Reference code: GB-0298-UC/P2
Title: John Barrow Papers
Dates of creation: 1790-1809
Extent: 2 files, 2 volumes
Held by: Ushaw
Origination: John Barrow (1735-1811)
Language: English
Rev John Barrow (1735-1811), Claughton Mission [1766-1811?]
Two files of photocopies of the private correspondence of John Barrow of Claughton, with two volumes of transcripts of the letters from the first file. Also includes one original letter from Barrow to Gibson.
The first file of correspondence relates to the foundation of Ushaw College and in particular highlights a long and protracted dispute between Barrow and the vicar-apostolic of the Northern District, William Gibson. This dispute, lasting nearly
two decades, proved to be a major stumbling block in the establishment of the new college. It centred on the role of episcopal authority within the college. Barrow favoured the system adopted at the English College in Douai which limited the
involvement of the local bishop and allowed for greater presidential autonomy. In contrast, Gibson wished to see a more direct rule by the episcopacy. The correspondence reveals both the fractious nature of this dispute and the stormy meetings
involving the clergy of the Northern District which resulted from it.
The second file is concerned with various controversies surrounding the Cisalpine movement of the late eighteenth century. This movement was organised by Joseph Berington, a Staffordshire priest, who believed in restricting the temporal authority
of the papacy and its influence on the affairs of English Roman Catholics, promoting the link between Catholicism and English constitutionalism, and introducing an English vernacular liturgy. The controversies discussed in the correspondence include
divisions over the signing of an oath of loyalty introduced by the pro-Cisalpine Catholic Committee, the effect on the Catholic community of the publication of Berington's pro-Cisalpine work
An Appeal to the Catholics of England by the Catholic Clergy of the County of Stafford (1792), and the suspension (and subsequent reinstatement) of the Benedictine Rev Joseph Wilks for expressing anti-episcopal and
anti-papal views.
Transcript volumes presented to Ushaw College by Gerard McKenna, 1937
Photocopies presented to Ushaw College from the estate of W.V. Smith, 1985
Previous reference number for the whole collection - BC. This collection was originally unnumbered.
Open for consultation.
Permission to make any published use of the photocopied material from the collection must be sought in advance from ushaw.library@durham.ac.uk and, where appropriate, from Lancashire Record Office (the copyright owner). The Library will assist
where possible with identifying copyright owners, but responsibility for ensuring copyright clearance rests with the user of the material
The original arrangement of separating the correspondence by subject, which is evident in the arrangement of Barrow's papers at Lancashire Record Office, has been retained.
Card index listing the photocopied letters (with the page number of the Ushaw transcripts added in brackets).
Lancashire Record Office (RCCL/2/58-60)
A proportion of Barrow's letters are draft copies made by the author of letters subsequently sent.
Lancashire Record Office
Claughton, St. Thomas Roman Catholic Church Records, RCCL/2
UC/P2/1/1-103 31 August 1790 - 13 July 1809
Photocopies of correspondence and other papers of the Rev John Barrow mostly relating to the foundation of Ushaw College:
49 letters and 8 addresses
UC/P2/1/1-2 31 August 1790
Address by Barrow protesting against the conduct of William Gibson, vicar apostolic of the Northern District, and his presidency at Douai College, and calling on all the clergy to petition the Propaganda Fide to remove Gibson from office.
UC/P2/1/3-4 23 February 1794
Letter from Barrow to Gibson criticising the proposed plan to return to Douai, suggesting the establishment of a new college on his land in Claughton, and urging Gibson to provide funds for its realisation.
UC/P2/1/5 1 July 1794
Letter from Barrow to Gibson on the need to seek donations from sympathetic Catholic families (including Warswick and Gillow), as well as the merchants, tradesmen and maunfacturers, to help fund a new college in Northern England.
UC/P2/1/6-9 15 July 1798
Letter from Barrow to Thomas Eyre on his role in the foundation of a Catholic seminary, and enclosing a report on the resolutions passed at a meeting of the bishop and the clergy at Fernyhalgh relating to the seminary's establishment.
