John Purchas

John Purchas, (born at Cambridge, 14 July 1823; died at Brighton, 18 October 1872), was an author and a priest of Church of England who was prosecuted for ritualist practices. He received his education at Bury St Edmunds, Rugby School and Christ's College, Cambridge (B.A., 1844; M.A., 1847). He was curate of Elsworth, Cambridgeshire, 1851–53, of Orwell in the same county, 1856–59, and of St. Paul's, Brighton, 1861–66 (where he was a curate of Henry Michell Wagner); and perpetual curate of St. James' Chapel, Brighton, after 1866.

His curacy in St. James' is significant because of the direct contribution which was made through it to the controversy concerning ritualism in the Anglican church. Purchas introduced the use of vestments such as the cope, chasuble, alb, biretta, etc., and used lighted candles on the altar, crucifixes, images, and holy water, together with processions, incense, and the like. On 27 November 1869, he was accordingly charged before the Court of Arches with infringing the law of the established church; he did not appear to answer, giving as reasons his poverty, which prevented him from securing legal assistance, and ill-health.

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