Flowers, Pictures, and Crosses: Criticisms of Priscilla Lydia Sellon's Care of Young Girls

Anglican Theological Review, Summer 2004 by Kollar, Rene

Lydia Sellons biographer saw another reason behind the interest in the three former orphans, and not primarily the uprooting of Roman Catholic practices, as the chief motive behind the intentions of Hatchard and his newspaper confederates, namely, jealousy over the orphanage operated by the sisterhood. Hatchard and The Devonport Telegraph, therefore, hoped to blacken the reputation of the sisterhood by forcing three girls to make damaging statements about the religious environment at Sellon s orphanage. The testimony of Sarah Ann Clarke, Mary Pochetty, and Selina Jones appeared in his newspaper. Their reports related exclusively to the devotional and liturgical routine of the orphans under Sellons care, and did not reveal any damaging or questionable incidents concerning the treatment of the three girls. They described several practices abhorred by Evangelicals: the presence of the cross throughout the house, on the "altar" in the chapel (the "oratory"), and attached to the sisters' garb; bowing and kneeling before the cross; and the placement of flowers and a picture of the Blessed Virgin Mary on the "altar."26 One of the girls complained that the time and the names of the community prayer copied Roman Catholic practices (for example, Lauds, Prime, Terce, Sext, None, Vespers), and made much of the visits of Pusey to the sisterhood and also accused him of celebrating Holy Communion illegally.27

Only one girl's testimony strayed from the area of religious observances and liturgical practices. Sarah Ann Clarke maintained that Sellon enforced a high degree of secrecy throughout the house, paid her no wages for the hard work she did, prohibited visits to friends, and allowed her to leave the orphanage with poor and tattered clothing instead of the nice dress which she wore on her arrival. The publication of the report of the three orphan girls in The Devonport Telegraph had two consequences: because of the adverse and harmful comments about Sellons orphanage, the Dowager Queen Adelaide withdrew her support from the sisterhood; and the bishop of Exeter, Henry Phillpotts, announced that he would conduct a public inquiry into the charges against Lydia Sellon and her orphanage.

The inquiry took place on February 15, 1849, at the Mechanics' Institute at Devonport.28 Phillpotts, the episcopal visitor of the orphans' home, was in the chair. This stormy meeting lasted seven hours. The plan of Sellons enemies seemed rather simple: establish the Tractarian or Roman character of the orphanage and the sisterhood; associate the institution with the notorious High Churchman Phillpotts and the Tractarian Pusey; and then destroy Sellons integrity and credibility. The proceedings of this meeting were published in a report, and extracts appeared in several newspapers. The report introduced the activities of the meeting with the contentious article from The Devonport Telegraph which prompted Phillpotts to call for a public and open inquiry. Phillpotts began the inquiry by making an opening statement which pleaded for a peaceful, constructive, and informative meeting. he stated that he would first interview the witnesses, and would then allow time for others to ask questions, but the queries had to be directed to the bishop and he would decide if they were appropriate or not. Finally, Bishop Phillpotts revealed the strong sympathies and the admiration he felt for Sellon and the work of the sisterhood. he told the assembly, which included some of her strongest critics, including the editor of The Devonport Telegraph and Hatchard, that he called the meeting to "investigate a matter that has been made very public, an accusation of a very grave kind against certain ladies-ladies who profess to come here for the purpose of devoting themselves, their talents of all kinds, whether of mental ability, or money, or health-to devote these and all other their talents [sic] to the cause of God and the assistance of poor people in the most distressed neighbourhood." Phillpotts then called upon the editor of the Devonport newspaper to step forward and give evidence.