THE ALTOGETHER AMAZING TOM POOLEY

“ On the first of july I Left Liskeard to Apear at Trecan Gate for to Answer A Charge of what Christains call Blasphamey But Before I Left I took A farewell of my name sake’s or son’s grave and kissed the Earth that was the grave for I knew what Hands I was going into - Clergey Magristrates wear no justice is to be Had.  And, as no shame will Tinge a Clergeyman’s Brow,  I takes my old toy, the Reope, Around my neck for to see wether I could shame them or not”     -   T. Pooley  I feel I should here inform the reader, although it will no doubt become blindingly obvious, that my sympathies lay primarily with Tom Pooley rather than with the solicitor and the good priests who placed the advertisement below and who were so horrified at his activities.    I have been amused rather than shocked by Tom Pooley’s tilting at the Anglican windmills.   Of course, Tom too was as devout as any man or woman of faith and was more sincere than many, but he was...

  “How was the Christain Counsel that the Christain Clergy employed against me the Son of that Christain Judge?   So what will a father And Son Doe thir Deeds of Toucher and Infamy thir Dying moments will unfold.  For we all know that A Christain Counsel is  trained to Bulley and Gamon And try to make Black is wite And wite is Black.  And the father Says, ‘my Son is verey Cleaver.’ ”   T.  Pooley Curiously, long before Tom Pooley came into my life, I had formed an opinion of the man who was the Counsel who prosecuted Tom and found him not to my taste.  The great and important church of Saint Mary at Ottery lies not far from my home and, according to Nikolaus Pevsner, who visited it on one of his grumpy days, “lies long and low, somewhat like a big, tired beast.”  I have visited this glorious beast many times and whenever I step inside the church I am overwhelmed by the wonders of this vast, essentially fourteenth century building but I can ne...

  “This Christain judge is described By Christains  to be Like Christ in Beauty and Charicter.  But let him Be Carful that the Earth does not shake at his Death and the Rocks to Rent and Darkness to Hide the Beautiful sun as it sets” -  T.Pooley The extreme piety of Judge John Taylor Coleridge is difficult for someone like myself to comprehend.   No doubt there are faithful members of the Church of England today who see the world much as he did but I have not met them.  A non-believer, living in a sceptical Britain, must struggle with the idea that Coleridge’s High Anglican religion was for him the first and overwhelming reality.  Sin was real and the promise of eternal bliss was real, as was the threat of eternal damnation.  The Gospels that recounted the life of Christ were sacred books not to be questioned or doubted.  To his eyes, respect for religion was the first duty of man or woman and Coleridge could no more comprehend the few ‘infid...