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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 16 September 2015
The public events which from 1787 occupied the minds of English Catholics, and which were properly inaugurated by the “Protestation”, had a secret prelude, in the year 1786. Before dealing with those events, therefore, it will be necessary to examine the circumstances which led to the formulation of that document.
1. First published in 1680, under the title Roman Catholick Principles, in reference to God and the King, explained in a letter to a friend, and now MADE PUBLIC… . John Kirk published, in 1815, a version of the Principles with An Enquiry respecting the Editions and the author of that Valuable Tract, London, 1815. Kirk used Berington's emended text. Unless otherwise stated, Kirk's is the edition of the Principles used here. (=K).
2. K, pp. 29-35.
3. Joseph, Berington, Reflections addressed to the Revd. John Hawkins, to which is added an exposition of Roman Catholic Principles. … (Birmingham, 1785).Google Scholar
4. K, p. 44.
5. K, p. 76. The original section read “General councils (which are the Church of God Representative) have no commission from Christ ...” and became: “The Pastors of the church — who are the body representative — either dispersed or in council have received … “.
6. John, Milner, Supplementary Memoirs of English Catholics… . (London, 1820), Appendix A, pp. 272–3.Google Scholar
7. K, p. 78, p. 74. The altered passage originally declared that the “marks” of unity, etc., were applicable “to no other Church”. Berington's version merely stated that these marks evidently were applicable to the Roman Church, without any excluding clause.
8. Catholic Committee, “Second Blue Book”, p. 14. Charles, Butler, Collected Works, Vol. 4, pp. 219–237 (London, 1821).Google Scholar Gentleman's Magazine, January, February, March 1787. Sir, John Throckmorton, A Second Letter addressed to the Catholic Clergy of England (London, 1791), Appendix 2, p. lxxviii. (=Throckmorton 2).Google Scholar
9. Potts, T., An Enquiry into the Moral and Political Tendency of the Religion called Roman Catholic (London, 1790), p. 31.Google Scholar
10. Berington and Kirk, Faith of Catholics confirmed by Scripture and attested by the Fathers (London, 1813).Google Scholar
11. Throckmorton Papers, Coughton Court. Gate-Box, Folder 10: John Throckmorton to the Bishops, Jan. 15ih, 1786. (=Th. MSS, GB 15, etc.)
