Story
Charles Druce Farrar was born in Croydon, Surrey in 1856, and was the eldest child of Reverend John Martindale Farrar (1827-1893) and Frances Key (1826-1890) who married on 10th May 1852 in Lewisham. Charles evidently was given his name by his mother, Frances Key, who on the 1851 census, was visiting a London Solicitor, Charles Druce (1792-1881), and his father, Charles Druce snr (1761-1845) was Steward of the Manor of Dulwich, the solicitor to Dulwich College, and has a portrait (bottom left) in the Dulwich Portrait Gallery. Charles Druce Farrar’s grandfather was Methodist Minister, John Farrar (1802-1884, pictured below centre). John married Sophia Matilda Martindale (1798-1880), and so Charles’ great grandfather was Wesleyan Minister Miles Martindale (1756-1824, below right):
John Martindale Farrar, the father of Charles Druce Farrar was born in Sheffield, but at the time of Charles’ birth, he was the vicar at Watton, Norfolk. Charles was educated at Lancing College, Sussex, and then graduated from Durham University before being ordained at Rochester. In December 1881, he was ordained a priest and licensed at Lewisham Parish Church of St. Mary the Virgin. He married Rose Alice Handyside (1861-1942) in this church on 10th May 1882, and also christened his first child, Ernest Bristow Farrar there on 26th July 1885. The family lived just a few minutes walk away from the church at 16 Ryecroft Road. In June 1885, Charles wrote in to Poultry magazine to recommend “Let the chickens alone for a few hours after hatching. Say the hatch in the evening, as all right-minded chickens should do, they will be quite ready for breakfast at eight o’clock next morning. One of the best thing to feed chicks on is Spratts Patent Meal, just made moist with warm water. All chickens eat it ravenously.” In December 1885, he won first prize for his Hamburg black cock at the Frome Poultry, Pigeon, Rabbit and Cat show. Birds continued to be an enduring interest of his.
In 1886, Charles attended King’s College, London and became an Associate. Charles was Inspector of Schools, Diocese of London from 1886 to 1887, before he was preferred to the incumency of the parish of Micklefield in July 1887, and was presented as Vicar of Micklefield in September 1887, after the resignation of the Rev. Marshall George Vine. Micklefield was in the private patronage of the Blands, Kippax Park Hall, and Micklefield had a population of around 1,100 at the time. On Easter Day 1890, Rev. Farrar announced the number of communicants at Church had increased to 78 from 28 the previous Easter, and that £115 had been spent on the church, including cassocks and surplices for the choir, and three embroidered silk altar frontals. He hoped to equip the church with chairs during the year. In April 1893, Charles was nominated as a Tadcaster Union Guardian, along with William Francis Dean, who was killed in the disaster.
On 30th April 1896, Rev. Farrar was staying at St. Leonard’s for the benefit of his health, but hastened back to Micklefield once he learned about the explosion, and spent Saturday visiting the homes of his parishioners, regardless of their faith. However, his subsequent address at the funeral of the Colliery Disaster victims (below) may have been made with the best intentions, and to be comforting, but it created long lasting resentment among the grieving families:
“Jesus wept.” These words, he said, were the expression of the perfect love, sympathy, and humanity of Christ. A great lesson was taught by the words he had quoted. It was that they should try to exercise control over their grief, however great their grief might be. A Christian’s grief should be like the gentle April shower, not like the wild storms of December. These words convey another truth: the end and purpose of grief were that they might be conformed more and more to the life and image of Christ. Grief was sent to them as a punishment for sin, and likewise as a warning against falling into sin. There are many purposes for which all sorrow is sent by God, and among them is that of enabling us to be sharers in the sufferings of Christ. Your resolve should be to take up the light sorrows and burdens which God lays upon us from time to time, so that when, as on this occasion, some great and overwhelming cross is laid upon us, then you might be able to take it readily, willingly, and cheerfully, saying these words with which we are all so familiar, although it must be very hard for you: “Father, not my will, but Thine be done.”
Rev. Farrar was present at the first committee meeting for the Micklefield Colliery Disaster relief fund in October 1896, and the concern he raised would have provoked local consternation:
The Rev. C.D. Farrar referred to two cases in which women were living with, but not married to, miners who were killed by the explosion. The local committee were, he said, of opinion that they should not be treated as widows. If they were, it would simply be encouraging vice. The Mayor said that was a matter which the committee ought to deal with. Mr. Cowey: But you would pay for the children? It is no fault of theirs. Mr. Hepher: The children; but not the women. Mr. Cowey: I should not object to the women not having their 5s.
Mr. Hopkins explained that this matter had been considered by the central committee, and they came to the conclusion that under all the circumstances it would be the truest charity to treat the women as widows. The sin committed was past and done with. The adoption of the scale of relief suggested by the finance committee was then seconded and agreed to.
The relationship between Charles and his parishioners continued to have its highs and lows. On 15th February 1902, the Skyrack reported that “a petition, set out under 15 heads, was presented to the Archbishop of York from Micklefield, alleging that the Vicar (the Rev. C. D. Farrar) was constantly carrying out illegal ritualistic practices, with the result that ‘the large majority of the parishioners have lost all confidence in the Vicar as a minister of the Gospel of Christ, and have withdrawn their children, numbering more than half the total number, from all religious teaching at the Day Schools.’ In his reply, the Archbishop stated that he found ‘certain of the allegations of the memorial are admitted as correct, but in several instances they are not contrary to the law. As regards the other acts, His Grace has written to the Vicar.’ After receipt of this reply, the petitioners alleged that ‘all the illegalities complained of are still persisted in with one exception.’”
In 1910, Charles published his first book: “Birdroom & Aviary: Trials and triumphs of a Yorkshire Parson”, which also included a photo of his dog, Peter (below left):
In January 1912, Charles’ dog Jack died under suspicious circumstances. Charles believed that a local gamekeeper had poisoned Jack, and erected a gravestone for his dog in a corner of the Vicarage grounds stating that Jack had been “cruelly murdered.”
Charles’ youngest son Cecil Francis Farrar (1889-1951) was a Catholic Priest at Staithes, near Whitby. On 18th September 1918, Charles’ eldest son, the composer, Ernest Bristow Farrar (pictured above right) was killed in action during the First World War. Ernest had married and moved away to Harrogate, but Rev. Farrar included his son’s name on the Micklefield War Memorial. Charles published his second book in 1923: “Through a Bird-Room Window” (below, which he dedicated to his son Ernest). His first book was re-published in 1927.
In May 1927, after 40 years’ service at Micklefield, Rev. Farrar resigned owing to ill-health. He moved to Kingsway, Whitkirk, but returned to Micklefield for an appreciation ceremony, in which the people of Micklefield presented him with a cheque for £52, an ebony walking stick, and silver serviette ring engraved to show their appreciation for his splendid work. Charles returned his thanks, asked them to support his successor, and stated that in leaving Micklefield, it felt as if he was leaving his life behind him. In June 1927, Charles gave an interview in which again his love of birds shone through (below):
For the final 16 months of his life, Charles became invalided and bedridden. He passed away on 26th April 1932.
30th April 1896. The Peckfield Colliery Disaster at Micklefield 