The Tarring and Feathering of Latter-day Saints in Edinburgh
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Edinburgh began holding meetings at 14 Picardy Place in the late nineteenth century and continued to do so until they moved to Ruskin House in the 1930s. Members faced considerable hostility and prejudice during this time.
One example occurred on Sunday, 18 June 1922. A small group of members gathered as usual for their meetings. Another room in the property had been hired by the Young Men’s Missionary Union that evening. However, the group of Edinburgh University students had less than pure motives.
At 7 p.m., about 100 students in the room began singing a hymn. The singing was intended to demonstrate that the students were legitimate users of the room, at the conclusion of which a group broke into the Saints’ meeting. Elder John Ingles (1851-1934) and Elder Thomas Finlayson (1855–1939) met them. (They were natives of Scotland who had joined the Church many years earlier and emigrated to Utah.) Now, back in their homeland, the two mature missionaries were leading the members in Edinburgh and now found themselves facing a hostile group.
After bursting into the room, the students’ leader confronted the elders and asked if they were Latter-day Saints from Utah. The elders confirmed that they were. The students then began covering the elders, and others who intervened, with a mixture of cats’ blood, paint, oil, treacle, and other substances. Feathers were then pulled from pockets and thrown over them. Of the event, Elder Ingles later stated:
“We were helpless, and we knew it would be useless to resist. One of the young women present came to our aid and snatched the feathers away from one of the students. He, however, regained possession of them. Another young woman who attempted to push the men off was smeared over. She became infuriated at the cowardly attack and smacked the face of one of the students. … They then set about tearing up the hymn books, mutilating them beyond recognition. They went away, leaving us in a very sad state, but things did not stop there. They came back and attempted to enter the room, but they did not manage to do so, as we had taken precaution to bolt the door.”1
The event sparked outrage and four students were arrested by police. The university was embarrassed; senior university leaders apologised to Church authorities. President Orson F Whitney (1855-1931) received the following letter from Alfred Ewing, the principal and vice chancellor of Edinburgh University:
“I regret exceedingly to be informed that representatives of your Church were subjected to foolish and violent treatment by some young students here, who forgot the courtesy that is due to years. The matter was brought to the attention of the president of the Students’ Representative Council, and such reparation as was possible has been made in payment of property which has been damaged.
“Will you be so good as to convey to the representatives who were maltreated this expression of my most sincere regret that they have suffered annoyance at the hands of any members of the university.”
Compensation of £6 was paid, a small amount considering the damage and disruption caused. However, the incident had positive effects. The agitation led to increased media coverage, often generating more persecution for the missionaries, but also led to new opportunities to share their message.2
Immediately after that Sunday event, Elders Ingles and Finlayson cleaned themselves up and were out proclaiming the gospel. They, and many other missionaries, have persevered in the face of such tribulation. It is through sacrifice and faith that the gospel has continued to be proclaimed throughout the British Isles.