12. Ibid. The deposing doctrine is termed “intolerable and unchristian” instead of “impious and damnable”. K., p. 78.
13. Th. MSS., loc. cit.
14. Th. MSS., GB 10/Mathew Gibson to J. Throckmorton, Jan. 23rd, 1786.
15. Th. MSS., GB 10/Charles Walmesley, Jan. 26th, 1796.
16. Th. MSS., GB 10/Talbot to Throckmorton, Jan. 27th, 1786.
17. Th. MSS., loc. cit. /Throckmorton to Talbot, Jan. 28th, 1786.
18. Th. MSS./Talbot to Throckmorton, Feb. 4th, 1786.
19. Milner, Supplementary Memoirs, p. 266.
20. Th. MSS./Throckmorton to Talbot, Feb. 26th.
21. Th. MSS./Talbot to Throckmorton, Feb. 28th.
22. Th. MSS./Throckmorton to Talbot, March 2nd.
23. Th. MSS./Talbot to Throckmorton, March 6th.
24. Th. MSS./Throckmorton to Talbot, March 9th.
25. Th. MSS./Talbot to Throckmorton, March 13th; Throckmorton to Talbot, March 16th.
26. Th. MSS./Gibson to Talbot, March 17th.
27. Th. MSS./Talbot to Throckmorton, April 5th; Supplementary Memoirs, p. 267; K. 72.
28. My article, Downside Review, vol. 88, no. 292, July 1970, p. 249 and note 20.Google Scholar
29. Burton, E. H., Life and Times of Bishop Challoner (London, 1909), 2, pp. 213–4.Google Scholar
30. Archives of the Bishop of Clifton ( = CL): Thomas to Bishop Walmesley, Oct. 13th, 1783.
31. Butler, op. cit., p. 222.
32. Th. MSS. /Throckmorton to Talbot, March 9th, 1786.
33. Anthony, Lincoln, Some Political and Social Ideas of English Dissent (Cambridge, 1938), pp. 238–247.Google Scholar
34. Berington, An Address to the Protestant Dissenters (Birmingham, 1787) (quotations from second ed., same year), pp. 30, 44, 59.Google Scholar
35. Bernard, Ward, Dawn of the Catholic Revival (two vols.) (London), 2, pp. 260–265.Google Scholar
36. CL, n.d., letter 68 in vol. for 1787: Committee to Walmesley, Dawn, 1, p. 114.
37. First section of this paper.
38. CL: Talbot to Walmesley, Oct. 9th, 1787.
39. CL: C. Forester to Walmesley, Sept. 27th, 1783.
40. Ibid.
41. Above, note 31.
42. The Rights of Protestant Dissenters to a Complete Toleration asserted (London, 1787).Google Scholar
43. Dawn, 1, pp. 126-151.
44. Dawn, 1, pp. 139-142.
45. Archives of the Archbishop of Westminster (=AAW), 42/147: Walmesley to Talbot, Dec. 23rd, 1787.
46. CL: James Waters to Walmesley, Dec. 2nd, 1786; Walmesley to Sharrock, August 3rd, 1787.
47. AAW 42/128: M. Gibson to Talbot, Jan. 22nd, 1788.
48. Upholland College (=U). T. Rigby to Dr. Rigby, March 11th, 1789. All quotations are from transcripts generously made available to me by Revd. J. Derek Holmes.
49. Dawn, 1, pp. 144-5.
50. Ibid., 152-171.
51. Catholic Committee, First Blue Book, p. 7.
52. Barnard, Life of Challoner (London, 1784), pp. 155–96.Google Scholar
53. Richard, Challoner, Memoirs of Missionary Priests (London, 1741, two vols.).Google Scholar The nearest Catholic equivalent to Foxe.
54. Dom, Maurus Lunn, “English Benedictines and the Oath of Allegiance”, Recusant History, 10, no. 3, Oct. 1969.Google Scholar
55. In the words, “... we the English Catholics ought not to suffer for or on account of any wicked or erroneous Doctrines that may be held by any other Catholics … “.
56. First Blue Book, pp. 2, 4. Throckmorton, A Letter addressed to the Catholic Clergy. Second edition (London, 1792) (=Throckmorton 3), p. ix.Google Scholar
