Sidney Faithorn Green
Encyclopedia
The Rev. Sidney Faithorn Green (1841–1916) was a British
clergyman who, during the Ritualist controversies in the Church of England
, was imprisoned for 20 months for liturgical practice
contrary to the Public Worship Regulation Act 1874
.
and Cambridge University. Green was ordained
a priest of the Church of England
in Manchester in1866, and served as a Curate in Swinton until his appointment as incumbent of St John the Evangelist, Miles Platting, Manchester. He was a follower of the Oxford Movement
who celebrated the Eucharist
in the style of Anglo-Catholicism
, see Anglican Eucharistic theology
.
at St. John's, Kensington
and then in 1889 as rector
of Charlton by Dover, an avowedly ritualist parish of which Keble College, Oxford
was patron. He became Rector of Luddenham with Stone in Kent in 1914 but soon retired due to ill health. He died in Sydenham on August 11, 1916.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
clergyman who, during the Ritualist controversies in the Church of England
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
, was imprisoned for 20 months for liturgical practice
Liturgy
Liturgy is either the customary public worship done by a specific religious group, according to its particular traditions or a more precise term that distinguishes between those religious groups who believe their ritual requires the "people" to do the "work" of responding to the priest, and those...
contrary to the Public Worship Regulation Act 1874
Public Worship Regulation Act 1874
The Public Worship Regulation Act 1874 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, introduced as a Private Member's Bill by Archbishop of Canterbury Archibald Campbell Tait, to limit what he perceived as the growing ritualism of Anglo-Catholicism and the Oxford Movement within the Church...
.
Background
Sidney Faithorn Green was born in Kent in 1841. he studied at Tonbridge SchoolTonbridge School
Tonbridge School is a British boys' independent school for both boarding and day pupils in Tonbridge, Kent, founded in 1553 by Sir Andrew Judd . It is a member of the Eton Group, and has close links with the Worshipful Company of Skinners, one of the oldest London livery companies...
and Cambridge University. Green was ordained
Ordination
In general religious use, ordination is the process by which individuals are consecrated, that is, set apart as clergy to perform various religious rites and ceremonies. The process and ceremonies of ordination itself varies by religion and denomination. One who is in preparation for, or who is...
a priest of the Church of England
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
in Manchester in1866, and served as a Curate in Swinton until his appointment as incumbent of St John the Evangelist, Miles Platting, Manchester. He was a follower of the Oxford Movement
Oxford Movement
The Oxford Movement was a movement of High Church Anglicans, eventually developing into Anglo-Catholicism. The movement, whose members were often associated with the University of Oxford, argued for the reinstatement of lost Christian traditions of faith and their inclusion into Anglican liturgy...
who celebrated the Eucharist
Eucharist
The Eucharist , also called Holy Communion, the Sacrament of the Altar, the Blessed Sacrament, the Lord's Supper, and other names, is a Christian sacrament or ordinance...
in the style of Anglo-Catholicism
Anglo-Catholicism
The terms Anglo-Catholic and Anglo-Catholicism describe people, beliefs and practices within Anglicanism that affirm the Catholic, rather than Protestant, heritage and identity of the Anglican churches....
, see Anglican Eucharistic theology
Anglican Eucharistic theology
Anglican Eucharistic theology is diverse in practice, reflecting the essential comprehensiveness of the tradition. Some High church Anglicans, especially those considered to be Anglo-Catholics, hold beliefs identical with, or similar to, the Roman Catholic doctrine of transubstantiation...
.
Timeline of the ritual controversy at Miles Platting
- June 1869: Green is appointed incumbent of St. John's, Miles PlattingMiles PlattingMiles Platting is an inner city district of Manchester, England. It is east-northeast of Manchester city centre, along the course of the Rochdale Canal and A62 road...
, ManchesterManchesterManchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
. - January 1871: Green is admonished by Bishop of ManchesterBishop of ManchesterThe Bishop of Manchester is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Manchester in the Province of York.The current bishop is the Right Reverend Nigel McCulloch, the 11th Lord Bishop of Manchester, who signs Nigel Manchester. The bishop's official residence is Bishopscourt, Bury New Road,...
