Lisbonian July 2010

Lisbonian
Magazine

The

English College Lisbon July 2010

The Lisbonian
The Editor Kevin Hartley 8 Hanbury Hill Stourbridge DY8 1BE

– The magazine of the Lisbonian Society
All correspondence should be addressed to:

The Lisbonian is the bi-annual magazine of the Lisbonian Society, appearing in January and July, and covers a wide range of topics of current and historical interest. The magazine is distributed to all members of the Society and to those who have expressed an interest in the College. Articles relating in any way to Lisbon past or present and especially to former students of the College are always very welcome. Anyone wishing to submit an article for consideration should in the �rst instance contact Kevin Hartley as above or by email: [email protected]

Lisbonian Society
Correspondence relating to the Lisbonian Society should be addressed to Hon Secretary Lisbonian Society V Rev Canon Gerard Hetherington, KHS The Presbytery 12 Station Road Peters�eld GU32 2ED 2 | The Lisbonian magazine – July 2010

Contents

Editorial ............................................................. 5 The Lisbonian – Redivivus ................................... 5 Letters to the Editor ........................................... 9 A Quinta dos Inglesinhos… ................................13 Jersey’s Honorary Lisbonian................................15 Olla Podrida, or Odds and Ends .........................18 The Lisbonian Meeting 2009 .............................19 Re�ections – Anglicanorum Coetibus ...................22 Christos Anesti ek Nekron ..................................23 Corpo Santo – Lisbon ........................................28 The Minho .........................................................33 Where Are They Now? .......................................38 The Organ of the Inglesinhos… .........................39

The Lisbonian magazine – July 2010 | 3

Editorial
The Lisbonian on-line!
In the earliest days, a magazine edited by the students of the Lisbon College was cyclostyled. How large a circulation it had is unknown, but it developed into The Lisbonian that most of us remember, circulated in the College and distributed to members of the Society and beyond. Now, for those of us with access to the Internet, The Lisbonian can be read on-line. Just enter iRecusant into your Google or other search engine and look for the magazine among the other items on display. For those of you who wouldn’t know a search engine from a Castle Class locomotive, rest reassured that the magazine is not going paperless – your copy will still be brought to you through the post! qualify for entry in the January edition of The Lisbonian. The end of the Abbey of Pershore came about many years before the foundation of the Lisbon College was even dreamed of but the article about John Stonywell, the last Abbot, illustrates the relentless policies executed under Thomas Cromwell and brings into human perspective something of the predicament presented by those whose whole way of life had been moulded by centuriesold tradition. The establishment of the Lisbon College was a later part of the response to that predicament.
Kevin Hartley

Just Testing the Translators
Those who still treasure their command of Portuguese are presented with a challenge by the Fado printed in this issue. Translations should be submitted by the end of October in order to
Kevin Hartley your editor welcomes feedback and articles!

Letters

The Lisbonian welcomes your emails and letters. Correspondence should be addressed to the Editor at the address on page 2.

4 | The Lisbonian magazine – July 2010

An invitation to write in The Lisbonian. Letters relating to articles that have appeared in a previous issue or which draw the readers’ attention to items of interest are very welcome.

Letters to the Editor
Re: Re�ections

re. The Jersey Honorary Lisbonian
Congratulations on your latest Lisbonian. I enjoyed it immensely. Nick France ( Jersey’s Honorary Lisbonian, January 2010) was interesting, though there are a couple of funnies in my comment on page 18. I might be responsible for them but I don’t know. ‘The Bishop said Mass’ should read Peter said Mass… Then in the next paragraph: ‘She also eventually built up a Saturday group. The Portuguese Chaplain from London came over a couple of times and the President…’ Your note about the silver ewer was very interesting. I presume it is the one from the sacristy; I wonder what happened to its basin? And how much the College actually made from the original sale. The article on the Minho brought back memories of a similar journey I made �ve or six years ago. I must make contact with Portugal again before it is too late.
Gerry Hetherington [email protected]

I have no wish to fall out with a fellow Lisbonian but your contributor to Re�ections (January 2010) seems to denigrate the Holy Father’s generous offer of a place within the Roman Catholic Church for those Anglicans who wish to remain faithful to the 2000 year old tradition of respecting the intentions of Our Blessed Lord in establishing the sacred priesthood at the Last Supper. Much has been made of the place of Mary Magdalene and the other women followers of Jesus, but there is no getting away from the fact that at the Last Supper Our Lord commanded only his (male) apostles to act as Alter Christus in the celebration of the Eucharist, so those of our Anglican brethren who respect the tradition and who accept the Holy Father as Vicar of Christ on earth should be welcomed openheartedly.
Name and address supplied

Opinions and views expressed in The Lisbonian are deemed to be those of the contributors and do not necessarily reflect those of the Editors or the Lisbonian Society.
The Lisbonian magazine – July 2010 | 5

Departed Brethran
Fr Ronald George Aylward RIP 1924-2010 Ronald George Aylward died on Friday, 19 February 2010, five months short of his Diamond Jubilee. He was eighty-�ve years of age and had been a priest for �fty-nine years. He was born in Ipswich on 3 August 1924, one of �ve children of William and Rose Aylward. The family moved to London, �rst to Brixton and then Harlesden where Ron attended the local Grammar School, until the age of fourteen when he was sent to Lisbon in September 1938. He was among the last of the junior seminarians to enter Lisbon, and as the Second World War progressed and the community in Lisbon dwindled to a handful of students it was decided that those remaining should return home to complete their studies. He transferred to Allen Hall where he was ordained priest for the Westminster Archdiocese in July 1950.

Pastoral Appointment
His first appointment was to Westminster Cathedral. In those days of unconcelebrated masses and multiple side-chapels the Cathedral served as a convenient calling place for itinerant priests en route to, or returning from, a Continental holiday. On one such occasion, either Ronnie or another of our Westminster classmates, Charlie Mercer, gave me an extensive tour of the Cathedral, including the roof. At one point a door was opened and I was invited to take a look. There followed on my part the briefest of vertiginous glimpses of the sanctuary far below! That particular eyrie became a favourite vantage-point for TV producers during their coverage of solemn ceremonies. After his first appointment to

© EAH 2009 – Westminster Cathedral

6 | The Lisbonian magazine – July 2010

Westminster Cathedral, where as well as being a Chaplain he also taught in the Choir School, hospital chaplaincies played a large and continuous part in his parish ministry – from 1953-1963 he was Assistant at Commercial Road. From 1963-1965 he was Assistant and hospital chaplain at Islington. From 1965-1970 he was Assistant at Northwood and chaplain at Mount Vernon Hospital. In 1970 he was appointed the �rst Diocesan Parish Priest of Cirencester Street, Paddington. In 1975 he was appointed as Parish Priest of Ashford where he remained until he retired in 2000.

