George Leo Haydock (1774–1849) was a priest, pastor and
Bible scholar
Biblical studies is the academic application of a set of diverse disciplines to the study of the Bible, with ''Bible'' referring to the books of the canonical Hebrew Bible in mainstream Jewish usage and the Christian Bible including the canon ...
from an ancient
English Catholic
The Catholic Church in England and Wales (; ) is part of the worldwide Catholic Church in full communion with the Holy See. Its origins date from the 6th century, when Pope Gregory I through a Roman missionary and Benedictine monk, Augustine, ...
Recusant
Recusancy (from ) was the state of those who remained loyal to the Catholic Church and refused to attend Church of England services after the English Reformation.
The 1558 Recusancy Acts passed in the reign of Elizabeth I, and temporarily repea ...
family. His edition of the
Douay Bible Douay is a surname. Notable people with the surname include:
* Abel Douay (1809–1870), French general
* Félix Douay (1816–1879), French general and brother of Abel Douay
See also
* Douay–Rheims Bible, an English translation of the Bible, c ...
with extended commentary, originally published in 1811, became the most popular English
Catholic Bible
The term ''Catholic Bible'' can be understood in two ways. More generally, it can refer to a Christian Bible that includes the whole 73-book canon recognized by the Catholic Church, including some of the deuterocanonical books (and parts of book ...
of the 19th century on both sides of the
Atlantic
The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, with an area of about . It covers approximately 17% of Earth's surface and about 24% of its water surface area. During the Age of Discovery, it was known for se ...
. It remains in print and is still regarded for its
apologetic
Apologetics (from Greek ) is the religious discipline of defending religious doctrines through systematic argumentation and discourse. Early Christian writers (c. 120–220) who defended their beliefs against critics and recommended their fai ...
value.
Haydock's eventful early years included a narrow scrape with the
French Revolution and a struggle to complete his priestly studies in the years before
Catholic Emancipation. He would go on to serve poor
Catholic
The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...
missions in rural
England
England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...
.
Early years
George Leo Haydock was born on 11 April 1774 in
Cottam,
Preston,
Lancashire
Lancashire ( , ; abbreviated ''Lancs'') is a ceremonial county in North West England. It is bordered by Cumbria to the north, North Yorkshire and West Yorkshire to the east, Greater Manchester and Merseyside to the south, and the Irish Sea to ...
, the heart of Catholic resistance to the
Penal Laws
Penal law refers to criminal law.
It may also refer to:
* Penal law (British), laws to uphold the establishment of the Church of England against Catholicism
* Penal laws (Ireland)
In Ireland, the penal laws () were a series of Disabilities (C ...
that the English government used to enforce
Anglicanism
Anglicanism, also known as Episcopalianism in some countries, is a Western Christianity, Western Christian tradition which developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the ...
. His parents were George Haydock and his second wife, Anne (née Cottam), who produced a generation that would become outstanding in Catholic service. Their eldest son,
James Haydock (1765–1809), became a priest who died caring for the sick of his congregation during an epidemic; the next,
Thomas Haydock (1772–1859), became a prominent publisher of Catholic books. Among three daughters,
Margaret Haydock (1767? – 1854), joined the
Augustinian nuns
Augustinian nuns are the most ancient and continuous segment of the Augustinian religious order. Named after Augustine of Hippo, there are several Catholic religious communities of women living according to a guide to religious life known as the ...
, taking the name Sister Stanislaus. George was the youngest son. He and his father were namesakes of an illustrious ancestor, Blessed
George Haydock
George Haydock (born 1556; executed at Tyburn, 12 February 1584) was an English Roman Catholic priest. He is a Catholic martyr, beatified in 1987. He is not to be confused with his relative, also a priest, George Leo Haydock (1774–1849).
Li ...
(1556–1584), a martyred "
seminary priest
Seminary priests were Catholic priests trained in English seminaries or houses of study on the European continent after the introduction of laws forbidding Catholicism in Britain. Such seminaries included that at Douay, from 1568, and others at ...
" during the Elizabethan persecution,
beatified
Beatification (from Latin , "blessed" and , "to make") is a recognition accorded by the Catholic Church of a deceased person's entrance into Heaven and capacity to intercede on behalf of individuals who pray in their name. ''Beati'' is the ...
in 1987. While attending a school established for Catholic students at Mowbreck Hall,
Wesham, George received
Confirmation
In Christian denominations that practice infant baptism, confirmation is seen as the sealing of the covenant (religion), covenant created in baptism. Those being confirmed are known as confirmands. The ceremony typically involves laying on o ...
, taking the name Leo, after the fifth-century saint,
Pope Leo I
Pope Leo I () ( 391 – 10 November 461), also known as Leo the Great (; ), was Bishop of Rome from 29 September 440 until his death on 10 November 461. He is the first of the three Popes listed in the ''Annuario Pontificio'' with the title "the ...
, whose liturgical feast was at that time celebrated on Haydock's birthday (see
General Roman Calendar as in 1954
This article lists the feast days of the General Roman Calendar as they were at the end of 1954. It is essentially the same calendar established by Pope Pius X (1903–1914) following his liturgical reforms, but it also incorporates changes that we ...
). In 1785, at eleven years of age, he was sent to further his education at the
English College, Douai
The English College ( French: ''College des Grands Anglais'') was a Catholic seminary in Douai, France (also previously spelled Douay, and in English Doway), associated with the University of Douai. It was established in 1568, and was suppresse ...