James FraserJames Fraser (bishop)James Fraser was a reforming Anglican bishop of Manchester, England. An able Church administrator and policy leader, he was active in developing the Church's approach to education and in practical politics and industrial relations...
for mixing water with wine in the service of Holy Communion. Green agrees to abandon the practice. - 1874: Green nominates Rev. Harry Cowgill as his curateCurateA curate is a person who is invested with the care or cure of souls of a parish. In this sense "curate" correctly means a parish priest but in English-speaking countries a curate is an assistant to the parish priest...
but Fraser refuses to approve the nomination on the grounds of Cowgill's avowed refusal to accept the authority of the Judicial Committee of the Privy CouncilJudicial Committee of the Privy CouncilThe Judicial Committee of the Privy Council is one of the highest courts in the United Kingdom. Established by the Judicial Committee Act 1833 to hear appeals formerly heard by the King in Council The Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (JCPC) is one of the highest courts in the United...
in church matters. - May 1877, Fraser learns that Green is using incenseIncenseIncense is composed of aromatic biotic materials, which release fragrant smoke when burned. The term "incense" refers to the substance itself, rather than to the odor that it produces. It is used in religious ceremonies, ritual purification, aromatherapy, meditation, for creating a mood, and for...
and unlawful vestments, perceived as trappings of Anglo-CatholicismAnglo-CatholicismThe terms Anglo-Catholic and Anglo-Catholicism describe people, beliefs and practices within Anglicanism that affirm the Catholic, rather than Protestant, heritage and identity of the Anglican churches....
, in his services. Green is again admonished and agrees to abandon the practice. - May 18, 1878: Fraser receives a petition purporting to be from 320 of Green's parishParishA parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
ioners accusing him of propagation of false doctrine and deadly error. - May 20, 1878: Fraser responds coolly, pointing out the vagueness of the accusations and the similarity of the handwritingHandwritingHandwriting is a person's particular & individual style of writing with pen or pencil, which contrasts with "Hand" which is an impersonal and formalised writing style in several historical varieties...
in many of the "signatures". - December 2, 1878: The Church AssociationChurch AssociationThe Church Association was an English evangelical Anglican organisation, founded in 1865.It was particularly active in opposition to Anglo-Catholicism, Ritualism and the Oxford Movement.Founded in 1865 by Richard P...
takes up the case and Fraser receives a "presentation" against Green charging, contrary to the Public Worship Regulation Act 1874:- The mixing of wine and water.
- Lighted candleCandleA candle is a solid block or cylinder of wax with an embedded wick, which is lit to provide light, and sometimes heat.Today, most candles are made from paraffin. Candles can also be made from beeswax, soy, other plant waxes, and tallow...
s. - Unlawful vestments.
- Kneeling during the prayerPrayerPrayer is a form of religious practice that seeks to activate a volitional rapport to a deity through deliberate practice. Prayer may be either individual or communal and take place in public or in private. It may involve the use of words or song. When language is used, prayer may take the form of...
of consecrationConsecrationConsecration is the solemn dedication to a special purpose or service, usually religious. The word "consecration" literally means "to associate with the sacred". Persons, places, or things can be consecrated, and the term is used in various ways by different groups...
. - Elevating the paten and chalice.
- Placing the almsAlmsAlms or almsgiving is a religious rite which, in general, involves giving materially to another as an act of religious virtue.It exists in a number of religions. In Philippine Regions, alms are given as charity to benefit the poor. In Buddhism, alms are given by lay people to monks and nuns to...
on the credenceCredence tableA Credence table is a small side table in the sanctuary of a Christian church which is used in the celebration of the Eucharist. Etymology: from latin credens, -entis, believer)....
instead of allowing them to lie on the Holy Table. - Using the sign of the crossSign of the crossThe Sign of the Cross , or crossing oneself, is a ritual hand motion made by members of many branches of Christianity, often accompanied by spoken or mental recitation of a trinitarian formula....
towards the congregation. - Performing the consecration in such a manner that the congregation could not see him break the bread or take the chalice in his hand.
- Unlawfully and ceremoniously raising the chalice.
- Unlawfully displaying a large brassBrassBrass is an alloy of copper and zinc; the proportions of zinc and copper can be varied to create a range of brasses with varying properties.In comparison, bronze is principally an alloy of copper and tin...
crossChristian crossThe Christian cross, seen as a representation of the instrument of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, is the best-known religious symbol of Christianity...
. - Displaying a baldacchino.
- December 3, 1878: At an interview with Fraser, Green declines to submit to his authority on liturgical matters as I should deny my Lord and imperil (peril?) my own salvation. Fraser declines to invoke his discretion to stay proceedingsStay of proceedingsA stay of proceedings is a ruling by the court in civil and criminal procedure, halting further legal process in a trial. The court can subsequently lift the stay and resume proceedings. However, a stay is sometimes used as a device to postpone proceedings indefinitely.-United Kingdom:In United...
under the Act. - December 23, 1878: Fraser receives a petition supporting Green but is unimpressed by the standing of the signatories.
- June 14, 1879: The case is tried before James Plaisted Wilde, Baron PenzanceJames Plaisted Wilde, Baron PenzanceJames Plaisted Wilde, 1st Baron Penzance was a noted British judge and rose breeder who was also a proponent of the Baconian theory that the works usually attributed to William Shakespeare were in fact authored by Francis Bacon....
who upholds the charges. - August 9, 1879: A monitionMonitionIn English law and the canon law of the Church of England, a monition, contraction of admonition, is an order to a member of the clergy to do or refrain from doing a specified act. Other than a rebuke, it is the least severe censure available against clergy of the Church of England. Failure to...
is issued to Green prohibiting the practices complained of. Green persists and an order is made inhibiting him from exercising the cure of soulsCure of soulsIn some denominations of Christianity, the cure of souls , an archaic translation which is better rendered today as "care of souls," is the exercise by a priest of his office. This typically embraces instruction, by sermons and admonitions, and administration of sacraments, to the congregation...
. Green persists and is held to be in contempt of courtContempt of courtContempt of court is a court order which, in the context of a court trial or hearing, declares a person or organization to have disobeyed or been disrespectful of the court's authority...
. - November 25, 1879: Lord Penzance issues a significavitSignificavitSignificavit is an obsolete writ in English ecclesiastical law, issued out of chancery, that a man be excommunicated for forty days, and imprisoned until he submits himself to the authority of the church....
to the Court of ChanceryCourt of ChanceryThe Court of Chancery was a court of equity in England and Wales that followed a set of loose rules to avoid the slow pace of change and possible harshness of the common law. The Chancery had jurisdiction over all matters of equity, including trusts, land law, the administration of the estates of...
of the county palatineCounty palatineA county palatine or palatinate is an area ruled by an hereditary nobleman possessing special authority and autonomy from the rest of a kingdom or empire. The name derives from the Latin adjective palatinus, "relating to the palace", from the noun palatium, "palace"...
of LancasterLancashireLancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
notifying Green's contempt. - March 9, 1880: The court issues the writWritIn common law, a writ is a formal written order issued by a body with administrative or judicial jurisdiction; in modern usage, this body is generally a court...
de contumace capiendoDe contumace capiendoDe contumace capiendo is a writ issued for the arrest of a defendant who is in contempt of an ecclesiastical court....
. - March 19, 1880: Green is arrested and held in Lancaster CastleLancaster CastleLancaster Castle is a medieval castle located in Lancaster in the English county of Lancashire. Its early history is unclear, but may have been founded in the 11th century on the site of a Roman fort overlooking a crossing of the River Lune. In 1164, the Honour of Lancaster, including the...
. Cowgill, without the bishop's license, takes Green's place at Miles Platting but Fraser takes no action for fear of inflaming the situation. - July 24, 1880: An application is made to Lord Penzance for a ruling that Green is in contempt for non-payment of costs of £293 7s 8d.
- October 22, 1880: An order for the sequestrationSequestration (law)Sequestration is the act of removing, separating, or seizing anything from the possession of its owner under process of law for the benefit of creditors or the state.-Etymology:...
of his property is served on Green. - March, 1881: An application is made to the Lord ChancellorLord ChancellorThe Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain, or Lord Chancellor, is a senior and important functionary in the government of the United Kingdom. He is the second highest ranking of the Great Officers of State, ranking only after the Lord High Steward. The Lord Chancellor is appointed by the Sovereign...
