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RADAR Research Archive and Digital Asset Repository RADAR Research Archive and Digital Asset Repository The Catholic church in England: the politics of allegiance and identity 1791-1908 Olive R M Barnes (2011) https://radar.brookes.ac.uk/radar/items/90d17f45-c98b-4c70-9e96-405c746b2f07/1/ Note if anything has been removed from thesis: Copyright © and Moral Rights for this thesis are retained by the author and/or other copyright owners. A copy can be downloaded for personal non-commercial research or study, without prior permission or charge. This thesis cannot be reproduced or quoted extensively from without first obtaining permission in writing from the copyright holder(s). The content must not be changed in any way or sold commercially in any format or medium without the formal permission of the copyright holders. When referring to this work, the full bibliographic details must be given as follows: Barnes, O R M, (2011), The Catholic church in England: the politics of allegiance and identity 1791-1908, PhD, Oxford Brookes University WWW.BROOKES.AC.UK/GO/RADAR The Catholic Church in England The politics of allegiance and identity 1791 œ 1908 Olive Rose Mary Barnes Oxford Brookes University October 2011 This thesis is submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy by research. Acknowledgements I should like to thank the following for their assistance in preparing this thesis: Prof David Nash and Dr Donal Lowry who supervised me. The Abbot and Librarian at Downside Abbey. The archivists at Westminster, Birmingham, Clifton, Leeds, Middlesbrough, Salford and Southwark diocesan archives. Andrew J Barnes who created the software which produced the maps in Chapters 2, 3 and 5. Andrew T Barnes and Melloney R Kaye for helping me understand the legal issues explored in Chapter 7. i ii Abstract This thesis argues that the increasing visibility of Catholics and Catholicism in nineteenth century England and Wales reduced the pre5udice against them and their religion; that they developed an identity which was incontrovertibly English in spite of the absorption of a very large number of Irish migrants6 and that by the end of the century their allegiance to the nation was no longer suspect. 7isibility was expressed in three forms. New churches were built throughout the country in every county in England and Wales. Many of these locations had no knowledge or experience of Catholicism since the Reformation. Myriad difficulties were faced, and overcome, chief amongst which was the institutional poverty of the Church. This thesis will show how this was done and the support given to this pro5ect by the Irish migrants. A second form of visibility was the re8introduction of Catholic cultural practices such as processions. These often became significant events in towns as disparate as Preston, where Catholicism had survived, and Cardiff, where it was re8introduced in the nineteenth century. The local press reported fully and favourably on them. 9inally, Catholics became visible through participation in public life. Pre5udiced press comment on such participation lessened as the century progressed. 1908 was a seminal year in English Catholic history. Confidence was such that a great celebration of the Eucharist was planned by the Church. This occasioned a confrontation with the Government due to the disabling laws still outstanding on the statute book. Now however, England witnessed, not a recurrence of outraged national pre5udice, but universal approbation for Catholics. Many were unaware that such laws, originally designed to protect the Protestant Constitution against subversion by Catholics, were still extant. The Church, and Catholics, had taken their place in English national life, their allegiance was no longer suspect and their identity as English no longer questioned. iii iv Table of Contents 1 Introduction.........................................................................................................................1 1.1 Context.........................................................................................................................2 1.2 Structure of Thesis.....................................................................................................18 1.3 Sources Used.............................................................................................................24 1.4 The Laity>s Directory œ a brief history .....................................................................29 1.5 Contents of the Directories........................................................................................00 2 Rebuilding the Catholic Church in England and Wales....................................................03 2.1 The Catholic position in 1791....................................................................................03 2.2 Difficulties.................................................................................................................44 3 Financing the pro5ect.........................................................................................................63 3.1 The 1791 Model.........................................................................................................64 3.2 1840 - Wright>s Bank ................................................................................................69 3.3 Penny contributions...................................................................................................76 3.4 Middle8class funding.................................................................................................83 3.5 Maps..........................................................................................................................90 4 Success and Failure...........................................................................................................:1 4.1 Comparison of Missions............................................................................................97 4.2 Success Factors........................................................................................................103 4.3 Conclusions.............................................................................................................106 5 The Irish Migration.........................................................................................................109 5.1 A drain on resourcesA...............................................................................................113 5.2 Irish Faith œ Tridentine or notA................................................................................125 5.3 Leakage....................................................................................................................134 6 Creating an Identity œ English and Catholic...................................................................143 6.1 Dedications of churches...........................................................................................145 6.2 Architectural considerations....................................................................................153 6.3 Language ................................................................................................................158 6.4 Public Life...............................................................................................................165 6.5 Cultural Catholicism................................................................................................171 7 English Law.....................................................................................................................181 7.1 Dismantling anti8Catholic legislation......................................................................182 7.2 Ownership of Church Property................................................................................195 7.3 Judgements of the courts.........................................................................................197 7.4 Erosion of the establishment....................................................................................202 8 1908.................................................................................................................................207 8.1 Identity œ EnglishA IrishA RomanA........................................................................209 8.2 Allegiance................................................................................................................213 8.3 Conclusion...............................................................................................................215 Appendix œ Contents of Database......................................................................................225 Bibliography.......................................................................................................................231 v vi 1 Introduction In 1829 the Third Catholic Relief Act in England and Wales was passed by Parliament. This is generally known as the Catholic Emancipation Act. By it, Catholics were granted the right to participate in English society and civic and political life on (almostC the same terms as other Englishmen1. In terms of religious practice, the two earlier Relief Acts (1778, 1791) gave those who took the oaths specified in the Acts, the same rights of freedom of worship granted to Protestant Dissenters by the Act of Toleration of 1690. And yet, although now legal, Catholicism was seen as foreign, strange and not English by most of the population. Indeed there was considerable pre5udice against it. Linda Colley, describing the creation
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