UC/P2/1/10-13 [1798]
Draft of a petition to be sent to the “Catholic Nobility, Clergy and Commons of England” seeking funds to help to support the establishment of a new seminary.
UC/P2/1/14 [?July 1798]
Proposed amendments to the resolutions drawn up at the recent meeting at Fernyhalgh (see 15th July).
UC/P2/1/15-16 27 July 1798
Letter from Barrow to P. Holford on his wish to arrange a meeting to discuss the possible purchase of Ushaw Farm from Sir Edward Smythe.
UC/P2/1/17-18 4 August 1798
Resolutions passed at a meeting in Durham granting Rt Rev William Gibson, Rev Thomas Eyre, John Gillow, John Barrow and Thomas Smith the power to oversee the foundation of a seminary.
UC/P2/1/19 [?August 1798]
Letter from Barrow to H. Rutter defending the course of action taken at the Durham meeting.
UC/P2/1/20-23 [?August 1798]
Letter from Holford to Barrow, replying to Barrow's letter of 27 July, relating to Sir Edward's support for the purchase of Ushaw Farm and its use as a seminary, with the reply from Barrow on the same sheet expressing his delight at Sir Edward's
support for the seminary at Ushaw Farm, and a further letter on the same sheet from Barrow to John Gillow defying Gibson, and wishing to proceed with the seminary plan, and the bishop's negative attiitude towards him personally.
UC/P2/1/24-25 14 August 1798
Resolutions agreed at a meeting at Minsteracres relating to the purchase of Ushaw Farm for the purpose of establishing a Catholic seminary.
UC/P2/1/26 16 August 1798
Letter from Eyre to Barrow concerning Gibson's eventual acceptance of the plan for the purchase of Ushaw Farm, and urging Barrow to sign the Minsteracres resolutions.
UC/P2/1/27 21 August 1798
Letter from Barrow to Gibson agreeing to sign the Minsteracres resolutions and expressing his gratitude to Gibson for acquiescing to the seminary plan.
UC/P2/1/28-29 26 August 1798
Letter from Gillow to Barrow, in reply to Barrow's letter, on Gibson's personal vendetta against Barrow, sharing his concern over the upcoming meeting of the Catholic clergy at Preston at which certain clergy are likely to express their
disapproval at not being invited to the original meeting at Fernyhalgh, and urging Barrow to set up a subscription fund.
UC/P2/1/30 27 August 1798
Extract from a letter from Gibson to R. Banister criticising Barrow' s conduct at the Durham meeting.
UC/P2/1/31-32 29 August 1798
Letter from Barrow to Gillow, in reply to Gillow's letter of 26 August, describing a stormy meeting at Preston, the main perpetrators who disrupted the proceedings, and suggesting that Gillow contacts the Silvertop family to subscribe towards the
proposed seminary. Also includes the resolutions proposed at this meeting.
UC/P2/1/33-34 2-4 September 1798
Letter from Gillow to Barrow, in reply to Barrow's letter of 29 August, concerning the meeting at Preston, and hoping that Gibson will agree to call a meeting of the Catholic clergy of the Northern District to give unanimous support to the
proposed seminary plan.
Letter from Barrow to Gillow (on same sheet), in reply to Gillow's letter of 2 September, expressing approval of Gillow's plan to call a meeting of the Northern clergy, Gibson thwarting a plan by the vicar-apostolic of the London District, Bishop
John Douglass, to form a union, with Barrow to oversee the project.
UC/P2/1/35 4 September 1798
Letter from Barrow to Gibson expressing disappointment at the outcome of the Preston meeting and the conduct of some of the clergy there, as well as hoping that Gibson will be able to attend the upcoming York meeting to bring about a speedy
resolution to the difficulties faced.
UC/P2/1/36 5 September 1798
Letter from Barrow to [Thomas?] Smith, expressing his hope that the seminary plan will come to fruition.