, Roundell Palmer, 1st Earl of SelborneRoundell Palmer, 1st Earl of SelborneRoundell Palmer, 1st Earl of Selborne PC , was a British lawyer and politician. He served twice as Lord Chancellor of Great Britain.-Background and education:...
, to take possession of Green's effects. The application is opposed. - April 2, 1881: The application is heard but Selborne defers his decision because of an impending challenge to the Queen's Bench related to Lord Penzance's action.
- April 6, 1881: An application for a writ of habeas corpusHabeas corpusis a writ, or legal action, through which a prisoner can be released from unlawful detention. The remedy can be sought by the prisoner or by another person coming to his aid. Habeas corpus originated in the English legal system, but it is now available in many nations...
is dismissed by the Queen's Bench. - April 12, 1881: An appeal is dismissed by Lords BrettWilliam Baliol Brett, 1st Viscount EsherWilliam Baliol Brett, 1st Viscount Esher PC, QC , known as Sir William Brett between 1868 and 1883, was a British lawyer, judge and Conservative politician...
and CottonHenry Cotton (judge)Sir Henry Cotton was a British judge. He was a Lord Justice of Appeal from 1877, when he was made a Privy Counsellor, until his retirement in 1890.-Early life:...
. - May 7, 1881: Selborne denounces the costs awarded against Green as a great scandal.
- May 20, 1881: Selborne reluctantly orders the sale of Green's effects.
- May 21, 1881: The English Church Union obtain a legal opinion from Sir John HolkerJohn HolkerSir John Holker QC was a British lawyer and politician. He sat as a Member of Parliament for Preston from 1872 until his death ten years later. He was first Solicitor General and later Attorney General in the second government of Benjamin Disraeli.- External links :...
and E. Vaughan Williams favouring an appeal by Green and implore him to do so. - August 3–4 , 1881: An appeal to the House of LordsHouse of LordsThe House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
is heard by Selborne, Lord BlackburnColin BlackburnColin Blackburn, Baron Blackburn was a Scottish judge.Colin Blackburn was born in Selkirkshire, and educated at Edinburgh Academy, Eton and at Trinity College, Cambridge, taking high mathematical honours in 1835. His younger brother was the mathematician Hugh Blackburn.He was called to the bar in...
and Lord WatsonWilliam Watson, Baron WatsonWilliam Watson, Baron Watson PC, LL.D was a Scottish lawyer and Conservative Party politician. He was Lord Advocate, the most senior Law Officer in Scotland, from 1876 to 1880, and was then appointed a Lord of Appeal in Ordinary.-Early life:Watson was born in 1827, the son of the Reverend Thomas...
. It is dismissed. - August 4, 1881: Green's effects are sold to defray the costs of the Church Association.
- September 21, 1881: Fraser finally obtains an, at least nominal, undertaking from Green to obey his bishop's direction. Fraser writes to prime ministerPrime Minister of the United KingdomThe Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the Head of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom. The Prime Minister and Cabinet are collectively accountable for their policies and actions to the Sovereign, to Parliament, to their political party and...
William Ewart GladstoneWilliam Ewart GladstoneWilliam Ewart Gladstone FRS FSS was a British Liberal statesman. In a career lasting over sixty years, he served as Prime Minister four separate times , more than any other person. Gladstone was also Britain's oldest Prime Minister, 84 years old when he resigned for the last time...
requesting that he petition Queen VictoriaVictoria of the United KingdomVictoria was the monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death. From 1 May 1876, she used the additional title of Empress of India....
to exercise her Royal PrerogativeRoyal PrerogativeThe royal prerogative is a body of customary authority, privilege, and immunity, recognized in common law and, sometimes, in civil law jurisdictions possessing a monarchy as belonging to the sovereign alone. It is the means by which some of the executive powers of government, possessed by and...
to pardonPardonClemency means the forgiveness of a crime or the cancellation of the penalty associated with it. It is a general concept that encompasses several related procedures: pardoning, commutation, remission and reprieves...
