Morbid Fact Du Jour for January 8, 2015

Today’s Scandalous Yet Truly Morbid Fact!

Harold Francis Davidson (14 July 1875 – 30 July 1937), generally known as the Rector of Stiffkey, was a Church of England priest who, after a notorious court case in 1932, was convicted on charges of immorality and defrocked by the Church.

Before his ordination in 1903, Davidson had a brief career on the London stage as an entertainer. As a young curate he became actively involved with charitable work among London’s poor, an interest he maintained following his appointment in 1906 as rector of the rural Norfolk parish of Stiffkey. After the First World War, in which he served as a naval chaplain, he devoted himself almost exclusively to his London work. Styling himself the “Prostitutes’ Padre”, his declared mission was the rescue of young girls he considered in danger of falling into vice. In this role he approached and befriended hundreds of girls, and although there was little direct evidence of improper behavior, Davidson was frequently found in compromising situations. His neglect of his parish and family strained relations in Stiffkey; after a formal complaint, the Bishop of Norwich instituted disciplinary proceedings. Davidson’s defense was severely compromised by his own eccentric conduct and was damaged beyond repair when the prosecution produced a photograph of Davidson with a near-naked teenage girl.

After his defrocking, Davidson appeared in a series of seaside arcades and side-shows, telling of his disgrace and downfall.  On July 28, 1937, he gave what was to be his last performance in a lions’ cage at Skegness Amusement Park.  Watched by an audience of 100, he entered the cage, which contained a lion and lioness, and commenced yet another of his speeches. At the height of his oratory, he stepped backwards, tripped over the lioness, and was attacked by the indignant lion. Within seconds he had been badly mauled and was dragged senseless from the cage. Three days later he died of his wounds.

Culled from: Wikipedia and Crimes and Punishment, The Illustrated Crime Encyclopedia, Volume 7

Here’s the infamous picture of the priest and the teenage girl. Oooh, I say!  Simply scandalous!

And here’s the priest and a lion.  I could say something inappropriate about Davidson liking to play with a slang word for both feline and vagina… but I am too dignified for such a thing!

Morbid Trinket Du Jour!

Okay, let’s face it, you can’t afford this cutlery set.  And you probably don’t even need it.  But… aren’t you glad we live in a world where such things exist?  (Thanks to Mike for the link.)

Available for a fortune from Raven Armoury.

Hate Mail Du Jour!

Probably the most infamous and disturbing Malady of the Month I have ever featured is Harlequin Fetus.  If you’d like to see what I had to say about this shocking condition, it’shere.  Well, “Miss. Settle” had a few choice words for me regarding this article:

“um i do not know if i am contacting the right person about this, or the person who wrote the piece either. but I felt as if i should voice my concern about the wording of the Harlequin fetus article. Yes i was as shocked at the article presumed it readers would be. but reading on out of interest i was horrified at every turn to hear these children describe as frankly abominations.  it hurts to hear such words such as ‘disturbing’, the way you worded it all the way through made it sound more like your victimizing these children, saying that we have good reason to be shocked and that it was better for these children to die. basically it isnt your place to weave words into a medical description to make it more sound like a twisted tale, this happens to children and they are peoples children and are still loved so much. their parents must have been utterly crushed to find out that their baby would live in pain or die within hours.

“these are not monsters to be described as such, please show a little decency. and instead of finding solace in that they are dead, please just hope that this might never happen to any more children and somehow they find a cure or even a way they can live more normal, more happy and less painful lives.”

My bad.  Again.