UC/P2/1/37-39 8-25 September 1798
Letter from Gillow to Barrow, in reply to Barrow's letter of 4 September, on the need for a universal college but disagreeing with Barrow's resolution that the vicars-apostolic should hold the same authority over the new college as they had at
Douai.
Letter (on same sheet) from Barrow to Gillow, in reply to Gillow's letter of 8 September, hoping that Gibson compromises on his attitude towards holding a meeting of the Northern District, the power of the vicars-apostolic over the proposed
seminary, and his fear that Gibson may eventually abandon the whole project.
UC/P2/1/40-41 16 September 1798
Letter from Gibson to Barrow, in reply to Barrow's letter of 4 September, on accusations that he (Gibson) would be responsible if the Northern clergy cannot find a solution to the seminary problem, seeking a meeting with Barrow at Crook Hall, and
objecting to Barrow's proposed resolutions.
UC/P2/1/42 19 September 1798
Letter from Barrow to Gibson blaming Gibson for the lack of unity amongst the clergy, the donation of a £1000 towards the realisation of the college, and urging him to put aside his opinions and proceed with the plan
UC/P2/1/43-44 29 September 1798
Letter from Holford to Barrow expressing his anger at the lack of detail in the proposal to purchase the Ushaw Farm land, the need to offer a solution for the current tenants, his wish to form a committee to oversee the project, and Sir Edward
Smythe's desire to exchange, rather than sell, the land.
UC/P2/1/45-49 1-31 October 1798
Letter from Gillow to Barrow on the blame attached by Gibson to Eyre for the failure of the proposed plan, his desire to write to Gibson to call again for a Northern District meeting, his objection to Barrow's proposal limiting episcopal
authority over the seminary, and urging Barrow to contact Gibson in order to persuade him to purchase the land.
Letter from Barrow to [Gillow?] (on the same sheet) defending himself against possible accusations made by Gibson concerning Barrow's conduct at the Preston meeting as well as a clandestine letter written by him to Sir Edward Smythe, Horrabin's
proposals for a unified college at Old Hall Green and his preference for a college in the north.
UC/P2/1/50-53 5-12 October 1798
Letter from Gibson to Barrow relating to his anger at the formulating of a new plan without his sanction and threatening to withdraw his support for the whole project.
UC/P2/1/54-55 17 October 1798
Letter from Barrow to Holford, in reply to Holford's letter of 29 September, apologising for his silence and giving Holford an account of the situation, blaming Gibson for the current impasse, and expressing his hope that the clergy can formulate
a plan without Gibson's assistance.
UC/P2/1/56-59 17 October 1798
Letter from Horrabin and J. Hodgson to Barrow assuring him that the accommodation can be increased at Old Hall Green (with a detailed proposal for its realisation) and that this building can be used effectively for a unified college.
UC/P2/1/60-61 19 October 1798
Letter from T. Horrabin to Barrow on plans for the renovation of Old Hall Green to increase student capacity in relation to a possible unified college
UC/P2/1/62-65 19 October 1798
Letter from Barrow to Gibson, in reply to Gibson's letter of 5-12 October, presuming that Gibson has withdrawn his support for the seminary, criticising Gibson's opposition to his proposals to limit episcopal authority over the proposed seminary,
giving his reasons for supporting this limitation of authority, and answering the charges set out in Gibson's letter to R. Banister of 27 August.
UC/P2/1/66-68 31 October - 7 December 1798
Letter from Holford to Barrow commenting that Sir Edward Smythe is still happy to proceed with the proposed purchase “if it should please God (that) the Bishop should die”.
Letter from Barrow to Holford (on same sheet), in reply to Holford's letter of 31 October, on the possible secret purchase by Gibson of land for the proposed seminary.
UC/P2/1/69-70 11 December 1798
Letter from Barrow to Horrabin, in reply to Horrabin and Hodgson's letter of 17 October, on Gibson's obstinacy (as well as his own) at a proposed union at Old Hall Green and his desire for a college in Northern England.
