The Foote Business.

All Saints, Clevedon

There were numerous feuds between Victorian vicars and squires but few led to as much litigation as "the Foote business." The Rev. John Vicars Foote (sometimes Foot) arrived in East Clevedon in 1886 to be the new vicar of All Saints church. Nearby, at the old and splendid Clevedon Court, lived Sir Edmund Elton, a church patron and wealthy baronet who is more famous today as an inventor and pottery artist. All was pleasant at first; in fact, in 1888, the Rev. Foote married Sir Edmund's niece. The honeymoon couple left on a lengthy European tour. In their absence, everything went sideways.

While Foote was away, his curate, the Rev. Frazer officiated. The story is that the Eltons took well to Mr. Frazer in their pulpit. So much so that, on his return, Foote felt slighted. Soon, he sent a letter to Sir Edmond saying Mr. Frazer was a "confirmed drunkard" and given the sack. Sir Edmund gave that letter to Frazer who sued Rev. Foote for libel and won £300! The case was heard nearby at the Bristol Assizes and Rev. Foote believed that "Elton influence" had been employed against him. 

Meanwhile, a new curate arrived in Clevedon, the Rev. Samuel Church. When first offered the job, he'd heard about "the Foote business" and wrote to Sir Edmond. He received a letter from Clevedon Court suggesting that if the truth were to come out, it would be very unpleasant for the Rev. Foote. Sir Edmond added, "I could not conscientiously do anything that could possibly imply approval of Mr. Foote’s course of action.”

It was the vicar's turn to sue Sir Edmund, this time in London. Foote said he had been persecuted for more than a year. Sir Edmond's libelous letter contained a grievous imputation against him and was written with malicious intent. In the witness box, Foote admitted threatening to "excommunicate" both Sir Edmond and Lady Elton. He spurned her charitable gifts to the church. He told others about a "scandalous incident" in Sir Edmond's past, which turned out to be an occasion when Sir Edmond got in a railway carriage scuffle with a smoker. The jury took less than an hour to find a verdict for Sir Edmond.

Within minutes, Justice Hawkins called a second case: the Rev. Foote had also sued the Rev. Robert Lawson, the former vicar of East Clevedon for slander. Lawson had told prospective curate Church that, "Foote is a contemptible cad and blackguard whom neither Sir Edmond or Lady Elton would touch with the end of a barge pole." Lawson, on the stand, said he regretted the barge pole comment, calling it stronger language than was required, but it was substantively true. Lawson's counsel - who was paid for by (wait for it) Sir Edmond, argued that the comment was not directed at Mr. Foote, the clergyman, but Mr. Foote, the person, and the jury quickly agreed.

At Clevedon station, a large crowd was waiting to cheer the returning Rev. Lawson and Sir Edmond. "Scores of willing hands" pulled the baronet's carriage to Clevedon Court.

The Rev Foote remained in Clevedon, achieving some (temporary) rapprochement with the Eltons. He resigned in 1899 after a dispute with his Bishop over questions of ritual. Many years after the clergyman's death, with the 1994 publication of The Annals of the Elton Family, a writer contended: "Foote was a devious and unscrupulous character. Though eloquent and urbane, he was, unknown to his patrons, addicted to heroin."

How the Vicar Came and Went, a collection of Victorian clerical scandals and quarrels, is available exclusively at amazon.co.uk. 

Photo credit: Philip Halling / All Saints' Church, East Clevedon / CC BY-SA 2.0