William Dodd (priest)
William Dodd | |
---|---|
Tyburn. | |
Born | 29 May 1729 , England |
Died | 27 June 1777 Tyburn, London, England | (aged 48)
Occupation(s) | British writer and clergyman, hanged for forgery |
William Dodd (29 May 1729 – 27 June 1777) was an English Anglican clergyman and a man of letters.[1] He lived extravagantly, and was nicknamed the "Macaroni Parson". He dabbled in forgery in an effort to clear his debts, and was caught and convicted. Despite a public campaign for a Royal pardon, in which he received the assistance of Samuel Johnson, he was hanged at Tyburn for forgery.
Biography
Early life
Dodd was born in
Priesthood
At the urging of his concerned father, he decided to take
Bribery
In 1774, in an attempt to rectify his depleted finances, he attempted to obtain the lucrative position of rector of
Forgery and execution
In February 1777, he forged a bond for £4,200 in the name of his former pupil, the Earl of Chesterfield, to clear his debts. A banker accepted the bond in good faith, and lent him money on the strength of it. Later the banker noticed a small blot in the text and had the document re-written. When the clean copy was presented to the Earl to sign, in order to replace the old one, the forgery was discovered. Dodd immediately confessed, and begged time to make amends. He was, however, imprisoned in the
The following appears as a footnote in the book 'Street Lore of Bath' written by R.E.M Peach and published in 1893.[6] Dr. Dodd had provided the opening sermon at a newly built chapel in Bath in 1773.
1 THE EXECUTION OF THE UNFORTUNATE DR. DODD.
The following faithful description of the last moments and ignominious death of the clever writer and "fashionable parson" Dr. Dodd, for forgery in the year 1777, is taken from some interesting papers on that gifted but unhappy man in the Dublin University Magazine for the month:
When they went to call the hapless criminal, he did not at first recollect what was to take place, but presently on its coming back upon him, suffered the most dreadful horror "and agony of mind," and became outrageously vehement in his speech and looks; but on coming out of the chapel his face was seen to exhibit the greatest calmness and composure.
Mr. Villette, who filled the dreadful office of "Ordinary of Newgate," attended on him, together with the chaplain of Magdalen, Mr. Dobey. The friends who had been there the preceding night also appeared upon this occasion; and all moved on to the chapel. In the vestry they met the other criminal, who was to suffer also – Harris, the youth convicted for the "two half-sovereigns and some silver," and who had attempted suicide in his cell. Him, Dr. Dodd addressed with "great tenderness and emotion of heart" on the great heinousness of his offence, and begged that the other clergyman might be called in to assist in moving the heart of the poor youth. But "the Doctor's words," says one who stood by "were the most pathetic and effective." All who looked on were greatly affected and shed tears. The Doctor seems to have been a poor craven hearted creature all through. He kept up his dandyism, but he shewed neither resignation nor courage. "The executioner took both the hat and wig off at the same time. Why he put on his wig again I do not know, but he did, and the doctor took off his wig a second time, and then tied on a night cap which did not fit him : but whether he stretched that or took another, I could not perceive. He then put on his night cap himself, and upon him taking it he certainly had a smile on his countenance, and very soon afterwards there was an end of all his hopes and fears on this side the grave." Storer to George Selwyn.
As the unhappy man got out of the coach by which he was conveyed to Tyburn, and entered the cart, a heavy shower of rain fell, during which an umbrella was held over his head, which Gilly Williams, who was present, observed was quite unnecessary, as the doctor was going to a place where he might be dried.
Published works
He wrote several published works, including poems, a novel, and theological tracts. His most successful work was The Beauties of Shakespeare (1752), in which he may be said to have invented the "index.".[7] He also wrote a Commentary on the Bible (1765–1770), and composed the blank verse Thoughts in Prison while in Newgate Prison between his conviction and execution.[1]
"It concentrates his mind wonderfully"
Dodd's sermon The Convict's Address to his unhappy Brethren was largely written by Samuel Johnson to be used as Dodd's own. When one of Johnson's friends doubted the authorship, Johnson, in order to protect Dodd, made his famous remark "Depend upon it Sir, when a man knows he is to be hanged in a fortnight, it concentrates his mind wonderfully". James Boswell gives Johnson's explanation of the circumstances in his Life of Samuel Johnson:
Johnson disapproved of Dr. Dodd's leaving the world persuaded that The Convict's Address to his unhappy Brethren was of his own writing. 'But, Sir, (said I,) you contributed to the deception; for when Mr. Seward expressed a doubt to you that it was not Dodd's own, because it had a great deal more force of mind in it than any thing known to be his, you answered, --"Why should you think so? Depend upon it, Sir, when a man knows he is to be hanged in a fortnight, it concentrates his mind wonderfully."' JOHNSON. Sir, as Dodd got it from me to pass as his own, while that could do him any good, there was an IMPLIED PROMISE that I should not own it. To own it, therefore, would have been telling a lie, with the addition of breach of promise, which was worse than simply telling a lie to make it be believed it was Dodd's. Besides, Sir, I did not DIRECTLY tell a lie: I left the matter uncertain. Perhaps I thought that Seward would not believe it the less to be mine for what I said; but I would not put it in his power to say I had owned it.'
References
- ^ a b c Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 8 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. pp. 367–368.
- ^ "Dodd, William (DT745W)". A Cambridge Alumni Database. University of Cambridge.
- ^ The Newgate Calendar, ed. by Andrew Knapp & William Baldwin, 4 vols. (London: J. Robins, 1828), 3: 50-62
- ^ "Dr William Dodd". Newgate Calendar.
- ^ "William Dodd". The Proceedings of The Old Bailey. Retrieved 24 August 2020.
- ^ "THE EXECUTION OF THE UNFORTUNATE DR. DODD". The Street Lore of Bath. 1893. Retrieved 5 October 2021.
- ^ "William Dodd, the Macaroni Parson, by Ciaran Conliffe". HeadStuff. 16 November 2015. Retrieved 2 April 2021.
Further reading
- Boswell, James, Life of Johnson, 1777 passim, for more information on Johnson's work in behalf of Dodd. ISBN 978-0-14-043662-4(and several other editions with different ISBNs, as well as various public domain editions)
- Brack, O. M., editor. The Macaroni Parson and the Concentrated Mind: Samuel Johnson's Writings for the Reverend William Dodd. Tucson: Chax Press, 2004
- Howson, Gerald, The Macaroni Parson: A Life of the Unfortunate Dr. Dodd. London, Hutchinson, 1973 ISBN 0-09-115170-8.
External links
- Media related to William Dodd at Wikimedia Commons
- William Dodd at the Eighteenth-Century Poetry Archive (ECPA)
- Dr. Dodd, the publisher