, (English spelling, ''Douay'' or ''Doway'') France, established in the 16th century for Catholic exiles, where provision was made for secondary education in addition to training for the priesthood. Among his classmates were many who would go on to play significant roles in the English church, including future bishop
Thomas Penswick; the future historian
John Lingard
John Lingard (5 February 1771 – 17 July 1851) was an English people, English Catholic Church, Catholic priest and historian, the author of ''The History of England, From the First Invasion by the Romans to the Accession of Henry VIII'', an ei ...
; and the future Irish Liberator
Daniel O’Connell
Daniel(I) O’Connell (; 6 August 1775 – 15 May 1847), hailed in his time as The Liberator, was the acknowledged political leader of Ireland's Roman Catholic majority in the first half of the 19th century. His mobilisation of Catholic Irelan ...
.
George Haydock's studies were interrupted in 1793, when the French Republic declared war on England and occupied the English College. On 5 August that year, just before the students were expelled and forced into house arrest at a nearby country house, the 19-year-old George Haydock managed a harrowing escape back to England in the company of his brother and fellow student, Thomas. Learning from the mistakes of previous escapees, they were able to sneak out of the town via a canal, carrying a fishing rod so they would appear to be on an innocent fishing trip. They went north, walking much of the way until they reached Ostend, whence they crossed to England. There was an unsettled period while English Catholic bishops made hasty provision for the continuing education in England of the many refugees from
Douai
Douai ( , , ; ; ; formerly spelled Douay or Doway in English) is a city in the Nord (French department), Nord département in northern France. It is a Subprefectures in France, sub-prefecture of the department. Located on the river Scarpe (rive ...
. After a stay at
St. Edmund's College, Ware
St Edmund's College is a coeducational private day and boarding school in the British public school tradition, set in in Ware, Hertfordshire. Founded in 1568 as a seminary, then a boys' school, it is the oldest continuously operatinga claim ...
,
Old Hall Green
Old Hall Green is a hamlet in Hertfordshire, England. At the 2011 Census the population was included in the civil parish of Standon.
In 1793, an academy, St Edmund's College, Ware, was established there which provided a school for Catholic b ...
in
Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire ( or ; often abbreviated Herts) is a ceremonial county in the East of England and one of the home counties. It borders Bedfordshire to the north-west, Cambridgeshire to the north-east, Essex to the east, Greater London to the ...
, Haydock was able in 1796 to resume his studies in earnest at a seminary established at
Crook Hall
Crook Hall, sited near Lanchester, County Durham, some north west of the city of Durham, was the seat of the Baker family and one of two Roman Catholic seminaries which temporarily replaced the Douai seminary in Douai, France when that college wa ...
, near Consett in
County Durham
County Durham, officially simply Durham, is a ceremonial county in North East England.UK General Acts 1997 c. 23Lieutenancies Act 1997 Schedule 1(3). From legislation.gov.uk, retrieved 6 April 2022. The county borders Northumberland and Tyne an ...
(not to be confused with present-day
Crook Hall and Gardens in
Durham Durham most commonly refers to:
*Durham, England, a cathedral city in north east England
**County Durham, a ceremonial county which includes Durham
*Durham, North Carolina, a city in North Carolina, United States
Durham may also refer to:
Places
...
City). He was ordained a priest there in 1798, and remained as a professor until 1803, when the pastoral phase of his career began.
During the period of
Penal Laws
Penal law refers to criminal law.
It may also refer to:
* Penal law (British), laws to uphold the establishment of the Church of England against Catholicism
* Penal laws (Ireland)
In Ireland, the penal laws () were a series of Disabilities (C ...
, there was no official
Catholic hierarchy
The hierarchy of the Catholic Church consists of its bishops, priests, and deacons. In the ecclesiological sense of the term, "hierarchy" strictly means the "holy ordering" of the church, the Body of Christ, so to respect the diversity of gif ...
in England, so there were no Catholic dioceses or parishes. A Bishop was called a ''
Vicar Apostolic
A vicar (; Latin: ''vicarius'') is a representative, deputy or substitute; anyone acting "in the person of" or agent for a superior (compare "vicarious" in the sense of "at second hand"). Linguistically, ''vicar'' is cognate with the English pre ...
'' and presided over "missions" in his jurisdiction. Rev. John Lund (1733–1812), pastor to the Haydock family's home mission at Cottam, was sceptical of young George's prospects for pastoral work, once claiming he and his brother Thomas "were chiefly in quest of an easy genteel life". However, the new priest would quickly prove his mettle, dedicating his career to serve in some of the poorest missions in England. His first assignment was at
Ugthorpe
Ugthorpe is a village and civil parish situated near Whitby, North Yorkshire, England. According to the 2011 United Kingdom census, 2011 UK census, Ugthorpe parish had a population of 225, an increase on the 2001 United Kingdom census, 2001 UK ...
,
Yorkshire
Yorkshire ( ) is an area of Northern England which was History of Yorkshire, historically a county. Despite no longer being used for administration, Yorkshire retains a strong regional identity. The county was named after its county town, the ...
, a poor rural mission, referred to as "Purgatory". Despite the legal disabilities of Catholics during this time, the Haydock family had been resourceful enough to retain a measure of local influence and wealth. Although George Leo was the youngest son, he and his older sister Elizabeth appear to have been entrusted with handling the family finances. He demonstrated considerable proficiency in this regard, acquiring investment properties in the areas where he served as pastor as we will see below. He thus had independent sources of income which he often used to subsidize the poor missions he served.
