Records of the English Province of the Society of Jesus : historic facts illustrative of the labours and sufferings of its members in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries

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RECORDS OF THE ENGLISH PROVINCE OF THE SOCIETY OF JESUS.

ROEHAMPTON :

Contents

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Introductory Note, Addenda, and Corrigenda ix

SERIES II. The College of St. Aloysius, or the Lancashire District.

I. Usually called the Lancashire District

The English mission of the Society of Jesus, which had hitherto been governed by Vice-Prefects resident in England, and a head Prefect living at the English College, in Rome, was raised by the Very Reverend Father General Mutius Vitelleschi to the state of a Vice-Province in the year 1619 ; and Father Richard Blount, who had been Vice-Prefect since the martyrdom of Father Henry Garnett in 1606, was appointed Vice- Provincial.1 At this period, the English members of the Society, partly in England, and partly in the various English Colleges on the Continent, amounted to nearly two hundred, including forty professed Fathers ; and in consequence of the rapid increase in its members, the same Father General in the year 1623 raised the Vice-Province into a separate Province of the Society, and appointed Father Blount its first Provincial.

Father Blount held this office until 1635, and modelled the Province as much as possible on the plan of the Institute. As it was impracticable to form regular Colleges, he divided it into twelve districts, or ideal Colleges, to each of which he allotted some revenue, which might form the nucleus of a future College, in the much desired event of the restoration of the ancient Faith in England. To each district a certain number of Missioners was allotted, the Superiors of which were Rectors appointed by the Father General.

Among these twelve districts, or ideal Colleges, was that of St. Aloysius, commonly called the “ Lancashire District.” It was one of the three first formed in the year 1622 ; those of St. Ignatius, or the London District, and of St. Francis Xavier, or the South Wales District, being the other two. Until the year 1679, when the county of Stafford was made into a

1 A sketch of the life of this eminent Father may be seen in Father Morris’ Troubles of our Catholic Forefathers , &c. Burns and Oates, 1871.

B

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distinct College, under the title of St. Chad, St. Aloysius, embraced the whole of Lancashire, with Cheshire, Westmoreland, and Stafford. In the penal times, when concealment was absolutely necessary, this College passed by various feigned names, such as “Our Factory;” the Superiors being called “ Head Factors,” or “ The Master,” whilst the Missioners were called “Factors,” with their “Factories.” The College was also sometimes called “ Mrs. Lancashire/’ or “Mrs. Lancaster,” or “Eloisa Lancaster.”

The College of St. Aloysius formerly served the following places, and probably many others, of which the traces are now lost.

Aston Hall (Stafford)

Liverpool

Bedford Leigh and Leigh

Lytham

Biddles or Biddulph (Stafford)

Lostock

Billington

Lydiati

Brin or Ashdon

Maynes in the Fylde

Brindle

Moor-hall (Ormskirk)

Blachroad

The Meales

Bailey-hall

The Manor

Croxteth

Orford

Chipping

Ormskirk

Cowley-hill

Poole (Cheshire)

Crosby

Pooton

Croxton

Portico and Prescot

Culcheth

Preston

Chester

Puddington

Crossen

Rixton

Dunkenhalgh

Stony hurst

Dutton Lodge (Cheshire)

South-hill

Eccleston Hall

Southworth

Fazakerley

S coles

Fernhead

Scarisbmck Hall

Formby

Sizergh (Kendall)

Furness

Stafford

Garswood

Stid (Ribchester)

Hooton (Cheshire)

Warrington

Highfield (near Wigan)

Westby

Ince, or Ince Blundell

Wigan

Leigh

Wolverhampton (Stafford)

Lowe-house (St. Helens)

The average number of

Missioners in the College

many years was about twenty. St. Aloysius’ College had its share of sufferings in the times of open persecution ; and counted amongst others Father Edmund Arrowsmith, its proto-martyr, who suffered at Lancaster in 1628, and whose Life we give in this volume ; Father John Worthington, its first

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o

Rector, a notice of whom is also given ; Father Ferdinand Palmer ; Father William Atkins (once Rector), and Father Nicholas Tempest, both of whom died in prison, martyrs for the Faith. To this College also belonged Father Cuthbert Norris, vere Clifton, and Father Richard Bradley who died in Manchester gaol for the Faith, and of whom a notice is given.