A streetwise kid, managed to make an entry into the lions’ enclosure… Ronnie climbed over the fence and warded off the beast…!
wartime shortages in the theatrical supply trade or a cunning ploy to conceal a lack of feminine daintiness.

The One that Got Away!
One thing which did not find its way into the of�cial obituary concerned the time when Ronnie took a party, probably of altar-boys, to the zoo. One of the company, possibly a supposedly streetwise kid, managed to make an entry into the lions’ enclosure. Showing a commendable solidarity with the boy Ronnie climbed over the fence and warded off the beast until the intruder had been rescued and calm restored. As one who might have contented himself with recourse to the Short Form and a deprecatory wave of the hand, I could only salute Ronnie’s bravery. The incident was reported in the national press. I am now the last surviving member of our class. As I breathe a valedictory Requiescas in pace to Ronnie, I can imagine a whispered reply Carpe diem, amice!
Bill Dalton

Fluent Portugese Speaker
He was probably the most assiduous of our class in maintaining his Portuguese connections over the years, and hence was the most �uent in the language. I last saw him when in the final year of the Alvor Villa I was celebrating the Saturday evening Mass. John Stillwell told me somebody wanted to see me without giving me a name. I had difficulty in recognising Ronnie who looked quite frail. The Westminster Diocesan obituary notice to the Clergy made mention of Ronnie’s playing his Lady to Victor Guazzelli’s Macbeth but lacked an ancient photograph of Ronnie complete with anachronistic crinoline, the result of either

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Canon Pat Davies RIP 1938-2010
Canon Patrick Davies would not be known to many Inglesinhos although he was numbered among our Honorary Members. Patrick was born in Shef�eld in 1938 but his family moved to Beacons�eld after the Second World War. After Military Service he read Economics at University College London, quali�ed as a chartered accountant and joined the Burmah Oil Company, eventually becoming Finance Director and Company Secretary of their Australian branch. It was from Australia that Pat offered himself as a candidate for the priesthood for the diocese of Westminster.

and was then named Assistant Relations

College Council Business
When Victor Guazzelli set up his Council for the affairs of the College, Basil Hume put Pat in as Burser and it was by virtue of this appointment that Victor asked for him to be made an Honorary Member of the Society. Pat continued his work for the College until CaTEW replaced the Council on Victor’s death. Through Gerry Hetherington and The Lisbonian magazine Pat kept in contact with the fortunes of the Society. Pat was also associated with Denis Thatcher; they used to meet for lunch at least once a year and Pat read the lesson at Denis’ funeral. A man of many parts. His personal integrity and his passion for what is right were perhaps belied by his gentle and respectful approach to people in the parishes he served. He was a man of the Diocese through and through, and was delighted to have been appointed a Canon of the Chapter. As Treasurer of the Chapter and parish priest, administration came easily to his capacity to see beyond the surface into the heart of issues and the courage and strength he showed in the passion and compassion of the many causes came as a gift from God. May his gentle and passionate soul rest in peace.

And So to Priesthood
Pat was ordained at Douai Abbey on 19 November 1977. After a curacy at Waltham Cross he was appointed Chaplain to London University. A spell in South Africa brought home to him the need to work for justice and solidarity with the poor and downtrodden. He become chaplain to the Catholic Institute for International Relations

Pat’s capacity to see into the heart of issues and the courage …he showed in the passion and compassion of many causes came as a gift from God…
8 | The Lisbonian magazine – July 2010

Thoughts on Retirement
by David Crabb
A Personal Challenge
I think retirement presents both a huge challenge and a gold opportunity for everyone. as true for us clergy as for anyone else. There are though some differences. The priesthood involves a unique way of living, of life-style. So retirement does present us with some different challenges and opportunities. To state the obvious, there is no one way for us on how to live in retirement, no oughts or musts about it. We are all very different in our abilities, needs, hopes, desires and our fears. I was very blessed in preparation for my retirement in having the loving support, guidance and practical help of my friends. I also had the care and guidance of someone with expert understanding of the effects of ageing and of retirement. So I did a lot of spade work on my approaching retirement well beforehand. Two years on this have proved to have been hugely bene�cial: I am very happy and content with my lot. is of course dependent on many factors, such as general health, �nancial situation, and so on.

On Your Own
I live in one of four flats in a large Edwardian house situated in what I have discovered to be in what the estate agents call ‘a much sought-after location.’ It is a few minutes walk from the four miles of seafront in Hove. I love having members of my family and friends coming to visit me and I enjoy going to visit and stay with them. For most of my life I have lived alone in a presbytery (my last one had three bedrooms and bathrooms) so living alone comes naturally to me.

Never Busier
I had often heard people living in retirement say that they were busier than ever, with never

Support from Diocese…
Fortunately in my diocese it is entirely up to the individual as to where you choose to retire. This

I enjoyed their company and the challenge of writing an essay every week. To my great surprise, I now have a growing folder of stories for children…
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enough time. I used to �nd that hard to believe but now I am saying the same thing myself: the big difference is that now I am free to choose how I use all this time. Soon after moving here I signed on at the local adult education centre and joined two courses, one of them for writers. This involved an evening class, studying with a group of students, all about one third my age! I enjoyed their company and the challenge of writing an essay every week, set by the tutor. To my great surprise, I now have a growing folder of stories for children, pieces of poetry. I am now in my second year

on the other evening, which is art, including watercolour, pen and wash. This I find totally absorbing and relaxing. So far three masterpieces of my work have been on exhibition. Both courses have been completely new experiences for me and bring their own rewards. I am very glad I heeded the encouragement of my friends to have a go! To my fellow retirees, I hope this �nds you happy and content. For those facing the prospect of retirement, I hope you preparations go well.
PS I strongly recommend: ‘The Gift of Years – Growing Older Gracefull’ DLT, a book on ageing and retirement by Joan Chittister

Universal Symbol – a poem
Caveman’s aid, proof on the walls Its glow enabling Comforting, reassuring, dispelling fear. Inner expressions of hope, searchlight of faith. ‘Lighten our darkness.’ Valentine tables enticingly glowing, cavemen still. In demonstrations, silent conversations, Temples, shrines and churches glowing. Advent circle in preparation, excited anticipation, Easter’s Lumen Christi splits inky darkness Piercing light out of the tomb. Shindler’s List �rst frame satanic evil overcame. Numbers on the cake, inescapable, Snuffed out, thin spiral of white smoke, Soul escaping. Universal light.
David Crabb 10 | The Lisbonian magazine – July 2010

The College Organ
Music in the Air!
In the July 1961 edition of The Lisbonian, Michael Finlan wrote an article about the College organ, On the evidence of the style of construction he attributed its origin to the late eighteenth century. Fortuitously, he gave the name and address of the builders of the instrument, Gray and Davison, of New Road, Fitzroy Square, London. Readers will recall that the January issue of The Lisbonian included an edited translation of an article that had appeared in a local newspaper, referring to the refurbishment of the College chapel in 1858.