The Mission at Ugthorpe
Hardly considered a desirable assignment, the small, poor Ugthorpe Mission was nonetheless a challenge enthusiastically met by the young priest. He promptly repaired and improved the existing execrable 1768 thatched roof structure that served as a Catholic chapel and shortly thereafter began planning for a new one. The
Roman Catholic Relief Act 1791
The Roman Catholic Relief Act 1791 ( 31 Geo. 3. c. 32) is an act of the Parliament of Great Britain passed in 1791 relieving Roman Catholics of certain political, educational, and economic disabilities. It admitted them to the practice of la ...
(
31 Geo. 3. c. 32), although far from repealing all anti-Catholic legislation, had allowed for the building of Catholic chapels, albeit with severe architectural restrictions. Haydock eventually completed his new chapel and presbytery in 1810, and later added a school, a building that still stands (see picture at left below). He also found time and opportunity to ply his property acquisition and management talents. "I have plunged into an ocean of business of farther shores of which I cannot yet descry," he wrote to his family. "I propose staying here (God willing)
heremainder of my days." In the letter, he expresses interest in acquiring land to raise cattle and farm grain, wheat, barley and potatoes. He appears to have acquired several pieces of land including rental cottages and a 10 1/2 acre farm which he leased for income. Although he was not destined to remain in Ugthorpe for the rest of his days, he would nonetheless complete his most memorable achievement while serving there.
The Haydock Bible
Haydock's tenure at Ugthorpe came during a critical period when the long era of persecution of English Catholics was finally drawing to a close. There was significant agreement even among Protestants that the Penal Laws should be repealed. However, forces opposing repeal were organized for a last-ditch effort. According to the historian Lingard (q.v.) “The
nglicanclergy have been placed in the front of the battle; and, with the cry of danger to the church has been coupled that of danger to the constitution. To perpetuate religious disabilities, episcopal charges have been published, meetings of the clergy have been held, and petitions from dioceses, colleges and arch-deaconries have been poured into both houses of parliament. In aid of these efforts, the press has also been put into requisition: and the labours of anti-catholic journalists, the establishment of an anti-catholic magazine, and the diffusion of anti-catholic tracts, published in every shape, and adapted to every understanding, bear honourable testimony to the zeal and activity of those who assume the lead in this orthodox crusade.” Haydock saw a need to meet this challenge. Since interpretations of Scripture were a significant part of the anti-repeal effort, Haydock set out to complete what would become his ''Magnum Opus:'' commentary for a new edition of the English Catholic Bible. That Bible was called the Douay Version (
Douay-Rheims Bible), originally translated from the
Latin Vulgate
The Vulgate () is a late-4th-century Latin translation of the Bible. It is largely the work of Saint Jerome who, in 382, had been commissioned by Pope Damasus I to revise the Gospels used by the Roman Church. Later, of his own initia ...
in the 16th century chiefly by
Gregory Martin, one of the first professors at the
English College, Douai
The English College ( French: ''College des Grands Anglais'') was a Catholic seminary in Douai, France (also previously spelled Douay, and in English Doway), associated with the University of Douai. It was established in 1568, and was suppresse ...
(
University of Douai
The University of Douai (; ) was a historic university in Douai, France. With a medieval tradition of scholarly activity in the city, the university was established in 1559, and lectures began in 1562. It ceased operations from 1795 to 1808. In ...
). It was revised and newly annotated in the 18th century by
Richard Challoner
Richard Challoner (29 September 1691 – 12 January 1781) was an English Catholic prelate who served as Vicar Apostolic of the London District during the greater part of the 18th century, and as Titular Bishop of Doberus. In 1738, he publishe ...
(1691–1781), a scholar at
University of Douai
The University of Douai (; ) was a historic university in Douai, France. With a medieval tradition of scholarly activity in the city, the university was established in 1559, and lectures began in 1562. It ceased operations from 1795 to 1808. In ...
and then Vicar Apostolic of the London District, and later by Father Bernard MacMahon (1736?–1816). Haydock took his text from the Challoner-MacMahon revision, but added a substantially extended commentary. This commentary was partly original and partly compiled from
Patristic
Patristics, also known as Patrology, is a branch of theological studies focused on the writings and teachings of the Church Fathers, between the 1st to 8th centuries CE. Scholars analyze texts from both orthodox and heretical authors. Patristics em ...
writings and the writings of later Bible scholars. It was intended as a counter-offensive to Protestant interpretations. As Haydock states in his Preface, ''"To obviate the misinterpretations of the many heretical works which disgrace the Scripture, and deluge this unhappy country, has been one main design of the present undertaking."''

The commentary is extensive in its number of annotations and far-ranging in scope. Mostly, the annotations explain words or phrases that are not clear or offer interesting elaborations of the text. However, they also deal with textual and interpretational differences with Protestants and address issues with deists and atheists. In his note to Exodus 20:4, in which the Douay Version mentions "a graven thing", Haydock states, "Protestants insidiously translate "any graven image,"
riginal KJVthough ''pesel, eidolon, glupton'', and ''sculptile,'' in the Heb. Gr. and Lat. denote a graven thing or idol......They know that the object of prohibition is the making and adoring of idols. But they probably wish to keep the ignorant under the stupid delusion of supposing that Catholics are idolaters, because they have images..." Pointing to the limitations of human knowledge and the resulting need for Faith, he offers in the note to Genesis 1:15, "Shall anyone pretend to wisdom, and still call into question the mysteries of faith, transubstantiation, &c., when the most learned confess they cannot comprehend the nature even of a grain of sand?"
