Percy Jocelyn
Encyclopedia
Percy Jocelyn was Anglican Bishop of Clogher
in the Church of Ireland
from 1820 to 1822. He was forced from his position due to claims of homosexual practices.
, first Earl of Roden
, whose family estates were in Castlewellan, Co. Down, he graduated with a B.A.
from Trinity College Dublin. At Trinity, he was regarded as something of a bookworm, spending much of his time in his rooms on Library Square. He was later described as ‘a tall thin young man with a pale, meagre and melancholy countenance, and so reserved in his manners and recluse in his habits that he was considered by every body to be both proud and unsociable’.
He was rector of Tamlaght, archdeacon of Ross
(1788–1790), treasurer of Armagh
(1790–1809), a prebend of Lismore
(1796–1809), and bishop of Ferns and Leighlin
(1809–1820) before becoming bishop of Clogher
.
Two years later in 1811, Bishop Percy's brother John's coachman, James Byrne, accused his employer of ‘taking indecent familiarities’ with him (possibly buggery) and of ‘using indecent or obscene conversations with him’. Byrne was sued for criminal libel by the bishop and on conviction was sentenced to two years in jail and also to public flogging. Recanting his allegations at the prompting of the bishop’s agent, the floggings were stopped. A public subscription was raised in 1822 to raise money for Byrne to try to make up for this miscarriage of justice.
man, John Moverley, in the back room of The White Lion public house
, St Albans Place, off The Haymarket
, Westminster
. He and Moverley were released on bail
, provided by the Earl of Roden
and others. Jocelyn broke bail and moved to Scotland
where he worked as a butler
under an assumed name. He was declared deposed
in his absence by the Metropolitan Court of Armagh in October 1822 for "the crimes of immorality
, incontinence
, Sodomitical
practices, habits, and propensities, and neglect of his spiritual, judicial, and ministerial duties".
Jocelyn was the most senior British churchman to be involved in a public homosexual
scandal
in the 19th century. It became a subject of satire
and popular ribaldry
, resulting in more than a dozen illustrated satirical cartoons, pamphlet
s, and limericks
, such as:
The scandal was so great, that in the days following, "it was not safe for a bishop to show himself in the streets of London", according to Charles Manners-Sutton
, Archbishop of Canterbury
at the time. In August 1822, Robert Stewart, Viscount Castlereagh
, who was both the Foreign Secretary and Leader of the House of Commons
, had an audience with King George IV
saying he was being blackmail
ed, and that "I am accused of the same crime as the Bishop of Clogher." He committed suicide shortly afterwards but was thought to have been in a paranoid state at the time.
, buried under the assumed name Thomas Wilson, and the following inscription (in Latin): "Here lie the remains of a great sinner, saved by grace, whose hopes rest in the atoning sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ".
However some years ago, the Jocelyn family vault at Kilcoo Parish Church in Bryansford
, County Down
, Northern Ireland
was opened and it was discovered that it contained one more coffin than the number of grave markers would indicate, and that the extra coffin was unmarked. This may well be the grave of the unfortunate Bishop of Clogher.
For 178 years afterwards the Church of Ireland
refused to let historians see their papers on the affair. In the 1920s Archbishop D'Arcy
of Armagh actually ordered that they be burnt. This command was not obeyed, and the files were finally released for Matthew Parris
's research for his book The Great Unfrocked.
Bishop of Clogher
The Bishop of Clogher is an episcopal title which takes its name after the village of Clogher in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. Following the Reformation, there are now parallel apostolic successions: one of the Church of Ireland and the other of the Roman Catholic Church.-History:Clogher is one...
in the Church of Ireland
Church of Ireland
The Church of Ireland is an autonomous province of the Anglican Communion. The church operates in all parts of Ireland and is the second largest religious body on the island after the Roman Catholic Church...
from 1820 to 1822. He was forced from his position due to claims of homosexual practices.
Early life
The third son of Robert JocelynRobert Jocelyn, 1st Earl of Roden
Robert Jocelyn, 1st Earl of Roden was an Irish peer and politician.He was the only son of Robert Jocelyn, 1st Viscount Jocelyn and Baron Newport by his first wife Charlotte Anderson. He was M.P for Old Leighlin 1743-56 and Auditor-General of the Exchequer from 1750 until his death...
, first Earl of Roden
Earl of Roden
Earl of Roden is a title in the Peerage of Ireland. It was created in 1771 for Robert Jocelyn, 2nd Viscount Jocelyn. This branch of the Jocelyn family descends from the 1st Viscount, prominent Irish lawyer and politician Robert Jocelyn, the son of Thomas Jocelyn, third son of Sir Robert Jocelyn,...
, whose family estates were in Castlewellan, Co. Down, he graduated with a B.A.
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
from Trinity College Dublin. At Trinity, he was regarded as something of a bookworm, spending much of his time in his rooms on Library Square. He was later described as ‘a tall thin young man with a pale, meagre and melancholy countenance, and so reserved in his manners and recluse in his habits that he was considered by every body to be both proud and unsociable’.