The Truth Revealed
1858. Gray & Davison Ledger 06. page 232, November 30th Drawn to – The Rev. W Browne. English College, Lisbon New organ as per contract – £300/0/0d 1163ft of strong packing – £38/15/4d Shipping charges – £2/12/6d Paid Rev. Browne’s expenses – £11/0/0d Mens time loading and cartage to docks – £4/14/0d Insurance on – £370 £1/18/1d Freight – £35/15/3d Postage – 8/2d

In the Records
Research into the collection of the British Institute of Organ Studies [BIOS] made by the Archivist Chris Kearl has revealed that the new organ was indeed installed at that time. BIOS hold not only the original drawings and speci�cations but also the order for the organ, made by the Reverend W Browne. Unfortunately, nothing seems to be known about that gentleman – the Procurator of the time? Agent for the College? For organ a�cionados we reproduce the details of that order.
© Hugo Neves – English College Organ

The Lisbonian magazine – July 2010 | 11

Wear and tear by generations of willing, enthusiastic organists…
Tuning tools left by Tunell – £/12/6d Mens time and expenses£13/16/9d Sub total – £111/5/1d Total – £411/5/1d

Hull-based firm, Forster & Andrews, carried out what was by then probably fairly essential maintenance work on the organ. Presumably the twenty two guineas on the bill included the cost of the men’s transport to Lisbon.
1907.Forster & Andrews Order Book 05 page103 – English College, Lisbon. To cleaning the organ, taking out all pipes, cleaning and returning them, freeing the interior from dust and grit, lubricating centres then regulating mechanically and musically and tuning through. (22 days at £1/1/-) Cost – £23/2/Completed – April 1907.

The details of the invoice indicate that people were sent to the College to carry out the construction work, and a nice touch is added by an additional charge for the tools carelessly left behind by Mr Tunell! One wonders why the Reverend W Browne was paid expenses – perhaps he had to travel to England to place the order.

Knobs and Ivory Labels
By 1924 the wear and tear worked by generations of willing, enthusiastic but not necessarily well quali�ed organists necessitated further work. This time the London �rm of Hill Norman & Beard – who only ceased trading at the end of the last century – were called upon to supply a variety of items. There is no indication that anyone was sent out to Portugal with the parts so someone in Lisbon knew exactly what was required and was capable of carrying out the work. It’s interesting to reflect that, in the midst of the political and economic turmoil raging in Portugal, the English College was tranquilly engaged on ensuring that the Chapel organ was up to scratch.

The Renovation 1907
Fifty years later, a prominent

© Hugo Neves – College Organ Console

12 | The Lisbonian magazine – July 2010

1924 Hill Norman & Beard Order Book 05 page 103 Small order 4053 Sundries – English College, Lisbon. The following to be sent to the Rector: 7 Ivory drawstop labels for knobs to enclosed pattern engraved as: Open Diapason 8ft; Dulciana 8ft; Stop Diapason treble 8ft; Principal 4ft; Mixture; Trumpet 8ft; Swell to Great; 300 eye wire pins 1 3⁄4 “ long; 70 Tap wires from 2 1⁄2” to 10 “ long; 200 feet of eye wires or copper wire for end of trackers; 12 short roller arms for wood rollers. 10 sets of tapped wires; 12 skeins of thread; 12 sets of buttons; 16 sets of cloths;

So the instrument stands still in the chapel, silently awaiting its fate or, rather, the fate of the chapel itself which at least, it appears, has been saved from being turning into a night club…
30 screw eyes for pedal keys; 2 sets of felts for manual keys; felts for pedal keys; 2 sets of manual springs 5”; 30 pedal springs as manuals; 2 sets of front board screws and washers;

And so the instrument stands still in the chapel, silently awaiting its fate or, rather, the fate of the chapel itself which at least, it appears, has been saved from being turning into a night club, which was on the cards at one time.

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Invasion of Portugal!
Iberian Ambitions
In 1940 Franco was preparing a plan to attack Portugal, occupy Lisbon and the take control of the entire Atlantic coast. For seventy years this grand project, hatched in the early days of the Second World War, lay unnoticed in the archives of the Francisco Franco Foundation.

An edited translation of an article published in ‘Publico’ 25 October 2009

Axis War on Britain
In 2005 the Spanish historian Manuel Agudo was the first to get hold of the 100 pages that constitute the plan for the invasion of Portugal, put together by the Spanish General Staff in the middle of 1940.

This invasion was not intended as an isolated event but as a key element in Franco’s overall ambition to declare war on England At a time, when France had already fallen under the domination of Nazi Germany, Spain, although enjoying the status of a nonbelligerent, was dreaming of a North African Empire. Neither Hitler nor Mussolini fell in with this dream but that didn’t put an end to the expansionist ideas of the Caudillo.

Gibraltar in Sight
War against England would begin with laying siege to Gibraltar, The Spanish High Command

14 | The Lisbonian magazine – July 2010

reckoned that the British response would be a landing in Portugal with the intention of mounting a bridgehead for the invasion of the peninsular. For this reason it was reckoned essential to take the ‘necessary means’ to defeat the Portuguese Army, occupy the country and take control of its coastline.

The Treaty of Friendship and Non-Aggression, signed by the two countries in March 1939, no longer appeared to be a document of any importance…
countries in March 1939, no longer appeared to be a document of any importance as far as Franco was concerned, but it was on the basis of that accord that the Francoists intensified diplomatic pressure through Nicolau Franco, the dictator’s brother and Ambassador in Lisbon, that Portugal should no longer abide by the conditions of the historic Luso-British Alliance, a policy supported by the Portuguese Ambassador in Madrid, Pedro Teotónio Pereira.

A Most Secret Operation
All this was to be undertaken without reference to Hitler or Mussolini. Franco wanted to maintain the secret character of the operation so as to have freedom to manoeuvre and also for reasons of national pride. After the initial assault on Gibraltar however, Spain was hoping to be able to rely on the assistance of the Luftwaffe bombers and �ghters which would be indispensable in the face of Luso-British air superiority At sea, the Spanish High Command envisaged submarine action to cut off enemy lines of communication and to protect sea lanes between the mainland and Morocco and the Balearic Islands by the laying of mines.

What Are Old Friends For?
In these annexation plans, Spain was not only ignoring the nonaggression pact but also the active assistance provided by the Salazar regime during the Civil War. Between three and �ve thousand ‘comrades’ fought in the ranks of the Falangist militia, the Army and the Spanish Legion, most of them

The Invasion Is On!
In December 1940 when he wrote that ‘I have decided to prepare for the invasion of Portugal with the objective of occupying Lisbon and the rest of the Portuguese coast’ the Treaty of Friendship and Non-Aggression, signed by the two

Under a New European Order following a fascist victory and the defeat of Great Britain Franco would have permitted Portugal to continue as a puppet state…
The Lisbonian magazine – July 2010 | 15

Franco put the military on alert, but the necessary political conditions were lacking…
recruited by means of newspaper advertisements paid for by the Portuguese State. Portuguese radio broadcast propaganda in support of Franco and, of course, Salazar’s New State was vigorously anticommunist. What would become of the Portuguese Dictator in the event of these plans being realised? The documents unearthed by Agudo deal only with purely military matters and don’t touch on the fate of the President of the Counsel but Agudo suggests two possible scenarios. In the event of Portugal not being able to resist invasion, Salazar and his Cabinet might have re-located to one of the colonies, Angola or Mozambique, or they might have been able to set up a government in exile in London, as did other countries occupied by the Axis.

