Father Francis Knox (born as Thomas Francis Knox; 24 December 1822 – 20 March 1882,
London
London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
)
Thompson Cooper
Thompson Cooper (8 January 1837 – 5 March 1904) was an English journalist, man of letters, and compiler of reference works. He became a specialist in biographical information, and is noted as the most prolific contributor to the Victorian e ...
''Knox, Thomas Francis (1822–1882)''
reviewed by Sheridan Gilley, ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography
The ''Dictionary of National Biography'' (''DNB'') is a standard work of reference on notable figures from History of the British Isles, British history, published since 1885. The updated ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'' (''ODNB'') ...
'', Oxford University Press, 2004, subscription only, accessed 9 October 2008 was an Ulster-Scots
ultramontane Roman Catholic priest and author, known for his historical writings and translations.
Early life and education
Knox was born in
Brussels
Brussels, officially the Brussels-Capital Region, (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) is a Communities, regions and language areas of Belgium#Regions, region of Belgium comprising #Municipalit ...
, the eldest son in a family connected to the Protestant Irish peerage. His father
John Henry Knox, Tory MP for
Newry
Newry (; ) is a City status in Ireland, city in Northern Ireland, standing on the Newry River, Clanrye river in counties County Down, Down and County Armagh, Armagh. It is near Republic of Ireland–United Kingdom border, the border with the ...
, was the third son of
Thomas Knox, 1st Earl of Ranfurly. His mother was Lady Mabella Josephine Needham, daughter of
Francis Needham, 1st Earl of Kilmorey.
He was educated at a Hampshire private school and attended
Trinity College, Cambridge
Trinity College is a Colleges of the University of Cambridge, constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Founded in 1546 by King Henry VIII, Trinity is one of the largest Cambridge colleges, with the largest financial endowment of any ...
, graduating in 1845.
[''Concise Dictionary of National Biography'']
Career
Knox became a Roman Catholic convert, in 1845 under the influence of
Frederick William Faber
Frederick William Faber (28 June 1814 – 26 September 1863) was a noted English hymnwriter and theologian, who converted from Anglicanism to Roman Catholicism in 1845. He was ordained to the Catholic priesthood subsequently in 1847. His best-kn ...
. Encouraged to travel for two years by his concerned father, Knox hoped to see Mexico but was lucky to survive a shipwreck off
Yucatán
Yucatán, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Yucatán, is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, constitute the 32 federal entities of Mexico. It comprises 106 separate municipalities, and its capital city is Mérida.
...
.
Continuing to the United States, he decided to prepare for ordination in France. Invited to Rome for papal instruction by
John Henry Newman
John Henry Newman (21 February 1801 – 11 August 1890) was an English Catholic theologian, academic, philosopher, historian, writer, and poet. He was previously an Anglican priest and after his conversion became a cardinal. He was an ...
in 1847, Knox proceeded as an
Oratorian novice, taking Francis as his name in religion, as Father Francis Knox, with half a dozen priests. The rest of his life centred on the Oratorian group in England.
The group based at the
Birmingham Oratory divided in April 1849. Together with Faber, Knox set up the
London Oratory
The London Oratory, officially the Congregation of the Oratory of St Philip Neri in London, is a Catholic community of priests living under the rule of life established by Philip Neri (1515–1595). It is located in an Oratory House, next to th ...
. The splitting up of the original Oratorian group was partly driven by personal difficulties, and in particular Newman’s attitude to Knox, who was proving troublesome. From 1865 to 1868 Knox served a term as superior of the London Oratory.
[
Knox has been called "the most learned of all the fathers of that time".][Ralph Kerr, quoted in ''ODNB''.] He translated the autobiography of Henry Suso
Henry Suso, OP (also called Amandus, a name adopted in his writings, and Heinrich Seuse or Heinrich von Berg in German; 21 March 1295 – 25 January 1366) was a German Dominican friar and the most popular vernacular writer of the fourteenth c ...
in 1865. In 1867 he defended a maximalist interpretation of the doctrine of Papal infallibility
Papal infallibility is a Dogma in the Catholic Church, dogma of the Catholic Church which states that, in virtue of the promise of Jesus to Saint Peter, Peter, the Pope when he speaks is preserved from the possibility of error on doctrine "in ...
, though in a "dry and moderate tone". Appointed Westminster diocesan archivist when Cardinal Manning put the Oratorians in charge of the diocesan archives in 1876, he edited several volumes of English Catholic records.
Works
* ''The Life of Blessed Henry Suso by Himself'' (translation, 1865)
* ''When Does The Church Speak Infallibly? or, the nature and scope of the church's teaching office'' (1867)
* ''The Last Survivor of the Ancient English Hierarchy, Thomas Goldwell, Bishop of St. Asaph'' (1876). Originally appeared in '' The Month'', Jan–Feb 1876. Republished in Thomas Edward Bridgett, ''Queen Elizabeth and the Catholic Hierarchy'' (1889)
* (ed. with introduction) ''The First And Second Diaries Of The English College, Douay'' (1878)
* (ed. with introduction) ''The Letters and Memorials of William Cardinal Allen'' (1882)
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Knox, Thomas Francis
1822 births
1882 deaths
Ulster Scots people
Irish archivists
Converts to Roman Catholicism from Anglicanism
19th-century British Roman Catholic priests
Thomas Francis