UC/P2/1/71-72 26 December 1798
Letter from Gillow to Barrow, in reply to Gillow's letter of 31 October, criticising Halford and Hodgson's plans for a unified seminary at Old Hall Green.
UC/P2/1/73-76 23 August 1799
Letter from Banister to Barrow on the deeds relating to the purchase of Ushaw Farm by Gibson and, in particular, the questionable assignment of the land to Thomas Eyre and Thomas Smith for 10s, and the possibility that Gibson wishes to make his
brother, Richard, his co-adjudicator to manage Ushaw Farm.
UC/P2/1/77-80 14 January 1800
Letter from Gibson to Barrow on the suspension of the Benedictine, Joseph Wilkes, as well as the current need to build a house and chapel at Ushaw Farm.
UC/P2/1/81-82 9 October 1802
Letter from Gibson to Barrow on the purchase of Hazlewood Hall (Lancashire)
UC/P2/1/83-85 15 October 1802
Letter from Eyre to Gibson on the purchase of Hazelwood Hall, with an attached copy of the deed.
UC/P2/1/86 15 October 1802
Letter from Barrow to Eyre wishing to distance himself from the purchase of Hazelwood Hall, owing to Gibson's involvement.
UC/P2/1/87-90 [November 1802]
Letter from Eyre to Barrow, in reply to Barrow's letter of 21 October, urging him to re-consider the Hazelwood Hall purchase in spite of Gibson's wish for episcopal control, and stressing the greater necessity of the seminary over personal
considerations.
Letter from Barrow to Eyre (on the same sheet), in reply to Eyre's letter, on his wish not to bequeath money to Hazelwood Hall.
UC/P2/1/91-94 20-25 April 1804
Letter from H. Rutter to Barrow criticising Gibson's use of the General Fund for the new seminary at Ushaw, and proposing resolutions on the financial management of the project.
Letter from Barrow to Rutter (on same sheet), in reply to Rutter's letter of 20 April, reiterating his wish to have no further dealings with Gibson, and urging Rutter not to allow Gibson to use the General Fund for the new seminary.
UC/P2/1/95-97 23 July 1804
Letter from Eyre to Barrow on the commencement of building Ushaw College and seeking financial support from the General Fund for its completion.
UC/P2/1/98-99 6 June 1808
Letter from Eyre to Barrow on the donation of an organ to Ushaw College and a rumour that Barrow was raising a subscription for Gibson.
UC/P2/1/100 15 June 1808
Letter from Barrow to Eyre, replying to Eyre's letter of 6 June, refuting the rumour.
UC/P2/1/101 9 September 1808
Letter from A. Lund to Barrow requesting him to pass on £6.
UC/P2/1/102 2 October 1808
Letter from Barrow to [?] relating to hunting in Buthill Woods.
UC/P2/1/103 21 December 1808
Letter from B. Rayment to Barrow thanking him for sending his organ.
UC/P2/2/1-2 31 August 1790 - 3 June 1809
Volumes I and II of transcripts for UC/P2/1.
Includes index of correspondents at the front of each volume
These transcripts were compiled by the Rev Gerard McKenna in 1937.
UC/P2/3/1-85 8 February 1790 - 25 July 1792
Photocopies of correspondence and other writings of the Rev John Barrow, mainly concerning the Cisalpinism controversy:
42 letters, 1 address and 4 printed items
UC/P2/3/1-3 8 - 10 February 1790
Two letters from Barrow to [Joseph Berington?], the first concerning a meeting of the Catholic Committee, attended by Bishop Charles Walmesley, Joseph Berington, Bishop Talbot, and Bishop William Sharrock, called to discuss a proposed oath of
loyalty, and the second denying various accusations made against him including that he had petitioned Bishop Gibson, vicar apostolic of the Northern District, calling for an official condemnation of the oath.
UC/P2/3/4 28 February 1790
Letter from Gibson to [Barrow?] praising him for his letter concerning the oath, a disagreement between the vicars apostolic and the lay members of the committee on whether the oath is a temporal or ecclesiastical matter, and his attempts to
counteract a petition in favour of the oath.
