William Henry Bliss
Encyclopedia
William Henry Bliss was an English scholar and Anglican
convert to Catholicism.
, a physician who specialised in the treatment of gout
. The family owned a tweed
mill at Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire.
He was educated at Winchester
from 1847 to 1852. He then went up to Magdalen College, Oxford
, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in 1859 (receiving his M.A. in 1863. In 1868 he was awarded a BCL.
In 1854, he edited The Parson.
On 4 May [959 he married Mary Jane Wray, daughter of Rev. Cyril Wray of St. Martin's, Liverpool. Over twenty years they were to have eleven children.
. He therefore spent more than the usual time as a deacon
. He was finally ordained
by the Church of England in 1865. He served as Curate
of Honington
for four years from 1858, then moved to St James, Plymouth until 1865 and took the Vicar
age of North Hinksey
on the outskirts of Oxford
in 1866.
In 1867 Bliss published his first major work, The Canons of the First Four General Councils, in ncient
. This group of High Church
men originally attempted to show that the Church of England was a direct descendant of the Church established by the apostles. Many members of the group converted to Catholicism, including John Henry Newman. Bliss became curate to his uncle James at Plymouth. His uncle was a leading Anglo-Catholic
.
Bliss was increasingly turning towards Catholic theology
and doubting the historical legitimacy of the Church of England. In 1869 he followed Newman into the Roman Catholic faith. He then secured the position of Keeper of Periodicals at the Bodleian Library
in Oxford.
At first the Papal bureaucrats were suspicious of an Englishmen. He won them over and by 1886 he was the English Tutor to Victor Emmanuel
, heir to the Italian crown. He enjoyed cordial relations with the Italian Royal family.
In the Vatican Bliss produced a series called the Calendar of The Entries in the Papal Registers Relating to British Isles Volumes I and II. These were entirely Bliss's work. He edited volumes III, IV, and V with collaborators.
and Stockholm
. His work from these cities is still available in the Public Record Office. Overall, his output is an important source of material for mediæval historians.
Bliss is buried in Rome. His papers are kept at Downside Abbey
.
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
convert to Catholicism.
Early life and education
Bliss was born in Newton St Loe, Bath, Somerset. He was the son of Rev. William Bliss and Jane Monck (born Jane Bridges). Bliss was the grandson of Dr John Bliss M.D.Doctor of Medicine
Doctor of Medicine is a doctoral degree for physicians. The degree is granted by medical schools...
, a physician who specialised in the treatment of gout
Gout
Gout is a medical condition usually characterized by recurrent attacks of acute inflammatory arthritis—a red, tender, hot, swollen joint. The metatarsal-phalangeal joint at the base of the big toe is the most commonly affected . However, it may also present as tophi, kidney stones, or urate...
. The family owned a tweed
Twill
Twill is a type of textile weave with a pattern of diagonal parallel ribs . This is done by passing the weft thread over one or more warp threads and then under two or more warp threads and so on, with a "step" or offset between rows to create the characteristic diagonal pattern. Because of this...
mill at Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire.
He was educated at Winchester
Winchester College
Winchester College is an independent school for boys in the British public school tradition, situated in Winchester, Hampshire, the former capital of England. It has existed in its present location for over 600 years and claims the longest unbroken history of any school in England...
from 1847 to 1852. He then went up to Magdalen College, Oxford
Magdalen College, Oxford
Magdalen College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. As of 2006 the college had an estimated financial endowment of £153 million. Magdalen is currently top of the Norrington Table after over half of its 2010 finalists received first-class degrees, a record...
, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in 1859 (receiving his M.A. in 1863. In 1868 he was awarded a BCL.
In 1854, he edited The Parson.
On 4 May [959 he married Mary Jane Wray, daughter of Rev. Cyril Wray of St. Martin's, Liverpool. Over twenty years they were to have eleven children.
Clergyman
Bliss suffered from a stammerStammer
A stammer, or stammering, is a speech disorder typified by the involuntary repetition of a sound or sounds.Stammer, Stammers and Stammmering may also refer to:* Notker of St Gall "Notker the Stammerer" * Steven Stamkos A stammer, or stammering, is a speech disorder typified by the involuntary ...
. He therefore spent more than the usual time as a deacon
Deacon
Deacon is a ministry in the Christian Church that is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions...
