  The Reverend Walter Bidlake, MA, FRAS, JP (1865-1938) was vicar of Crewe,
England, for some 21 years. A member of the BAA, he was a keen amateur
astronomer with an interest in celestial photography. At the request of another
well-known BAA member, T.H.E.C. Espin, Bidlake took photographs of the night
sky in support of Espin's search for dark nebulae in the Milky Way. This paper
describes Bidlake's astronomical activities and life, including a high profile
libel case he brought.
