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Rev. Alfred Teed Puddicombe [Obituary]

Trans. Devon. Assoc. vol. XXXVI, (1904), pp. 38-39.

by

J. Brooking Rowe (Ed.)

Prepared by Michael Steer

The obituary was read at the Association’s July 1904 Teignmouth meeting. The Goulburn (NSW) Evening Penny Post for Saturday 8th June, 1904 carries a fulsome eulogy for Rev Puddicombe and news of his tragic death. To quote from the report (page 4):”The Rev. A. T. Puddicombe came into prominence (in Australia, sic.) through the part he played in what was for so long known as the Goulburn Cathedral dispute. As incumbent of the parish the rev. gentleman held that his rights and those of the parishioners were being invaded by the Cathedral being regarded as a Cathedral pure and simple without regard to the parish church - of which building he contended the Cathedral was the successor. The rev. gentleman was supported by many of the parishioners, and though he had ranged against him some of the most influential elements in the diocese he faced the situation with a magnificent courage which must have extorted admiration even from his bitterest opponents. The complete and lengthy eulogy is available here. The obituary, from a copy of a rare and much sought-after journal can be downloaded from the Internet Archive. Google has sponsored the digitisation of books from several libraries. These books, on which copyright has expired, are available for free educational and research use, both as individual books and as full collections to aid researchers.

Rev. Alfred Teed Puddicombe. The Rev. Alfred Teed Puddicombe joined the Association in 1896, and attended the annual meetings with unfailing regularity. His life was one of earnest activity. He was Senior Scholar of St. David's College, Lampeter, 1859. He was ordained deacon in 1861, his title being the curacy of Edlaston, Derbyshire, and priest the following year in the diocese of Lichfield. From 1863 to 1865 he was curate of Broseley, Salop, and in the latter year he left England for New South Wales, where he became incumbent of Moruya, which he held until 1876, when he was appointed incumbent of St. Saviour's, Goulburn, where he remained until 1897. He was Archdeacon of Goulburn from 1874 to 1884, and Canon of Goulburn from 1894 to 1897. Broken health compelled him to return to England in 1897, and anxious to do what work he could, he accepted the curacy of Buckland Monachorum. Early in 1904 he went to Welcombe, in North Devon, to assist the vicar of that parish, and on the morning of Thursday, 5th May, his body was found under Morwenstow cliffs. He had been missed the previous day, and had no doubt unconsciously taken a false step and fallen over a dangerous precipice. At Yelverton, where he lived, his kindly disposition was manifest to all with whom he was brought into contact, and a large circle, well-to-do and poor, have lost a warm- hearted neighbour and a truly devoted clergyman. A friend wrote that in many an Australian home there would be sore hearts when the news of his death arrived.