He often uses Scripture to justify specific Catholic practices. For example, in his note to Exodus 29:4, which refers to Aaron and his sons being washed with water after entering the door of the tabernacle, he states, "It is for this reason we take holy-water, when we go into our chapels, and we wash our fingers before and during Mass." In some cases, he makes specific scientific observations. For example, in the note to Genesis 1:14, he states the Earth revolves around the Sun at the speed of 58,000 miles an hour (actual rate is 67,000). He also delves deeply into speculation about the Bible's mysteries. For example, in the note to Genesis 2:8 he states the following regarding the size of the Garden of Eden: "How great might be its extent we do not know. If the sources of the Ganges, Nile, Tigris, and Euphrates, be not now changed, and if these be the rivers which sprung from the fountains of Paradise, (both of which points are undecided), the garden must have comprised a great part of the world." Annotations to the New Testament are in a similar vein, but were not compiled by Haydock. Given the enormous scope of annotating the entire Bible, he was unable to maintain the demanding production schedule in addition to his pastoral duties at Ugthorpe. Therefore, another Douay alumnus, Father Benedict Rayment (1764–1842), was called on for assistance. He and a group of colleagues compiled the New Testament portion of the commentary. There was contemporary criticism that haste in preparation of the commentary resulted in some errors. However, given the spartan resources available for Catholic publishing in England at the time, the Haydock Bible must be considered a remarkable achievement.
George's brother, Thomas, was the Bible's publisher. Production began in 1811 and was completed in 1814, in a large,
folio
The term "folio" () has three interconnected but distinct meanings in the world of books and printing: first, it is a term for a common method of arranging Paper size, sheets of paper into book form, folding the sheet only once, and a term for ...
edition. As were many editions of the Bible at the time, Haydock's was published and sold by subscription, a few leaves at a time. Subscribers would accumulate the sets of leaves over the years and ultimately have the completed Bible bound. Different copies have general title pages dated 1811, 1812, 1813 or 1823, showing variously Thomas Haydock's
Manchester
Manchester () is a city and the metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. It had an estimated population of in . Greater Manchester is the third-most populous metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, with a population of 2.92&nbs ...
or
Dublin
Dublin is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Situated on Dublin Bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, and is bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, pa ...
locations. English Catholics enthusiastically welcomed this impressive volume that symbolized a reinvigorated Catholicism on the verge of winning its long fight to repeal the Penal Laws. At least 1,500 copies of the first edition were sold.
Duties of an English Catholic Priest in Recusant Times
After Ugthorpe, Father Haydock's next assignment was at the east coast port of
Whitby
Whitby is a seaside town, port and civil parish in North Yorkshire, England. It is on the Yorkshire Coast at the mouth of the River Esk, North Yorkshire, River Esk and has a maritime, mineral and tourist economy.
From the Middle Ages, Whitby ...
. While there, he continued his literary career with a series of prayer books (see ''Other Published Works'' below), responding to an increasing desire by Catholic congregations to increase participation in the Mass. One book in particular, ''A Key to the Roman Catholic Office..., '' is of special interest. This wide-ranging work includes, among other things, a detailed list of the duties expected of a contemporary Catholic priest as follows:
"We have frequently to say Mass and the Divine Office, which occupies two hours every day, we are bound to attend to ''the work of the ministry,'' to catechize the ignorant, to instruct converts and strayed sheep both in public and in private, to attend for many hours in the cold confessional ( a delightful employment! some dissolute but ignorant people would suppose,) to visit the sick, even those affected with the plague or the most contagious diseases, some of whom live at the distance of 30 or 40 miles from us. We have to preach twice on all the Sabbath Days, (which term denotes all 10-I holidays,) during which, the service lasts about five hours; we have to baptize, prepare people for their first communion, with great solicitude, as well as for confirmation and the last sacrament; we have to perform what is requisite for the solemnization of marriage, and the burial of the dead, privately; we also have to church women, though we do not go to ''their houses'' for that purpose ! We keep registers of baptisms, &c. which are now allowed by the magistrate. All this we perform ''gratis.'' Still we have no tithes or surplice ''fees,'' which, in the Establishment
nglican Church are found so exorbitant.
"Some of us ( I speak from many years' experience) do not receive from our people £5 a year; nor above £50, including the Salary or ''Benefice,'' which has been left by our departed friends often encumbered with weighty obligations. After going through a course of education at the College for about 12 years, which costs annually between £40 and £50, we have to furnish a house and provide the necessary ornaments for the altar; wine, candles, books, &c. at our own charge, being debarred of any advantages from speculations in trade, or from Matrimony, that our thoughts may be wholly consecrated ''to the Lord'' and to the good of our people."
While at Whitby he also continued his practice of acquiring investment properties (see diagram at right).
Pastoral troubles
Also while at Whitby, Haydock continued to serve Ugthorpe as well, for most of the period until 1827 when a permanent successor was assigned. At this point, a series of problems began coming to a head. The new Ugthorpe priest, Father
Nicholas Rigby
Nicholas Rigby (1800 – 7 September 1886), was an English Roman Catholic priest.
Biography
Rigby was born in Walton-le-Dale near Preston, Lancashire. At the age of twelve he went to Ushaw College, where he was for a time professor of e ...
(1800–1886), felt Haydock personally should pay a debt of £284 owed by the Ugthorpe mission. Prior to this, Haydock had disputed the transfer of a £300 donation originally intended for his Whitby mission to the recently established
Ushaw College
Ushaw College (formally St Cuthbert's College, Ushaw) is a former Roman Catholic Church, Roman Catholic seminary, which until 2011 was also a Colleges of Durham University#Types of College, licensed hall of residence of Durham University near th ...
