My Lord,

When we look around us, and find so many persons ready to sacrifice every Institution particularly that of the Church Establishment it behoves every friend of that Establishment to use his utmost endeavours for its maintenance and support, being one of the latter I consider it not only a duty to myself but to that Establishment of which I trust, I shall ever continue a member to acquaint your Lordship of the shameful, disgraceful and unchristian conduct of our Clergyman the Rev Mr Willis. Perhaps your Lordship is not aware that for nearly four months of the latter end of last year Mister W. was absent from the Parish the whole of the week and that he only made his appearance here during the whole of that time late on the Saturday Night and left again immediately after Divine Service his occasional Duties were done by any one the Clerk could obtain to do them. I believe My Lord I may with safety say he was entirely absent for a Month together without his Parishioners knowing whither or where he was gone. This My Lord is not the worst, when I tell your Lordship the population of the Parish amounts to 1500 persons and that not more than 30 persons attend the Church while the two Chapels are crowded. Your Lordship will suppose that something more than what I have stated must be the cause - I regret to say it is – they Mr and Mrs W live the most profligate life and the character of the Female is most disgusting living a life of Drunkenness with a young Man as Companion and under the very roof as with the husband – this my Lord has been going on for these three years past and your Lordship would not now have heard of it and it not been for an act of which the Revd. Gent. had been guilty of so recently and Sunday last viz that of being most beastly intoxicated in the Pulpit that evening and that the Service was conducted in a way which will soon drive the remaining few from the Church to the Chapel. As one of the Church Wardens Mister Leaver was present on Sunday last I hope your Lordship will correspond with him.

I hope and trust your Lordship will consider this as strictly confidential for two reasons, first, in being a serious charge against any Man, particularly a Clergyman. 2ndly as the knowledge of this Letter to Mister Willis and the neighbouring Clergyman might injure My Brother who is a Medical Man in the same Parish.

I remain

My Lord

Your Lordships

Most Obed. Hum. Servant

Alfred Lee

PS Mister W Is Now Absent through Having a Writ Served upon Him for Debt his affairs are in a most embarrassed state.

Haddenham
Nr Thame
Oxon

{Reply from Archbishop} LAO Cor B. 5/3/14/1/1 Postmarked 14 Nov 1834

Haddenham 19th Nov 1834

Honred Sir,

I Received a letter yesterday Respecting the conduct of Mr Willis. Mr Willis was absent a time last Winter But then last Six months he as nott benn absent from Doing his Duty Respecting his being intoxakined on Sunday evening the 9th Nov Myself nor nether my Brother Churchwarden was at Church on that evening so nether of us can nott be a Witness of it we have hard it Reported by sum peepel that were at Church that Mister Willis was intoxacted or he was very ill I have Seen Mister Willis and he Denies Being intoxacted But Says he was Very ill on the above evening

From yours humbel and obdent Servant

Benj Leaver

One of the Churchwardens

LAO Cor B 5/3/14/1/2

Vicarage Haddenham
Thame
November 19th 1834

My Lord

One of my Churchwardens, Mister Leaver, called upon me this morning, with a letter addressed to him from your Lordship, stating, that your Lordship had been informed that "I went last Sunday evening the 9th Inst into the Pulpit in a state of Intoxication, and that I am continually absent from the Parish leaving the occasional duties to be performed by any neighbouring Clergyman who the Clerk can procure." It would be useless for me to attempt to express the surprise, indignation, and sorrow, which I felt at such a groundless, wicked accusation – an accusation so calumnious [sic] that it could have emanated only from the malignant to feelings of some designing and secret enemy. Let me beg of your Lordship, to allow me, to rebut such infamous charges by an undisguised statement of facts. In reply to the former part of the charge I can truly aver that on the day in question I was so very unwell before I began the duties of the day that I expressed to a Friend who was visiting in my House at the time, the inability I felt to perform my three services, but by very great effort I performed the services of the morning, and afternoon, although in a feeble manner. Afterwards I felt so little able to go through the remainder of my labour that I was advised to relinquish the evening duty, but I strongly objected to do so, and I went through it in a decorous and correct manner, but in a subdued tone. Thus, My Lord, has truth been perverted and illness and debility have been construed as the effect of Intoxication, by someone, who has wished to do me evil. My Lord, very many and respectable individuals can testify that I am not at all addicted to habits of Intemperance. I conscientiously and rigidly perform my various clerical duties, but, unfortunately when I first entered upon the charge of the Parish, now about eight years since, I found the most influential and greater part composed of Dissenters, who I regret to say appear ever watchful to decry my conduct, and injure my character, as one of the Clergy of the Establishment.

