During Mission’s work on the British Newspaper Archive project, a catalogue of bizarre, novel and sometimes offensive tips from vicars for how to achieve a better life has been uncovered and shared with The Times. The catalogue of quirky tips includes advice to “thrash drunks” – be they man, woman or child – and to lie about your new wife’s cooking skills.
“Thrash the drunks”, keep you mother’s “ripping tarts” a secret and “don’t be a mug”, are just some of the gems of wisdom offered by Britain’s original agony uncles. Researchers at the British Newspaper Archive have discovered an array of tips and hints once given by the nation’s vicars, which include:
Reverend W. G. Roberts, of Horsley St. Clements was another advocate of diplomacy for maintaining domestic harmony. His advice from 1939 was to “never tell your wife you are going to be the ‘boss’”, as he points out that “it is a tactless remark, and is fundamentally untrue”. He adds that a “woman who tells her husband she is going to be ‘boss’ is sillier still, as it brings the whole thing to a level of brute force”. Roberts also offers some tips on choosing a wife. He warns against judging a woman “by her lips or nose or the quality of her dimples”, highlighting that just “because a woman is well dressed it doesn’t follow that she is clever” as “some stylishly dressed women are fools.”
Amy Gregor, spokesperson for the British Newspaper Archive, said: “The unorthodox advice given in these columns may seem odd to us now, but at the time such advice was taken quite seriously by those who read them.”
“Until relatively recently, vicars were at the centre of nearly every community and regarded as a source of wisdom and authority. Reviewing newspaper articles from the past is a great way to track social attitudes towards gender roles, politics and popular opinion, and these articles are among treasures to be found in the Archive.”
Mission is continuing its work on the British Newspaper Archive project, which aims to digitise and publish old regional newspapers online.
For more information visit: http://www.bl.uk/britishnewspapers
