This post features a lecture delivered by Thomas Napoleon Smith, a Baptist Minister, on the subject of “The Miff Tree”.
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| Loughborough Baptist church, Baxter Gate |
So, let’s start with some personal information about Thomas Napoleon Smith: who was he?
Thomas Napoleon Smith’s birth at Wisbech, Lincs, was registered in the fourth quarter of 1855, and he was baptised on 4 May 1856. His parents were Thomas, born in Chesterton, Cambridge, around 1827, and Ann Eliza, born in Cambridge, around 1824. His elder brother, Henry, had been born three years earlier, in 1852. At the time of the 1861 census, the family were living in Whittlesey, in the police station as his father was the superintendent of the police. The house next door was the Old George pub, listed as being in Old Whittlesey.
It’s possible that the Thomas Smith listed as a nephew and lodging with aunt, Mary Jane, and uncle, James, in Walcot, near Bath as appears on the 1871 census, is our Thomas Napoleon. His birthplace is given as Wisbech, and he is listed as a draper’s assistant.
It is certain that Thomas Napoleon Smith marries Annie Maria Goldsworthy on the Isle of Wight, in the fourth quarter of 1879, and daughter Anna Maud is born in 1880. At the time of the 1881 census, the family are living in Monks Kirby, a village in Warwickshire, close to Rugby, Coventry and Lutterworth.
Anyone who is familiar with family history research will realise that searching for someone with the surname of Smith is a difficult task, even when they have a forename like Napoleon! The next confirmed event in the life of TNS is the birth of son, Ludlow P. Smith, around 1890, and son, Ewart Gladstone Smith, around 1892: both were certainly born in America, and maybe more specifically at Mason, Ingham, Michigan. Whether or not there were any other children born to Thomas and Annie between 1880 and 1889, while they were in America, I have not been able to prove.
Anyway, by 1895 the family were back in Britain, and in March 1895, TNS accepted the position of Baptist minister at the Particular Baptist Chapel in Tetbury, Gloucestershire, following the Rev. Robert Bray who was minister from 1881-1892. It was in Tetbury that two more children were born, Frank in 1897, when the family was listed as living at New Church Street, and Albert in 1899.
This post in Tetbury was not a long-standing position, and by the time of the 1901 census, the family have moved to 24 Agnes Road, Northampton, where TNS is listed as a Baptist minister, as is the head of the family living next door. Again, the family only stayed here a relatively short time, and by 1906, local directories listed TNS as living at 59 Poppleton Road, Leytonstone, Essex, where he was a Baptist minister and where he continued to live until his death. A 1910 directory listed his occupation as a non-conformist chaplain, West Ham union & Whipp’s Cross Infirmary: the Union Workhouse had been erected in 1839-41, and extended in 1845, and a 200-bed infirmary added in 1864, while the Whipp’s Cross Hospital was built between 1900-1903. This is confirmed by the census return of 1911, and this position continues to be listed until at least 1915.
On 27 September 1916, son Ewart Gladstone Smith dies, and it is around this time that TNS pens poetry, under the pseudonym, Tonosa. Entries in local trade directories in 1917, and 1922 confirm that TNS is still living at 59 Poppleton Road. Thomas Napoleon Smith died on 26 January 1941: probate was granted at Llandudno on 19 May 1941 to daughter Ada Maud Smith.
The delivery of “The Miff Tree” lecture appears to be Thomas Napoleon Smith’s life work! Some of the publicity statements that appeared in adverts for the lecture, from 1895-1931, show that it was clearly very popular wherever it was delivered:
“popular
lecture”
“Come,
Look, Listen, Laugh and Learn”
“all
should hear the celebrated lecture”
“received
with acclamation wherever it has been given and by now he [TNS] has visited
places in all parts of the kingdom and has delivered in America too.”
“This will
be one of the pleasantest evenings of the whole winter. Crowds in large towns
have seen it and pronounce it astonishing. Repeat visits are called for
wherever it goes.”
“popular
lecture. Highly spoken of by the clergy and ministers and the press in all
parts of the country. The title is somewhat mysterious [and] for variety,
humour and practical help is unique.”
“[TNS] will
deliver his amalgama on the ‘Miff Tree’, and entertainment which has evoked the
highest encomiums from the press in many provincial towns. We anticipate that
the great popularity of the lecturer will ensure a crowded attendance.”
“Newtonians
will be afforded a rare treat … The lecture is full of wit, wisdom, pleasure
and profit and should on no account be missed.”
“[delivered] with its latest improvements!”
