No Shaking Hands

The church of St. John the Evangelist in Caterham Valley, Surrey, was dedicated in 1882. Work continued into the 1890's on what Pevsner called a "big Somerset tower." The longtime vicar at St. John's, the Rev. J.B. Heard, was quite ill and parish affairs were in the hands of his curate, his son-in-law, the Rev William Benjamin Greer. 

In June 1893, the parish Building Committee met in the vicarage dining room. There had been some friction between Mr. Greer and Arthur Best, a prominent parishioner who'd given nearly £1000 to the building fund. Best had paid for some reredos which he thought the curate had hidden behind a side altar. When Best arrived at the meeting, Greer approached him and, in a loud voice, declared, "Let us shake hands." Best declined. "I will not shake hands with you. I have no respect for you." Matters quickly got physical. "Out you go," Greer proclaimed, grabbing Best by the jacket, dragging him to the door. Other committee members broke up the melee. Greer apologized but claimed provocation. Best refused to accept it. Almost a year later, Best sued the Rev. Mr. Greer for assault and the cost of a new jacket - in all, £300.

Dozens of Caterham residents trained to London to fill the galleries in Justice Hawkins' court when the case was heard in May 1894. Mr. Best was 53, co-owner of a provisions firm in Smithfield Market. He said the reredos had nothing to do with his feelings for the Rev. Greer. Rather, he disapproved of the curate's “general manner and conduct towards ladies." The Caterham crowd began buzzing. Asked to elaborate, Best told the court that the curate was "frivolous & flippant" with the ladies and it was the talk of the parish. Moreover, Best claimed that Mr. Greer spent his Saturday nights at the music halls in London, including the notorious Empire. Is this anyway for a responsible clergyman to prepare for his Sunday responsibilities? As for the dust-up, Best was supported by three committee members who said Greer was the clear aggressor, boasting how - as an undergrad, he'd boxed with professional pugilists.

The defendant, Mr. Greer, was 46 years old, an Irishman educated at U. Dublin. He'd been married 15 years and was his father-in-law's curate. Some in Caterham had used the nepotism word but he'd won their acceptance, especially with the local poor. At the meeting, as he was acting for the vicar, he felt empowered to eject anyone intending to disrupt parish business. The claim that he annoyed the parish ladies was a "foul slander." Looking to the gallery, he demanded to know of any complaints from the ladies of Caterham, young or old. He made no secret that he enjoyed the theatre and he'd recently been to the Palace in Shaftesbury Avenue with his wife. He did not go to the Empire or any of the racy music halls. At the theatre, they never stayed late; in fact, his first Sunday service was not until 11 and was never a problem. He accused Best of trumping up this "ladies" allegation in revenge for their dispute over the reredos. He denied ever calling Mr. Best "the parish bully" but others did.

The case was going over to a second day but Justice Hawkins, a notoriously querulous jurist, denounced both sides for persisting in such "miserable litigation." He ordered the parties to go away and work out a settlement which they did, each agreeing to pay its costs. Still, the Standard wrote, "A more squalid dispute has seldom wasted the time of a Court of Law."

Calm returned to Caterham. Soon, the Rev. Heard left the vicarage and the Bishop would appoint a successor. Mr. Greer also left but he did not have to go far. He served first as curate at St. Agatha's in nearby Woldingham, and was eventually rector there for many years.  

Handshakes are presently taboo. Looking for light reading? There are dozens more such stories on this blog and more coming. Also consider, Clerical Errors, A Victorian Series, Vol. 2.