[Bell Historians] Peculiar

[Andrew Case]

John Camp  writes
>At 20:05 on 27 December 2006, Andrew Case wrote:
>
>>
>> Southwick, Hampshire
>
>The fact that the patron of the living is the Lord of the Manor, or
>Trinity College, Cambridge, or the Archbishop of Canterbury has
>absolutely no bearing on whether a church is a peculiar. The records for
>this parish show that R Thistlewayte Esq is the patron and that the
>parish is within the Diocese of Portsmouth. It is not a peculiar.  What
>makes Andrew say that it is outside the control of the diocese?

My view rather based on hearsay I'm afraid. It is called a 'peculiar' 
locally. I understand that the vicar is an employee of the Estate rather 
than the Diocese and that he takes his instructions from Mr 
Thistlethwayte. I also thought that the Bishop of Portsmouth only 
visited the church when invited to do so by Mr T. Of course this may all 
be local legend!

Perhaps Alan will help us a bit more - he rings there.
-- 
Andrew Case