Suñer, Spanish Foreign Minister to his German counterpart, Joachim von Ribbentrop, in September 1940 makes it clear that the occupation of the country was not intended to be a temporary matter. ‘No one can fail to take account, on looking at the map of Europe, that geographically speaking Portugal, in reality, has no right to exist. The only moral and political justi�cation for its independence is the historical fact of its nearly 800 years of existence.’ Aguda thinks that this approach was dictated by Franco in an attempt to discover Hitler’s reaction to the idea of a ‘Greater Iberian State’ but, the historian notes, Hitler was not prepared to make any commitment on the matter.

New Facist European Order
Despite Suñer’s declaration to Ribbentrop, Agudo doesn’t believe that Franco was envisaging a total integration of Portugal into an Iberian State because this would have entailed several problems. It is possible that under a New European Order following a fascist victory and the defeat of Great Britain Franco would have permitted Portugal to continue as a puppet state, fascist and harmless. If Russia had been eliminated by Hitler the great stand-off would have been between the USA and a huge Euro-African fascist block which would have included SpainPortugal.

Portugal No Right ot Exist
As for the future of Portugal itself, the comment made by Serrano

‘I have decided to prepare for the invasion of Portugal with the objective of occupying Lisbon and the rest of the Portuguese coast…’
16 | The Lisbonian magazine – July 2010

In the closing months of 1940 the plan of campaign was close to realisation and Franco put the military on alert, but the necessary political conditions were lacking – above all, the assistance of the Germans and Italians. The plans were put into the archives and there remained unnoticed for nearly seventy years.
Editorial Note: On 23 October 1940 Francisco Franco and Adolf Hitler met at the railway station in Hendaye on the Spanish/French frontier, attended by the Spanish Foreign Affairs minister Ramón Serrano Suñer and his German counterpart Joachim von Ribbentrop.

The meeting marked Franco’s refusal to join the Axis powers in the light of Hitler’s lack of support his demand for rule over French Moroccan and possibly in�uenced by the warning given to the Caudillo by Wilhelm Canaris, head of the Abwehr, that the likelihood was that Germany would ultimately lose the war.

Mass Dials in Staffordshire
by John Shand
A Recent Discovery
At the parish church of St James the Great, Longdon, near Lich�eld, a discovery has been made recently of an archaeological feature that, although by no means unique, is unusual in Staffordshire and more northerly counties; a set of three mass dials. The church dates back to 1150 when the nave was built. It retains its Norman chancel arch, and doorway from the south porch, where one of the capitals bears an image of a green man with an adjacent fertility symbol in the form of a hand carved into the stonework upon which a bride would place her own hand. Of Hagioscope and Mass Dials Other features of interest are faint traces of mediaeval wall paintings over the chancel arch and remains

One of the capitals bears an image of a green man with an adjacent fertility symbol in the form of a hand carved into the stonework upon which a bride would place her own hand.…
The Lisbonian magazine – July 2010 | 17

according to local tradition, he lived in the hamlet of Stoneywell (as it is now spelt) some two miles south of the church, until his death in 1553.

Excavations Revealed
In the 1930s archaeological excavations of Bishop’s Meadow, part of the prebendal glebe land at Stoneywell, revealed traces of a garden and foundations of a building that, perhaps without historical rigour, is said to indicate the place of his retirement. He lived to see the banning of the use of his chapel as a chantry by Edward VI’s Act of 1547. He was buried beneath the chapel, having bequeathed to the use of the chapel and the parish all his books, his two chalices, his cruets, holy water stoop, vestments, albs, altar cloths, ‘with other things belonging to his private chapel in Longdon’. For over four hundred years following the Reformation the chapel was blocked off from the main church with access directly from outside by the door in the south external wall, as can be seen from a photograph taken in the 1940s. It was used as a private chapel by a succession of local families; the Forsters, Ormes and Negus’ of Lysways Hall and Hanch Hall. Their Georgian pews and memorials survive, notably a large tomb that is now located in the north transept

© 2009 John Shand – Mass Dial St James’ Church, Langdon

of a blocked off rood stairway and of a hagioscope in the thirteenth century chancel. More relevant to the recent discovery, however, is the Stonywell chapel now leading off the south of the nave. A chantry chapel had existed on this site from 1309. In 1520 it was rebuilt in the Perpendicular style by Bishop John Stonywell. The sixteenth century timber roof and a stone arch boss depicting Our Lady still survive. The Bishop had been brought up in Longdon and enjoyed a successful ecclesiastical career, becoming Episcopus Poletensis and the last Abbot of Pershore before Henry VIII dissolved the monasteries. He returned to Longdon in 1539, and

Having bequeathed to the use of the chapel and the parish all his books, his two chalices, his cruets, holy water stoop, vestments, albs, altar cloths…
18 | The Lisbonian magazine – July 2010

but had been used as an altar in the Stonywell chapel next to the original piscina. The use of the chapel was restored to the church in 1944 and in 1947 it was dedicated as a memorial to those who died in the Second World War, complementing the First World War memorial pulpit.

An indication to the parish priest, at a time when clocks and watches were not available, of when to celebrate Mass or other Offices.…
Praying the Hours
The position of the two lower dials is consistent with the purpose of mass dials. They were intended not so much as general timepieces but as an indication to the parish priest, at a time when clocks and watches were not available, of when to celebrate Mass or other Of�ces. As such they were typically located by the door then used by the priest to enter the church.

The Three Mass Dials
The three mass dials, sometimes called ‘scratch dials’, are lightly carved into the stonework of the exterior wall of the former chantry chapel; one at parapet level and the other two either side of where the door used to be. The higher one probably was located elsewhere but was put in its present position when the stones upon which it is inscribed were recycled.

© 2009 John Shand Mass Dial – St James’ Church, Langdon

The Lisbonian magazine – July 2010 | 19

One can easily picture the ousted abbot, now performing the role of a humble parish priest, checking the dials as he arrived from his walk across the fields…
Just a Matter of Time
They would have incorporated a gnomon that was parallel to the earth’s axis. Traces of the holes where the gnomon was inserted are still visible. The sun would cast its shadow downwards and the time could be read from the Latin numerals inscribed in a semi circle below the gnomon. It is thought that they were introduced to England from France at the time of the Norman Conquest. Such dials in other churches have been dated between 1100 and 1600. It is thought that the (comparatively rare) Latin numerals round the

edge of the arc at Longdon were carved in the late �fteenth or early sixteenth centuries. If so, they coincide with Bishop Stonywell’s rebuilding of the chapel in 1520.

