The War of the Bells

If the newly-married Duke of Marlborough expected a merry peal of church bells to herald his arrival at Blenheim Palace with his bride, His Grace was to be greatly disappointed. The bells of St. Mary Magdalene, Woodstock were silent per the instructions of the rector, the Rev. Arthur Majendie. All Britain was soon to read about “The Rector Who Wouldn’t Flatter a Duke.”

In June 1888, in New York City, George Spencer-Churchill, 8th Duke of Marlborough, married Lily Hammersley, widow of a wealthy real estate investor. A Cunard liner brought the couple back to England and there was a happy turnout of locals and estate workers to greet their carriage as it entered the splendid seat of the Marlboroughs. Why no bells? 

Rev. Majendie told the press that he meant no disrespect to the new duchess who seemed to be a charming lady. The Duke, however, was an altogether different story. He inherited his title in 1883 on the death of his father. A critical newspaper wrote that one of Britain's most famous titles was being held by “one of the worst specimens of manhood in England.” As a young man, then titled Marquess of Blandford, he had featured in three divorce trials in just eight years. His first wife was a daughter of the Duke of Abercorn and they had four children. In 1875, however, Blandford began a brazen affair with the Countess of Aylesford while her husband, "Sporting Joe" Aylesford was off tiger shooting in India with the Prince of Wales. The Aylesfords got their divorce and the trial provided all the needed evidence for Lady Blandford to seek one of her own. The details of her treatment at the hands of Blandford were so vile that the Queen waived her usual ban against divorcees at court in favour of the innocent Lady Blandford. Then, in 1886, Blandford (now the Duke), was one of four (but the most active and notable) of the lovers of Lady Colin Campbell whose long-running, salacious, society divorce trial shocked the country. 

During this period, the remarriage of divorced persons, especially those found to be at fault, was not permitted in the Church of England. Thus, the Duke's trans-Atlantic strategy, which found him returning to Britain with a legally married wife and her Yankee dollars to bolster his parlous fortunes. Majendie's decision not to ring the church bells to celebrate this happy event was generally supported by his fellow churchmen. The Rurideaconal Council in Oxford, for instance, declared "there is an extreme danger to public morals from the relaxation of sanctions of marriage" and expressed its sympathy with the rector of Woodstock.

The Duke minimised the snub, which he called "childish and petty." Majendie, he sneered, was “one of those high church parsons who wants to advertise himself.” But there would be retribution. The Duke banned the rector and his family from Blenheim Park forcing Majendie to go the long way around between his two churches in Woodstock and St. Martin's, Bladon. All the estate contributions to the churches were cut off. No great loss, there. Majendie said the Duke's most recent annual gift had been £13. The publicity given to the "War of the Bells" brought in more than enough to cover the loss.

The war between the rectory and the palace was short-lived. The 8th Duke died in 1892, he was just 48. The Rev. Majendie outlived him, he died in January 1895 and was mourned as a man of great ability and wide popularity. "The church has lost one of her best and bravest parish priests."

Clerical Errors - A Victorian Series, Vol. 2 is available here. Think of it for a Christmas gift to the "church crawler" in the family. Thank you.