The Strange Case of Rev. Thomas Lloyd

The Reverend Thomas Lloyd was rector of Theydon Garnon from 1894 until 1918. However in 1908 he found himself in court on a charge of assault and imprisonment. The Times newspaper recorded all ...

The Times - April 25, 1908

At the Epping Petty Sessions, yesterday, a charge of assault and false imprisonment was brought by Mr. Henry John Miller, the people's warden at the parish church of Theydon Garnon, near Epping, against the rector, the Rev. Thomas Lloyd. Mr. H. Warburton appeared for the prosecutor. Mr. Miller, in his evidence, said that the account at the bank was in the name of the two church wardens. After the service on Sunday morning, March 22, he went into the vestry to count the collection, which amounted to 18s. 10 1/2d. and the rector demanded the money, although witness said it was for church expenses. He-put 18s. in his pocket, leaving the coppers in the plate, but the rector flew up very passionately and called out, "You don't go out of here with that money," and locked up the vestry doors leading into the church and the churchyard. He said to the rectot, "Pray be reasonable. You know quite well the Bishop told you you were to have nothing to do with the church account." That, he explained, was the outcome of previous trouble. The clergyman replied, "I don't care for Bishops and Chancellors any more than I do for you," and he snapped his fingers in witness's face. Altogether he was kept in for ten minutes. Cross examined by Mr. Murphy (for the defendant), the witness said after he left the church the rector came running down the churchyard after him, calling out, "You have not gor it all." and shook the coppers in his hand. Witness replied, "Very well, old man, you can keep them and spend them." Probably he did tell the rector to go and buy a whisky with the coppers. He declined to explain why he told the rector to buy a whisky. The rector was not in a normal state. The Rev. Thomas Lloyd said that he paid the collection for church expenses into the bank at Epping by arrangement. There had been continual friction in his parish in regard to money matters. There had never been a custom for the money to be taken away uncounted or unchecked by the rector. When in the vestry on the 22nd he saw Mr. Miller put his hand in one of the plates and take the money out. He declined to put the money on the table to be counted. Witness denied having snapped his lingers in Mr. Miller's face, pushing him, wearing a hat in church, or calling out to the sexton from the vestry to lock the church doors. There was no truth in the suggestion that he was in any way the worse for liquor on that morning. After retiring for some minutes, the Bench decided that the charge had been made out, and committed the defendant for trial.

Mr. Warburton, on a further summons for brawling in church, said the importance of the case was that the assault was committed by a clergyman in his own church. The brawling was the important case. It was very important from its ecclesiastical aspect. Mr. Murphy submitted that the vestry was not part of the church. The law as to brawling applied to the church or burial ground. The Bench decided that a case had been made out, and imposed a fine of £2 and £5 costs.

The Times June 20, 1908

At Chelmsford, the grand jury found a true bill for assault against the Rev. Thomas LLOYD, rector of Theydon Garnon. in Essex. Mr. Warburton and Mr. Moan appeared for the prosecution; Mr. Dickens, K.C., and Mr. J. Harvey Murphy for the defendant.

Before the defendant surrendered, Mr. Warburton, in addressing Mr. Justice Walton, said that the facts of the case (which related to occurrences and disputes as to the custody of certain offertory moneys between the defendant and a Mr. Miller, a churchwarden, in the vestry of the parish church of Theydon Garnon had already been inquired into at petty sessions. Petty sessions had convicted the defendant for the offence of brawling in the church and had fined him. The petty sessions moreover, committed him for trial to these assizes on this charge of assault. The defendant had lodged an appeal from the conviction by petty sessions for brawling and such appeal would come on for hearing at the quarter sessions for the county of Essex on July 1 next. Mr. Warburton said that the facts constituting the brawling and the assault were identical, and that in the circumstances he suggested that this indictment should stand over upon the understanding that it should be no further procceded with in the event of the appeal being dismissed or of it being allowed after all the merits of the case had been heard by the Court of quarter sessions.

After some discussion, Mr. Dickens consented to this procedure, and the learned Judge having approved of it, the indictment was sent over to the next assizes.

The Times - June 27, 1908

APPEAL WITHDRAWN. The Rev. Thomas Lloyd, Rector of Theydon Garnon, who was recently convicted by the Epping justices of brawling in Theydon Garnon Church and fined two guineas with £5 costs, has withdrawn his appeal to the Essex Quarter Session. At the Essex Assize, last week Mr. Lloyd was indicted for assaulting Mr. Miller, the people's warden, and imprisoning him in the vestry, but Mr. Warburton, who appeared for the prosecution, asked that the case might stand over to the next assize; the facts in both cases were identical, and in the event of Mr. Lloyd's conviction being affirmed. he should at the next Assize ask that the charge of assault and imprisoning be withdrawn.

The Times October 30, 1908

Before Mr. Justice Grantham, at the Essex Assizes, yesterday, Mr. Warburton mentioned the case of the R. v. THOMAS LLOYD, against whom the grand jury at the last Summer Assizes had found a true bill for assault and false Imprisonment. The proceedings arose out of certain occurrences in the parish church of Theydon Garnon, of which Mr. Lloyd is incumbent. A charge of brawling had also been preferred in respect of the same occurrences, and Mr. Lloyd had been convicted of that offence at petty sessions in April. He gave notice of appeal for the conviction to quarter sessions, and, at the Summer Assizes, the learned Judge ordered the present charge to stand over until these assizes pending the decision of the appeal. Mr. Lloyd afterwards withdrew his appeal, and paid the fine imposed upon his conviction for brawling. Mr. Warburton proposed now to offer no evidence. Mr. Murphy, for Mr. Lloyd, desired that a formal verdict of Not Guilty "should be returned. The learned JUDGE agreed that it was clearly right that, in the circumstances, there should be no proceeding on the present indictment, and he directed that Mr. Lloyd, who surrendered to his bail, should be formally acquitted by the jury. A verdict of Not Guilty was accordingly retumed.