, Durham. Given the generosity Haydock had shown in providing financial support from his own funds to his assigned missions, as well as the history of generous donations by his family, he felt ill-used by these actions. He made his objections known to his superiors, Thomas Smith (1763–1831), Vicar Apostolic of the Northern Vicariate, and Smith's
Coadjutor The term "coadjutor" (literally "co-assister" in Latin) is a title qualifier indicating that the holder shares the office with another person, with powers equal to the other in all but formal order of precedence.
These include:
* Coadjutor bishop ...
Thomas Penswick (1772–1836), a former classmate of Haydock's at Douay; however, they sided against him. Haydock must have considered this especially ironic since he had received a letter from Smith's predecessor in the Northern District, William Gibson (1738–1821), praising two of Haydock's uncles as the "greatest benefactors" of the college at Crook Hall. One of these had donated £2,200. Haydock's altruistic nature is well-established by his willingness to accept assignments to impoverished missions and his compassion for his flock. However, that nature did not extend to patience with those trying to take financial advantage of him. He made his objections known without mincing words. As a result, an annoyed Smith transferred Haydock to a private chaplaincy at Westby Hall, Lancashire, in 1830. This was despite a petition by Haydock's Whitby parishioners to Smith expressing "regret to hear your Lordship's intention is to remove from us our most worthy and most beloved Pastor The Rev'd Geo Leo Haydock". Haydock's ability to support himself financially was a significant factor in these parishioners' consideration as illustrated by their request, "...that your Lordship will take into your serious consideration the depressed state of by far the greatest part of these your petitioners who are not able to contribute anything towards the support of a Priest." But the petition was ignored, and Haydock's situation would only grow worse. Smith died in 1831 and was succeeded by the sterner disciplinarian Penswick, who immediately interdicted Haydock from his priestly functions. Haydock's older sister Margaret (Sister Stanislaus, O.S.A.), understanding too well her brother's temperament, later admonished him, "...keep quiet and silent in regard of your Bishop for I see plainly you will have nothing but vexation and no redress
beware of scandal by publishing your sentiments of him".

While these events were unfolding, English Catholics finally won passage of the
Catholic Emancipation Act 1829
The Roman Catholic Relief Act 1829 ( 10 Geo. 4. c. 7), also known as the Catholic Emancipation Act 1829, was an act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that removed the sacramental tests that barred Roman Catholics in the United Kingdom f ...
. Ironically, just after this victory so long sought after by him and his ancestors, Father Haydock was forced into retirement by his own Catholic superior. In 1831 he dutifully settled at The Tagg (sometimes spelt Tag) in Cottam, a house the Haydock family had retained after an ancestor had sold its larger Cottam Hall estate. Haydock remained there for eight years, ''"devoting himself to study, with his books all around him, lining the walls, and piled in heaps on the floors"''. In 1832 he made two unsuccessful appeals to Rome of his interdiction. The appeals were sent through a fellow former Douay student and pupil of Haydock's at Crook Hall, Robert Gradwell. Gradwell had served for a time in Rome and had been appointed coadjutor to the Vicar Apostolic of the London District. However, rather than sending the appeals to Rome, Gradwell sent them to Penswick, who ignored them. Another appeal after Penswick's death was successful, resulting in the restoration of Haydock's priestly faculties in 1839.
The Tagg was pulled down circa 1985. A photograph taken shortly before its demolition shows it to be a two-story brick house with a pitched roof and two chimneys. It was left derelict in its final years and has been replaced by a group of modern homes at the corner of Tag Lane and Tanterton Hall Lane in Cottam. There is a nearby street, Cottam Hall Lane, which is a paved over the former footpath to the old Haydock ancestral home, Cottam Hall. The name "Tagg House" still appears on a nearby electrical switching station.
Final assignment and death

Immediately upon his reinstatement in 1839, Haydock was given a new assignment at
Penrith, Cumbria
Penrith (, ) is a market town and civil parish in the Westmorland and Furness district of Cumbria, England. It is less than outside the Lake District, Lake District National Park and about south of Carlisle. It is between the Rivers River Pet ...
(then known as Cumberland), another poor mission with discouraging prospects. An appeal for donations in The Catholic Directory for that year states "….the congregation is so extremely poor, that unless a generous Catholic public assist with their charitable contributions, the establishment of a mission on a suitable footing, will be impossible…." The appeal goes on to describe the building used as a chapel as being "…..too small for the congregation – extremely damp, and in every way most inconvenient. The entrance to it is through the
rotestantchurchyard; and the poor Catholics are taunted as they go to mass, with the poverty of their place of worship." Although this was hardly a desirable assignment for a senior pastor with Haydock's experience and abilities, he nonetheless threw himself into the task with his usual zeal. He began maintaining detailed baptismal records, providing fascinating insights into the social conditions of the time and the hardships facing his flock. "Laborer" is shown as the most common occupation, while "beggars," "trampers," and one "pauper" are also represented. In a letter dated 1848, Haydock states, "I have baptized above 100
But many of them trampers are gone." The second most common position was that of navy
navvy
Navvy, a Clipping (morphology), clipping of navigator (United Kingdom, UK) or navigational engineer (United States, US), is particularly applied to describe the manual Laborer, labourers working on major civil engineering projects and occasional ...
or "navigator," referring to railroad workers. Irish immigration, especially resulting from the catastrophic
Great Famine beginning in 1845, brought a large influx of these to the Penrith area, which was enjoying a wave of railroad construction. An incident of particular note occurred during Haydock's pastorate. Irish navvies were often willing to accept wages less than their native-born counterparts. The obvious potential for hostility came to a head in February 1846, when conflicts between gangs of Irish and English navvies required intervention by local authorities. At one point, Haydock is credited with dissuading an Irish gang from a planned attack against these authorities, apparently using influence earned from his pastoral work. "The presence and exhortations of that aged and amiable man were irresistible, and tranquility was restored."