With reference to the second accusation alleged against me, I beg to say that for the last seven or eight months, I have been a constant resident in my Parish, and have not been absent for two days successively. Prior to that period for two or three months, I was absent from time to time in order to avoid the consequences of pecuniary embarrassment which I suffered owing to the expensive Enclosure of the Parish; but never did I leave the Clerk to provide for my occasional duty, for a Clerical Friend, resident only half a mile from me, was always prepared to take it; and my Sunday duty was always regularly performed at the proper hours, and most generally by myself. No part of my duty was ever omitted. Having effected an arrangement with my Creditors I am wholly resident here. Thus, My Lord, I have given a faithful relation of the circumstances to which your letter refers, and I confidently hope that you will not allow (most probably) an anonymous Writer, to weigh down my assertion of facts or injure [torn] in your Lordships estimation.

I am My Lord

Your Lordships obedient Servant

John Willis

LAo Cor B 5/3/14/1/3

Rectory Ashton under Lyme
Dec 1 1834

My Lord

I have this moment received your Lordship's letter, and I hastened to answer it that I may not be considered as wilfully unattentive to your Lordship's request.

Mister Willis is not a person that I was? acquainted with. When I first came into that neighbourhood I heard him spoken of so indifferently that I carefully avoided all intercourse with him, but I am not acquainted with any particular act of indiscretion or profligacy.

I return home next week, and if your Lordship would like me to persecute an enquiry, which of course would be done in confidence, I should consider myself bound to offer your Lordship any assistance.

I beg to subscribe myself, with great sincerity,

Your Lordship's

Obedient and Faithful Servant

Geo. Chetwode

LAO Cor B 5/3/14/1/4

My Lord

If you make further enquiries respecting the Parish of Haddenham you will find there is no church Sunday School, no attendances for the sick, no sermon preached till six in the evening all the year, and out of a parish consisting of fifteen hundred souls, [torn] eight attend to the prayers in the morning, and about twenty or thirty in the evening, whereas from eight hundred to a thousand constantly attend the chapels, three times a day. Mr Willis is a disgrace to the church, and his Wife is much worse, they are always drunk. So, my good lord, for the sake of the parish, and church, scrutinise this affair to the bottom, and you will find all I have told you perfectly true. I am told the churchwarden told you he was not at Church when he came in drunk, but he certainly was, there is not one Gentleman in the parish but will be glad to tell you the truth, and at the same time have pleasure in hearing that your Lordship has noticed his conduct. I am sure if there was a ? Clergyman who had the welfare of the parish at heart, the church would be [torn]

I am my Lord

Your honourable Servant

a true churchmen and a well-wisher of the Parish

Haddenham Bucks

Decr 4th 1834

I am sure my Lord that if you would take the trouble of sending a Gentleman here, to make ? Enquiries, you would find all this true, and many things much worse – to send, [unfinished]

LAO Cor B 5/3/14/1/5

My Lord

I believe your Lordship was lately written to on the subject of the conduct of the Clergyman Mr Willis of Haddenham. As your Lordship has not been pleased to notice it I beg once more to call your Lordship's attention to it, and being unwilling to sign my own name I beg to refer your Lordship to some of the most respectable persons in that large and populous Parish. So recently as last week the scenes at the Vicarage were so disgusting that the poor people gave them Rough Music and the Sunday previous there was no Duty 'til six o'clock in the evening and that kindly taken by a neighbouring Clergyman.

