Darwin
and
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In 1881, one year before his death, Charles Darwin and his family encouraged James Fegan in his labors in the area of Darwin,s home.
A brief summary
of
James W. C.
Fegan’s work.
By Hy Pickering
In early days James W. C. Fegan's
parents removed from New Cross to Downe in Kent. During the summer of
1880 Mr. Fegan took some of his boys for a camping holiday. Before the boys
returned to London they visited the home of Charles Darwin, who lived nearby,
and sang hymns in front of the house. Mr. Darwin expressed his sympathy
with the philanthropic work being done, and gave each of the boys sixpence,
evoking ringing cheers as they departed. Services were also held in the
district in a tent, and when it became too late for tent services, greatly
daring, Mr. Fegan asked Mr. Darwin if he would lend him the Reading Room which
he had established for the villagers, but which was very slightly
frequented. It was, in fact, an old school-room which he rented from Sir
John Lubbock (afterwards Lord Avebury) for 10 pounds a year (of English money).
He lent it with pleasure, and, emboldened by his first success, Fegan wrote
again, asking if he might have it for a week's Mission, as it was so seldom
used. He received the following answer from the great naturalist:
"Dear Mr. Fegan,
You ought not to have to write to
me for permission to use the Reading Room. You have far more right to it then we
have, for your services have done more for the village in a few months than all
our efforts for many years. We have never been able to reclaim a
drunkard, but through your services I do not know that there is a drunkard left
in the village. Now may I have the pleasure of handing the Reading
Room over to you? Perhaps, if we should want it some night for a special
purpose, you will be good enough to let us use it.
Yours sincerely,
Charles Darwin."
The transfer was made, and in that
Reading Room, now called "The Gospel Room," services have been held
continuously for half a century.
Mr. Fegan has left the following
memoranda on the subject, which may perhaps be given here:
"The services I held were
attended sometimes by members of the Darwin family, and regularly by members of
their household. Indeed, when I had a Mission in Downe, the Darwin family
were considerate enough to alter their dinner hour so that their household
might attend - but this was characteristic of all who served them. At the
services, Parslow, the old family butler, whose name is mentioned both by
Huxley and Wallace, was converted to God and brought into church membership,
also Mrs. Sales, the housekeeper, was brought into the light, and others."
In "Emma Darwin: a Century of
Family Letters, 1701-1806," edited by her daughter, Mrs. Litchfield, there
is a letter written to her daughter from Downe in February, 1881, in which
there is a sentence and a footnote referring to the village blacksmith a great
character.
"Hurrah for Mr. Fegan! Old M. was a notable old drunkard, in the village of Downe, converted through Mr. Fegan, 1881."
* *
* * *
The above incidents were taken
from the writings of Hy Pickering.
We might restate the first
paragraph of this article to read:
In 1881, one year before his death, Charles Darwin and his family
encouraged, and rejoiced in the results of, gospel meetings in the town in
which they lived.
The message that Mr. Fegan brought
before those that attended his meetings was simple yet powerful to be able to
change drunkards into decent law-abiding citizens.
I am the way the truth and the
life, no man cometh unto the father but by me. (John 14:6)
Believe in the Lord Jesus
Christ and thou shalt be saved. (Acts 16:31)