Historical Graf�ti
At the risk of straying from historical discipline into speculative whimsy, one can easily picture the ousted abbot, now performing the role of a humble parish priest, checking the dials as he arrived from his walk across the �elds from Stoneywell to celebrate the Mass so soon to be outlawed. Bishop John Stonywell would have been shocked to see dates and initialled graf�ti carved into the wall near the dials by later generations. We, at least, can be consoled that such vandalism o cc ur r ed i n t h e e i gh te e nt h century!

All Together Now!
Una voce concinamus, Una stirpe proditi Matrem Fratres salutamus Quamvis longe dissiti Pulchram piam, acclamamus Vi amoris �lii.
20 | The Lisbonian magazine – July 2010

Una �de sociati, Una spe con�dimus – Filiorum pietati Debitis honoribus, Matri et Fraternitati, Crescat laus ex omnibus.

Royal Scots’ College Salamanca
by Denis Carlin and Charles O’Farrell
Refugees in Iberia
The Englishmen who found their way to Lisbon in the early years of the seventeenth century were not the only inhabitants of our Atlantic Islands to seek religious refuge in the Iberian Peninsula. The last issue of The Lisbonian carried an article about the Irish Dominicans of Corpo Santo. Now we turn our attention to the Scottish Catholics who studied in Spain before returning to help keep the faith alive in their native land. The Lisbon College remained rooted on its Bairro Alto hill top for the entire duration: the Scots were much more peripatetic. The following article has been made possible with the kind assistance of Mgr Denis Carlin and Fr Charles O’Farrell of the Royal Scots’ College.

The Scots’ Question
A question often asked, in Spain and in Scotland, is: Why is there a Scots College in Salamanca… or even in Spain? The answer begins

© 2009 Denis Carlin – Royal Scots’ College Salamanca Spain

The Lisbonian magazine – July 2010 | 21

Scottish by birth, preferably those of superior character and virtue and those who promise more fruit in the welfare of souls…
in 1560 when the Scots Parliament outlawed the practice of the Catholic religion in Scotland. To ensure a supply of priests for the Scottish Mission, seminaries were founded at Tournai (later moved to Douai), Rome, Paris and Madrid. Honourable mention should also be made of the Benedictine

monasteries of Regensburg and Würzburg which also provided priests for Scotland in those dif�cult times.

Foundations in Spain
Colonel William Semple of Lochwinnoch, after a life spent in the military and diplomatic service of the Spanish crown, founded (with his wife, Doña María de Ledesma) a college in Madrid in 1627, entrusting its running to the Jesuits. Their deed of foundation stipulated that the college was for students: ‘Scottish by birth, preferably those of superior character and virtue and those who promise more fruit in the welfare of souls, and they have to spend whatever time may be necessary in studying Grammar and Philosophy, Theology, Controversies and Sacred Scripture, so that when they are well versed in all of these, they may proceed to the said Kingdom of Scotland to preach the Gospel and convert heretics... when they leave the said seminary for this purpose, others are to be received in their place having the same end, and thus the matter will continue for as long as the aforesaid conversion may require.’ For various reasons too complex to treat here, the College in Madrid

© 2009 Denis Carlin – Saint Andrew Royal Scots’ College Salamanca

22 | The Lisbonian magazine – July 2010

did not produce very many priests for the mission in Scotland and at times was almost on the verge of extinction.

A Change of Fortune
Such was the case when in 1771 John Geddes (later to be Vicar Apostolic of the Lowland District in Scotland) obtained from Carlos III the use of the former Jesuit Colégio de San Ambrosio in Valladolid. Luckily, for the Scots at least, in 1767 the king had suppressed the Society of Jesus in his realm and many of the former Jesuit buildings lay empty. The original Cédula Real (Royal Charter) of 1771 granting them part of the building was followed in the same decade by others which gave them the use of more of the building and granted them similar constitutions and rights as had the English Colégio de San Albano – a �ve minute walk away on the Don Sancho – founded in Valladolid in 1589.

From its new base in Valladolid, the Royal Scots College sent a steady stream of priests to Scotland…
War and Revolution
From its new base in Valladolid, the Royal Scots College sent a steady stream of priests to Scotland, achieving one of its �nest hours when by 1798 it remained the only Scots seminary on the Continent functioning when the other colleges were suppressed in the turmoil which followed the French Revolution and the rise of Napoleon, although it was forced to close its doors briefly from 1808-1816 due to the Peninsular War. In 1812 the country house, built in the village of Boecillo less than twenty years previously, twice played host to the Duke of Wellington and his army in the course of his campaigns against

© 2009 Denis Carlin – Salamanca, Spain

The Lisbonian magazine – July 2010 | 23

Priests trained in Valladolid went as chaplains with the Scots who were driven from their highland homes to seek refuge in Canada…
the French. It is also worth noting that in the early 19th century a number of priests trained in Valladolid went as chaplains with the Scots who were driven from their highland homes to seek refuge in Canada; some of these priests became founding bishops of dioceses there.

and pastoral contacts there, the decision was taken to move to the beautiful University city of Salamanca in 1988 – this was done principally to give students the possibility of attending the Ponti�cal University (established by Pius XII in 1940, restoring the ancient Salmantino tradition of teaching Theology and Canon Law to the highest level), thus allowing them access to S.T.L. and J.C.L. degrees.

Plumbers Galore!
For some years after arrival in the ‘City by the Tormes’ a building was at �rst rented and then bought from the Marist Brothers. This building, while in a very pleasant site, bore all the hallmarks of a Spanish ‘rush job’ of the mid 60’s; these hallmarks were exacerbated in 1992 when the building was

And So To Salamanca
While the College had a long and fruitful stay of more than two hundred years in Valladolid, occupied a distinguished building in that city and had many friends

© Denis Carlin – Royal Scots’ College, Salamanca

24 | The Lisbonian magazine – July 2010

linked up for the �rst time with the city mains water supply… and the plumbing system could not cope. The virtually continuous presence of plumbers and electricians proved that drastic measures were needed… and were taken! Having taken architectural advice from Scotland and from Spain, the great adventure of la reforma was undertaken; a process which, painful though it sometimes was, has given the building which was solemnly blessed in October 1996 and is now occupied with pride (and comfort). And why are is the College still here? Read again the quote from the deed of foundation (making ecumenical changes where necessary) that students trained here: ‘…may proceed to Scotland and Preach the Gospel.’