. He was finally ordained
Ordination
In general religious use, ordination is the process by which individuals are consecrated, that is, set apart as clergy to perform various religious rites and ceremonies. The process and ceremonies of ordination itself varies by religion and denomination. One who is in preparation for, or who is...
by the Church of England in 1865. He served as Curate
Curate
A curate is a person who is invested with the care or cure of souls of a parish. In this sense "curate" correctly means a parish priest but in English-speaking countries a curate is an assistant to the parish priest...
of Honington
Honington
Honington could refer to:*Honington, Lincolnshire*Honington, Suffolk*Honington, Warwickshire*RAF Honington in Suffolk...
for four years from 1858, then moved to St James, Plymouth until 1865 and took the Vicar
Vicar
In the broadest sense, a vicar is a representative, deputy or substitute; anyone acting "in the person of" or agent for a superior . In this sense, the title is comparable to lieutenant...
age of North Hinksey
North Hinksey
North Hinksey , is a small civil parish in county Berkshire, 2 miles west of Oxford, and 5 miles north of of Abingdon,situated on the right bank of the Isis...
on the outskirts of Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
in 1866.
In 1867 Bliss published his first major work, The Canons of the First Four General Councils, in ncient
Contact with Catholicism
Bliss appeared to have very good prospects within the established church. He was the son of a clergyman, was blessed with a good education and had very useful contacts. He was being published. However, at Oxford he came into contact with the Oxford MovementOxford Movement
The Oxford Movement was a movement of High Church Anglicans, eventually developing into Anglo-Catholicism. The movement, whose members were often associated with the University of Oxford, argued for the reinstatement of lost Christian traditions of faith and their inclusion into Anglican liturgy...
. This group of High Church
High church
The term "High Church" refers to beliefs and practices of ecclesiology, liturgy and theology, generally with an emphasis on formality, and resistance to "modernization." Although used in connection with various Christian traditions, the term has traditionally been principally associated with the...
men originally attempted to show that the Church of England was a direct descendant of the Church established by the apostles. Many members of the group converted to Catholicism, including John Henry Newman. Bliss became curate to his uncle James at Plymouth. His uncle was a leading Anglo-Catholic
Anglo-Catholicism
The terms Anglo-Catholic and Anglo-Catholicism describe people, beliefs and practices within Anglicanism that affirm the Catholic, rather than Protestant, heritage and identity of the Anglican churches....
.
Bliss was increasingly turning towards Catholic theology
Theology
Theology is the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university or school of divinity or seminary.-Definition:Augustine of Hippo...
and doubting the historical legitimacy of the Church of England. In 1869 he followed Newman into the Roman Catholic faith. He then secured the position of Keeper of Periodicals at the Bodleian Library
Bodleian Library
The Bodleian Library , the main research library of the University of Oxford, is one of the oldest libraries in Europe, and in Britain is second in size only to the British Library...
in Oxford.
Work in the Vatican
In 1877 the Public Records Office asked Bliss to go to Rome to do research in the Vatican Archives on its behalf. He accepted the offer and spent most of his time searching the mediæval Papal Registers in order to find all the dealings between the Papacy and Great Britain and Ireland. This job required Bliss to spend nine months of each year in Rome and this became Bliss’ habit until he died at the Via Delphini in 1911. His wife raised the children in England and remained an Anglican.At first the Papal bureaucrats were suspicious of an Englishmen. He won them over and by 1886 he was the English Tutor to Victor Emmanuel
Victor Emmanuel III of Italy
Victor Emmanuel III was a member of the House of Savoy and King of Italy . In addition, he claimed the crowns of Ethiopia and Albania and claimed the titles Emperor of Ethiopia and King of Albania , which were unrecognised by the Great Powers...
, heir to the Italian crown. He enjoyed cordial relations with the Italian Royal family.
In the Vatican Bliss produced a series called the Calendar of The Entries in the Papal Registers Relating to British Isles Volumes I and II. These were entirely Bliss's work. He edited volumes III, IV, and V with collaborators.
Other work
Bliss also studied the transcripts of manuscripts in MilanMilan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
and Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
. His work from these cities is still available in the Public Record Office. Overall, his output is an important source of material for mediæval historians.
Bliss is buried in Rome. His papers are kept at Downside Abbey
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...
.
Publications
- 1867 The Canons of the First Four General Councils
- 1894/95 Calendar of The Entries in the Papal Registers Relating to British Isles Volumes I and II
- 1896 Calendars of Petitions to the Pope Volume I, 1342–1419
- 1897 Calendar of The Entries in the Papal Registers Relating to British Isles Volume III (with C. Johnson).
- 1902 Calendar of The Entries in the Papal Registers Relating to British Isles Volume IV (with Jesse Alfred Twemlow)
- 1904 Calendar of The Entries in the Papal Registers Relating to British Isles Volume V (with J. A. Twemlow)
- 1913 Calendar of State Papers and Manuscripts Existing in the Archives Collections in Milan, Volume I 1385–1618