The following Modus vivendi hominum S. J., or the mode of living of the Missionary Fathers of the English Province in the days of open persecution, will be read with interest ; the Latin original, in the handwriting of Father Henry More, the historian, may be seen in vol. iv., n. 45, MSS. Anglia, Stonyhurst.

“ Modus vivendi hominum Societatis, 1616.

“ The members of the Society who hitherto have laboured in England for the consolation of Catholics, and the conversion of heretics, pending better times, had three modes of living. Some led an entirely private life at home ; others were constantly moving about through various localities ; while many were free either to confer at home with those who wished, or to visit others out of doors.

“ For, as by the law, capital punishment hung equally over the Priests and over those who harboured them in their houses, so when any secular master of a family was raised above the fear of the laws, either by nature, or grace, or the circumstances of the times or of the persons among whom he lived, he would adopt a Priest, who, in one of the three modes indicated, served the family and administered the Sacraments. And, as among all classes of men the distribution of the gifts of nature and of grace differs, so among all ranks were to be found those who were more free, and those who were more sparing in adopting Priests. The most opulent and powerful acted more cautiously than the middle or lower class, as having more to lose, and being more exposed to envy; neither did they rely upon their own power, so long as they were conscious not only of being subject to those who were still more powerful, but also of being exposed to danger from the informer. But what God had given to the middle and lower classes even, for their moderate sustenance, was as dear to them, as was to the more powerful that which He had given to them for their abundance; and so, feeling that they had less means of contending against the malice of the enemy, they often became, like the more wealthy, cautious and timid in admitting the service of Priests. b 2

4 The College of St. A loy sites.

“ However, from the commencement of the schism there were never wanting either Priests to expose themselves to the danger of capital punishment for the sake of defending the Faith, or seculars who refused not to run the risk of their lives and fortunes, lest they should be entirely deprived of the helps to piety which the Sacraments offered them ; such was, and is to this day, the singular goodness of God towards this once most religious nation.

“ i. And to come to those of the Society who led a private life. They for the most part lived in the upper stories or attics of the house ; as remote as possible from the observation of domestics and visitors. The same room contained altar, table, and bed. Great caution had to be observed as to the windows, whether to admit or exclude light ; by day they were careful in opening them, lest the passers-by might observe that some one lived in the room ; at night they were more careful still in shutting them, lest the light might betray the inhabitant. Walking in the room must be very light, or else cautiously made along some beam. At certain hours . all movement in the room was prohibited, that no noise might be heard either in the room adjoining or in the one beneath. They were not permitted to go about the house, except to a neighbouring room, and that with caution. But if they left the house either for the sake of charity, or for health’s sake, or on their own business, or that of others, they must go out at the second or third hour of the night, and return either when the domestics were at supper, or else had retired to rest. For there were heretics amongst these ; and although the master of the house did not wholly distrust them, since they were his servants, and under many obligations to him, yet he did not so far trust them as to feel sure that they might not attest they had seen, or at least knew a Priest to be in the house. Nor did he consider that even Catholic servants should be too much trusted. Whence it happened that in a very numerous family of sixty or eighty persons, a Priest spent almost entire days, weeks, and months, alone; for, except the hour of Mass at which some at least were always present by turns, and a short space of time before and after Mass, the rest of the day each one spent in his own or other’s business, or in different country recreations. A female servant brought in his dinner and supper, and then immediately left. He eat and took recreation alone, unless the servant happened to return after the meal, bringing perhaps one of the

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boys or girls of the family; or the lady of the house might look in to apologize for not having been able to pay him a visit sooner.