Given the present shortage of vocations to the priesthood… the College has been able e to widen its scope of activities in the service of the Catholic Church in Scotland…
The Mission to Scotland
For almost four hundred years the Royal Scots College in Spain has been receiving men from Scotland, training them to serve as priests and then sending them back to serve in dioceses and parishes the length and breadth of Scotland. Given the present shortage of vocations to the priesthood, no ordinations are now taking place but the College has been able e to widen its scope of activities in the service of the Catholic

© Denis Carlin – Royal Scots’ College, Salamanca – interior

The Lisbonian magazine – July 2010 | 25

The College also houses many paintings, works of art and objects of historical interest collected over past centuries.…
Church in Scotland. In addition to the College’s involvement in SAY (Seminary Applicants’ Year) and in the training of Scotland’s seminarians opportunities for retreats, courses and conferences are also offered. From the end of March to the end of October the College will be well used, most signi�cantly by those who are to begin their seminary formation in October and who will spend four weeks in Salamanca (mid August to mid September). Other than that there are a number of priest groups coming out for ongoing formation (retreat and courses) and a number of parishes who come out on pilgrimage – visiting the sights of the Spanish Mystics (Santa Teresa and San Juan de la Cruz).

room with seating for 45 people, a seminar room that accommodates 12–15, various libraries with a wide range of reading material. television and computer rooms, with broadband internet access, a bar with adjoining snooker room.

Take a Holiday Retreat
The College also houses many paintings, works of art and objects of historical interest collected over past centuries. In the grounds we have an all-weather tennis court and an outdoor swimming pool, which is in use from the end of May until the end of September; there is a golf course close by, with reasonable rates for guests of the College. The walk to the centre of Salamanca takes about twenty minutes, but there is also an excellent local bus service and taxis to and from the centre are very reasonable.

Conditions and Terms
Half-board – breakfast and one meal per day (either lunch or evening meal) – is in the basic daily package. Full board can be offered, especially for those doing retreats and courses. In principle these facilities are open to any group that respects the aims and objectives of the College. We are also available to individuals or families looking for accommodation in this part of Spain, if our group commitments make this possible.

En Suite Accommodation
The College has twenty seven rooms with en suite facilities – 18 with twin beds, 3 with double beds, and 6 singles. There is another room with three beds (a bunk bed and a single) with a toilet and shower next to it. In this area also washing and drying machines are available for visitors’ use. The College has a chapel and an oratory, a lecture
26 | The Lisbonian magazine – July 2010

Reflections
On Being On a Pedestal
Angery and Ashamed
The request to write for this column came as the groundswell of revelations about paedophilia reached a new high across the world, with victims and their supporters outspoken in their condemnation and Church leaders desperately attempting to defend the institutions at the same time as offering humble apologies for the crimes of so many of its of�cial ministers. I am both angry and ashamed. Angry that some of my so-called ‘brethren’ did such horrible things; ashamed that I am part of an institution whose �rst very human instinct is to draw in on itself to protect, as far as may be, its own dignity and authority in the face of opposition – we have moved a long way from the spirit of the gospel. Bishop Walsh is not comfortable with authoritarianism, or titles or episcopal robes: ‘I do believe that they’re a remnant of medieval times, out of keeping with a whole sense of democratisation and a recognition of the dignity and equality of all the baptised,’ he says. Whether the bishop’s wish for simplicity is widespread among the episcopacy is a moot point. ‘Institutions can be oppressive,’ he says mildly. ‘You follow what has always been done or, in some ways, you become an outsider.’

Democracy and the Church
I remember Archbishop Jack Murphy saying at a Lisbonian meeting, ‘Thank God the Church is not a democracy.’ I don’t know what he understood by ‘democracy’ but his relief that the Church didn’t have that quality might have had something to do with his appreciation of the authority that came with his rank.

A Degree of Death
In a recent homily, the bishop of Killaloe, Willie Walsh, said plainly: ‘I do believe that our Irish Church at this time is experiencing a degree of death.’ Maybe it would not be such a bad thing if the whole Church experienced a degree of death, a death to the things that have evolved to promote respectful subservience from the ‘other ranks’.

Bishop Walsh is not comfortable with authoritarianism, or titles or episcopal robes: ‘I do believe that they’re a remnant of medieval times.…
The Lisbonian magazine – July 2010 | 27

We have been celebrating the Year of the Priest and God knows we all need praying for, but some of the language makes me nervous, making it sound as though we, the clerics, are the real Church, and they, the laity, are the outsiders…
I once had a housekeeper who was intensely loyal to ‘the Fathers’. She liked to tell me that she ‘put her priests on a pedestal’. Which has been our part of our problem: we were told so often that we were ‘set apart’ that we believed it, and not always for the good of either ourselves or others. I am beginning to think I am guilty of institutional clericalism. Like the policeman who talks about ‘Pakis’ and ‘Coloureds’, without meaning any harm, perhaps I am guilty of thinking of ‘the laity’ as different from me.

us, makes me nervous, making it sound as though we, the clerics, are the real Church, and they, the laity, are the outsiders. Some Good May Come of It Condemnation is a futile exercise in itself. Even putting in place draconian measures to deal with allegations of abuse doesn’t really address the core issue, which is far wider than the evil of sexual abuse. It may be that some good will come out of all this: a greater degree of openness, of sharing problems not hiding them away; of humility in dealing with people who have been hurt. I �nd it easy to blame the bureaucrats in the Vatican for the system of secrecy that �ourishes in its corridors, and I believe they deserve criticism, but I should be looking to myself first to make sure I really have come down from that pedestal.

Contributors
Are always welcome to the Lisbonian magazine. Send your story, article and pictures to the
Contributions to Ref lections are invited, on condition of strict anonymity, from any member of the Society. The subject is entirely at the choice of the contributor and should be of approximately 500 words in length. the views of the

The Year of the Priest
We have been celebrating the Year of the Priest and God knows we all need praying for, but some of the language that is still used about

They deserve criticism, but I should be looking to myself first to make sure I really have come down from that pedestal.…
28 | The Lisbonian magazine – July 2010

contributor do not necessarily re�ect the editorial policy of The Lisbonian. Ed

Reflections
Blending In or Out?

On Tieing Up On Vocation!
given this, one might ask why on earth would anyone wish to commit their lives to God in the consecrated priesthood. But that. I think, is the point, vocation is not from the earth, it’s the call from heaven, superior to earthly goings on and hostile attitudes from media or wherever. Thanks be to God that the call is still being answered despite all the bad publicity, and the response of faith is winning through. The power of the Cross, be it mocked or glori�ed, dominates. It is a great inspiration, to be sure, to meet our recently ordained priests full of youthful enthusiasm and vision. Day to day work at the parish face does not make news, but when the present crises transfer to the history books it will be to this new generation that we look forward in hope to the regaining of respect for the Church and its priesthood. May it be a time when the Church through the witness of its ministers and people makes good news and elicits respect akin to that from she who prompted that question to me at dinner. Oh yes, just in case you are wondering, my personal dress code for the next Annual Dinner is already decided!
The Lisbonian magazine – July 2010 | 29

Attending last evening the Annual Dinner of a ‘secular’ Club of which I am a member I decided I would ‘blend in’ and wear a white shirt and tie mindful of Jim’s one time advice not to make oneself singular. In the course of the meal I was disconcerted to be asked, respectfully, why I was not wearing clerical collar. On my return home I turned on the late evening news only to be disconcerted again; the lead item was the Holy Father again making headlines but for quite an unexpected reason, that British Foreign Office so-called ‘pope’ memo. Disrespectful towards the church this time! This caused me to ponder on the wide variety of responses the Church can elicit.

