William Bernard Ullathorne
Encyclopedia
William Bernard Ullathorne (7 May 1806 – 21 March 1889) was an English Roman Catholic bishop and a missionary
in Australia.
, Yorkshire
, the eldest of ten children of William Ullathorne, a prosperous grocer, draper and spirit merchant, and his wife Hannah, née Longstaff. At about nine years of age his family moved to Scarborough where he started school. At 12 he was taken from school and placed in his father's office to learn the management of accounts. The intention was to send him to school again, but Ullathorne wished to go to sea, and at the age of 15, with his parents' permission, he made the first of several voyages to the Baltic Sea
and Mediterranean. While attending mass at a chapel at Memel he experienced something in the nature of a conversion, and on his return asked the mate if he had any religious books. Ullathorne was given a translation of Marsollier's "Life of St Jane Frances de Chantal
", which deepened his experience. At the end of this voyage he left the sea, returned home, and in February 1823 was sent to the Benedictine Downside School
, near Bath. There he was given as his director, John Bede Polding
, afterwards the first archbishop of Sydney
, who influenced him greatly.
monastery
of Downside
, near Bath, taking the vows in 1825. He was ordained priest in 1831, and in 1833 went to New South Wales
, Australia, as vicar-general to Bishop William Morris
(1794–1872), whose jurisdiction extended over the Australian missions. It was mainly Ullathorne who caused Pope Gregory XVI
to establish the hierarchy in Australia.
Ullathorne returned to the Britain
in 1836, met Francis Murphy and enlisted him for the Australian mission. After another visit to Australia, Ullathorne settled in England in 1841, taking charge of the Roman Catholic mission at Coventry
. He was consecrated bishop in 1847 as Vicar Apostolic of the Western District, in succession to Bishop C. M. Baggs (1806–1845), but was transferred to the Central District in the following year. Ullathorne helped found Saint Osburgs Church in Coventry.
. During his thirty-eight years tenure of the see
67 new churches, 32 convents and nearly 200 mission schools were built. In 1888 he retired and received from Pope Leo XIII
the honorary title of archbishop of Cabasa. He died at Oscott College and his monument is in the crypt
of St. Chad's Cathedral, Birmingham, although he was buried in The Sanctuary at The Immaculate Conception and St Dominic's Church, Stone, Staffordshire
. The Bishop Ullathorne RC School
in Coventry is named after him.
Of Ullathorne's theological and philosophical works the best known are The Endowments of Man (1882); The Groundwork of the Christian Virtues (1883); Christian Patience (1886). For an account of his life see his Autobiography, edited by A. T. Drane (London).
Missionary
A missionary is a member of a religious group sent into an area to do evangelism or ministries of service, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care and economic development. The word "mission" originates from 1598 when the Jesuits sent members abroad, derived from the Latin...
in Australia.
Early life
William Ullathorne was born in PocklingtonPocklington
Pocklington is a small market town and civil parish situated at the foot of the Yorkshire Wolds in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England, approximately east of York....
, Yorkshire
Yorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
, the eldest of ten children of William Ullathorne, a prosperous grocer, draper and spirit merchant, and his wife Hannah, née Longstaff. At about nine years of age his family moved to Scarborough where he started school. At 12 he was taken from school and placed in his father's office to learn the management of accounts. The intention was to send him to school again, but Ullathorne wished to go to sea, and at the age of 15, with his parents' permission, he made the first of several voyages to the Baltic Sea
Baltic Sea
The Baltic Sea is a brackish mediterranean sea located in Northern Europe, from 53°N to 66°N latitude and from 20°E to 26°E longitude. It is bounded by the Scandinavian Peninsula, the mainland of Europe, and the Danish islands. It drains into the Kattegat by way of the Øresund, the Great Belt and...
and Mediterranean. While attending mass at a chapel at Memel he experienced something in the nature of a conversion, and on his return asked the mate if he had any religious books. Ullathorne was given a translation of Marsollier's "Life of St Jane Frances de Chantal
Jane Frances de Chantal
Saint Jane Frances de Chantal is a Roman Catholic Saint, who founded a religious order after the death of her husband.-Life:...
", which deepened his experience. At the end of this voyage he left the sea, returned home, and in February 1823 was sent to the Benedictine Downside School
Downside School
Downside School is a co-educational Catholic independent school for children aged 11 to 18, located in Stratton-on-the-Fosse, between Norton Radstock and Shepton Mallet in Somerset, south west England. It is attached to Downside Abbey...
, near Bath. There he was given as his director, John Bede Polding
John Polding
John Bede Polding OSB was the first Roman Catholic bishop and archbishop of Sydney, Australia.-Early life:Polding's father was of Dutch descent; his mother died when he was eight. He was placed in the care of his uncle, Father Bede Brewer, president-general of the English Benedictine Congregation...