57. England, T., Life of Arthur O'Leary (London, 1822), p. 215.Google Scholar
58. CL: Weld to Walmesley, April 20th, 1789, Dawn, 1, p. 150.
59. Th. MSS./GB.8: Berington to Throckmorton, July 5th 1789.
60. Th. MSS./GB.8: Berington to Butler, August 15th 1789.
61. U.: Archer to Thomas Rigby, October 29th 1789.
62. Ushaw College Magazine, vol. 14 (1904), p. 129.Google Scholar
63. Dawn, 1, p. 173.
64. CL: Pilling to Sharrock, September 1789.
65. Ushaw College, Eyre Correspondence (=EC): Bannister to Eyre. October 31st 1789.
66. Plowden, C., An Answer to the Second Blue Book (London, 1791), p. 14.Google Scholar
67. Joseph, Berington, An Essay on the Depravity of the Nation (London, 1788).Google Scholar
68. Kirk, MSS. notes in his copy of Plowden's Answer, Oscott Catalogue 2681. See below, note 87.
69. CL: Pilling to Sharrock, September 14th 1789.
70. Dawn, 1, pp. 178-9.
71. U.: Archer to Dr Rigby, October 29th 1789.
72. Bishop Walmesley and Robert Bannister.
73. Th. MSS./GB.15: Petre to Throckmorton, October 28th 1789.
74. U.: Archer to Rigby, October 29th 1789.
75. First Blue Book, pp. 2, 4, 13.
76. Birrell, T. A., Dublin Review, vol. 229, p. 267.Google Scholar
77. Dawn, 1, p. 184.
78. CL: Pilling to Sharrock, November 25th 1789.
79. Below, note 136; Huddleston Papers, Cambridge Record Office: Henry Bostock to Ferdinand Huddleston, May 1st 1792.
80. CL: Sir Henry Englefield to Walmesley, November 33rd 1789.
81. CL: Pilling to Sharrock, November 25th 1789.
82. Alexander, Geddes, Letter to the Vicars Apostolic in England from a Catholic Layman (London, 1790).Google Scholar
83. Ushaw College Manuscripts (=Us.M.): Revd. Thomas Eyre, March 4th 1790.
84. U.: Th. Rigby to Dr. Rigby, February 22nd 1790.
85. Sir, John Throckmorton, A letter addressed to the Catholic Clergy of England, on the appointment of bishops (London, 1790) (=Throck 1).Google Scholar
86. Charles, Plowden, An Answer to the Second Blue Book (London, 1791), p. 6.Google Scholar
87. The literature, if such it can be called, is enormous. See the Catalogue of Oscott College Recusant Books, part 2, under Clifford, Geddes, Milner, Petre, Pilling, Plowden, Reeves, Strickland.
88. Henry, Clifford, Reflections on the appointment of a Catholic Bishop to the London District (London, 1791), p. 8.Google Scholar
89. Throckmorton 2. Appendix 10, pp. Ixi ff.
90. Clifford, op. cit., p. 8.
91. Analytical Review, vol. 10, p. 500.Google Scholar
92. Clifford, op. cit., p. 13.
93. Throck. 1, passim.
94. John, Milner, The Clergyman's answer to the Layman's letter (London, 1790), p. 26.Google Scholar
95. Charles, Plowden, Remarks on the Memoirs of Panzani (Liege, 1794), pp. 38–9.Google Scholar
96. Bodleian Library, Constable Maxwell Papers, f. 50: Marm. Tunstall, March 25th 1790.
97. Throck. 2, p. xiv, ff.
98. Ushaw College, President's Archive (=PA), c. 10: P. Browne to Chadwick, August 2nd 1790; PA. c. 8: J. Lonsdale to Chadwick, July 12th 1790.