UC/P2/3/5 5 March 1790
Letter from Barrow to Gibson, in reply to Gibson's letter of 5 March, stating that lay Catholics should adhere strictly to the decisions made on their behalf by the vicars apostolic regarding the oath, and his opinions of those fifteen laymen of
the county of Stafford who signed an address to the vicar apostolic of the Midland District stating that they would sign the oath if called upon.
UC/P2/3/6-7 9 April 1790
Letter from Gibson to Barrow concerning the opinion of the members of the Douai College towards the oath.
UC/P2/3/8-14 April - October 1790
Three drafts of a letter from Barrow to Gibson criticising Gibson's favourable attitude towards the oath, his attempts to deceive Catholics, as well as Barrow's own objections to it. The second draft also contains another draft letter, from
Barrow to Mr Morgan, enclosing a further letter from Barrow to E. Kitchen, president of Douai College, concerning Mr Lupton and his son's unsuitability for Douai College.
UC/P2/3/15-16 15 October 1790
Letter from R. Banister to Barrow commenting on Barrow's proposed letter to Gibson and his dislike of the label “Protesting Catholic Dissenter”, the opposition to the oath from the Scottish and Irish Catholics, as
well as Douai College.
UC/P2/3/17 30 June 1791
Printed pastoral letter from Gibson, with a covering note from Gibson to Barrow, concerning the passing of the Catholic Relief Act and urging Catholics to take the oath associated with it.
UC/P2/3/18 23 December 1791
Letter from [Henry Shorwell] to Barrow seeking a recommendation for a good servant.
UC/P2/3/19-20 [January 1792]
Letter from Barrow to [Shorwell], in reply to the above letter of 23 December, offering recommendations for servants, and his criticisms of the Catholic Committee and its effect in driving a wedge in the Catholic community.
UC/P2/3/21-23 15 March 1792
Letter from Barrow to Berington concerning the controversy surrounding an address by the county of Stafford to the Catholic clergy of England, his condemnation of this address, and the arguments in favour of the suspension of Rev Joseph Wilks for
refusing to submit to the authority of the vicars apostolic.
UC/P2/3/24-25 7 April 1792
Letter from Berington to Barrow, in reply to Barrow's letter of 15 March, defending his pamphlet against Barrow's and the Rev Charles Plowden's criticisms, and attacking Barrow's conduct.
UC/P2/3/26-28 24 April 1792
Letter from Barrow to [Berington], in reply to Berington's letter of 7 April, defending Plowden and offering further criticism of Berington's seditious writings.
UC/P2/3/29 [April 1792]
Letter from Banister to Barrow, commenting on Plowden's criticisms of Berington.
UC/P2/3/30 4 May 1792
Letter from [Gibson] to Barrow expressing his hope that the Berington controversy will diminish following the dissolution of the Catholic Committee, and urging Barrow not to write to Berington.
UC/P2/3/31-34 5-8 May 1792
Letter from Barrow to [Berington] concerning the publication of
An Appeal to the Catholics of England by the Catholic Clergy of the County of Stafford (1792), and its effect on the Catholic community of Lancashire, and Berington's attacks on Plowden's counter-publication,
Considerations on the Modern Opinion of the Fallibility of the Holy See (1790), and a defence of the pope's temporal authority.
UC/P2/3/35 7 May 1792
Letter from R. Banister to [Barrow] commenting on the above letter to Berington, particularly on Barrow's views on the pope's temporal authority.
UC/P2/3/36-37 25 July 1792
Two letters on the same sheet, the first is from Barrow to Mr Crook recommending his maid, Ann Gardner, and the second is from Barrow to [Gibson?] expressing his astonishment that Berington has recently been appointed as a missionary and
describing his plans to contest this decision.
UC/P2/3/38 [1790s]
Covering note by Barrow on a sermon delivered to the Catholics of Claughton.
