SecretLeeds - History, culture and architecture in Leeds

In 1754 a new Reverend was appointed to Holbeck by the vicar of Leeds,apparently he faced stiff opposition from the people of Holbeck and the extracts from the Leeds Intelligencer mention that it took him 4 attempts before his first sermon and he then had to preach with an armed guard of Dragoons!his chuch was then broken into and exrement smeared around,the culprit being charged next year.I am interested to know why there was such opposition.According to Google there exists an electronic copy of the sermon he preached on Thomas and Barnabas in which he mentioned the riots.Unfortunately you need to have university access to see it.Can anybody access it?I am fascinated to learn more about this as apparently he later retired as a vicar as a result of the opposition!The bare facts are in the book "Extracts from the Leeds Intelligencer"one of the first ones I looked at on my new DVD of West Riding stuff.

Having read the relevant copies of the Leeds Intelligencer from 1754,it appears the people of Holbeck objected to his appointment by the Vicar of Leeds instead of letting them choose.A fascinating story though, of which I was unaware ,and apparently the sermon gives more details of the facts ,and his reasons for resigning in the preface so i hope someone can get hold of it for me!    

SteveThis is not my area of expertise, but I am immediately reminded of the multitude of schisms that occured in the parish I now live in Kinross-shire around that time, where congrations objected to the appointment of minister to preach (at one time I believe there may have been five different protestant congreations in the nearby village)A quick google brought up this account:http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=vLPd ... est/07.pdf [see first couple of pages]

[quotenick="grumpytramp"]SteveThis is not my area of expertise, but I am immediately reminded of the multitude of schisms that occured in the parish I now live in Kinross-shire around that time, where congrations objected to the appointment of minister to preach (at one time I believe there may have been five different protestant congreations in the nearby village)Thanks.I had seen the second account but not the first which clarifies why they were upset.i am still hoping someone can look at the electronic text of his sermon which is online but as far as I can tell only available via academic sites so requires a university password which I don't have.Interesting sidelight on the times and how determined people could be over their perceived rights.The paper mentions the church windows being broke on 2 separate occasions and someone who presumably backed Fawcett having his house broken into.

Steve Jones wrote: Thanks.I had seen the second account but not the first which clarifies why they were upset.i am still hoping someone can look at the electronic text of his sermon which is online but as far as I can tell only available via academic sites so requires a university password which I don't have. Six months earlier and I would have obliged, but I don't work there any more. The only things I miss are Edina Digimap (superb searchable and zoomable maps from the 1840s onwards) and the library resources!

Here is a story in the Y.E.P about a book coming out called Bloody British History: Leeds.http://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/n ... 5439789All manner of stories like the 'Dripping riots'' Yuk The Black Death, and soldiers beating up the Police.

That book sounds interesting. I have heard of the dripping riots - I think there is information about them in Leeds museum.I love part of the last paragraph of the article "the Black Death, ... the making of Leeds ..."

I wrote an article on the dripping riots and also did a Radio 4 programme about them some years ago as well as helping with a play based on them at the carriageworks last year.Mayhalls "Annals of Yorkshire "gives most of the facts.