“ How oppressive this constant solitude was to many, accustomed to habits of conversation and reading, no one can imagine who has not tried it, especially since they were deprived of the consolation which frequent confession or the very sight and conversation of their Brethren, or variety in occupation usually affords. For, except when the Superior visited them, they scarcely ever saw one of the Society, or any other Priest in the house ; as they were but seldom allowed to go out of doors, and this only after an interval of months.

“ 2. Those who in different localities, travelling either on foot or horseback, assisted the Catholics, or brought wanderers back to the Faith, had for the most part at least one house in which they could remain for some days to recruit themselves ; so that the surrounding Catholics were able to learn where a Priest might be procured, if the needs of the dying, or the administration of Baptism required it. As for the rest, they were perpetually moving about, visiting and administering consolation. In the evening, after dinner, they entered the house either openly or privately, as circumstances would permit, and departed the next day. Very often by a change of dress and name, or of the direction in which they were going, or by other schemes, they managed to deceive, as long as possible, those whose notice they had to escape. The chief part of the harvest fell naturally to these active men, who thus met with and seized upon every opportunity of disseminating truth and virtue, whether by themselves or •others. They were exposed to especial dangers ; but by the more frequent opportunity of meeting their Superior, and others of the Society, and by reaping at once the fruit of their labours, their very distractions tended to increase piety ; and after their communications with others, they returned to their recollection all the more eager to draw interior fruit for themselves.

“ 3. The third mode of living left others free to converse either at home or abroad. For the head of the house in which they lived, was made, either by his own virtue, or by the good esteem of his neighbours, superior, as it were, to the action of the laws. Though such men did not despise these by living without any caution, yet they did not deem . it

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necessary to live in such servile fear, as though the liberty either of the Priest, or of themselves, was likely to suffer. They engaged for the most part Catholic servants, who did everything within the house in a Catholic spirit. If any storm burst out, they were warned of it by certain parties, and the absence of the Priest for a few days, or his concealment for some hours, restored liberty to them for the rest of the time. Among such our Superiors commonly lived, that they might be at liberty to visit the members of the Society when requisite, or to summon them to the house where they were. And by these, as possessing the greater means of converse with others, the chief part of the harvest was gathered in.

“ But the face of affairs is now entirely changed. Scarcely one in the whole kingdom is found who can furnish the means of living after this third mode, though they were formerly numerous enough. Those who go forth to assist others in different places are forced to spend their nights travelling, and their days in helping the Catholics at home. Many are reduced to the first mode of living, they ‘ sit like sparrows upon the house top,’ ‘ expecting the happy day, and the advent of the glory of the great God,’ for, humanly speaking, very little is hoped for, whichever side of the conflicting parties prevails.”

The old Litter <z Annuce , or reports for the College, abound with cases of miracles through the intercession of our holy Father and Founder, St. Ignatius, especially in the case of possessed persons and witches, by means of what is called the blessed water of St. Ignatius.2 “In the year 1636,” says the report, “ under the guidance of Providence, the Fathers in this district of Lancashire found a very convenient place, in which they were enabled, without being observed or suspected, to assemble according to the usages of the Society, for the purpose of renewing their Religious engagements and

3 In the year 1639, a little boy of three years old, an only child, fell into a cauldron of hot water. He was taken out senseless and remained half an hour apparently dead, though all remedies were applied that could be devised and procured on the spot. The afflicted father, falling upon his knees, begged of God the life of his child, through the intercession of St. Ignatius, and vowed that he would in some way assist the Society of Jesus in its labours. The child revived and perfectly recovered. Another person having received a grievous wound, was in danger of death from loss of blood, when, on the application of a small volume of the Life of St. Ignatius to the wounded part, the hemorrhage suddenly ceased. Other similar miraculous instances are recorded.

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gaining fresh fervour by making the Spiritual Exercises, and communicating with their Superior ; and they zealously availed themselves of the opportunity. The Catholics in these parts were subjected to great vexations and extortions in the ecclesiastical courts, on account of their baptisms, marriages, &c., performed according to the rites of their religion. During this year there were twenty-three Fathers and one Lay-brother ; and forty persons were received into the Church.

In the following year, 1637, the missions were assailed by a more vehement persecution than ordinary. Money was manifestly the object, and some who were unable to pay the fines, betook themselves to hiding-places to escape imprisonment. Active inquiries were instituted by the courts with respect to the marriages and baptisms, &c., of Catholics, those even which had been performed long before. Heavy fines were imposed on Catholics for not sending their children to be catechised by Protestant ministers, a species of vexation to which they had not before been subjected in those parts. The oath of allegiance was tendered to such as were suspected of Catholicity. Those Catholics, who had the means wherewith to purchase the forbearance of their persecutors, were enabled thereby to relieve themselves from other sufferings; those who had not were obliged to fly, or conceal themselves in order to avoid imprisonment. In the year 1638, public feeling did not interfere with education, and many sermons were preached before assemblies of Catholics.

The annual reports at this period in England generally, and especially in the district of Lancashire, give very few details. For the years 1640 to 1644, there is no report at all, a fact which is thus explained by the Litter ee Annuce of 1645 — 1649. “During this period the number of Priests who suffered for their religion was, indeed, less than in some of the preceding years. It was, perhaps, found that this extreme severity animated the zeal of the Missionaries, instead of shaking their constancy, and that many Protestants were thus brought back to the Catholic Church; yet the hatred that the popular party, which since 1642 had been advancing to sovereign power, bore to the Catholic religion had not diminished, but rather increased in intensity ; and they daily avowed their determination not to be satisfied with lopping off its branches, but wholly to root it up out of the land. Accordingly the Catholic laity were treated with great severity, and every effort was used to find out and apprehend the

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Missionaries. It will be easy to conceive that the accounts received from them during this period were very scanty and imperfect. In sending letters by the ordinary means of conveyance, there was danger lest they might afford some clue to the discovery of the writer and of his host, and letters thus sent were liable to be intercepted. Hence those that were despatched were generally so brief, and written purposely in such obscure terms, that little detailed information could be gathered from them. This is the more to be regretted, as during this time the condition of the Missioners afforded frequent instances of dangers incurred and escaped, and opportunities of practising great Evangelical virtues, the recital of which would be interesting and edifying.” The report then continues — “ In the Lancashire district, called the College of St. Aloysius, where eighteen Fathers of the Society were labouring, the persecution still raged against the Catholics. Some of the Fathers were of an advanced age, and having survived former troubles had grown old in the mission, yet even these could not escape the more active pursuit of the Puritans. One of them, seventy years old, contrived for a time to baffle his pursuers by frequent changes of residence, and timely resort to well contrived hiding-places. But he was at length betrayed by a man whom he had before found trustworthy. This person persuaded him to return to one of the missionary stations, where, on his arrival, a party of soldiers, who had been lying in wait for him, seized him, along with the sacred vessels and furniture. As the party conducted him to a neighbouring town, one of them put on the priestly vestments, and went before him in profane mockery. He was then conveyed to prison. Another Father, more than seventy years old, was taken with two Secular Priests in a place where they thought themselves quite safe, and carried to a prison thirty-two miles off, in which they all three caught the fever, and died a year after. A third Father, though eighty years old, and bedridden from age and infirmity, was seized, and put into a cart to be conveyed to prison. Before they had got far, his captors, fearing he would die on the way, carried him back again, but succeeded afterwards in conveying him alive to prison, where he died after nine months of suffering.

“ During this period, most of the Catholic families who had the means left this part of the country and retired to other countries, where there was less persecution; and thus most of the Fathers of this College, accompanying the families

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who had harboured them, withdrew also for a time from the district. One Father went with the family, of which he had the spiritual charge, to an island not far from the coast, in which there were no Catholics before, and he succeeded in making some converts there.” 3

The annual reports for 1651 — 1653 are equally scanty. That for 1652, however, gives the following deeply interesting narrative of the conversion, through Father Cuthbert Norris, whose real name was Clifton, of James, the seventh Earl of Derby, on the 15th October, 1651, 4 while he was being led for execution to Bolton by the Parliamentarians, whose great enemy the noble and loyal Earl had been. This conversion is expressly stated to be minime nota in vulgus.

“ The most interesting information,” says the report in question, “ is a detailed account of an endeavour made by Father Cuthbert Clifton, and it would seem with success, to reconcile to the Church the Earl of Derby, when he was already condemned to suffer death for his attachment to the Royal cause, and on his way to the town of Bolton, which had been assigned for the place of execution. At this critical time, Father Clifton conceived or was inspired with the desire of bringing this loyal and gallant nobleman, before he died, to a salutary acknowledgment of the higher allegiance which he owed to God and His Church. Yielding to this impulse, he hastened to the station at which the Earl, accompanied by his son and his suite, and guarded by a strong military escort, was to pass the night, and it being intimated that the party should reach Bolton the next day, by means of a friend who had much influence with the commanding officer, he obtained access to the Earl’s chamber. Having introduced

3 Probably this was the Isle of Man.

4 According to Dr. Oliver ( Collectanea S.J.), Father Norris, vere Clifton, was second son of Sir Cuthbert Clifton, of Clifton, Notts, Knight, by Anne Tildesley, but he had assumed the name of his grandfather. He was bom in Lancashire in the year 161 1, entered the Society of Jesus in 1630, and was professed of the four vows nth May, 1651. In 1642 he was at Ghent acting as “ Camp Missioner” to the English troops in Belgium, and at the same time probably making his Tertianship, or third year’s probation. Lancashire was the chief seat of his missionary labours in the English vineyard. The Catalogue of the English Province for 1655 names him as serving in the College of St. Aloysius, of which he was then the Minister, Procurator, and Consultor ; and as having been then a Missioner for thirteen years, including his camp life. He died in Lancashire, 15th October, 1675, aged sixty-five. “A holy man,” says the Litterce A nnutc, “who had for many years laboured in the vineyard of our Lord, with much fruit.”

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himself by the name of Norris, he expressed a wish to be allowed to speak with the Earl in private, for a short time, upon a subject of great value, which it most concerned him to dispose of before his death. He was desired to call again the next morning. He did so, and was again put off by the guards with design apparently, as though they suspected something wrong. At length the order to start was given, and the Father was told he might find an opportunity of speaking to the Earl on the road. He joined the cavalcade, and riding as near to the noble prisoner as he could, tried to attract his notice. The Earl, observing him, kindly asked him to come and ride by his side. The Father, making himself known, hastened to say that the object which he wished him to dispose of properly before his death, was his immortal soul. The Earl said he had suspected something of the kind the evening before, and expressed great gratitude to the Father for thus exposing himself for his sake. The Father briefly and forcibly urged the great principle of faith. The Earl said that he agreed with the Catholics with respect to the Blessed Trinity, the veneration due to the Blessed Virgin and the Saints, and the doctrine of Purgatory ; that he was so well disposed towards the Catholic religion, that he had resolved, if he had lived, to examine thoroughly into it ; that he thought the differences between Catholics and Protestants were not of great importance, but that he could not thus suddenly, and on the point of death, abandon the Church to which he had been attached all his life. The Father tried to overcome this repugnance, though often interrupted by the approach of the guards. Seeing the Earl’s Protestant chaplain advance, who had left the halting-place of the preceding night later than the rest of the party, he besought the Earl, by the sufferings and death of his Redeemer, not to resist the grace afforded to him. The guards and attendants now closed round, and the Father was obliged to retire. Yet he "kept as near as he could, fervently praying for the success of his attempt. They had arrived within a mile of Bolton, when the Earl turned round and called for Mr. Norris. The attendants made way, and the Father was again at the Earl’s side, who now at once declared that he received every part of the doctrine of the Catholic Church, and professed himself a member of it, and as such, was ready to confess all his sins and perform whatever penance should be enjoined, asking earnestly for absolution. The Father, having done what circumstances permitted, was about to pro-

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nounce absolution, when the Earl reverently uncovered his head to receive it. The Father instantly desired him to be covered, and completed the sacramental rite.