UC/P2/3/39 13 January 1797
Address from Bishop Walmesley to the Catholic clergy of the Western District, calling on the clergy to withhold the sacraments from those members of the laity who harbour pro-Cisalpine opinions.
This is a transcript of the address written in Barrow's hand.
UC/P2/3/40 24 July 1797
Letter from Barrow to [Bishop W. Gibson] requesting that the bishop carry out a benediction service in his chapel in Claughton, and his intention to admonish Berington publically for his anti-papal views at a proposed meeting of the clergy.
UC/P2/3/41-42 29 October 1797
Letter from Barrow to [Dr Admiral?] concerning attempts to persuade Berington to comply with the pope and sign the official condemnation of the Blue Books and pro-Cisalpine views, Berington's decision to continue working on an anti-papal
pamphlet, and the public retractions of Mr Strickland and Mr Maynell from their former pro-Cisalpine views.
UC/P2/3/43 18 November 1797
Letter from Barrow to [Gibson?] concerning Mr Barnes and his affair with Mr Brockhole's maid.
UC/P2/3/44-46 3 December 1797
Letter (with draft copy) from Barrow to Bishop Douglass criticising Douglass's decision to reconcile himself with Berington following the latter's publication of
A Letter to the Right Reverend John Douglass (1797).
UC/P2/3/47-51 9-20 November 1799
Letter from Plowden to Barrow concerning a dispute between Berington and Bishop Milner in the
Gentleman's Magazine, and the case of J. Wilks.
Reply (on the same sheet) from Barrow concerning Bishop Douglass's attitude towards Berington.
UC/P2/3/52-53 [November 1799]
Manuscript transcript in Barrow's hand of the Berington-Milner controversy published in the
Gentleman's Magazine.
UC/P2/3/54-55 26 November 1799
Letter from Berington to [Mr Urban?] offering a retraction of his views previously published in the
Gentleman's Magazine on the question of papal authority.
UC/P2/3/56-67 6 December 1799
Letter from Plowden to Barrow on the case of John Wilks and the dangers posed to ecclesiastical and papal authority. Enclosures:
UC/P2/3/60-62 15 May - 5 November 1798
Copy of a letter to the Reverend William Cowley
UC/P2/3/63-64 July 1798
Extracts from the Minutes of a General Chapter holden at Birmingham, in the Month of July, 1798
UC/P2/3/65-67 5 July - 24 August 1799
Copy of the Sentence given by the Rev. Doctor Brewer, on the Appeal made to him by the Rev. Mr. Joseph Wilks; and of the Correspondence relating thereto.
UC/P2/3/68-70 20 December 1799
Letter from Plowden to Barrow, concerning the possibility that Wilks may have been offered missionary faculties by Berington.
UC/P2/3/71 [1799?]
Extract from a letter from Barrow [?] concerning his desire to read Bishop Milner's
History of Winchester (1798-1801).
UC/P2/3/72-81 1 January 1800
Letter from Barrow to [Rev Dr Brewer, president-general of the Benedictine Congregation] concerning his judgement on the Wilks case and arguing that Dr Brewer should not have recalled Wilks's suspension. Also contains a draft first page of this
letter.
UC/P2/3/82-83 2 January 1800
Letter from Plowden to Barrow on the scarcity of printed copies of Rev Dr Brewer's judgement on Joseph Wilks, the possibility that Brewer has withdrawn these from circulation, and seeking a copy of this judgement from Barrow.
UC/P2/3/84 17 January 1800
Letter from Banister to Barrow calling for Brewer to be deprived of his missionary faculties for his erroneous judgement on Joseph Wilks.
UC/P2/3/85 24 February 1800
Letter from Barrow to Mr Brockholm praising Milner's
History of Winchester (1798-1801).
UC/P2/4/1 23 September 1790
Original letter from Barrow to [Gibson]: extensive criticism of Gibson's conduct and attitude towards the English College in Douai
Includes manuscript transcript, probably compiled by Fr Michael Sharratt
2f