“A rare
treat! Don’t miss it!”
“this
lecture has been given upwards of forty times in London alone, and is highly
commended”
“unique
entertainment”
As the adverts above indicate, Rev. Thomas Napoleon Smith delivered his lecture across much of Great Britain, Ireland and even in America. Many of these places were in clusters around places that TNS had either lived, or with which he had some connection. So, for example, he embarked on a lecture tour of the Isle of Wight: Ryde, Newport and Sandown in November 1897; there were many visits to Gloucestershire villages – Fairford, Cirencester, Lydney, and Stonehouse in 1895, Stroud in 1896, Gloucester in 1897, Chalford in 1898, and Nupend, near Stroud, and Stonehouse, in January 1899; and a series of deliveries in Northamptonshire – Hillmorton and Long Itchington, near Rugby, and Rugby itself in 1896, Northampton in 1900 and Long Buckby in 1903.
Other clusters of places where Rev. Thomas Napoleon Smith gave his lecture included: Blaenavon, Merthyr Tydfil, Abergavenny, and Longhope near Ross in late 1896, and Abergavenny and Brecon in the autumn of 1898. The Scottish cluster occurred in March 1896 when Smith lectured at Galashiels and Selkirk. The Ireland tour took place in late 1896, just before the visits to Merthyr and Blaenavon.
Smith also visited a variety of other places, including many in Middlesex – Hanwell and West Drayton, both in 1898; many in London – Lambeth in 1895, Whetstone, Woolwich and New Barnet in 1896; a few in Oxfordshire – Banbury in 1896, Faringdon in 1898 and Chipping Norton in 1899. Visits were also made to Southend, Bristol, and Reading (all in 1896), Bedford, Poole and Newton Abbot in 1899, not to mention a whole variety of other places.
Smith also lectured at places closer to Loughborough, which included Derby, Melbourne Hall and Leicester, all in 1896. Smith’s visit to Loughborough was reported in the Loughborough Monitor and News of 8 December 1898, his lecture being delivered to the Young Men’s Guild at the school rooms of the Baxter Gate Baptist Chapel. Sadly, the public library and the Record Office are currently closed, so I have been unable to read the report, but here are some examples of reports from the other of Smith’s lectures across the country: I cannot imagine that the delivery at Loughborough could have elicited anything but the same excitement as it seems to have done across the length and breadth of the country.
The following report is from ‘The Shoreditch Observer, Hackney Express and Bethnal Green Chronicle’, dated 12 November, 1904, pg.3
“’The Miff Tree’ The ‘Miff Tree and the Miffers’ was the title of a most amusing and instructive lecture, given by Rev. T. Napoleon Smith on Monday last, at the Shoreditch YMCA. A large pictorial pamphlet was before the audience. On this, was a picture of a tree whose branches were birds of different natures (16 in number), which represented those people corresponding natures, who take offence at the least thing said or done contrary to their own views. The following illustration may be given in the lecturer’s own words:
“Number four is an unconverted choir member, who says the minister is an ‘idiot’ for inviting the congregation to join in the singing, and is cross with the choir-master for not allowing her to render a solo every Sunday night, and because he has suggested that she should spend less time and more sense on the last note. To fully appreciate this lovely creature, we must hear her sing:
“That pulpit
man has got no sense,
To say ‘all swell the song’:
And I can’t stand the impudence
Of that
choir-master long!
I’ll leave
the choir! Yes, leave again!
If I can’t
have my way,
The final
note I will sustain,
And give my voice fair play."
“Picture number six is of three birds who belong to the crank tribe, sometimes called ‘kickers’, Do not think they are making love to each other. They never make love to anybody …There is to be a church meeting down below, and three crows have put their heads together. Their general plans are to join loudly in singing ‘Blest be the tie that binds’, and then to ‘caw’ against the existing order of things, whatever that order may be: and to oppose every measure, good or bad, which may be proposed.”
