Published in Windlesora 31 (2015)
© WLHG
The east window at Piddlehinton church in Dorset commemorates the ministry of T.T. Carter, a ministry that was not without Incident. After Eton and Oxford, Thomas Thellusson Carter was ordained deacon in 1831 and licensed to St Mary Butts in Reading. Two years later he was ordained priest and became curate at Burnham where his father was vicar.
In 1838. Eton College presented him to the living at Piddlehinton where, besides having the cure of souls, Carter was also responsible for the administration of certain village charities, amongst which was the Rector’s Dole. This consisted of a loaf of bread, mince pie (something more substantial than the present-day kind) and a pint of ale, to be given to every person in the village, young or rich or poor. It was paid for by the rector and distributed on Old Christmas Day (6th January). Having considered the matter, Carter decided in 1839 that henceforth, the Dole would only be given to the deserving poor.
This naturally caused a great deal of resentment in the parish and he was duly taken to court for depriving many of the villagers of their annual entitlement. Carter, however, won his case, but the animosity continued. Some of the rougher elements in the village smashed the chancel windows, which, as Rector, Carter had to repair at his own expense. Having had them repaired, they were smashed again. Eventually, Carter had enough and, in 1844, exchanged livings with the rector of Clewer.
It is tempting to think that Carter had left Dole alone, the Community of St John Baptist might never have come into being.
Windsor Local History Group 