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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 16 September 2015
It is more than twenty-five years since the English College Lisbon closed. While it may still be too soon to give a complete account of that closure, one can consider some of the events in its more recent history that preceded its final end. The closure cannot be attributed solely to the conditions obtaining in 1971 and the decline in the recruitment to the secular clergy of England and Wales. In that year vocations to the priesthood had not yet reached their lowest point. Moreover, throughout its 350 years Lisbon had not depended for its viability on enrolling a large number of students. It had always been a small college. Although its primary purpose was to prepare men for the priesthood it had frequently found itself having to fulfil other functions in addition to those of a seminary.
1 Williams, Michael E. ‘Lisbon College in the Nineteenth Century: The Story of a Relationship between English Catholics and the Church Abroad’. R.H. 23 (1997) pp. 569–588.Google Scholar
2 For details of White, Sergeant, Tilden and Gother see Croft and Sharratt. Also Sharratt, M., ‘Blacklow and Coutinho’ U.M. 250 (1977) pp. 16–25; 251 (1978); 18–26Google Scholar. Blacklow, the second president of the college drew up the rules which, with certain modifications, governed the House for many years. The president was not absolute in his authority but had a council of Superiors to whom he was obliged to submit the consideration of all matters of importance and in which he had only a casting vote. Croft, p. 8.
3 The legitimacy of the Chapter set up by Bishop and continued by Smith was contested not only by the regular clergy but among the seculars as well. Brady, III, pp. 68–73.
4 Croft p. 54.
5 Croft pp. 36–42; Sharratt pp. 164–167; Sharratt, M., ‘Bishop Russell and John Sergeant’, U.M. p. 253 (1979), pp. 22–37.Google Scholar
6 Croft pp. 26–36; Sharratt pp. 198–200.
7 Croft pp. 21–22; Sharratt p. 210.
8 For the marriage of Charles and Catherine and the involvement of the Chapter see Brady, III, pp. 105–113; John Miller, Papacy and Politics in England 1660–1688 (1973).
9 (a) John Preston who taught at the college 1736–1780 impressed the King and nobility by his scientific knowledge and was appointed tutor to Joseph, Prince of Brazil and heir to the throne. Croft pp. 75–79; Sharratt pp. 152–154.
(b) Jerome Allen’s father was employed at the Portuguese embassy in London and his admission to the college in Lisbon was done as a favour to the ambassador, later to become first minister to the King and Marquis of Pombal. Allen became a member of the staff in Lisbon and taught for many years between 1755 and 1815. Croft pp. 79–90; Sharratt p. 3.
(c) In 1865 the Infanta Isabel Maria appointed three members of the staff at the English College, Baines, Richmond and Duckett to be executors of her will. Michael E. Williams, ‘The President of the Seminary, the Will of the Infanta and the Favour of the Apostolic See’ in M. A. Rees (Ed) Convivium. Celebratory Essays for Ronald Cueto, Leeds Iberian Papers, 1997.
10 See above, note 9(c). Baines was one of the executors. The advantages accruing to the college were more than merely material; it gained much in prestige.
11 S., M.B. (Shaw, Michael Bernard) and E., V. (Evans, Volan), ‘Fr Henry Mary Baillie Hughes’ The Lisbonian, March 1962, October 1962, May 1965Google Scholar. The articles are based on documents in the archives of the Irish Dominicans, Corpo Santo, Lisbon.
12 Thomas A. Cawley was ordained in 1869 and remained in Lisbon for most of his life. He died there in 1913.
13 Williams, R.H. 23, p. 581.
14 Williams, Michael E., The Venerable English College Rome. A History. 1979 p. 122.Google Scholar
15 Prop. Fid. SC Congressi 17 Collegi Esteri vol. 1 f 125.
16 See notes 9 and 10 above.
17 Johnson to Hilton 15.11.1883, Hilton to Johnson 22.11.1883. L.C. Correspondence.
18 Croft p. 159.
19 Hilton to Barge 2.7.1884, 21.10.1884. L.C. Correspondence.
20 Hilton to Barge 19.10.1885, L.C. Correspondence.
21 Williams, Michael E., ‘Seminaries and Priestly Formation’ in McClelland, V. A. and Hodgetts, Michael, (Eds). From Without The Flaminian Gate (1999), pp. 72–74.Google Scholar
22 Williams, R.H. 23, p. 583.
23 Croft was the author of Historical Account of Lisbon College.
24 Croft to Hilton 23.10.1901. L.C. Correspondence.
25 Whiteside to Hilton 16, 11, 1901. L.C. Correspondence.
26 College Diary 1882–1947 (Annals) L.C. Book 113.
27 NeoLisbonian vol. 1 1906. This was originally a hand written monthly production. In 1907 it appeared every quarter in a printed form. From October 1907 it was simply known as The Lisbonian. It continued with occasional breaks and at irregular intervals up to the closing of the college and even beyond this. It was read by former students working in England. Copies found in L.C.
28 Neo Lisbonian, May 1906.
29 Ibidem.
30 The Tablet 8.2.1908, p. 199.
31 The Tablet 15.2.1908, p. 257.
32 A special number of The Lisbonian was published containing tributes in prose and verse as well as a full account of the funeral in Lisbon.
33 Williams, R.H. 23, pp. 584–585.
34 Bourne’s visit to Compostella was fully reported in The Tablet, 12.6.1909, p. 941 and 19.6.1909, p. 981.
35 When Ilsley was appointed president of the college in 1854 he handed over the direction of the academy he had founded for Portuguese boys to Carlos Joao Rademaker S.J. and it subsequently became merged into the Jesuit college at Campolide. Williams, R.H. 23, p. 586, footnote 39.