Called to Service
It is now the morning after, Vocations Sunday, the time when many interested parties from the Pope down are calling for a response from our young, and maybe not so young, to consider dedicating their lives to the service of Christ and the Church: what better image could there be put before us than Jesus the Good Shepherd, one of my favourites. Its not a good climate for the Church at the moment as we know and

A FADO TO SAVOUR
A Challenge to Translators!
São tantas as palavras num fado é uma língua diferente, como uma onda virada que se contorce no mar ou uma estrela pousada no mesmo lugare um telhado perdido na cidade que eu amo,continuo a amar As palavras que eu canto no sussurro de um fado sonhadoras perdidas peregrines promessas de antes… uma fatalidade Sendo tudo ao acaso a verdade é que o fado acontece-me assim é uma história escrita, um quadro obra-prima é um sol deitado sob um telhado perdido na cidade que eu amo, continuo a amar as palavras num fado são a língua da rua, um alento, um amor, uma luz boa.
Translations should be submitted by the end of October in order to qualify for entry in the January edition of The Lisbonian. Ed

Can you Explain?
Caxias, [Oeiras municipality, western Lisbon metropolitan area] as you probably know, is down the coast, on the way to Cascais. Pedro Ventura is a contact through Corpo Santo and he keeps sending me odds and ends, this one is intriguing. I’ve asked around but no one has any explanation why a street miles away from the College should be named after us!

© 2010 Pedro Ventura - Praceta dos Inglesinhos

All Together Now!
O Roma Felix, quae duorum Principium Es consecrata gloriouso sanguine! Horum cruore purpurata ceteras Excellis orbis una pulchritudines. 30 | The Lisbonian magazine – July 2010 Sit Trinitati sempiterna gloria, Honor, potestas atque jubilatio, In unitatae, quae gubernat omnia, Per universa saeculorum saecula. Amen

They Also Served
by Kevin Hartley
George Hartley (1769 – 1806) The succeeding generations of students whose names appear in the Lisbon College Register were a mixed bunch. One ran away to join a warship in the Tagus, ‘of the Duke of Hanover currently reigning in England.’ Another ended up on the gallows at Tyburn, not as a martyr but as a highwayman, ‘but dy’d a Catholick.’ Blacklow found notoriety for the development of his Gallican views. Russell, engaged in diplomacy and ended his days as Bishop of Viseu. Some died as students: Thomas Hesketh was one such, buried in the chapel at the altar of Saint Thomas. Another left the College to go and study medicine at Coimbra. William Lloyd, condemned to death at Brecon, died in prison a week before the day of execution. John Lafee fell ill and died at Pera ‘and was Berry’d in the Parish Church of Nossa Snra do Monte.’ But most came, studied, were ordained and routinely returned as missioners to England. Little is known about most of them. Eye Spy A Hartley! George Hartley came to my attention quite by chance, on a visit to the little parish church Saint Mary at Harvington, between Stourbridge and Kidderminster. The coincidence of the name – my dad was a George – although there is no family connection, intrigued me and prompted me to enquire further. Catholic Persecution Easing When George Hartley was born in Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire, on 9 November 1769, son of Richard Hartley and Anne Ashness, the active persecution of Catholics in England was drawling to a close but there were still some perils to surmount. In 1767, a priest named Malony had been tried at Croydon for his priesthood, and condemned to perpetual imprisonment, which, at the end of two or three years, was commuted, ‘by the mercy of the Government’ to banishment. In 1768, the Reverend James Webb was tried in the Court of King’s Bench for saying Mass but was acquitted, the Chief Justice, Lord Mans�eld, ruling that there was no evidence suf�cient to convict. As late as 1771, Dr. James Talbot, coadjutor to Bishop Challoner was tried for his life at the Old Bailey, on the charge of his priesthood and of saying Mass, but was acquitted on similar grounds. And there were others. The ostensible intention of the
The Lisbonian magazine – July 2010 | 31

It absolved Catholics from taking the religious oath when joining the British Armed Forces… Recruitment of Catholics would be a significant factor in the shortfall of manpower.…
Papists Act of 1778 was, as its preamble states, to mitigate some of the more extreme manifestations of official discrimination. Particularly, it absolved Catholics from taking the religious oath when joining the British Armed Forces. There were good reasons for this: British military forces at the time were stretched very thinly by the demands of the American War of Independence and by the on-going con�icts with France and Spain. Recruitment of Catholics would be a signi�cant factor in the

eventual resolution of a shortfall of manpower.

Encouraging Disloyalty
Predictably, the Act was opposed by many in the country who saw the concessions as providing encouragement to potentially disloyal subjects of the Protestant Crown. Lord George Gordon, an articulate and eccentric propagandist, became President of the Protestant Association to force the repeal of this legislation. He was able to in�ame the London mob with fears of papism and a return to absolute monarchical rule. Catholics in the military would, he said, attempt to join forces with their co-religionists on the Continent and attack Britain. He had several meetings with the King, George III, without persuading him of the dangers of the Act, but was more successful with the general populous.

Gordon Riots
On 29 May 1780, Gordon called a meeting of the Protestant Association, and his followers marched on the House of Commons to deliver a petition demanding the repeal of the Act. It has been suggested that Gordon’s success in rousing people to riot was more due to the parlous economic and political situation in the country than to Protestant feelings against Catholics. Because voting in parliamentary elections was

Rt Rev Richard Challoner ( Bishop of Derbra) from an engraving published in 1781

32 | The Lisbonian magazine – July 2010

restricted by a property threshold, most Londoners were unable to vote and many hoped for reforms to make parliament more representative of the people. The riots put London into a turmoil, whether they affected life in Chipping Norton is a matter of conjecture but the young George Hartley, he was eleven years of age, must have heard about the commotion in the capital and his parents must have wondered whether a new wave of persecution was about to break upon them.

Thence to Douai
From Sedgley Park George went on to Douai in 1783, where he stayed a couple of years, presumably to finish his education in the humanities, and returned home to England in 1785. Now aged sixteen he might have been looking to enter university, had he not been barred by reason of his religion. He might have gone into trade or taken advantage of the Papists Act to become a soldier, buy a commission if his parents had been able to afford it. In fact, two years after leaving Douai he was admitted to the Lisbon College on 7 February 1787.

