clergy' Butler-Gallie, F pp164/167: London, Oneworld Publications, 2018
See also
*
Harold Davidson
Harold Francis Davidson (14 July 1875 – 30 July 1937), generally known as the Rector of Stiffkey, was a Church of England priest who in 1932, after a public scandal, was convicted of immorality by a church court and defrocked. Davidson ...
External links
Eddy Free
{{DEFAULTSORT:Free, Edward Drax
1764 births
1843 deaths
People from Sutton, Bedfordshire
19th-century English Anglican priests
Alumni of St John's College, Oxford
Fellows of St John's College, Oxford
Road incident deaths in England
Scandals in England