The Reverend John Myers jnr. and Miss Smeeton

In 1826 the Rev John Myers jnr. of Somerby wrote some lewd letters and ended up in court for it. He appears to have suggested that he and a newly-married lady named Mary were lovers:

DEFAMATION. Mr. Common Serjeant Denman, in the King's Bench on Tuesday the 7th instant, moved for, and obtained, a rule calling upon the Reverend John Myers, one of his Majesty's Justices of the Peace, and sometimes Chairman of the Quarter Sessions for the Parts of Kesteven! and Rector of Somerby, Humby, and Wyberton, in Lincolnshire!! to show cause why a criminal information should not be filed against him, for several false, scandalous, and malicious libels upon Mrs. Mary Williams. Previously to her marriage, his Worship and Reverence had been in the habit of visiting her family at Humby; and when the marriage was in contemplation, he took advantage of the consequent intimacy to prevent the union by the most vile imputations—that was no more than the duty of a good Shepherd, since they formed part of his flock; but this was "O ! horrible, horrible, most horrible!"—for letters (sworn to be in his hand-writing, and under the signature of Verax—alas! what a prostitution of an excellent word) were addressed to her intended husband, informing him that an intercourse had subsisted between her and the writer, of a nature to render it impossible for any Gentleman to marry her!— O shame, where is thy blush —Mr. Williams, not crediting such gross charges, (indeed, none could believe a self-proclaimed adulterer,) and in expectation that such persecution would cease after their marriage, did not think proper to notice it; but in this, however, he was grievously mistaken; for he afterwards received other letters, containing strong reflections on the lady's character, the truth of which reflections was, by affidavit, denied in the most unqualified terms.—The learned Counsel stated that he had the letters in Court, and from which he read, as the least offensive, the following:—"I concluded D- would be invited to the wedding festivities, and I requested him to desire you to do me an "act of justice"—a severe horse-whipping when I" heard from Mary Tomlins that you did not believe a word, poor easy man, of what I told you respecting " myself and Mary. I wrote to you, and said that when " you became her husband, you would find I had told "you nothing but the truth, and I furnished certain " grounds by which you might be fully convinced of the " truth of what I had stated." It then proceeded to give pretended description of the person of the lady, in the most obscene and disgusting language, adding the following quotation: " The chariest maid Is prodigal enough, " If she unmask her beauties to the moon:" and it concluded thus:—" You will find that Mary has been still more prodigal, when you find I have related the truth on these great points.—Aye, aye, Parson! the proof of thy base and malignant assertions, is as distant as those are from truth. In confirmation of this, when the Common Serjeant, on the 20th Instant, moved to make the rule nisi, before obtained, absolute, Mr. Goulburn, on the part of this worthy pillar of "Church and State," stated he was "bound to admit his client had written the letters in question in a most unguarded moment."—A very pretty apology, truly— risu teneatis, amici !!!- and he also " denied utterly the truth of the imputations contained in them."—Bravo, Priest! so thou art not content with being a would-be-thought hoaryheaded Adulterer of sixty and upwards ! but thou must also publish thyself a Liar !! If thou art not unfrocked, and struck out of the Commission of the Peace, then may the Carliles shut up shop; for most assuredly your continuance in office will more effectually and expeditiously bring " Holy Mother Church" into neglect and contempt, than any thing they can possibly accomplish. It would be unnecessary to state, the rule was made absolute—indeed, it could not be otherwise—only it appears that great exertions were made to induce the Common Serjeant to abandon his motion, since it is stated in the report of the application that he continued to press it. This anxiety, it is reasonable to suppose, was to save the honour of the cloth, but surely more than enough has already transpired to cast an indelible stain upon it. Humby, 29th Nov. 1826. Stamford Mercury 1 December 1826

The lady in question was named Mary Smeeton, and she was married on 6 June 1826 at Norton Disney to the Rev Charles Williams. The Smeetons were a prominent nonconformist family, from Sibbertoft in Northants, but in 1826 one John Smeeton was living in Humby and his sister Mary was keeping house for him. Suggesting the minister's new wife was less than pure and casting oneself as an adulterer seems a strange thing to do. Family Memorials: Carlton-le-Moorland Baptist Church, 1818-1856, Geoffrey Fillingham Nuttall, Baptist Quarterly 28 (1979), p184-190.