I am My Lord

A Well Wisher to the Church

Mr JB Rose Gent
Mr R Lee Surgeon
Mr Pratt, Farmer of 400 Acres
Mr Alfred Lee Farmer
Mr V Corbett Gent
Mr Lines Farmer

N B.I am sorry to say that the above mentioned all object to remain at home rather than go to a Dissenting Chapel

LAO Cor B 5/3/14/1/6 Postmarked 25 March 1825

Haddenham March 29th 1835

My Lord

In reply to your letter of the 27th referring to a complaint against the Rev J Willis (but by whom I have not the slightest knowledge) I inform you the charge of intoxication on Sunday last is an error though I am informed such a case did occur some time since, the duty has been regularly performed at ten in the morning and seven the evening (but to very small congregations rarely exceeding fifty the population being 1500) save on Sunday the eighth of March when the morning duty was omitted the evening was taken by the Rev F Lee of Thame.

The scenes I suppose you allude to at the Vicarage last week must I think be attributed to the disgusting habits of Mrs Willis Mr W being from home at the time.

I am my Lord

Your Most Able Servant

J R Rose

LAO Cor B 5/5/3/14/1/7

Thame Oxon Jun 10th 1835

My Lord

Agreeably to your Lordships wish I write to give you some particulars with respect to the Parishes of Haddenham and Cuddington, of which you desired to be informed previous to my meeting you at Buckingham on the 23rd of this month. I have ascertained the names of the tenants and the quantity of land they occupy, viz,

Mr Pigott 114 acres at 21s/2d Acre
Mr Franklin 47 at 24
Mr Bowers 28 at 20
Mr Chapman 54 at 24

The Tithes from Cuddington amount to between £80 and £100 per annum. The Living was given up sometime back to Trustees for the benefit of Mister Willis' creditors, and the Trustees are

Mr Stone of Thame
Mr Fowler of Aylesbury
Mr Wheeler of Aylesbury

The population of Haddenham is between fourteen and fifteen hundred, that of Cuddington six hundred. It certainly is melancholy to reflect on the state with which the Parish of Haddenham has been brought but I am happy to inform you that even at it there is every prospect of a large congregation again assembling in the Church. I preached at 8 last Sunday in the morning and evening. I am informed that for some time past a congregation could scarcely be got together at all in the morning, that frequently there had been only six persons present; and not more than thirty in the evening. Last Sunday there were about eighty in the morning and three hundred in the evening; congregations much larger than I could have expected on my first appearance in the place. I preached at Cuddington a mile and a half distant in the afternoon, and the Church was quite full. You are I believe aware that a Church Rate has been refused at Haddenham. The Church wants some repair, and it is I believe the determination of the Churchwardens to enforce the Rate. As there seems now a disposition on the part of many respectable people to support the Church, I should be glad to be informed what is your Lordships opinion as to a compulsory proceeding. Mrs Willis still remains in the Parsonage house. Her conduct is and has been too abandoned to describe, and has also been the chief cause of all the evil that has arisen. I am at present in lodgings at this place about two miles from Haddenham. I believe I can get lodgings in H, and of course it would be an object with me to have an assurance that the Curacy were in some measure a Permanent one before I removed into the house. I trust as long as I retain it I shall use every effort to advance the interests of the Church of England, no less than to study the Temporal and spiritual welfare of my flock

