The Cretingham Murder Read Online Free PDF Page A

the responsibility for catering for the household would have fallen to her.
    Arthur appears to have settled well to his duties. If there was any contention between him and his superior initially it was over the conduct of services. Farley was a Low Church man while Arthur leaned towards the High Church practices that were fashionable in that era. Farley had no time for weekly, let alone daily celebrations of the Holy Communion and the observing of saints’ days would have been anathema to him.
    Arthur’s sermons may have been a bit too academic for the bulk of his parishioners but he certainly endeared himself personally to William Emmerson, the parish clerk who came to look upon him as a friend. Arthur was active in visiting the homes of the villagers and was popular enough for them to want to purchase the commemorative photograph of him which, like one of the vicar, was sold during a fund-raising effort for the church in September 1887. (Those who had one of these must have wondered later whether to hang on to it or destroy it. How much would one have been worth to members of the press?)
    As for Harriet Louisa, she surely welcomed the diversion the newcomer offered. It must have been such a relief for her to have someone young and active with whom to talk and more importantly, to join her on daily walks and occasional excursions to the little market town of Framlingham. It was not long before the pair became a familiar sight in the village, walking together to and from services, making parish calls and taking health-giving constitutionals. That she came to regard Arthur with affection we shall hear later.
    She did not, however, share his passion for tennis. Perhaps the game provided Arthur with his only means of escape from her. She, ever solicitous, was concerned that he would overtire himself with all the walking back and forth to a neighbouring village to join in tennis parties. During the early summer of 1887 she did have some justification for her concern. June that year was excessively hot. Professor Grant of the Glasgow Observatory described the great heat of the third week of the month as phenomenal, prevailing ‘throughout the whole week with an intensity which, for the month of June has not been paralleled during the last quarter of a century, and probably has not been unsurpassed during a much longer period.’ The highest temperature was reached on the 25 June when the maximum in the shade was 82.7F and the maximum in the sun was 133.2F. The lowest reading was on the 20th when it was 65.9F in the shade and 118.5F in the sun. During the days of the 23rd, 24th and 25th, it was above 130F in the sun.
    His physical welfare apart, was some of Harriet Louisa’s concern not concentrated upon the much younger ladies who were present at these gatherings?
    There were two other occupants of the vicarage, both vital to the running of the household and important in the events that were to follow. Twenty-one-year-old Francis Bilney, known as Frank, was employed as valet to both the vicar and the curate as well as acting as groom. The maid-of-all work position may well have been an unenviable one since the turnover rate was quite high. Mary Friend had the job when Arthur arrived at the vicarage, but she was replaced by Annie Eade, who in turn gave way to Annie Wightman. Both servants lived-in, occupying rooms on the second floor approached by stairs leading from the domestic quarters of the house.
    On Sunday 21 August 1887 Arthur took the weekly service at which he read for the second time the banns of marriage for Lilian, daughter of Noah Nesling, one of the local farmers. The following day he was given a holiday, albeit a working one. His destination was Piddlehinton where his godfather, the Revd Roper, was ill. During his five week absence he ‘rendered valuable assistance to his host and his health and conduct alike were satisfactory’.
    He returned to Cretingham in time to baptize Hugh and Sarah Lockwood’s