[Walker, p. 132] The baptismal records further show Haydock made a careful distinction among parents that were "married", "perhaps married", "Prot
stantmarried", and one "cohabiting 4 years and wishing to be married". Separately classified also were marriages performed at Gretna Green, a town just across the Scottish border famous for "runaway marriages". The problem of infant mortality is sadly chronicled, with several baptisms recorded on infants "in articulo mortis", (in danger of death), one who died within a half-hour, and another who died the next day, and "the mother soon after".
Father Haydock's letters during this period indicate a history of apparent heart disease, a problem that did not slow his endeavours. In September 1849, just two months before his death, he wrote home describing a plea for help he received from a "tramp" who appeared near death. To respond he undertook a two-hour horseback ride which evidently precipitated a heart attack. Thinking at first he would die, he nevertheless returned home "much shaken". He wrote to his sister, "I do not often consult doctors nor do I require any relaxation or to retire to your smug parlour on account of my excessive labour." He continued working zealously at the mission and began construction of a new church, a red sandstone gothic structure named for St. Catherine. He did not live to see its completion, just two months after his death on 29 November 1849. St. Catherine's Church still exists, and its congregation is now part of the Lancaster Diocese. Father Haydock is believed buried in an unmarked grave under the chancel, although a ground penetrating radar study conducted in 2017 was inconclusive as to the location of any grave there. The original memorial tablet erected in his memory has been lost, but was recently replaced with a copy. It includes his family motto: () from St John 16:20. In 2013 the church built a community centre named in Haydock's honour. A copy of his Bible is on display in the Church, to the left of the chancel near where he is believed buried.
Haydock's enduring legacy
2011 was the bicentennial anniversary of the Haydock Bible. Its substantial and continuing popularity is reflected in its long history of varied editions. It would remain continuously in print until at least 1910 with a long series of publishers in England and in America, where copies would be purchased by the Irish immigrant families of two American Presidents. It would enjoy a renewal of interest at the end of the 20th century, spurring a new series of reprints and modern digital reproductions. The following history of editions shows how the Haydock Bible with its changes over the years has made a continuing contribution to Catholic apologetics:
*1811–1814: the first edition,
folio
The term "folio" () has three interconnected but distinct meanings in the world of books and printing: first, it is a term for a common method of arranging Paper size, sheets of paper into book form, folding the sheet only once, and a term for ...
. Despite successful sales, this expensively produced edition was a financial loss to George's brother Thomas, whose enthusiasm for publishing Catholic books far exceeded his business acumen, and to George, who personally subsidized the project. Despite George Leo's overall proficiency in financial affairs, the achievement he would be most remembered for turned out to be a financial failure.
*1822–1824: an
octavo
Octavo, a Latin word meaning "in eighth" or "for the eighth time", (abbreviated 8vo, 8º, or In-8) is a technical term describing the format of a book, which refers to the size of leaves produced from folding a full sheet of paper on which multip ...
edition. Undismayed by the above experience, Thomas took on several partners to produce this smaller edition. It states on its title page that it is ''revised and diligently compared with the Latin Vulgate by the Rev. Geo. Leo Haydock''. However, it lacks the extended commentary and is poorly printed with many errors, including an egregious one in II Corinthians 10:4, where the word ''fornications'' appears in place of ''fortifications''.
*1823: In this year a new title page appeared for the folio series, styled "Second Edition". It is not truly a new edition, as most of the folio copies were already mixtures of leaves published separately at
Thomas Haydock's Manchester and Dublin presses.
*1823–25: the first American edition, folio. The Haydock Bible's popularity quickly spread across the Atlantic. Irish immigrant Eugene Cummiskey of Philadelphia published this edition that remains to this day the only folio Catholic Bible ever published in America.
*1831: the New Testament portion of the original folio edition was issued with a new title page by Thomas Haydock. It is unclear whether he reissued the entire Bible at this time.
*1845–48: a
quarto
Quarto (abbreviated Qto, 4to or 4º) is the format of a book or pamphlet produced from full sheets printed with eight pages of text, four to a side, then folded twice to produce four leaves. The leaves are then trimmed along the folds to produc ...
edition begun by MacGregor, Polson & Company of Glasgow and Charles Dolman of London, and completed by A. Fullarton and Co. of Dublin, London, and Edinburgh. This series remained in print with a series of publishers into the 1870s. This was the last edition published during Father Haydock's lifetime.
*1852–54: a quarto edition by American publisher Edward Dunigan and Brother of New York. This edition includes a revised New Testament text. This revision was begun by Father
James Bayley (1814–1877), who was appointed Bishop of Newark during publication, and completed by Father James McMahon (1814–1901), who was responsible for most of the work. This edition was frequently reissued by a series of publishers into the 1880s.
*ca. 1853: a quarto edition by George Henry and Co. of London, and initially distributed in America by George Virtue of New York. In this edition, the commentary was abridged by Canon
F. C. Husenbeth
Frederick Charles Husenbeth (born at Bristol, 30 May 1796; died at Costessey, Norfolk, 31 October 1872) was an English Catholic priest and writer.
Life
The son of a Bristol wine-merchant, who had emigrated from Mannheim, Germany, and his wife ...