36 A copy of this reply was sent to the president for information. Dated 11.12.1909 it stated that the Nuncio in Lisbon should watch over the discipline, study, and administration of the college and refer matters to the Consistorial Congregation ‘… mens vero Eminentissimorum Patruum sequens fuit: quod Nuntius Apostolicus pro tempore Lisbonensis, tanquam delegatus a S. Sede evigilet super disciplinary studia, necnon ejusdem Colegii administrationem; ac de his omnibus referat huic Congregationi Consistoriali. Quam responsionem cum annexa mente SSms Dns Pius pp X ratum habuit in audientia mihi concessa … Card, de Lai.’ A similar arrangement was made for the other colleges at Valladolid and Rome. Williams, Michael E., St Alban’s College Valladolid. Four Centuries of English Catholic Presence in Spain (1986), pp. 174–175.Google Scholar
37 Documentation concerning the transfer of the Lisbon archives is in WAA, Bo 5/58.
38 After the resumption of full diplomatic relations between the Holy See and Portugal, the Archdiocese of Westminster wrote to Cardinal Gasparri, the Secretary of State in 1922, asking whether the documents should be returned to Lisbon or sent to Rome. In April 1927 the Cardinal Secretary of State wrote requesting them to be sent to Rome. Fr. Collins, Bourne’s private secretary contacted the Foreign Office in London asking them to authorise the transfer of 8 cases of documents through Thomas Cook to Rome. The F.O. obtained facilities for passing the cases through the Italian customs and they were given the official labels and F.O. seal and dispatched in May 1927. They had remained untouched since their arrival from Lisbon 17 years previously. They might however have been repacked since there were 8 not 10 or 12 as originally indicated in 1910. The British Ambassador to the Quirinal received them and delivered them to the Vatican. Bourne’s secretary wrote to thank the Foreign Secretary, Sir Austin Chamberlain, for his kindness in facilitating the dispatch of the cases.
39 According to documentation in the Corpo Santo Archives of the Irish Dominicans (234), the prioress of Bom Successo, the convent of the Dominican nuns, requested a guard of soldiers and a safe conduct pass so that the priest who acted as chaplain to the nuns could return to Corpo Santo after he had said Mass. Fr. Singleton of the English College asked for similar safeguards to protect his movements about the city on procuratorial business.
40 The Tablet 15.10.1910, p. 608.
41 Ibidem 29.10.1910, p. 693.
42 Ibidem 28.1.1911, p. 125.
43 Ibidem 8.4.1911, p. 525.
44 Ibidem 4.2.1911, p. 160.
45 Ibidem 10.6.1911, p. 882.
46 Corpo Santo archives 234, official correspondence.
47 Concerning the advantages and disadvantages of having a college in a capital city, see Williams R.H. 23, p. 580.
48 An account of this interview can be found in Bernard Ward’s Report of his Visitation to the College, 28.7.1915. WAA Lisbon 1915–16.
49 This was not the only reason. The president and staff did not wish to be too dependent on Westminster.
50 The Lisbonian, April 1912, p. 88.
51 These concessions to British institutions were in part in recognition of an agreement between Portugal and Britain concerning the Padroado. This was the old privilege of the Portuguese Crown in respect to Catholic appointments to offices in Portuguese India.
52 The Tablet 17.2.1912, p. 244. The Patriarch was one of those to be sent into exile.
53 The Lisbonian, 1913.
54 The Lisbonian, 1913, p. 47.
55 The Tablet, 22.3.1913, p. 457–8.
56 The Tablet 28.2.1914, p. 319.
57 The Lisbonian, 1914, p. 84.
58 Lisbon shared with other colleges difficulties consequent upon the death of an aged rector who had held office for many years. In 1913 when Hilton had been rector for 30 years and was aged 88, William Giles the rector of the Venerabile died aged 83, after a rectorship of 25 years. At Valladolid Charles Allen had died in 1904 after 26 years as rector. In 1913 his fourth successor had taken office, two resignations and one death accounted for the other three.
59 Information about Warwick’s presidency is scanty in L.C. There are no records of Council (staff) meetings and the college annals from 1910 were written up by John Cullen, Warwick’s successor who states ‘to avoid future lapses in the continuity of the college annals the superiors have authorised the president to compose them henceforth in the English tongue.’ L.C., Book 113. However, the Southwark Archdiocesan Archives, Lisbon File 1900–1950, contains a series of letters from Warwick to Amigo from his first assumption of the presidency. His initial concern was with staffing, see letters 6.4.1914; 16.4.1914; 15.5.1914.
60 Quoted by Warwick in letter to Amigo SAA 5.5.1914.
61 SAA, Warwick to Amigo, 24.3.1914.
62 Warwick made some critical remarks about Bishop Brindle a former Lisbon student: ‘I believe that he has been inspired by those who opposed my coming here’ SAA, 16.4.1914.
63 These events are recorded in the annals, L.C., Book 113, which is Cullen’s account written up later. They appear also in Ward’s Report as given to him on his visit in June 1915.
64 Ward’s visit is mentioned in the annals, as is the reason why Bourne was appointed Protector, viz, the disagreement between Warwick and the staff. The annals also say that Ward’s conclusions about his visit were never made public.
65 For the Central Seminary see Michael E. Williams, in From Without the Flaminian Gate p. 72–75. The Oscott College Archives contain letters from Ward to Parkinson the rector of Oscott.
66 SAA, Warwick to Amigo, 23.7.1915.
67 Ibidem.
68 SAA, Warwick to Amigo, 6.11.1915.
69 SAA, Warwick to Amigo, 19.10.1915.
70 SAA, Warwick to Amigo, 11.12.1915.
71 WAA, Ward’s Report, Lisbon 1915, 1916.