Curious Water-Colour from Canada

The beauty of the internet and the accessibility to information it has created was demonstrated last year when we were contacted by a lady from Canada. A friend of hers had acquired a water-colour entitled 'The Curio-Hunters'. It shows two orthodox priests admiring what looks like a holy-water bottle.   

On the back of the picture is pasted a note:

"27 Hornsey Rise Gardens, N

My dear May,

I am sending this little water-color with best wishes for your birth-day.

The old gentlemen are “curio-hunters” in another part of the world, in the same way as your own father is, in this England of our’s.

With love from Mrs. Brooks and myself.

Yours faithfully,

F.V.B.

Oct. 20^th, 1901"

We have managed to find out nothing more about the painting or who May was but at least the modern owner of the piece knows a little something of the giver.

Taylor and the Elderly Woman of Means

Wedding Banns of Robert Taylor and Harriet Robinson

Ever since we found the old notes (1940's) copied from a diary (1830-40's) we knew that:
"Mrs. Robinson was married to Mr. Taylor Jan 17th, 1834. "
We guessed that Mrs. Robinson was a Harriet Robinson who had witnessed John Brooks's marriage to Elizabeth Stagoll in 1808. We also guessed from other mentions in the diary that the Mr. Taylor was the Rev. Robert Taylor. But up until now we could find no evidence!

Many a biography talks of Taylor and his marriage to an elderly lady of property. An obituary stated that, 'he met a lady somewhat stricken in years, who subsequently became Mrs. Taylor. This wedding, of course, roused the ire of Miss Richards [who Richard Carlile had introduced to him and this had lead to a promise of marriage], who commenced an action for a breach of promise of marriage, and recovered 250l. damages, to avoid the payment of which Mr. Taylor and his bride departed for Tours. Though some disparity of years existed between Mr. and Mrs. Taylor, they lived very happily."  

Also mentioned on the wedding document is Thomas Prout, possibly of 229 The Strand, who has correspondence with Francis Place regarding the Reform Bill. Also listed is William Devonshire Saull who you can read about here.

The King Against Robert Taylor and Others

As detailed in other posts in this blog we know that a Harriet Robinson who witnessed the marriage of John Brooks and Elizabeth Stagoll in 1808 went on to marry the Rev. Robert Taylor (poss. Jan 17th 1834). We also knew that John Brooks had published Taylor's Diegesis; Being a Discovery of the Origin, Evidences, and Early History of Christianity' in 1829. We have recently rediscovered details of events from the previous year;

The initial charges date from 1827 but the case did to get heard until Jan/Feb 1828. 

1st count.
"Robert Taylor...John Roome...Thomas Brushfield...William Devonshire Saull...John Hanger...John Brooks...William Freeman...being persons of wicked, profane, and irreligious minds and dispositions...on the 1st day of January, in the 7th year of the reign of our sovereign Lord George the Fourth [1827]...did wickedly and impiously conspire, combine, confederate and agree together, to blaspheme our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, and to bring into ridicule and contempt the Christian Religion and the Holy Scriptures."

The indictment continues;

They "open[ed] a certain room, for the purpose, amongst other things, of delivering therein blasphemous and impious discourses,..."

"and did also...in pursuance of the said conspiracy...print and published, and cause to be printed and published, a certain impious and blasphemous libel, in the form of an advertisement...

CHRISTIAN EVIDENCE SOCIETY

The ninety-third discussion will be held in the Areopagus, on Tuesday, the 13th inst, at seven precisely.

Subject-"The Character of Christ," as published by the Society for promoting Christian Knowledge. The Reverend Orator will deliver a Philippic in expose of the atrocious villains that characterise the Jewish Vampire, (meaning our said Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ) and in respectful challenge of his Ministers, to come forward and shew, if they themselves are not ashamed of him. 

The Holy Liturgy, as performed every Sunday, and in the ninetieth Oration delivered by the Rev.Orator, in irrefutable demonstration of the forgery and imposture of the four Gospels, are to be had of the printer, J. Brooks, 421, Oxford Street, and at the Areopagus, every Tuesday evening, 86 Cannon Street.

    

2nd count.
...by blasphemous and impious speeches and discourses, and by other unlawful means, to bring into hatred and contempt and ridicule  the Christian Religion and the Holy Scriptures; to the high displeasure of Almighty God...and against the the peace of our said Lord the King, his crown and dignity. 

3rd count.
...such persons aforesaid...disregarding the laws and religion of this realm...[brought] into contempt the Christian Religion. [And did] deliver and cause to be delivered divers wicked, impious and blasphemous discourses...to wit, 500 persons, then and there, on these dates and times, assembled to the great scandal the Christian Religion..."    


According to Richard Carlile writing in 'The Lion' (No.3 vol 1. Friday, January 18, 1828) Robert Taylor stood alone charged of the second indictment. At the time of writing we can not discover what happened to John Brooks and the other five accused. At one point they are offered no further action if they just plead guilty but they are talked out of this by Taylor as a matter of principle.
Whatever happen to them we know that on the 7th Feb Taylor was sentenced to a year in Oakham Goal.