Edward VII, a modern St Anthony, and Southwark’s very own ‘gunpowder plot’

Did you know that Southwark had its own gunpowder plot and it involved a man of the cloth, who worked as a porter in Borough Market and was not too happy about plans for the crowning of a new King?

Edward Vll's coronation in 1902 was a memorable experience for the people of Southwark. These were exciting times. The previous year Queen Victoria had shuffled off to the great throne room in the sky, symbolically marking the end of the nineteenth century.

https://southwarknews.co.uk/history/history-plus/edward-oxford-the-kennington-boy-who-tried-to-shoot-queen-victoria/

Unlike his parents, Edward Vll liked his wine, women and song and was looking forward to a bit of a knees-up after his crowning, as were his loyal subjects. Parades, parties and processions were the order of the day and Southwark planned to pull out all the stops to ensure that everyone had a jolly good time.

But the original coronation date of 26 th June became a non-starter when Edward was struck down with a nasty case of appendicitis. During an emergency operation the offending organ was swiftly removed, forcing the future King to rest up at Buckingham Palace. As he lay in his stately bed, little did he know that his boys in blue were, at that very time, carting off a Reverend George Martin, who had been found furtively lurking in the palace grounds.

Rev. Martin appeared before the Beak at Bow Street Magistrates the next day. He gave his address as 3, Bowling Green Lane, Newcomen Street, off Borough High Street.

The court heard that the thirty-seven-year-old was a graduate from St John's College, Cambridge, who’d been ordained as a Deacon in 1887. Martin moved on to a parish in Truro, Devon, before getting the call to spread the word at the Borough Market. He worked and dressed as a market porter, but unlike his colleagues gave his hard-earned cash away to charity.

In court, Martin explained how he was found in the palace grounds when he tried to deliver a letter personally to the King. He went on to explain that he objected to the coronation celebrations for religious reasons and had already mailed the King two letters of protest. When he got no reply he decided that the only way he could get his message across was to see the King himself.

Having none of it, the Magistrate declared the Rev. a lunatic and sent him off to Covent Garden Workhouse. However, the workhouse beadle decided the good Reverend wasn't insane and released him back to his Borough Market parishioners. Big mistake.

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Once the new date had been set the rest of Southwark began their preparations in earnest for the coronation procession. Southwark Cathedral, then known as St Saviour's Church, commissioned the erection of an immense stand so that borough bigwigs could watch the procession in comfort.

A Mr H Langston from the Southwark Street Hop Exchange was heavily involved in the construction of the stand and all the festivities that went with it. On the morning of June 25 th he was in his office when what he thought was a Borough Market coster walked in and handed him a letter. He realised it was in fact, the Reverend George Martin wearing his trademark cord trousers, green frock coat and heavy boots (he liked to blend in with his flock).

In the letter Rev. Martin protested strongly to the erection of the cathedral stand, stating it was a desecration and that the Lord's house "should not encourage the payment of large sums for such a purpose while so many of its members have not the necessaries of life". He had a point. There were plenty of people in the borough who were extremely poor, but they intended to make the best of the festive atmosphere.

The Reverend told Mr Langston that he had distributed leaflets all around the market encouraging the barrow boys to boycott the coronation fun. He believed that the postponement of the coronation was a sign from God and that he'd carry out the Lord's work by blowing up the stand and "strike a blow for Christ". He got little response from the costers, who never needed an excuse for a drink up and a singsong, but Mr Langston – realising that Martin wasn't quite the ticket – called in the police.

On July 5 th Martin was once more up in court charged with threats to kill. As he stood in the dock he closed his eyes and prayed for his fellow prisoners before pleading guilty to all charges. The Magistrate told him that due to the coronation postponement the stand had actually been demolished. Martin replied that if it had still been there he would have carried out his threat to blow it up. Incredibly, he was bound over to keep the peace and released.

By the next day people had forgotten about Rev. Martin as they prepared for a memorable occasion. The King had donated £30,000 to London boroughs so that they could lay on a special coronation dinner for their poor and needy. Local businessmen chipped in to the fund, especially the many breweries in the area, to ensure that everyone had a day to remember.