He was rector of Tamlaght, archdeacon of Ross
Ross
Ross is a region of Scotland and a former mormaerdom, earldom, sheriffdom and county. The name Ross allegedly derives from a Gaelic word meaning a headland - perhaps a reference to the Black Isle. The Norse word for Orkney - Hrossay meaning horse island - is another possible origin. The area...
(1788–1790), treasurer of Armagh
Armagh
Armagh is a large settlement in Northern Ireland, and the county town of County Armagh. It is a site of historical importance for both Celtic paganism and Christianity and is the seat, for both the Roman Catholic Church and the Church of Ireland, of the Archbishop of Armagh...
(1790–1809), a prebend of Lismore
Lismore, County Waterford
Lismore is a town in County Waterford, Ireland. It is located where the N72 road crosses the River Blackwater.-History:It was founded by Saint Mochuda, also known as Saint Carthage. In the 7th century, Lismore was the site of the well-known Lismore Abbey. It is also home to Lismore Castle, the...
(1796–1809), and bishop of Ferns and Leighlin
Bishop of Ferns and Leighlin
The Bishop of Ferns and Leighlin was the Ordinary of the Church of Ireland diocese of Ferns and Leighlin in the Province of Dublin. The diocese comprised all of counties Wexford and Carlow and part of counties Wicklow and Laois in Ireland....
(1809–1820) before becoming bishop of Clogher
Bishop of Clogher
The Bishop of Clogher is an episcopal title which takes its name after the village of Clogher in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. Following the Reformation, there are now parallel apostolic successions: one of the Church of Ireland and the other of the Roman Catholic Church.-History:Clogher is one...
.
Two years later in 1811, Bishop Percy's brother John's coachman, James Byrne, accused his employer of ‘taking indecent familiarities’ with him (possibly buggery) and of ‘using indecent or obscene conversations with him’. Byrne was sued for criminal libel by the bishop and on conviction was sentenced to two years in jail and also to public flogging. Recanting his allegations at the prompting of the bishop’s agent, the floggings were stopped. A public subscription was raised in 1822 to raise money for Byrne to try to make up for this miscarriage of justice.
Scandal
On July 19, 1822, Percy Jocelyn was caught in a compromising position with a Grenadier GuardsGrenadier Guards
The Grenadier Guards is an infantry regiment of the British Army. It is the most senior regiment of the Guards Division and, as such, is the most senior regiment of infantry. It is not, however, the most senior regiment of the Army, this position being attributed to the Life Guards...
man, John Moverley, in the back room of The White Lion public house
Public house
A public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...
, St Albans Place, off The Haymarket
The Haymarket
Haymarket is a street in the St. James's district of the City of Westminster, London. It runs from Piccadilly Circus at the north to Pall Mall at the south...
, Westminster
City of Westminster
The City of Westminster is a London borough occupying much of the central area of London, England, including most of the West End. It is located to the west of and adjoining the ancient City of London, directly to the east of the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, and its southern boundary...
. He and Moverley were released on bail
Bail
Traditionally, bail is some form of property deposited or pledged to a court to persuade it to release a suspect from jail, on the understanding that the suspect will return for trial or forfeit the bail...
, provided by the Earl of Roden
Earl of Roden
Earl of Roden is a title in the Peerage of Ireland. It was created in 1771 for Robert Jocelyn, 2nd Viscount Jocelyn. This branch of the Jocelyn family descends from the 1st Viscount, prominent Irish lawyer and politician Robert Jocelyn, the son of Thomas Jocelyn, third son of Sir Robert Jocelyn,...
and others. Jocelyn broke bail and moved to Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
where he worked as a butler
Butler
A butler is a domestic worker in a large household. In great houses, the household is sometimes divided into departments with the butler in charge of the dining room, wine cellar, and pantry. Some also have charge of the entire parlour floor, and housekeepers caring for the entire house and its...
under an assumed name. He was declared deposed
Deposition (politics)
Deposition by political means concerns the removal of a politician or monarch. It may be done by coup, impeachment, invasion or forced abdication...
in his absence by the Metropolitan Court of Armagh in October 1822 for "the crimes of immorality
Morality
Morality is the differentiation among intentions, decisions, and actions between those that are good and bad . A moral code is a system of morality and a moral is any one practice or teaching within a moral code...
, incontinence
Incontinence (philosophy)
Incontinence is often used by philosophers to translate the Greek term Akrasia . Often used to refer to a lacking in moderation or self-control, especially related to sexual desire...
, Sodomitical
Sodomy
Sodomy is an anal or other copulation-like act, especially between male persons or between a man and animal, and one who practices sodomy is a "sodomite"...
practices, habits, and propensities, and neglect of his spiritual, judicial, and ministerial duties".