99. Dawn, 1, pp. 242-3.
100. Second Blue Book.
101. Dawn, 1, p. 252; Rowlands, Recusant History 9 (1968), p. 232.Google ScholarPubMed
102. Dawn, 1, p. 283.
103. Dawn, 1, p. 286 ff: Oscott 2681, p. 53. MSS. note (by
104. Th. MSS.: Wilkes Correspondence, October 31st 1791.
105. Th. MSS./GB.15: Petre to Throckmorton, November 6th 1791.
106. Plowden, Answer, p. 11, note.
107. Th. MSS./GB.15: Petre to Throckmorton, November 6th 1791.
108. AAW 43/143: Walmesley to Douglass, November 25th, 1791; Th. MSS., Wilkes Correspondence, November 21st 1791.
109. Staffordshire, Clergy, Address to the Catholic Clergy of England (London, 1792).Google Scholar
110. AAW 44/49-50: John Barrow to Douglass, July 31st 1792, enclosing a copy of his letter to Berington.
111. BAA CI 128: Clough to Kirk, December 27th 1791.
112. CL: Sharrock to Walmesley, March 20th 1791.
113. CL: Petre to Sharrock, February 2nd 1792.
114. Throckmorton 3, pp. 71, 97, 85.
115. CL: Plowden to Walmesley, April 14th 1792.
116. Petre Papers, Chelmsford (Essex Record Office) D/DP F.187.
117. CL: Douglass to Walmesley, April 21st 1792.
118. AAW 44/42: Walmesley to Douglass, April 12th 1792.
119. Third Blue Book, p. 11.
120. AAW 44/4a: Bannister to Douglass, May 10th 1792.
121. CL: Douglass to Walmesley, May 18th 1792. Ward, Dawn, 1, pp. 339 ff.
122. Ibid.
123. Charles, Plowden, Remarks on the writings of Revd. Joseph Berington (London, 1792)Google Scholar
124. CL: Plowden to Walmesley, May 13th 1792; Douglass to Walmesley, May 18th 1792.
125. CL, year 1792, letter 90, no date: Douglass to Walmesley.
126. Dawn, 1, p. 356.
127. Huddleston MSS. in Cambridgeshire Record Office: Henry Bostock to Ferdinand Huddleston, May 1st 1792, and cf. AAW 43/32.
128. Huddleston MSS.: Henry Huddleston to Ferdinand Huddleston, March 2nd 1792.
129. AAW 43/154. N.d. but internal references make its approximate date clear enough.
130. CL: Douglass to Walmesley, July 10th 1792; Us.M. 454c: Bannister to Gibson, July 30th 1792.
131. AAW 44/57a: Bordley to Douglass August 1792.
132. AAW 44/53a: Barnard to Douglass, August 4th 1792.
133. A Pastoral letter from [the} Vicars Apostolic to all the Faithful (London, 1792); AAW 44/114a: MSS. notes; CL: Gibson to Walmesley, October 21st 1792.
134. AAW 44/82a: Gibson to Douglass, 12th October 1792.
135. Dawn, 2, p. 41.
136. CL: Edward Smythe to Sharrock (?), February 5th 1793; BAA A.295, quoted in full in Worcestershire Recusant no. 14 by Mrs. A. M. Hodgson, to whom I am indebted for the reference.
137. Throckmorton 3, pp. vii-xii.
137a. Berington, Memoirs of Gregorio Panzani (Birmingham, 1793).Google Scholar
138. Panzani, preface, passim; Th. MSS. Wilkes Correspondence. August 24th 1793.
139. CL: W. Coombes to Walmesley, June 17th 1793.
140. CL: Walmesley to Douglass, July 3rd 1793.
141. AAW 45/169: Berington to Douglass, July 7th 1793.
142. Th. MSS./GB.15: Petre to Throckmorton, November 6th 1791.
143. CL: Bew to Walmesley, July 13th 1793; Douglass to Walmesley, July 15th 1793; Coombes to Walmesley, July 28th 1793; Walmesley to Bew. August 2nd 1793; Walmesley to Bew, November 25th 1793.
144. CL: Douglass to Walmesley, March 18th 1794.
145. Th. MSS., Wilkes Correspondence, September 10th 1793.
146. CL: Gibson to Walmesley, February 15th 1794.
147. Plowden, Remarks on Panzani, preface.
148. BAA, C. 1286: Berington to Kirk, January 2nd 1794.
149. BAA, C. 1310: Berington to Kirk, December 26th 1794.
150. Th. MSS./GB.15: Petre to Throckmorton, September 24th 1794.
151. CL: Warmoll to Walmesley, December 22nd 1794.
152. Dawn 2, pp. 130 ff
153. BAA, C. 1325: Berington to Kirk, April 28th 1795.
154. CL, year 1794, n.d., letter 36, Douglass to Walmesley; Douglass to Walmesley, April 22nd 1796.
155. AAW 45/98: Milner to Douglass, September 29th 1795; AAW 45/77: Milner to Douglass, August 21st 1795.
156. CL, year 1794, no date, letter 75: Douglass to Walmesley; AAW 45/171. Milner to Douglass, March 21st 1796.
157. Throckmorton MSS. See N.R.A. Catalogue.
158. For these and subsequent events, see my article in Downside Review, vol. 88, no. 292, pp. 246–269.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
