#sodomy

Free eBook

A Correct Account of the Horrible Occurrence

A Correct Account of the Horrible Occurrence is a sensational 1822 scandal pamphlet exposing the arrest of Percy Jocelyn, the Bishop of Clogher, after he was discovered late at night in the back room of a London public house with a common soldier. The text—reprinted here exactly as originally printed—details how the incident took place at the White Lion in St. James’s, and how the bishop was apprehended, publicly humiliated, and dragged through the streets under the hostile eyes of an outraged crowd.

What follows is a furious attack on hypocrisy, censorship, and the so-called “respectable” press that attempted to suppress the bishop’s identity while zealously condemning similar acts among the poor. The pamphlet not only names the bishop outright, but argues that the scandal reveals a corrupt moral double standard—the privileged protected, the powerless punished.

More than mere prurient gossip, this document is part of early queer history, recording both an open same-sex scandal and the public debate about morality, power, and who is allowed to escape judgment. In an era when homosexuality was criminalized and executions and transportation still threatened those accused, the pamphlet’s outrage and dark humor remain strikingly modern.

This free Queerazon edition preserves the full historical text exactly as printed, making available a forgotten moment of queer resistance, public scandal, and righteous indignation—complete with its period typography, accusations, and vivid tabloid energy.