Green. The case is forwarded to the Lord ChancellorLord ChancellorThe Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain, or Lord Chancellor, is a senior and important functionary in the government of the United Kingdom. He is the second highest ranking of the Great Officers of State, ranking only after the Lord High Steward. The Lord Chancellor is appointed by the Sovereign...
, Roundell Palmer, 1st Earl of SelborneRoundell Palmer, 1st Earl of SelborneRoundell Palmer, 1st Earl of Selborne PC , was a British lawyer and politician. He served twice as Lord Chancellor of Great Britain.-Background and education:...
, and Home SecretaryHome SecretaryThe Secretary of State for the Home Department, commonly known as the Home Secretary, is the minister in charge of the Home Office of the United Kingdom, and one of the country's four Great Offices of State...
, Sir William Vernon HarcourtWilliam Vernon Harcourt (politician)Sir William George Granville Venables Vernon Harcourt was a British lawyer, journalist and Liberal statesman. He served as Member of Parliament for various constituencies and held the offices of Home Secretary and Chancellor of the Exchequer under William Ewart Gladstone before becoming Leader of...
. - October 25, 1881: Green writes to Fraser emphasising that his submission to episcopal authority will not extend to disobedience to his conscience in liturgical matters.
- October 31, 1881: Fraser writes to Gladstone to withdraw his petition for a pardon.
- January, 1882: A Mr. Leeds starts to assist Cowgill, who is suffering from anxietyAnxietyAnxiety is a psychological and physiological state characterized by somatic, emotional, cognitive, and behavioral components. The root meaning of the word anxiety is 'to vex or trouble'; in either presence or absence of psychological stress, anxiety can create feelings of fear, worry, uneasiness,...
and fatigueFatigue (physical)Fatigue is a state of awareness describing a range of afflictions, usually associated with physical and/or mental weakness, though varying from a general state of lethargy to a specific work-induced burning sensation within one's muscles...
, at Miles Platting. Fraser takes no action despite Leeds' unlicensed status. - August, 1882: Selborne writes to Fraser to advise him that, three years having elapsed since the inhibition, Green's living at Miles Platting has lapsed under the Act. Green's detention now seems to serve little purpose but he was imprisoned for contempt and there is no trivial remedy. It seems unlikely that either Green or the Church Association will apply to the court for release but Fraser has no locus standi.
- October 17, 1882: Fraser writes to Selborne advising him that Green is being guided by the English Church Union who regard deprivation of living under the Act with no greater gravity than any of its other provisions.
- October 20, 1882: Fraser consults with his Chancellor, Richard Copley ChristieRichard Copley ChristieRichard Copley Christie was an English lawyer, University teacher, philanthropist and bibliophile.He was born at Lenton in Nottinghamshire, the son of a mill owner. He was educated at Lincoln College, Oxford where he was tutored by Mark Pattison, and was called to the bar at Lincoln's Inn in 1857...
, and writes to Selborne advising him of his resolve to free Green despite his fears for the consequences. - November 4, 1882: Fraser applies to Penzance for Green's release. The motion is unopposed, succeeds and Green is released that day. Green resigns his living in an attempt to deny the state's sequestration of his office. However, sequestration is already complete and Rev. W.R. Pym has been appointed as locum.
Later life
In 1883, Green was appointed to a curacyCurate
A curate is a person who is invested with the care or cure of souls of a parish. In this sense "curate" correctly means a parish priest but in English-speaking countries a curate is an assistant to the parish priest...
at St. John's, Kensington
Kensington
Kensington is a district of west and central London, England within the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. An affluent and densely-populated area, its commercial heart is Kensington High Street, and it contains the well-known museum district of South Kensington.To the north, Kensington is...
and then in 1889 as rector
Rector
The word rector has a number of different meanings; it is widely used to refer to an academic, religious or political administrator...
of Charlton by Dover, an avowedly ritualist parish of which Keble College, Oxford
Keble College, Oxford
Keble College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. Its main buildings are on Parks Road, opposite the University Museum and the University Parks. The college is bordered to the north by Keble Road, to the south by Museum Road, and to the west by Blackhall...
was patron. He became Rector of Luddenham with Stone in Kent in 1914 but soon retired due to ill health. He died in Sydenham on August 11, 1916.