Parson Chowne

1895

A Peculiar Character In the Novel of "The Maid of Sker."

Mr. Blackmore worked into his story the character of a notorious pair of parsons in the same portion of the county. Parson Chowne actually was rector of Knowstone, and the tradition of his evil deeds is by no means faded out of recollection. The people tell still of the manner in which he revenged himself upon any farmer who offended him. He had two methods. One was to invite the man against whom he meditated evil to dine with him, when he would ply him with liquor, and when his guest drove away, down a steep and rugged hill, the linchpin of one of his wheels would come out and the man be thrown from his trap and break neck or leg or arm. The other way was less severe. He would say before some man whom he could trust, "I wonder how bad Farmer X. would feel were his rick to be fired?" Next night the rick would be in flames. Chowne never entered into alliance with the savages of Coleridge. Nor did he end his days torn to pieces by dogs, as represented in the novel. Several of the tales told of him in "The Maid of Sker" are, however, true, as is that of his having introduced an apple pip into the eye of a horse that belonged to a baronet to the neighborhood, against whom he bore a grudge.

The story is told of Parson Chowne that the bishop of Exeter sent word that he would visit him. Chowne had a portion of the road dug up and filled with peat water and then covered over with sticks and furze and a sprinkling of soil. The bishop's carriage went in, and the bishop was upset, but Henry of Exeter was not the man to be stopped by such a matter as a breakdown — not on the road, but of the road — and he walked forward on foot.

"Mr. Chowne," said he, "I've heard strange stories of you."

"Waal, my lord," answered the rector, "so hev I of you. But, my lord, us be gentlemen, you and I, and us pays no notice to the chitter chatter of a pars'l o' fules."

Nothing could be brought home to Chowne. He was far too clever a man to allow himself to be caught in his malpractice. Toward the end of his days he resigned his living and resided in a house of his own. — Atalanta.