(1796–1872). This was probably the most successful of the Haydock editions, remaining in print through the rest of the century. Circa 1880, The National Publishing Company of Philadelphia imported the stereotype plates from England and mass marketed editions over the imprints of a wide range of local booksellers and printing companies, and even got the recently established
Montgomery Ward
Montgomery Ward is the name of two successive U.S. retail corporations. The original Montgomery Ward & Co. was a mail-order business and later a department store chain that operated between 1872 and 2001; its common nickname was "Monkey Wards". ...
national mail order firm to include it in their catalogue. An extraordinarily large number of copies must have been printed, judging by how frequently surviving copies are met with in the second-hand book trade. A copy of this edition was used in the Inauguration of President
John F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald Kennedy (May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963), also known as JFK, was the 35th president of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963. He was the first Roman Catholic and youngest person elected p ...
(1917–1963) in 1961, coincidentally the 150th anniversary of Haydock's first edition. Another copy was used in the inauguration of President
Joe Biden
Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. (born November 20, 1942) is an American politician who was the 46th president of the United States from 2021 to 2025. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he served as the 47th vice p ...
.

*ca. 1868: a quarto edition by P. O'Shea of New York. Some copies appeared in large (Imperial) quarto. This obscure edition features an abridged version of the commentary.
*ca. 1874–1878: a large (Imperial) quarto edition by Virtue and Company Limited, of London. In this edition, two converts from the
Oxford Movement
The Oxford Movement was a theological movement of high-church members of the Church of England which began in the 1830s and eventually developed into Anglo-Catholicism. The movement, whose original devotees were mostly associated with the Un ...
, Frs.
Frederick Oakeley
Frederick Oakeley (5 September 1802 – 30 January 1880) was an English Roman Catholic convert, priest, and author. He was ordained in the Church of England in 1828 and in 1845 converted to the Church of Rome, becoming Canon of the Westminster ...
(1802–1880) and Thomas Law (1836–1904) thoroughly revised the commentary to incorporate advances in Biblical scholarship since Haydock's time. An American edition by P. F. Collier of New York, founder of
Collier's Weekly
}
''Collier's'' was an American general interest magazine founded in 1888 by Peter F. Collier, Peter Fenelon Collier. It was launched as ''Collier's Once a Week'', then renamed in 1895 as ''Collier's Weekly: An Illustrated Journal'', shortened i ...
magazine, appeared ca. 1884. British editions remained in print until 1910.
*1988: a quarto reproduction of the New Testament portion of the ca. 1853 (George Henry) edition ''supra'' by Catholic Treasures, Monrovia, California.
*1992: a quarto reproduction of an 1859 reprint of the Edward Dunigan and Brother edition ''supra'' by Catholic Treasures, Monrovia, California. This edition has been reissued in 2000, 2006, and remains in print.
*1999: a CD entitled ''Douay Bible 99'' issued by Catholic Software of Murray, KY, featuring text and commentary that can be displayed on a computer in a split-screen format.
Beginning with the ca. 1874–1878 (Virtue and Company) edition, title pages to the New Testament sections incorrectly credit Father Haydock with the New Testament commentary. For unclear reasons Thomas Haydock wanted Benedict Rayment's contribution kept secret, so it was never mentioned, even in the earliest editions. Therefore, it was forgotten over the years. This error also occurs on the later printings of the ca. 1853 (George Henry) edition.
The Haydock name became so popular and so closely associated with English Catholic Bibles in the 19th century that at least one publisher ca. 1886 "pirated" it for an edition that included only the standard Challoner annotations by adding the statement to the spine of his edition, ''Challoner's Notes and Other Important Features of the Haydock Bible''. During the 1940s and 1950s, some "pocket" editions of the Catholic New Testament (usually referred to as the Rheims Testament when published separately) appeared, erroneously crediting "Canon Haydock" with the annotations.
Other published works
Father Haydock's other publications are brief devotional works. These were so overshadowed by his edition of the Bible and are now so rare, that they are often overlooked. However, modern historian Michael A. Mullett has pointed out they were a significant part of a liturgical renewal taking place among the growing Catholic recusant population on the verge of winning Emancipation. Haydock also wrote lengthier works paraphrasing the Psalms and Canticles of the Roman Office and began a series of Biblical Disquisitions intended as a supplement to his Bible. Regretfully, these were never published, probably due to the erratic fortunes of his brother, Thomas.
*''Prayers before and after Mass, Proper for Country Congregations'', 1822
*''A Key to the Roman Catholic Office; Briefly Shewing the Falsehood of Fox's Martyrology, the Invocation of Saints, &c., Not Idolatrous; the Meaning of the Litanies, &c. The Kalendar: Containing a Short Account of the Chief Saints: Their Titles, Countries, & the Year of Their Happy Death: with a Variety of Prayers, etc. etc.'', 1823
*''A Collection of Catholic Hymns'', 1823
*''A New Collection of Catholic Psalms, Hymns, Motettos, Anthems, and Doxologies''. 1823
*''The Method of Sanctifying the Sabbath Days at Whitby, Scarborough, &c., The Second Edition, with Various Additional Instructions, by the Rev. George Leo Haydock'', 1824
His publications also include an 1809 table entitled ''The Tree of Life'', depicting a summary of Church history from Adam to the current time.
Portrait and drawings
Portrait and copies of Haydock's drawings are provided by Simon Nuttall, a descendant of the Gillow family (
Gillows of Lancaster and London
Gillows of Lancaster and London, also known as Gillow & Co., was an English furniture making firm based in Lancaster, Lancashire, and in London. It was founded around in Lancaster in about 1730 by Robert Gillow (1704–1772).
Gillows was owned b ...
) of Catholic Recusants, who kindly gave permission for their reproduction.
