THIS week we will be looking at a time when Charmouth’s parson was actually a pirate.

Reverend John Audain, led an extravagant life whilst still rector of Charmouth from 1783 until 1825.

The information for this article has been provided by Neil Mattingly.

When Rev William Coombe died in 1783, he had held the same position of rector of Charmouth for over 35 years.

His family were clothiers from Shepton Mallet.

His son would have been 25 at the time, and it was the same year as he was ordained, ready for a senior position in the church.

Many thought that because he was born in the village and was well-respected, that the position was his.

Unfortunately for him, this was not to be, as the patron of the village could choose whom he wished.

That position was held by Francis Phipps Henvill, a distant cousin of Benedicta Durston (nee Henvill)

who had died two years earlier, leaving him the manor of Charmouth.

Mr Henvill and his family owned sugar plantations in the West Indies and were absentee landlords.

However, this did not stop him choosing his cousin, Rev John Audain to fill the position of Rector in Charmouth and Brian Coombe to be curate.

Rev Audain was born on St Kitts in the West Indies in 1755, to a family of plantation owners.

It is known that John was initially a midshipman, taking to the sea after his schooling.

The life of an officer did not suit him, and he abandoned it to follow his religious yearnings for a training in the church.

It was during this time at the age of 21 that he married Ann Willett Payne, born in the same year, on the island of St Kitts.

Miss Payne’s family was one of the wealthiest on the island owning a number of sugar plantations.

The couple are said to have a son, John Willett Audain, born in

1777.

Their lives changed in 1783 after John Audian was ordained and the opportunity arose to take up the post of rector of Charmouth.

The fortunes of the sugar plantations had been hindered by both the war with America and France, with the loss of those markets leaving many in dire financial difficulties.

This was the case with Francis Phipps Henvill, John’s cousin, who in that year owned considerable property in both Charmouth and Catherston.

He is known to come to England with his cousin John and his family, where he chose John as the new Rector.

Benedicta Durston, the heiress of the Henvill Estates had left Charmouth to her cousin Francis, and Catherston to another cousin, Robert Elmer Henvill.

It was Robert that chose Rev. Brian Coombes as rector of Catherston, on the death of his father.

Unfortunately Robert passed away, leaving the manor to Francis, which created the strange situation whereby Brian Coombe was rector of Catherston but only curate at Charmouth.

John Audain from the beginning of his term left the running of the church to his capable curate, appearing just once as rector in the churchwarden accounts in the year 1784.

His name is also lacking in the list of marriages, where it was noted that Brian continued officiating with these after his father had died.

After 1787, Rev Audain moved back to the West Indies (whilst still rector of Charmouth), leaving his wife and son behind.

Initially John took up the post of curate at St Thomas Church, St Kitts in October 1787, although their parish records show that he resigned in August the following year.

Henry Coleridge covered the next part of Rev Audain’s life in a chapter in his book, “Six Months in the West Indies in the year 1825.”

Within it, Mr Coleridge describes how Rev Audain built himself a schooner (a sailing ship with two or more masts), and carried out raids on the French to his own satisfaction and profit.

After a gap he returned to his duties as a clergyman by taking on the position of rector of Roseau and St Georges in Dominica, a position he held according to their records, from 1802 until 1811, when he was dismissed.

One record of his time as clergyman, said: “As well as

holding services at the church and attending to his religious duties, he was also a blatant practitioner of piracy.

“Pastor Audain was known to leave the church in mid-sermon upon sighting a suitable vessel, rush down to his sloop and give chase, sword in hand.

“He would sit in the bell tower of the church and use its elevation as a lookout tower from where he espied his next victim.

“He was consequently christened the Pirate Pastor Audain.”

Throughout all this time though, Rev Audain still referred to himself as rector of Charmouth, even though he had not returned to the town since he left.

Count Charles Roehenstart in 1814 said: “He had arranged to have a sight draft sent for him by Rev. John Audain, Rector of Charmouth.”

Rev Audain died in 1825, aged 70, and was buried on the island of St Eustatius.

A year after his death in 1826, a newspaper article in the Dorset County Chronicle and Somersetshire Gazette, said: “Respecting Mr. Audain, the Rector of Charmouth, (now resident in the West Indies) may be interesting to many of our readers.

Mr Audain has, we believe, for many years past been engaged in clerical and commercial pursuits in the West Indies.

“He is still Rector of Charmouth, but has not been a resident for upwards of twenty years, and his living is now under sequestration by the authority of the Bishop of Bristol.”

A reader, B.M.W, replied to the editor: “Rev Audain is no longer Rector of Charmouth, his extravagant and inconsistent conduct having deprived him of a living which he proved himself so utterly unworthy.

“The extravagant and inconsistent conduct having deprived him of a living which he proved himself so utterly unworthy.

“The present Rector, the Rev. Glover, was inducted about a fortnight since, and it is saying far less than his high merits deserve, that he is in ever respect the opposite of his misguided predecessor.”

n To learn more about the exploits of Charmouth’s Pirate Parson, Neil is giving a talk at St Andrew’s Church with Simon Parsons on Tuesday, May 8 at 7pm. For more information, email Neil at beaniepets@yahoo.co.uk