Now! Then! The Rev Hopkins of Kirkheaton castrates himself to prevent further mischief

2 December 1726: The Rev Hopkins of Kirkheaton castrates himself to prevent further mischief

John Hobson. 1877. The Journal of Mr. John Hobson, Late of Dodworth Green. Yorkshire Diaries and Autobiographies in the Seventeenth and Eighteenth Centuries. Ed. Charles Jackson. Durham: Surtees Society. A (morbid) compendium of everyday England. It is sometimes unclear whether the date given is that of an occurrence or that on which news reached his capacious ears. Get it:

Excerpt

Mr Hopkins, minister of Kirkheaton (formerly of Woolley), aged 56, emasculated himself with a razor. He had taken the precaution to make ligaments about his body and thighs to prevent bleeding, and had a chirurgeon (Mr Horncastle, of Huddersfield) ready in the house to assist him, though not privy to his design. He managed the cure so well that he read prayers last Sunday, and designed to preach on Christmas Day. The reason was not melancholy, he being in his perfect senses, but he did it by way of punishment upon himself for being so foolish as to have had criminal conversations with his housekeeper.

Order the book

Subscribe to the free daily email

To facilitate reading, the spelling and punctuation of elderly excerpts have generally been modernised, and distracting excision scars concealed. My selections, translations, and editions are copyright.

Abbreviations

Comment

OED: criminal conversation n. unlawful sexual intercourse with a married person, adultery; a tort action based on this.

The editor points to Matthew 5:29-30 (“And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell…”), Matthew 18:8-9, and Mark 9:43-47 (both similar).

Did the housekeeper stay on? Did she approve of the modification? The reverend died a couple of years later, on 4 April 1728.

I think I have the date right.

Something to say? Get in touch

Original

23rd, Friday. At Wakefield. That day three week last past, Mr. Hopkins, minister of Kirkheaton (formerly of Wooley), aged 56, emasculated himself with a razor. He had taken the precaution to make ligaments about his body and thighs, to prevent bleeding, and had a chirurgeon (Mr. Horncastle, of Huddersfield), ready in the house to assist him, though not privy to his design. He managed the cure so well that he read prayers last Sunday, and designed to preach on Christmas Day. The reason was not melancholy, he being in his perfect senses, but he did it by way of punishment upon himself for being so foolish as to have had criminal conversations with his housekeeper.

116 words.