See also
*
Douay-Rheims Bible
*
Roman Catholicism in Great Britain
The Catholic Church in the United Kingdom is organised into the Catholic churches in England and Wales, Scotland, and with Northern Ireland organised as part of the Catholic Church in Ireland. All as part of the worldwide Catholic Church in ...
(The Eighteenth Century & The Catholic Revival in the Nineteenth Century)
References
*
Brady, W. Maziere''The Episcopal Succession in England, Scotland and Ireland 1400–1875,'' 3 vols., 1876–77*''The Catholic Directory and Annual Register, for the year 1839. (Second Year.)'' London: Published by Simpkin and Marshall, Stationers’ – Court.....1839.
*''
The Catholic Encyclopedia
''The'' ''Catholic Encyclopedia: An International Work of Reference on the Constitution, Doctrine, Discipline, and History of the Catholic Church'', also referred to as the ''Old Catholic Encyclopedia'' and the ''Original Catholic Encyclopedi ...
'', 1907–1913
*
Cotton, Henry C.''Rhemes and Doway'', 1855.*
Gillow, Joseph:
''The Haydock Papers'', 1888.
''A Literary and Biographical History, or Bibliographical Dictionary, of the English Catholics'', 5 vols., 1895–1902
*Gooch, Leo,
d. ''The Revival of English Catholicism: The Banister-Rutter Correspondence 1777-1807,'' North West Catholic History Society, Wigan, 1995.
*Harris, P. R.
d. ''Douai College Documents 1639–1794'', 1972
*Herbert, A.S., ''Historical Catalogue of Printed Editions of the English Bible 1525–1961'', 1968
*Lingard, Rev. John, ''A Review of Certain Anti-Catholic Publications,''J. Booker, London, 1813.
*McAniff, M., Rev., ''Centenary History of St. Anne’s Church'', Ugthorpe, 1955.
*Mullett, Michael A., '' The End Crowns the Work; George Leo Haydock 1774–1849,'' North West Catholic History Society, Wigan, 2012.
*O'Callaghan, E. B., ''A List of Editions of the Holy Scriptures and Parts Thereof, Printed in America Previous to 1860'', Albany, 1861.
*O'Hanlon, D. et al., ''Old Cottam Hall An Archaeological Survey'', Carnegie Press, Preston, 1985
*Ohlhausen, Sidney K.:
**"An Annotated Bibliography of Books in which Thomas Haydock of Manchester and Dublin Appears as Printer, Publisher, or Bookseller," Parts I & II, ''North West Catholic History,'' Vols. XLIII (2016) & XLIV (2017).
"America's Only Folio Catholic Bible," ''Bible Editions and Versions'', October, 2002.**"The Last Haydock Bible," ''
Recusant History'', October 1995
"Life and Letters of George Leo Haydock," Loreto Publications, Fitzwilliam NH, 2023**"Folio Editions of Catholic Bibles and Testaments, A Comprehensive Bibliography," ''
Recusant History'', October 2002
**"The American Catholic Bible in the 19th Century, A Catalog of English Language Editions," Volume I: 2006; Volume II: 2016
**"Preface to the 2006 edition," ''Haydock Bible'', Catholic Treasures
Typographical Study of the Early Haydock Folio Bibles," Quadrat, Issue 24, Summer, 2011.**"The Bicentennial of the Haydock Bible: 1811–2011," ''Bible Editions & Versions'', Vol. 12, No. 4, Oct–Dec, 2011.
**"The Kennedy Inaugural Bible," ''Bible Editions & Versions'', Vol. 14, No. 1, Jan – Mar 2013.
**"The Manchester and Dublin Editions of the Haydock Folio Bible," ''Bible Review Journal'', Vol. 1, No. 1, 2014
**"The Haydock Bible after Two Centuries," ''North West Catholic History'', Vol. XL, 2013.
**Personal photographic archive
*''
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'') ...
'', 2004
*Schofield, N. & Skinner, G., The English Vicars Apostolic 1688 - 1850, Family Publications, Oxford, 2009.
*"Suppression of the English Secular College at Douay During the French Revolution,"''The Rambler'', Vol. XIV (Old Series), August, 1854, pp. 106–113.
*St. Catherine's Church archives: George Haydock's Baptismal Register.
Taylor, Ronald W., "The Suspension of George Leo Haydock from his Priestly Duties (1831–1838), ''North West Catholic History'', 2014*Turner, Peter and Brown Hannah, Geophysical Surveys Report, St. Catherine's Church, September, 2017.
Ushaw College, Durham, The Haydock Archives*Walker, J. A., ''The History of Penrith, from the Earliest Period to the Present Time…'' Penrith: B.T. Sweeten, Market-Place; London: Whittaker & Co., 1858.
*Walsh, Rev. Thomas, & Taylor, Ron, "The Haydock Registers: A Picture of Young Catholics in Penrith 1841–1851", ''North West Catholic History'', 2005
*
Ward, Bernard, ''The Dawn of the Catholic Revival in England 1781–1803'', 2 vols., 1909
External links
Complete Online Haydock Bible with CommentaryHaydock Bible Title Page ReproductionsHaydock's Church in PenrithCottam Parish HistoryLibraries with copies of Haydock's worksThe Kennedy Inaugural Bible at the Kennedy MuseumVice President Biden's Inaugural with Haydock Bible
{{DEFAULTSORT:Haydock, George Leo
1774 births
1849 deaths
English College, Douai alumni
History of Catholicism in the United Kingdom
English biblical scholars
Roman Catholic biblical scholars
Writers from Preston, Lancashire
19th-century English Roman Catholic priests
Bible commentators
Clergy from Preston, Lancashire