Skegness Magazine

Source Skegness News 1952

Fifteen Years Imprisonment

Black Book Contained 850 Names

Code used was in the infantry manual of the First World War

“I do not intend to express a moral judgment in your case. I would remind you that there are some hard sayings in the Gospel, and you may recall one; ‘ It were better for that man, that a millstone were placed round his neck and he was cast into the uttermost depths of the sea,’ and that was a man who had done harm to one of the least of these little ones.”

Thus commented ‘Mr. Justice Stable, at Nottingham Assizes, on Friday, when passing sentence on the Rev. Francis James Wood, aged 51, until recently the Vicar of Winthorpe, near Skegness, who had kept a black book with the names of 850 boys in it, with code marks against 382 of them. (Photo: St Mary’s Church Winthorpe, Skegness)
He was charged with offences against boys, and the judge. remarked “I do not know—no-one will ever know, how many lives you have broken and ruined and how many human souls you have destroyed, almost in the cradle. You will destroy no more.”
Wood, it was stated, had been a member of the Skegness Lifeboat crew for two years, and during that time had helped to save eighteen lives.
Passing sentence of fifteen years imprisonment, Mr. Justice Stable also commented:

HIDEOUS PERVERSIONS

“In this hideous record of yours there are names of no less than 382 against whom there is a code mark of some kind or another, indicating the practice of one or other of many of these hideous perversions.
My duty is to see that society and small children are protected from these foul things, and you will go to prison for years.
Wood pleaded guilty to eight charges of indecently assaulting six boys between the ages of 11 and 14, one charge of indecently assaulting a 13-year-old girl, and one charge of gross indecency.
He asked for 27 other charges concerning a further 16 boys to be considered.
Mr. R. C. Vaughan, Q.C., prosecuting, said that Woods was a clergyman of the Church of England and was ordained in 1934.
He became the curate of a parish at Atherton, Lancashire, and in 1939 became the vicar of St Mary’s, Winthorpe.
DELIBERATE CORRUPTION OF YOUTH
Since then he had taken what was thought to be an innocent and proper interest in boys and their activities.
Never in his long experience, said Mr. Vaughan, had he known a worse case,
“It appears that throughout the whole of his ministry as a clergyman he has been engaged in deliberate corruption of youth and has been involved in perverted practices which are, happily, generally unknown.”
The Police described a diary kept in a code found in the infantry manual of the 1914-18 war, in which Wood had recorded his day-to-day activities.
On Sundays he wrote down the services he had conducted and the names of those of victims who had served at them.
Police also found a vast library of erotic and pornographic literature, and passages which would help him, in his corruption of youth were marked with paper.

A TERRIFYING TOTAL
There was also the black book which contained names and addresses of small boys, he had met in the course of his work since 1921.
It contained a terrifying total of names, some 85O in all. Of these, 666 had chronicled the date of their birth-days, their.address, and where they could be found.
Of these 666 names, no fewer than 302 had symbols indicating that Wood had gained to have practised some form of perversion with these boys, said Mr Vaughan.
The book was kept with meticulous care. There was a section for “chance customers” headed ” unknowns,” in which descriptions were given.
FOR EVER A MYSTERY
“He had an extensive aeries of photographs of some hundreds, of naked boys. He left no system of perversion untried.
“One would have hoped to have heard that he was insane, but that was not so.”
Mr. Vaughan added, “‘ How this matter failed to be discovered for so long must for ever be a mystery.”
Mr. Vaughan, who mentioned that’ Wood was a radio operator at sea for six years before he entered the church, added, “As far as I can see he has been a confirmed and determined homosexual all his life.”

SUPT. S. G. BARNES’ EVIDENCE
Police Supt. S. G. Barnes, of Skegness, said that Wood wished to have 27 other cases considered.
He added that Wood was born in Lancashire and went to a grammar school there. In 1918 he joined the air force direct from school and after, demobilisation he was for some time a scoutmaster and then a radio operator at sea.
After several years at sea he came home to start a poultry farming business in Herefordshire, and when this failed he became a teacher. Then, in 1934, he entered the church.
Mr. J., A. Grieves, defending, told the judge that Wood had, now resigned his living at Winthorpe.
Evidence on Wood’s behalf was given by the Vicar of , St, Andrew’s at Lincoln, the Rev. Kenneth Richardson, who said he was the Vicar of Burgh when Wood went to Winthorpe.
When he came to Winthorpe he was very keen and did more than was asked of him in many ways. He held daily services and was very good to the sick.”
Mr. Richardson said that while he was at Burgh he saw and heard nothing to suggest that Wood’s ministry failed from the theological and pastoral points of view.
“He and I exchanged books on theology and he seemed to be very interested in the intellectual side of his calling,” said Mr. Richardson.
Mr. Wilfred Perrin, coxswain of the Skegness Lifeboat, said that ” in the boat Wood was a brave man.”
BEYOND AID OF SCIENCE
Mr. Grieves said that Wood had been examined by his own doctor and by the prison medical officer, and both agreed there was no treatment known to science that could give the slightest relief.
Mr. Grieves added, ” By now, the man who stands in the dock has been through all stages of perversion until it enslaved him. He lives in a prison of his own making. This perversion
has got such a hold on him that he is nothing but a slave. He studied and recorded it as a medical student might have done”.