There is "no other place in the kingdom" such as "the Rows" of Yarmouth, declared Henry Manship in his history of the coastal town. Running east-west, from the River Yare toward the North Sea, resembling a gridiron, the 145 narrow rows were home to hundreds of sea-faring folk and the "general poor." In 1840, Ann Laws resided there, in Row 99, sometimes known as Castle Row. She lived with her husband James, a sailmaker.
Ann had been to the market on a July Saturday and when she returned home, she found in her basket, a note. “Meet me tonight about nine or half-past-nine between Penrice’s and the beach.” The note was unsigned and unaddressed; she had no idea who placed it in her basket or when. She showed it to James and he bid her to keep that appointment whilst he kept himself some little distance away.
The Penrice Arms was at the end of Row 99, on King Street. That summer night, the Yarmouth streets and rows were full. Mrs. Laws, in her bonnet, followed the note's instructions. At the approximate hour, she was approached by no less a figure than the Rev Mark Waters of St. George's, King Street. He spoke to her for several minutes but her husband was not able to hear over the general activity in the area. Mrs. Laws, however, told her spouse that she had indignantly rejected the clergyman's indecent requests.
The Rev. Waters was 34, born in Yarmouth, married and with a young family. His church, St. George's, held more than 1000 souls. Thus, this little story that spread through the rows would not go away. It soon reached the ears of the Bishop of Norwich. The Rev. Waters did not deny speaking to Mrs. Laws that evening but nothing else she stated was true. There was considerable interest, of course, and Mr. Waters was the subject of ribald abuse in some Yarmouth quarters.
At last, the following April, an ecclesiastical inquiry was held before three clergyman to determine whether Mr. Waters had "solicited the chastity" of Ann Laws.
This churchly probe was held in an old inn, The Bear, in Southtown.
The accused was not permitted to speak in his own defense. The belief being, that in such a case, even a clergyman would be tempted to lie.
Mrs. and Mr. Laws were closely questioned. She spoke of finding the note in her basket and the plan she and her husband conceived to discover the sender. She was shaken to find out it was a clergyman. She told the churchmen she did not know Rev Waters, had never met him in her life. But her own elderly mother contradicted her. In fact, all the evidence was of “a very conflicting and contradictory character.” Several of their neighbours from the Rows spoke diffidently of the accusers' characters.
The numerous press accounts did not include any details on the improper proposals Mr. Waters allegedly made to Ann Laws. Why did she deny knowing him? Had they met before? There was no published suggestion that Mr. Laws had tried to entrap or blackmail the clergyman. Mr. Laws insisted he acted only after his wife had been insulted.
The proceedings were lengthy, the meeting room filled with locals of the first rank and numerous clergy. In the end, the empaneled clergymen met privately for one hour, then issued their statement: Although the inquiry found the clergyman’s conduct “highly objectionable," the evidence was insufficient to send the matter to the Bishop for a full consistory court.
Despite the rather mixed decision, the Rev Mr. Waters left the Bear, cheered by his many supporters. The verdict was generally accepted, having "effectively changed the impression" of Mr. Waters' in Yarmouth. He remained at St. George's until his death in 1864. The old church is now a theatre.
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