“When all was concluded, the Earl turned round with a smiling countenance, and rejoined the company of his son and attendants.

“ On entering the town, he saw the scaffold, and observed with a smile that it was his cross, and that he willingly embraced it. When the party halted, the Earl desired his son and attendants to retire for awhile, and declining the proffered ministry of the chaplain, remained nearly an hour in private and fervent prayer. As he went out, he repeatedly said to those about him that he was most grateful to the Divine Goodness for having enabled him to set his conscience at ease before his death.

“The guards remarked that during a great part of that day’s journey he had appeared much more cheerful than on the day before. As he ascended the scaffold he kissed the steps, and expressed his entire submission to the divine will.

“ On addressing himself to the people, he desired that they would all pray for him ; then checking himself, he said that he begged the prayers of all good persons present, and then went on with his address to the people.

“ After he had finished, one of the officers asked him to declare that he died a Protestant. He took no notice of the suggestion, as if he had not heard it. It was repeated more pointedly, when he answered that he had reconciled himself with God by His great goodness, and hoped to be saved through the merits of Christ. He then said he heartily forgave all who had injured him, and asked forgiveness of any one whom he might have offended.

“ He briefly and fervently recommended to God himself, his wife and children, and his beloved sovereign, and declared that he died willingly for God, his King, and country, calling on all the creatures of the Lord to bless Him ; and invoking His holy name, he laid his head on the block, and by one stroke it was severed from his body.”

The Earl, when escaping, after the disastrous battle of Worcester, was taken, or rather surrendered himself prisoner, at or near to Nantwich, in Cheshire, to one Captain Edge, a Lancashire man, and an officer in the service of the Parliament. He had just assisted in placing his sovereign, Charles II., in concealment at Boscobel, in the very place where the noble

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Earl had himself lain concealed on his route from Wigan, after his defeat there, to join Charles at Worcester. He surrendered on honourable terms, by which his life was to be spared. Yet his enemies, who dreaded him, basely tried him by a court-martial, overruled the plea of his honourable surrender, and, in defiance of all military law and honour, condemned him to the scaffold.

In the second volume of the Chetham Society’s valuable series of Remains Historical and Literary , connected with the counties of Lancaster and Chester , 1844, under the heading “Civil War tracts of Lancashire,” pp. 320 — 323, amongst other most interesting papers touching the noble and loyal Earl, is one numbered lvi. “The Earl of Derby’s speech on the scaffold, immediately before his execution at Bolton in Lancashire, October 15, 1651, exactly taken in shorthand as it was spoken, and now published for the satisfaction of those that desire to be truly informed. London : Printed for Nathaniel Brookes, and are to be sold at his shop at the sign of the Angel in Cornhill. 1651.” 5

“ The Earl of Derby was brought to Bolton on Wednesday last, about noon, his guard being sixty foot and eighty horse ; about two of the clock, brought forth to the scaffold, which was built at the Cross, part of that scaffold built with the timber of his own house of Latham ;6 there were not above one hundred lookers on, besides soldiers ; presently

5 The Editor of this volume says that there were three versions at least given of the last address of the Earl, besides the one we copy here. One, which was instantly condemned as spurious, is believed to be that reprinted in Sir Walter Scott’s edition of Somer’s tracts. A second is given in the Black Tribunal. A third may be found in Pech’s Desiderata , and in Seacome, &c. Of its genuineness there can be no doubt, except that it seems to have been retouched and amplified. The copy given here appears as a tract in the King’s collection, and is stated to have been taken down in shorthand by two clerks, one of whom (Roscow) is named, and in some degree identified. All the versions, more or less, have the matter of the original notes running through them ; but it appears to the Editor that this one has more of the hurried abrupt character which the delivered address is said to have had — of the simple pathos which characterized the Earl’s other compositions — and of the keen feeling which, from the tone of his petition to the Parliament, would be likely to pervade him, when, amidst the unexpected sympathy of his hearers, he was so suddenly compelled to exclaim — “God be thanked there is no man that revileth me!” {Chetham Society, vol. ii., pp. 317, 318.)