And so right through his project, Mr Smith has a bird to represent the pugnacious attitude of so many so-called Christian people. The lecturer has a marvellous falsetto voice, which enables him to imitate different sounds, whether it be birds, dogs or instruments. The significance of the lecture lay in the important moral lessons which he drew from his ‘birds’”
The following is from the 'Oxfordshire Weekly News', of 29 March 1899, pg. 5 and reports on the lecture delivered at Chipping Norton:
“ ‘An oratorical, mimical, musical, and moral amalgama on the ‘Miff Tree,
or a night with the birds’ ” was the
description of a somewhat unique entertainment … The Chairman, in introducing
Mr Napoleon Smith, said he had seen a great many trees in various parts of the
world, but he had never yet met with a Miff tree. That was a variety, as a
florist would say, which had not come under his notice, but he and they would
learn something about it before leaving the building. The Rev, Napoleon Smith
then exhibited his Miff tree, which was a rough drawing of a tree on a canvas
about seven feet square. The ‘birds’, 15 in number, were supposed to represent
various vices, such as backbiting, slandering, envy, uncharitableness, and the
numerous characteristics of the class of persons who possess the unenviable
faculty of making themselves obnoxious and disagreeable, treated more
particularly in religious circles and church life. All such persons are ‘up the
miff tree’ and the entertainer drew their characteristics, showed their
mischievous propensities and held them up as examples to be avoided. There was
a good deal of racy humour in the lecturer’s remarks, whose faculty for
‘punning’ was considerable … His singing might have been curtailed with
advantage, for he would hardly shine in a school room as a vocalist, but he had
a very clever knack of producing familiar sounds, the whistle and puff of the
locomotive, the bark of a pug, the buzzing of the bee, the voice of the
peacock, and the distinctive notes of song birds …”
The review of the lecture at Faringdon was covered by the 'Faringdon Advertiser and Vale of the White Horse Gazette' 14 May 1898, pg 4, and read as follows:
“For a
fortnight previous to Monday last the town was placarded with bills announcing
that ‘The Miff Tree is coming”, and giving particulars of an entertainment … to
b given by Rev. T. Napoleon Smith, a Nonconformist Minister. Most people were
in doubt as to what kind of an entertainment would be provided, for ‘Miff Tree’
is somewhat shrouded in mystery until explained … [TNS] proceeded to give his
entertainment, which consisted of a lecture upon the quibbles and crotchets of
individuals who are found to be in every religious community, together with
hints for the guidance of the Christian, with special reference to the drinking
and smoking customs of the country, the evil results of cigarette smiling by
boys being particularly enlarged upon. The ‘Miff Tree’ was represented by the
picture of a tree, on the branches of which were representations of birds,
which their turn were used by the lecturer to illustrate those individuals who
were apt to take offence, or to be ‘miffed’ because their ideas or suggestions
had been ignored. The lecture was cleverly written …”
The 'Chelmsford Chronicle' of 6 December 1895, pg 8, described the lecture thus:
“Those who
turned out on Wednesday evening to attend, in the school room of the Baptist
Church, the ‘Miff Tree’ lecture-entertainment. Given by the Rev. Napoleon Smith
of Tetbury, enjoyed a rare treat, which they evidently appreciated, for their
applause was most demonstrative … IN addition to numberless flashes of with and
humour, and appropriate and striking gestures and facial expressions, the
lecturer and entertainer surprised the people with some remarkable vocal
imitations of musical instruments, &c., and, with his English concertina,
played the accompaniment to his numerous original songs, and rendered a marriage
peal, imitation of the bagpipes, and what he called ‘The Jangle’, the latter
literally convulsing the audience.”
But, none of the above really explain what the lecture was all about, so here are a few snippets from the reports which are a bit more illuminating:
“Much amusement was caused by the numerous songs and recitations,
supposed to be the sentiments of those, who from various causes, flew into the
‘Miff Tree’. In conclusion, those present were urged not to be so easily sent
into a ‘miff’ by such trivial matters as mentioned by the lecturer.” - 'Stroud News and Gloucestershire
Advertiser' 21
February 1896, pg 4
“[TNS] had to explain what ‘miff’ meant. A ‘miff’ is a huff, a slightful,
resentful frame of mind. To be in a ‘miff’ is to be in a mild state of
resentment, so that the audience found that miffers meant grumblers, huffed
people, the cranks and crotchets who are to be found in churches and elsewhere.”
- Barnet Press 10 October 1896, pg 5 (30)
This account from the 'Rugby Advertiser' 26 September 1896, pg 5,
goes into great detail about what was covered in the lecture:
“Mr Smith began his lecture by saying that he met with the diagram of
‘The Miff Tree’ (an enlargement of which he paced before the audience), when he
went to America … it seemed to him to be of such wide-spread application that
he had devoted a good deal of attention to it, which had resulted in the
composition of 7.5 verses upon it, with sixteen original tunes. The American
colloquial expression ‘miff’ was explained by Webster [presumably the
dictionary compiler?] as meaning ‘a slight degree of resentment’. It signified
a slightly offended condition, but some who had the ‘miff’ spirit, were a good
deal more than slightly offended … The late Mr Spurgeon had said that his
church was so busy working for the Lord that they had no time to quarrel. Some
churches might say they were so busy quarrelling that they had no time to work
for the Lord … In describing some of the varieties of birds who betook
themselves to the miff tree, [TNS] did not wish those present to be seeking to
find whether their neighbours were included amongst them, but to ask themselves
whether they themselves had anything of the ‘miffish’ spirit. If they found
they had, he hoped they would receive the treatment kindly, and profit by it,
not blaming the physician, but receiving the medicine for their own good.
Fourteen varieties of ‘miffers’ were portrayed:
(1) The bird who was dreaming of the ‘good old times, twenty years ago’
when the sound advice of a pious deacon was not ignored by the management of
the church.
(2) The brother who had ‘turned his back on the whole business’.
(3) A miffer who flew up the miff tree during an unpleasantness in a
business meeting, and had been ‘jawing’ ever since.
(4) the birdie ‘soprano’ who flew up the tree because she was not allowed
to sing ‘Nellie Gray’ at the memorial service of a deceased brother, although
she considered it the best piece to show off her vocal powers.
(5) A bird who was too disagreeable event to explain why he took to the
miff tree, and who always had a down-in-the-mouth appearance.
(6) Three birds of the crank tribe.
(7) The king of the miffers, a pastor who had taken to the tree because
his curate drew larger congregations than he did himself. A minister showed his
miffish spirit by resigning because one of the members told him she did not get
good from his sermons, although many other did get good, and wished him to
stay; also by preaching at people, instead of to them.
(8) Supremacy Longpurse, Esq. who, offended by the pastor, betook himself
to the Established Church. (9) A bird belonging to the ‘giggle-much’ tribe, who
generally sat in the gallery, or a sear near the door and giggled until the
pastor complained.
(10) Birdie Rosebud Tenor, who was periodically offended because it gave
him a chance to display his voice in other places of worship in the town,
although he generally came back to his old seat in the choir sooner or later.
(11) A bird who had been offended, but who had been cured by a sermon he
had heard, and was now coming down from his perch.
(12) A bird who came down from the miff tree, and bathed in tears at
revivals, but at other ties was to be found amongst its branches.
(13) An owl, with spectacles on to discover all slights, real or
imaginary.
(14) A bird only kept from flying up the miff tree by the chain of
‘official position’.
The lecturer described the birds at considerable length, pointing them
out with diagram, and singing verses
illustrative of the sentiments of each, accompanying himself on a concertina.
He incidentally introduced remarkably good vocal imitations of the notes of the
chaffinch, starling, yellowhammer, nightingale, and many other birds. In
conclusion, the lecturer disclaimed any local allusion; the lecture, he said,
was prepared for delivery in America, and had been given word for word in many
places both in that country and in England.”
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| This is Rev. Mayer, who was in charge of one of the Miff Tree meetings |
This review of the event that took place in the Baptist Chapel on Frogmore Street, Abergavenny explains a bit more about the ‘Miff tree’:
“The object [of the lecture] was to expose and denounce the spirit, only too prevalent in many communities, which, through over estimates of self-importance, takes offence at moral trifles or even imaginary wrongs, and results in the misery and strife which break the hearts of the faithful men and hinders the work of God. The speciality, however, of the lecture was the way in which this state of things was dealt with. Instead of mere denunciation and aggravating censure, the portrait of one after another of those individuals was so skilfully drawn in speech, gesture, and song, that the offender could hardly fail to recognise his own likeness. At first he would be led to laugh at the absurdity of his conduct, but on reflection he would surely mourn over his sin. To avoid anything like tediousness in dealing with this delicate and difficult subject, the lecturer introduced a great deal of humorous remark, and with extraordinary ability imitated the notes of many well-known birds and instruments of music &., so that he was able to sustain the interest of a large audience for nearly two hours without any signs of weariness.” - 'Abergavenny Chronicle' 11 December 1896, pg 5
And to finish with, here are some wonderful quotes following Rev. Thomas Napoleon Smith’s lectures:
“Mr Smith’s power of imitating is quite wonderful.”
“The audience were held in rapt attention”
“Mr Smith’s lecture was both intellectual and interesting.”
“There was a good attendance, and the lecture was highly appreciated.”
Hopefully, when access to physical resources is restored, I will be able to bring you details of the event that took place in Loughborough!
You are welcome to quote passages from any of my posts, with appropriate credit. The correct citation for this looks as follow:
Lynne