And am your Lordships

Dutiful and obedient servant

G Cracroft

LAO Cor B 5/3/14/1/9

4 Beaumont Street
Marylebone
July 8th 1835

My Lord,

I beg to enclose, according to your Lordship's directions, a certificate from my medical attendant Doctor Warburton, together with a Petition to your Lordship for a License of non-residence, both of which I would have forwarded earlier to your Lordship had I not been confined to my room through ill health. Being ignorant of the Sum which you may deem proper for the stipend of my Curate the Revd George Cracroft, I am consequently unable to specify it in my Petition. In the decision as to the amount of the Stipend which Mr Cracroft should receive, may I beg your Lordship to bear in mind the pecuniary embarrassments I am at this time suffering under. If your Lordship should desire to communicate further with me, may I beg that your Lordship will address to me No 4 Beaumont St Marylebone –

I have the honour to be

Your Lordship's obliged and obedient Servant

John Willis

LAO Cor B 5/3/14/1/10

My Lord –

I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your Lordship's letter of the 20th Instantly –

The Rev Mr Willis of Haddenham executed an assignment of I believe the whole of his property to me and Messrs Fowler and Stone in trust for the benefit of all his creditors. In the arrangement it was agreed that he should receive some of the Rents amounting to about £120 per annum and the Trustees to take the remainder so that the money has not passed through my hands but has been received by Mister Willis or by his Solicitor for him still I have little doubt but that I shall be able to get the money of the Tenants and it will give me pleasure to obey your Lordship's Instructions.

I will take an early opportunity of calling on the Rev Mr Cracroft, and explaining this to him as well as the particulars of your Lordship's letter.

Should I (contrary to my expectations) find any obstacle I will take care to acquaint your Lordship immediately.

I have the honour to remain

My Lord,

Your Lordship's most obedient and humble Servant,

Robt. Wheeler

Aylesbury, July 21, 1835

LAO Cor B 5/3/14/1/11

Thame Oxon July 25th 1835

My Lord

Not having received any communication from your Lordship since I met you at Buckingham, I take the liberty of addressing a few lines to you on the subject of my License to the Curacies of Haddenham and Cuddington, and now moreover induced to do so from one or two statements made to me by several of the respectable parishioners. A notice a for a trial against Mr Willis for the recovery of a considerable sum of money was left at the Vicarage last week, and it is reported that the parties who did not sign the deed of trust, propose sequestering the Living. Several of the Parishioners also have again represented to me the necessity of residing in the house as soon as possible, as they think should that be the case, it would give me more influence in the Parish. I have deferred taking this step, being in daily expectation of receiving the License with the salary I am to have fixed in it, and the individuals named from who I am to look for it. As your Lordship said you would be kind enough to communicate with the Trustees, can you inform me when it is probable the business will be arranged. Will you also have the goodness to inform me whether I am bound to make any compensation to Mr Willis for the crops in the Vicarage Garden? Apologising for this troubling you I beg to subscribe respect.

Your Lordships dutiful and obt serv

G Cracroft

LAO Cor B 5/3/14/1/12

No 4 Beaumont Street,
Marylebone
July 27 1835

My Lord

I waited upon your Lordship on Sunday last about one o'clock and found that your Lordship was suddenly obliged to leave London for Buckden. I learnt also that your Lordship is not likely to be in town before Wednesday or Thursday next. I received a letter from a friend at Beverley near Hull on Saturday to come down to him without any delay by the first Steam Packet as there was a Curacy vacant which he had no doubt I might obtain. I am therefore going tomorrow down to Beverley, but any communication your Lordship may have to make to me will be forwarded to me by directing to my Mother as above. Should your Lordship wish to see me I will return to London on purpose. Allow me to add that I have made provision for Mrs W to be paid her quarterly by applying to Mr Braddon No 5 Lincolns Inn New Square. I take the liberty of mentioning it to your Lordship as Mrs W refuses to accept the allowance and threatens to go to Haddenham and throw herself upon the Parish. I have written to the overseers. With my most grateful thanks to your Lordship for your kindness to me under my distressing circumstances

I am my Lord

Your Lordships most obet Sevt

John Willis

LAO Cor B 5/3/14/1/13