Halls and schools were secured for the dinner venues and volunteers offered to wait on tables. Bermondsey and Southwark Borough Councils pooled their resources and used horse and carts to move furniture to the various venues across the district. Touchingly, Bermondsey made a special effort to acquire dinner places for the elderly and the disabled children in its care.

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Edward was on the mend and a new coronation date was set for 9 th August. Once again Southwark started its party preparations. Shop windows were dressed up, displaying their finest wares, Union Jacks flapped in the summer breeze and flowers bedecked every lamppost, ledge and windowsill. Rooms along the route were let out to tourists for a tidy sum and the pubs did a roaring trade with people 'celebrating'.

Southwark Borough Council donated £1,000 towards the kid's festivities and Bermondsey coughed up £750 for street decorations and fireworks. This was a milestone in the council's history as never before had the rates been used for such frivolities.

Despite Rev. Martin's objections, spectator's stands were put up along the whole of the route, as they were a good moneymaking scheme. St George the Martyr in Borough High Street was one of the many churches that erected a stand and must have looked very picturesque in its setting covered in bunting and flowers.

The day of the coronation finally arrived and what a fine day it was; a day of parasols, parades and parties. Tubas, trombones and drums sparkled in the sun as brass bands played a selection of patriotic tunes. Kids danced around in the street as parents sat outside the pub with a glass of stout and a pint of whelks.

Women wore their finest clothes and fancy hats while their other halves sweltered in their Sunday best. Local regiments marched past in full uniform and street vendors were busy supplying lemonade and ices to all and sundry. The church bells rang out across the borough; it was a lovely day.

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But not everybody could enjoy the fun. Back at Southwark cop shop PC Norris was ordered to walk his beat and keep a lookout for Reverend Martin, who by now was known locally as 'the mad person'. Hot and uncomfortable in his scratchy uniform, he went into the churchyard of St George the Martyr to find a bench to rest his weary legs for five minutes. As he sat watching the festivities he suddenly recognised a face in the crowd: Reverend George Martin.

Quick as a flash he whistled for backup and apprehended the vicar. When searched, a pound of gunpowder and a box of matches were found in his pockets, enough to do a fair bit of damage to the innocent parishioners. It transpired that as Southwark Cathedral's stand had been taken down, the Rev. was intending to blow up St George's.

Yet again Martin was taken to Southwark Police Court where he answered charges of possessing gunpowder with the intent to destroy or damage St George the Martyr church and burn, disfigure or do grievous bodily harm to its people.

Martin addressed the court by saying: "The stands represent the league between the Church and the more affluent classes, which is at present so great a barrier to a large proportion of the people. That league prevents them from coming - I don't say back, because they have never been there - but from entering the fold of the true flock of the Church". He then pleaded guilty and was remanded in custody to the Old Bailey.

In November he came up for sentencing a changed man. His appearance was pitiful. He was unshaved and gaunt, his shabby market clothes hanging on his thin frame. His voice, which was once described as distinguished and beautiful by the local rag, was now barely audible.

It was quite obvious that the Reverend was suffering mental illness. The Judge offered to send him to a home in the Malvern Hills where he could recover from his mental strain but he refused to go. Fortunately for the Reverend, the Judge was not quite as severe as those that had sent that more famous gunpowder plotter, Guy Fawkes to the gallows, and he was sentenced to a month's imprisonment. He was then released as he had already served this time on remand. Outside the court clerical friends from Truro waited to greet Martin and vowed to help him get over his illness.

Although extreme in his views, the clergy could understand Reverend Martin's mission, as he could see the local people around him struggling to survive in a very poor area whilst the affluent classes got all the benefits. What he couldn't understand was that the locals thoroughly enjoyed the coronation and had a great time, despite their financial difficulties.

Martin was ordered by the Bishop of Rochester to work with the Rev. Henry Pitt, the vicar of St Mary Magdalen in the Old Kent Road (known as the 'pearlies church') who counselled and guided him. Rev. Pitt's influence obviously worked on him, as there are no reports of any loud bangs in the area until 1940.

In fact, Reverend George Martin went on to do a great deal of good work for the poor in Bermondsey and Southwark. He returned to his old stamping ground in the Borough Market where he gained the love and respect of his flock and their children and became known as 'the modern St Anthony'.

Ironically, when Martin died in 1947 he bequeathed a tidy sum to … Southwark Cathedral!

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