A huge row over Charles Darwin and his evolution theory blew up in Shrewsbury 118 years ago today after a church steeple collapsed.
When a gale sent the top 50ft of St Mary’s Church spire crashing to the ground on Sunday, February 11, 1894, the day before the anniversary of Darwin’s birth, and while the council were debating putting up a controversial statue of Darwin in the town, the vicar said it was divine retribution.
Scaffolding at St Mary's, pictured below, which had been put up by workmen who were due to return to work on the Monday, fell down, along with part of the spire into the nave which had been full with more than 300 worshippers only an hour or so previously.
Preaching in the wrecked sanctuary on the following Sunday, the vicar, the Rev Newdegate Poyntz, told the congregation: “Could anyone in the future doubt the providence of God. Not one soul was lost. Could they, therefore, doubt that God’s hand was present throughout all and that He was guiding and ruling all.”
Referring to the councillors and their debate he continued: “The fall of the spire should stop for ever, in their mouths at least, the jargon about natural laws, natural forces and the like, so common in this present day.
“One day this month a certain event occurred in Shrewsbury and a few days afterwards the spire was blown down by an Act of God. Was there any connection between the two events?
“If he was right, it was at least possible many had received a warning. Let them act upon it. If they pondered well over his remarks, and digested them, they ought to bring in during the week, sufficient funds to restore the church twice over.”
The sermon caused 14 readers to write letters to the Shrewsbury Chronicle over the next two weeks, most of them agreeing with the vicar.
The paper in its opinion column tried to be more conciliatory. It said: “Where so many valuable opinions have been expressed, it is not for us to say who are right, nor are we sufficiently concerned to venture on the assertion that any particular opinion is erroneous.
“What we are anxious about is not the cause of the disaster, but the restoration of the structure. Instead of theory let us have practice. Now is the time, not for talk, but for benevolence.”
Funds for the £6,000 repair bill for St Mary’s were eventually found and a statue, pictured below, of Charles Darwin, who died on April 19, 1882, and was buried a week later at Westminster Abbey on April 26, was placed outside what was the old Shrewsbury School and is now Shrewsbury Library. It can still be seen today.
There is more of the Darwin story in my book Four Centuries at The Lion Hotel.
To buy a signed copy at the special price of £6 including postage within the UK or £7 anywhere in the world email John@jbutterworth.plus.com
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