Jocelyn was the most senior British churchman to be involved in a public homosexual
Homosexuality
Homosexuality is romantic or sexual attraction or behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality refers to "an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectional, or romantic attractions" primarily or exclusively to people of the same...
scandal
Scandal
A scandal is a widely publicized allegation or set of allegations that damages the reputation of an institution, individual or creed...
in the 19th century. It became a subject of satire
Satire
Satire is primarily a literary genre or form, although in practice it can also be found in the graphic and performing arts. In satire, vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, ideally with the intent of shaming individuals, and society itself, into improvement...
and popular ribaldry
Ribaldry
Ribaldry is humorous entertainment that ranges from bordering on indelicacy to gross indecency. It is also referred to as "bawdiness", "gaminess" or "bawdry"....
, resulting in more than a dozen illustrated satirical cartoons, pamphlet
Pamphlet
A pamphlet is an unbound booklet . It may consist of a single sheet of paper that is printed on both sides and folded in half, in thirds, or in fourths , or it may consist of a few pages that are folded in half and saddle stapled at the crease to make a simple book...
s, and limericks
Limerick (poetry)
A limerick is a kind of a witty, humorous, or nonsense poem, especially one in five-line or meter with a strict rhyme scheme , which is sometimes obscene with humorous intent. The form can be found in England as of the early years of the 18th century...
, such as:
- The Devil to prove the Church was a farce
- Went out to fish for a Bugger.
- He baited his hook with a Soldier's arse
- And pulled up the Bishop of Clogher.
The scandal was so great, that in the days following, "it was not safe for a bishop to show himself in the streets of London", according to Charles Manners-Sutton
Charles Manners-Sutton
Charles Manners-Sutton was a priest in the Church of England who served as Archbishop of Canterbury from 1805 to 1828.-Life:...
, Archbishop of Canterbury
Archbishop of Canterbury
The Archbishop of Canterbury is the senior bishop and principal leader of the Church of England, the symbolic head of the worldwide Anglican Communion, and the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Canterbury. In his role as head of the Anglican Communion, the archbishop leads the third largest group...
at the time. In August 1822, Robert Stewart, Viscount Castlereagh
Robert Stewart, Viscount Castlereagh
Robert Stewart, 2nd Marquess of Londonderry, KG, GCH, PC, PC , usually known as Lord CastlereaghThe name Castlereagh derives from the baronies of Castlereagh and Ards, in which the manors of Newtownards and Comber were located...
, who was both the Foreign Secretary and Leader of the House of Commons
Leader of the House of Commons
The Leader of the House of Commons is a member of the Cabinet of the United Kingdom who is responsible for arranging government business in the House of Commons...
, had an audience with King George IV
George IV of the United Kingdom
George IV was the King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and also of Hanover from the death of his father, George III, on 29 January 1820 until his own death ten years later...
saying he was being blackmail
Blackmail
In common usage, blackmail is a crime involving threats to reveal substantially true or false information about a person to the public, a family member, or associates unless a demand is met. It may be defined as coercion involving threats of physical harm, threat of criminal prosecution, or threats...
ed, and that "I am accused of the same crime as the Bishop of Clogher." He committed suicide shortly afterwards but was thought to have been in a paranoid state at the time.
Legacy
Reports differ as to where Jocelyn is buried. It is assumed he died in anonymity in EdinburghEdinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
, buried under the assumed name Thomas Wilson, and the following inscription (in Latin): "Here lie the remains of a great sinner, saved by grace, whose hopes rest in the atoning sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ".
However some years ago, the Jocelyn family vault at Kilcoo Parish Church in Bryansford
Bryansford
Bryansford is a small village in County Down, Northern Ireland. It sits at the northern side of Tollymore Forest Park, roughly halfway between the towns of Newcastle and Castlewellan. The village is within the townlands of Ballyhafry and Aghacullion...
, County Down
County Down
-Cities:*Belfast *Newry -Large towns:*Dundonald*Newtownards*Bangor-Medium towns:...
, Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
was opened and it was discovered that it contained one more coffin than the number of grave markers would indicate, and that the extra coffin was unmarked. This may well be the grave of the unfortunate Bishop of Clogher.
For 178 years afterwards the Church of Ireland
Church of Ireland
The Church of Ireland is an autonomous province of the Anglican Communion. The church operates in all parts of Ireland and is the second largest religious body on the island after the Roman Catholic Church...
refused to let historians see their papers on the affair. In the 1920s Archbishop D'Arcy
Charles D'Arcy
Charles Frederick D'Arcy was a Church of Ireland clergyman, from 1903 Bishop of Clogher, in 1907 translated to become Bishop of Ossory, Ferns and Leighlin and then Bishop of Down, Connor and Dromore, briefly Archbishop of Dublin, and finally from 1920 until his death Archbishop of Armagh...
of Armagh actually ordered that they be burnt. This command was not obeyed, and the files were finally released for Matthew Parris
Matthew Parris
Matthew Francis Parris is a UK-based journalist and former Conservative politician.-Early life and family:...
's research for his book The Great Unfrocked.
Further reading
- Rictor Norton, "The Bishop of Clogher" The Gay Subculture in Georgian England. 5 April 2010
- Lacey, Brian, 2008, Terrible Queer Creatures: Homosexuality in Irish History, Dublin, Wordwell Books.