T. Pelham Dale
Encyclopedia
Thomas Pelham Dale was an English Anglo-Catholic ritualist clergyman, most famous for being prosecuted and imprisoned for ritualist practices
on 3 April 1821, was brought up in Beckenham
, Kent
. After attending King's College London
, in 1841 Dale went up to Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge
and graduated in 1845. He was elected Fellow
of his college.
He was ordained deacon
in 1845 and priest
in 1846. He was appointed curate
of the Camden Chapel, Camberwell
, Surrey
. In 1847 he became Rector
of St Vedast Foster Lane
in the City of London
.
With scholarly interests that were scientific as well as theological, Dale was librarian of Sion College
in the City of London
from 1851 to 1858.
In 1861, he, Elizabeth Ferard (see 18 July in Church of England calendar), Bishop Tait and two other women founded the North London Deaconess Institution based in King's Cross.
Originally an evangelical
, Dale came to believe that ritualism was specifically appropriate to deal with the nature of secularism and forces hostile to Christianity of the time. He began to use eucharistic vestments at Christmas
1873.
Opposition to Dale crystallized around his ritualism, especially after he offered locum tenens support in 1875 to the congregation of St Alban the Martyr, Holborn
, whilst the Revd Alexander Heriot Mackonochie
's was suspended for Ritualist practices. In 1876 he was prosecuted under the Public Worship Regulation Act 1874
. Dale was supported by the English Church Union in his prosecution by the Church Association
. In the same year, he joined the Society of the Holy Cross
. In December 1878 he recommenced all his former practices and another judgement against him from Lord Penzance
in the Court of Arches was obtained in 1880. Two days later Dale was arrested and imprisoned in Holloway prison.
Dale's imprisonment drew great sympathy from all but his most die-hard opponents. Such imprisonments did more than anything else to turn public opinion against Disraeli's attempt to put down Ritualism by law.
Soon after his release Dale was presented to the living of Sausthorpe
-cum-Aswardby
, near Spilsby
, in 1881. He died on 19 April 1892 (on the eleventh anniversary of the death of Disraeli (one of the architects of the Public Worship Regulation Act 1874
)) and was buried in Sausthorpe
churchyard
.
Biography
Thomas Pelham Dale was born at GreenwichGreenwich
Greenwich is a district of south London, England, located in the London Borough of Greenwich.Greenwich is best known for its maritime history and for giving its name to the Greenwich Meridian and Greenwich Mean Time...
on 3 April 1821, was brought up in Beckenham
Beckenham
Beckenham is a town in the London Borough of Bromley, England. It is located 8.4 miles south east of Charing Cross and 1.75 miles west of Bromley town...
, Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
. After attending King's College London
King's College London
King's College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and a constituent college of the federal University of London. King's has a claim to being the third oldest university in England, having been founded by King George IV and the Duke of Wellington in 1829, and...
, in 1841 Dale went up to Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge
Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge
Sidney Sussex College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge in England.The college was founded in 1596 and named after its foundress, Frances Sidney, Countess of Sussex. It was from its inception an avowedly Puritan foundation: some good and godlie moniment for the mainteynance...
and graduated in 1845. He was elected Fellow
Fellow
A fellow in the broadest sense is someone who is an equal or a comrade. The term fellow is also used to describe a person, particularly by those in the upper social classes. It is most often used in an academic context: a fellow is often part of an elite group of learned people who are awarded...
of his college.
He was ordained deacon
Deacon
Deacon is a ministry in the Christian Church that is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions...
in 1845 and priest
Priest
A priest is a person authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities...
in 1846. He was appointed curate
Curate
A curate is a person who is invested with the care or cure of souls of a parish. In this sense "curate" correctly means a parish priest but in English-speaking countries a curate is an assistant to the parish priest...
of the Camden Chapel, Camberwell
Camberwell
Camberwell is a district of south London, England, and forms part of the London Borough of Southwark. It is a built-up inner city district located southeast of Charing Cross. To the west it has a boundary with the London Borough of Lambeth.-Toponymy:...
, Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
. In 1847 he became Rector
Rector
The word rector has a number of different meanings; it is widely used to refer to an academic, religious or political administrator...
of St Vedast Foster Lane
St Vedast Foster Lane
Saint Vedast-alias-Foster, a church in Foster Lane, in the City of London, is dedicated to Vedast , a French saint whose cult came to England through contacts with Augustinian clergy.-History:...
in the City of London
City of London
The City of London is a small area within Greater London, England. It is the historic core of London around which the modern conurbation grew and has held city status since time immemorial. The City’s boundaries have remained almost unchanged since the Middle Ages, and it is now only a tiny part of...
.
