[Bell Historians] Peculiar

[John Camp]

I can't help thinking that there is some misinformation being produced
about peculiars. Nearly all peculiars, except royal ones, were abolished
by schemes made under the Ecclesiastical Commissioners Acts 1836 and
1850. This is why I was suspicious when my predecessor in Northampton
told me that St Andrew's Hospital was a peculiar.

The Temple Church is (as I said) not a royal peculiar, but is
extra-diocesan. The only other non-royal peculiars that I can find
information on are Battle, Bocking and Stamford, all of which have a
dean, just like a cathedral. (The Dean of Stamford appears to be the
suffragan bishop). (We'll forget the Channel Islands.)

I think that the author of the Wikipedia article is under the impression
that all peculiars are royal peculiars.

However, I will not have access to the definitive article on the subject
in the Ecclesiastical Law Journal until next week.

David Bryant, are you happy for this discussion to be on this list?

John Camp