Away to School
We know nothing about the social standing of Mr and Mrs Hartley but they can’t have been destitute. Two of his cousins, Thomas and William became priests. When George was fourteen he was sent to Sedgley Park School near Wolverhampton. The school had been founded by William Errington who had been educated at Douai, where he had taught briefly after ordination before returning to England and working with Bishop Challoner who, it is reported ‘had a high opinion of Mr Errington both as an active and zealous missionary and as a man of business.’ By the time George arrived the school was under the direction of the Rev Hugh Kendal, Errington having returned to London where he had been appointed archdeacon and treasurer of the Old Chapter.

Lisbon College Admission
The entry in the Register is laconic and Anstruther isn’t any more help so we can only assume that perhaps his �rst year in Lisbon was concerned with putting the �nishing touches to the education he had received at Douai – honing his Latin, perhaps – before embarking on six years of study for ordination as a priest. This came, �nally, at Christmas 1794 and in the new year he set sail for England and life on the mission.

We can speculate that his duties there were to minister to the family and their retainers and the handful of Catholic families in the area…
The Lisbonian magazine – July 2010 | 33

Harvington Hall… had been a centre for recusants… sheltering Marian priests, then Jesuits – often making use of the hides built by Nicholas Owen…
The English Mission
His first appointment was to Spetchley Hall, the seat of the Berkeley family, a few miles to the East of Worcester. The Berkeley family still own Spetchley but sadly there appears to be no mention of him in their family papers. We can speculate that his duties there were to minister to the family and their retainers and the handful of Catholic families in the area. George stayed seven years at Spetchley before moving some thirty miles north to Harvington in the parish of Chaddesley Corbett where he remained until his death on 28 June 1806. Har vington Hall, rebuilt on medieval foundations in the last days of the sixteenth century, had been a centre for recusants since being acquired by Humphrey Pakington, sheltering Marian priests, then Jesuits – often making use of the hides built by Nicholas Owen and one or other of the two chapels built at the top of the house. In 1743 after the passage of the 1791 Catholic Relief Act, a chapel was constructed by Irish labourers out of the garrets of two cottages at the rear of the Hall.
34 | The Lisbonian magazine – July 2010

Of�ciating Certi�ed Priests
The Act provided that all assemblies for religious worship should be certi�ed at Quarter Sessions and that only such person who names had been recorded by the local Clerk of the Peace could of�ciate. Curiously, although priests did officiate at the Hall, the first registration under the Act was not made until 1796. It was this chapel, its furnishing included an oak altar, two chalices, silver cruets, a silver lamp and thurible, and a silver monstrance. There was also a statue of Our Lady carved ‘in sichem wood’ (Sichem, near Louvain had an ancient shrine to Our Lady. An oak tree connected to the shrine had been cut down at the end of the seventeenth century and the timber partly used for the carving of small statures of the Virgin). Sadly, these objects which would have been a familiar sight to George, were lost twenty years after his death when a �re destroyed much of the chapel.

A Rural Mission
The priests who lived at the Hall ministered to a wide area of about a hundred and forty square miles. Without precise figures for the Catholic population of the area in George’s time at Harvington it is necessary to make an educated guess. In 1767, thirty six years before his arrival the Returns of Papists for the parish of Chaddesley Corbett had listed eighty person, children

and adults. In three years between 1791 and 1793 only seven people are recorded as having taken the Oath of Allegiance as prescribed by the Catholic Relief Act 1791. But in 1804 there were �fty-four Easter communicants. Bishop John Milner, Vicar Apostolic of the Midlands District, came to confer the Sacrament of Confirmation in 1805 though there is no record of how many candidates there were. Twenty five years after George’s death, when the number of Easter communicants had topped a hundred, one of his successors, John Brownlow, reckoned that the opening of a new mission in Kidderminster had reduced his congregation by two hundred and thirty (The great

John Wall, executed in Worcester in 1678 is popularly associated with Harvington…
increase in numbers was due to the in�ux of Irish woolcombers who were coming to settle around Kidderminster). John Wall, executed in Worcester in 1678 is popularly associated with Harvington: he was certainly working in the area although his presence at the Hall is not documented. He was arrested at Rushock Court, less than three miles from the Hall. It is only since the nineteenth century that his veneration as ‘Martyr of Harvington’ developed. More

© 2009 Peter J Harrison – Harvington Hall, Worcestershire

The Lisbonian magazine – July 2010 | 35

Another, much more tenuous link with the old Lisbon College, he was in receipt of an annual stipend of forty five pounds…
securely historically, one of George’s most famous predecessors was Hugh Tootell, better known as Charles Dodd.

Well Bound Library Books
Dodd was at Harvington for thirty years, during which time he wrote his Church History of England. He died in 1743 but left behind a large library of works, including Pickord’s MS book of controversies (see The Lisbonian July 2007 p 16). George must have added a number works himself for when the library was transferred to Old Oscott at the instigation of Bishop Milner in 1810 John Corne, George’s successor at Harvington, referred to ‘the Library books being sent off together with Mr Hartley’s, at his death. I understand at the Hall, that Mr Hartley’s books were mostly new and well bound books.’ However, not all George’s books ended up at Oscott. Gowers, a Kidderminster bookshop, admitted to having sold ‘many books belonging to Mr H’, including ‘two setts of lesser Breviaries.’ Some mystery surrounds the circumstances because Gower later claimed that all the books had been sent off to London, as the best market.
36 | The Lisbonian magazine – July 2010

‘Mr H probably succeeded to the Breviaries and other books from his uncles (Thomas and William).’ Corne adds, by way of excuse for the neglected state of the Library that ‘Mr H had bad health, & nothing done in this time to clean the Library etc.’ As well as Pickford’s writings for George to mull over, there was another, much more tenuous link with the old Lisbon College. He was in receipt of an annual stipend of forty �ve pounds from a fund established a hundred and forty years earlier by Mary Yate whose husband had held Harvington. One of the parties to the deed that established the fund (there were other bene�ciaries) was John Perrot, Dean of the Chapter of the English Secular Clergy. The Perrot family had property only a few miles from Harvington, at Belbroughton and John was either born there or at their other house at Rotten Park in Birmingham. John Perrot’s name might have been familiar to George – he had taught at Lisbon and had become President in 1662 before returning to England in 1671. The ‘bad health’ that John Corne referred to, ensured that George’s life at Harvington was brief. He died there on the 26 June 1806 and the Chaddesley Corbett parish burial register notes that: ‘The Revd Geo. Hartley, Catholic Priest’ was buried in the churchyard on 30 June 1806.

The Lisbonian magazine – July 2010 | 37

Where They Are Now

Live forever, Alma Mater, be her sons for ever blest…

38 | The Lisbonian magazine – July 2010

Contributors
Are always welcome to the Lisbonian magazine. Send your story, article and pictures to the Editor.

The Lisbonian magazine – July 2010 | 39

English College Lisbon
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