With scholarly interests that were scientific as well as theological, Dale was librarian of Sion College
Sion College
Sion College, in London, is an institution founded by Royal Charter in 1630 as a college, guild of parochial clergy and almshouse, under the 1623 will of Thomas White, vicar of St Dunstan's in the West....
in the City of London
City of London
The City of London is a small area within Greater London, England. It is the historic core of London around which the modern conurbation grew and has held city status since time immemorial. The City’s boundaries have remained almost unchanged since the Middle Ages, and it is now only a tiny part of...
from 1851 to 1858.
In 1861, he, Elizabeth Ferard (see 18 July in Church of England calendar), Bishop Tait and two other women founded the North London Deaconess Institution based in King's Cross.
Originally an evangelical
Low church
Low church is a term of distinction in the Church of England or other Anglican churches initially designed to be pejorative. During the series of doctrinal and ecclesiastic challenges to the established church in the 16th and 17th centuries, commentators and others began to refer to those groups...
, Dale came to believe that ritualism was specifically appropriate to deal with the nature of secularism and forces hostile to Christianity of the time. He began to use eucharistic vestments at Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
1873.
Opposition to Dale crystallized around his ritualism, especially after he offered locum tenens support in 1875 to the congregation of St Alban the Martyr, Holborn
Holborn
Holborn is an area of Central London. Holborn is also the name of the area's principal east-west street, running as High Holborn from St Giles's High Street to Gray's Inn Road and then on to Holborn Viaduct...
, whilst the Revd Alexander Heriot Mackonochie
Alexander Heriot Mackonochie
Alexander Heriot Mackonochie SSC was a Church of England clergyman and mission priest known as "the martyr of St Alban's" on account of his prosecution and forced resignation for ritualist practices.-Early life:...
's was suspended for Ritualist practices. In 1876 he was prosecuted under the Public Worship Regulation Act 1874
Public Worship Regulation Act 1874
The Public Worship Regulation Act 1874 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, introduced as a Private Member's Bill by Archbishop of Canterbury Archibald Campbell Tait, to limit what he perceived as the growing ritualism of Anglo-Catholicism and the Oxford Movement within the Church...
. Dale was supported by the English Church Union in his prosecution by the Church Association
Church Association
The Church Association was an English evangelical Anglican organisation, founded in 1865.It was particularly active in opposition to Anglo-Catholicism, Ritualism and the Oxford Movement.Founded in 1865 by Richard P...
. In the same year, he joined the Society of the Holy Cross
Society of the Holy Cross
The Society of the Holy Cross is an international Anglo-Catholic society of priests with members in the Anglican Communion, the Continuing Anglican Movement and the Roman Catholic Church's Anglican Use...
. In December 1878 he recommenced all his former practices and another judgement against him from Lord Penzance
James Plaisted Wilde, Baron Penzance
James Plaisted Wilde, 1st Baron Penzance was a noted British judge and rose breeder who was also a proponent of the Baconian theory that the works usually attributed to William Shakespeare were in fact authored by Francis Bacon....
in the Court of Arches was obtained in 1880. Two days later Dale was arrested and imprisoned in Holloway prison.
Dale's imprisonment drew great sympathy from all but his most die-hard opponents. Such imprisonments did more than anything else to turn public opinion against Disraeli's attempt to put down Ritualism by law.
Soon after his release Dale was presented to the living of Sausthorpe
Sausthorpe
Sausthorpe is a village in the valley of the River Lymn in the Lincolnshire Wolds, England. It is situated north west of the town of Spilsby....
-cum-Aswardby
Aswardby
Aswardby lies 4 miles north-west of Spilsby, in the East Lindsey district of Lincolnshire, England, north of the A158 road and west of the A16 road.Fr. T...
, near Spilsby
Spilsby
Spilsby is a market town and civil parish in Lincolnshire. England. The town is situated adjacent to the main A16 Trunk Road at the southern edge of the Lincolnshire Wolds north of the Fenlands, east of the county town of Lincoln, north east of Boston and north west from Skegness.The town has...
, in 1881. He died on 19 April 1892 (on the eleventh anniversary of the death of Disraeli (one of the architects of the Public Worship Regulation Act 1874
Public Worship Regulation Act 1874
The Public Worship Regulation Act 1874 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, introduced as a Private Member's Bill by Archbishop of Canterbury Archibald Campbell Tait, to limit what he perceived as the growing ritualism of Anglo-Catholicism and the Oxford Movement within the Church...
)) and was buried in Sausthorpe
Sausthorpe
Sausthorpe is a village in the valley of the River Lymn in the Lincolnshire Wolds, England. It is situated north west of the town of Spilsby....
churchyard
Churchyard
A churchyard is a patch of land adjoining or surrounding a church which is usually owned by the relevant church or local parish itself. In the Scots language or Northern English language this can also be known as a kirkyard or kirkyaird....
.