, afterwards the first archbishop of Sydney
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney is a Latin rite metropolitan archdiocese, located in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.Erected in 1842 and directly responsible to the Holy See, the Archdiocese is responsible for the suffragan dioceses of Armidale, Bathurst, Broken Bay, Lismore,...
, who influenced him greatly.
Priesthood
In 1823 Ullathorne entered the BenedictineBenedictine
Benedictine refers to the spirituality and consecrated life in accordance with the Rule of St Benedict, written by Benedict of Nursia in the sixth century for the cenobitic communities he founded in central Italy. The most notable of these is Monte Cassino, the first monastery founded by Benedict...
monastery
Monastery
Monastery denotes the building, or complex of buildings, that houses a room reserved for prayer as well as the domestic quarters and workplace of monastics, whether monks or nuns, and whether living in community or alone .Monasteries may vary greatly in size – a small dwelling accommodating only...
of Downside
Downside Abbey
The Basilica of St Gregory the Great at Downside, commonly known as Downside Abbey, is a Roman Catholic Benedictine monastery and the Senior House of the English Benedictine Congregation. One of its main apostolates is a school for children aged nine to eighteen...
, near Bath, taking the vows in 1825. He was ordained priest in 1831, and in 1833 went to New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
, Australia, as vicar-general to Bishop William Morris
William Morris (bishop)
Bishop William Placid Morris, O.S.B. was a London-born Roman Catholic bishop.Morris was ordained a priest of the Order of Saint Benedict on 29 June, 1817 and was assigned to missionary work in London, first at the chapel of the Portuguese Embassy in Grosvenor Square, and then, after the closure of...
(1794–1872), whose jurisdiction extended over the Australian missions. It was mainly Ullathorne who caused Pope Gregory XVI
Pope Gregory XVI
Pope Gregory XVI , born Bartolomeo Alberto Cappellari, named Mauro as a member of the religious order of the Camaldolese, was Pope of the Catholic Church from 1831 to 1846...
to establish the hierarchy in Australia.
Ullathorne returned to the Britain
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was the formal name of the United Kingdom during the period when what is now the Republic of Ireland formed a part of it....
in 1836, met Francis Murphy and enlisted him for the Australian mission. After another visit to Australia, Ullathorne settled in England in 1841, taking charge of the Roman Catholic mission at Coventry
Coventry
Coventry is a city and metropolitan borough in the county of West Midlands in England. Coventry is the 9th largest city in England and the 11th largest in the United Kingdom. It is also the second largest city in the English Midlands, after Birmingham, with a population of 300,848, although...
. He was consecrated bishop in 1847 as Vicar Apostolic of the Western District, in succession to Bishop C. M. Baggs (1806–1845), but was transferred to the Central District in the following year. Ullathorne helped found Saint Osburgs Church in Coventry.
Bishop of Birmingham
On the re-establishment of the hierarchy in England, Ullathorne became the first Roman Catholic Bishop of BirminghamArchbishop of Birmingham
The Archbishop of Birmingham heads the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Birmingham in England. As such he is the Metropolitan Archbishop of the Province of Birmingham....
. During his thirty-eight years tenure of the see
Episcopal See
An episcopal see is, in the original sense, the official seat of a bishop. This seat, which is also referred to as the bishop's cathedra, is placed in the bishop's principal church, which is therefore called the bishop's cathedral...
67 new churches, 32 convents and nearly 200 mission schools were built. In 1888 he retired and received from Pope Leo XIII
Pope Leo XIII
Pope Leo XIII , born Vincenzo Gioacchino Raffaele Luigi Pecci to an Italian comital family, was the 256th Pope of the Roman Catholic Church, reigning from 1878 to 1903...
the honorary title of archbishop of Cabasa. He died at Oscott College and his monument is in the crypt
Crypt
In architecture, a crypt is a stone chamber or vault beneath the floor of a burial vault possibly containing sarcophagi, coffins or relics....
of St. Chad's Cathedral, Birmingham, although he was buried in The Sanctuary at The Immaculate Conception and St Dominic's Church, Stone, Staffordshire
Stone, Staffordshire
Stone is an old market town in Staffordshire, England, situated about seven miles north of Stafford, and around seven miles south of the city of Stoke-on-Trent. It is the second town, after Stafford itself, in the Borough of Stafford, and has long been of importance from the point of view of...
. The Bishop Ullathorne RC School
Bishop Ullathorne RC School
Bishop Ullathorne RC School was established in Coventry in 1953. In 2006 it was awarded specialist status as a Humanities College. On 10 July 2007 Bishop Ullathorne Year 9 Cricket team won the Coventry Cricket Cup against King Henry VIII winning their first ever cricket cup in the schools history...
in Coventry is named after him.
Of Ullathorne's theological and philosophical works the best known are The Endowments of Man (1882); The Groundwork of the Christian Virtues (1883); Christian Patience (1886). For an account of his life see his Autobiography, edited by A. T. Drane (London).