A brief account of our diocesan history
This section was added in October 2004, containing chapters in the history of the Diocese.
At present we cover the period 1500 - 1844. The history has been written by Rev David Milburn
- Under the Earlier Tudors (1500-1558)
- Elizabeth I (1558-1603)
- James 1 (1603-25)
- Charles I (1625-49)
- The Protectorate (1649-1660)
- Charles II (1660-1685)
- James II (1685-88)
- 18th Century (i)
- 18th Century (ii)
- 19th Century
4.Catholicism in Northumberland and Durham during the Stuart period - Charles I (1625-49)
Under Charles I (1625-49) Catholics continued to be exploited. In need of money, and faced with a loss of revenues resulting from the mounting arrears of recusancy fines and, in some cases, the impossibility of collecting any money at all, he introduced a procedure of composition. By this recusants were empowered to take out a lease on their forfeited lands and goods (which had not been permitted hitherto) at a reasonable rent. Backdated to 1610, the system continued until the outbreak of the civil war in 1642 and provided him with a regular income. At the same time it helped to lift the financial burden carried by the recusants. 44 Northumberland recusants compounded between 1629 and 1632.
But the hopes of Catholics for other measures of relief were immediately dashed by the parliament's demand in 1625 that the penal laws should be properly enforced. As a result William Richardson of Newburn was summonsed for keeping a Catholic priest in his house:and Richard Ogle of St Nicholas' parish, Newcastle, was brought before the court suspected of being a priest and charged with teaching children Catholic doctrine. At the same time 12 gentlemen, including Sir Edward Radcliffe of Dilston, Roger Widdrington, Richard and George Thirlwall, and Mark and Gilbert Errington of Ponteland, together with 65 other Catholics, had their goods distrained. There followed the capture of the Jesuit John Robinson on his arrival at Newcastle, and that of Henry Morse SJ and a student John Berry travelling together from Newcastle to the continent.
When Charles decided to do without parliament in 1629 the campaign against priests was suspended, the respite allowing an effort to bring order to a disordered community. Bearing in mind that the Catholic hierarchy had been deposed by Queen Elizabeth way back in 1559, Rome's appointment in 1623 of a single bishop to govern the whole of England, Wales and Scotland might seem rather belated, but opposition from the gentry, the Jesuits and some of the secular priests quickly led to the new bishop's departure. Nevertheless, he left behind him a Chapter (i.e. a priests' council) which functioned in practice as the governing body of the Church for many years.
The 12 priests (including 2 Jesuits) working in Northumberland and 16 in Durham came under the direction of a vicar-general for the north of England, Cuthbert Trollop of Durham. Though the secular priests for the most part continued to live in the houses of the gentry, following the creation of an English province in 1623 and disillusioned by their treatment by the gentry, the Jesuits throughout the country preferred to work with the urban poor, many of whom they converted to the Faith. At the other end of the scale, the gentry's drift from the Church continued, despite the additional pastoral care supplied by the Benedictines and Franciscans. Here in the north the Ogles, Carrs, and Forsters, listed as recusants in 1607, do not appear in the 1627 list of compositions. Another northern gentleman who conformed at this time was Nicholas Thornton of Netherwitton.
Compositions did not protect Catholics from other offences, of course. To add to their burden, when civil war became imminent, they were required to make a donation towards the expenses of the royal army.
Despite this, when the war broke out, Catholics invariably supported the king, and many fought for him.Local casualties included Sir John Clavering who died a prisoner in London, his heir Robert who raised a regiment of horse and of foot, which he commanded with great success until his death from fever, his brothers who suffered imprisonment and escaped abroad. Gerard Salvin, lieutenant general of a regiment of foot was killed at Northallerton, Benedict Collingwood at Naseby in 1645. Sir Edward Widdrington, forced to leave his house at Cartington, returned to find that the invading Scots who had already wreaked havoc on Catholic property in 1640 had done a further £8,000 damage to his.
It was about this time that two Jesuit priests were captured in our region. In July 1644 Ralph Corby was taken at Hamsterley in Durham and executed at Tyburn. Of a very religious family, he had spent much of his life as chaplain to the Forcers of Harber (Harbour) House, Wearside. Henry Morse, returning from a sick call on the Durham-Westmorland border was arrested by parliamentary soldiers, shipped from Newcastle to London and died at Tyburn 1 February 1645.
Copyright 2004 Roman Catholic Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle