192 ST. HELENA 



garrison, by Dr. Middleton, surgeon of the ship Hartford 

 Francis, but they had forgotten to ask the Governor's leave. 

 As soon as he heard of it, he sent the Marshall in pursuit of 

 the newly married couple and the record states : 



Bedloe led her down the Valley and introduced her into the 

 Hall of the Castle by the hand as his wife. They both owned the 

 fact before the Governor, and Bedloe offered to show the certificate. 

 Upon this the Governor ordered Bedloe to be whipt, and to receive 

 fifty lashes on his bare back at the Flagstaff, and to be confined 

 to prison till the departure of the next storeship, and the said widow 

 Swallow was ordered to receive twenty lashes on her naked back, 

 but when she was affixed to the Flagstaff the Governor ordered the 

 whipping to be remitted, hoping the shame of being so publicly 

 exposed would have the same effect on her, as the smart had on some. 



The Doctor had hurried on board ship to be out of the 

 way, but this did not avail him. The Marshall was sent 

 to bring him on shore, and by the Governor's order he was 

 tied up to the flagstaff and whipped with twenty lashes. 



The Court of Directors seem to have taken very little 

 notice except to hint to the Governor that he had better 

 keep out of Dr. Middleton's reach. The Directors wrote 

 on May 31, 1721 : 



The affair of Mr. Jones the chaplain taking him out of his 

 desk in the time of Divine Service in that outrageous and unpre- 

 cedented manner shockt us at the first hearing of it, and more so 

 when it was further explained and the cause of it particularized. 

 We are surprised Mr. Johnson, who knows so much better, could be 

 capable of doing it. We tell you we will never endure it. It seems 

 he did while officiating in his office act unbecomingly, and the 

 language thereof might be interpreted " Thou art the man," but if 

 there had been no secret guilt, why such outrageous anger ? We 

 have reason to believe Mr. Jones is not a man of the best morals, 

 but that ought not to warrant unlawful revenge. Be angry and 

 sin not, and avoid all appearance of evil, are two rules as necessary 

 to persons in authority as to any of their inferiors, if not more so. 

 Can any of you think that bearing all down before you, whether 

 right or wrong, will ever make an Englishman easy the common 

 peoples judgement of things makes them sometimes argue wrong, 

 but they always feel right when hardly dealt with. 



On 23rd February, 1722, they say : " You were in the right to 

 deny Bedloe the soldier marrying the widow Swallow, and censuring 

 Mr. Middleton for presuming to marry them contrary to the settled 

 custom of the island, but the manner of punishing Mr. Middleton 

 is what can be no ways justified by any law of England or St. 

 Helena, nor can we imagine what should induce the Governor to 



