Gregory Stapleton D.D. (1748–23 May 1802) was an English Roman Catholic bishop. While president of St. Omer's English College, he and his students were imprisoned during the French Revolution.

Life

Born at Carlton, Yorkshire, he was seventh son of Nicholas Stapleton, by his third wife, Winifred, daughter of John White of

Dover Street Dover Street is a street in Mayfair, London. The street is notable for its Georgian architecture as well as the location of historic London clubs and hotels, which have been frequented by world leaders and historic figures in the arts. It al ...

, London. He went to 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 ...

, in 1762. Ten years later, then a

deacon A deacon is a member of the diaconate, an office in Christian churches that is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions. Major Christian denominations, such as the Cathol ...

, he was appointed professor of music. On his ordination, a year later, he became procurator of the college, and he retained that post for more than twelve years. In 1787, he was appointed president of the English College at St. Omer, in succession to

Alban Butler Alban Butler (13 October 171015 May 1773) was an English Roman Catholic priest and hagiography, hagiographer. Born in Northamptonshire, he studied at the English College, in Douai, Douay, France where he later taught philosophy and theology. He s ...

. About three years after the outbreak of the French Revolution he and the students of the English colleges at St. Omer and Douai were imprisoned in the citadel of

Doullens Doullens (; ; former ) is a commune in the Somme department, Hauts-de-France, France. Its inhabitants are called ''Doullennais'' and ''Doullennaises''. Geography Doullens is situated on the N25 road, in the northern part of the department, st ...

. In 1795 he obtained leave to go to Paris, and after difficulties he procured from the directory an order for the release of all the students, sixty-four in number. They were conveyed to England in an American vessel, and landed at

Dover Dover ( ) is a town and major ferry port in Kent, southeast England. It faces France across the Strait of Dover, the narrowest part of the English Channel at from Cap Gris Nez in France. It lies southeast of Canterbury and east of Maidstone. ...

on 2 March 1795. Soon afterwards Stapleton, with Bishop John Douglass, went to the

Duke of Portland Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and above sovereign princes. As royalty or nobility, they are ...

and William Pitt, to solicit their approval of a plan for converting the school at

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 ...

, near

Ware, Hertfordshire Ware is a town and civil parish in the East Hertfordshire district, in the county of Hertfordshire, England. It is close to the county town of Hertford. In the 2021 United Kingdom census, 2021 Census, the parish had a population of 19,622. Hist ...

, into a Catholic college. The duke had previously known Stapleton, and he and Pitt gave them encouragement. Stapleton took his students to Old Hall Green, Husenbeth, Frederick Charles. ''The Life of the Right Rev. John Milner, D.D.'', J. Duffy, 1862, p. 85
/ref> and on 19 August 1795 the first stone was laid of St. Edmund's College, Ware. Stapleton presided over it till the autumn of 1800, when, having accompanied the Rev. John Nassau to Rome on a secret mission, he was raised to the episcopate. Stapleton's appointment to be titular bishop of Hierocæsarea and

vicar apostolic of the Midland district The Vicariate Apostolic of the Midland District (later of the Central District) was an ecclesiastical jurisdiction of the Roman Catholic Church in England and Wales. It was led by a vicar apostolic) who was a titular bishop. The Apostolic Vicar ...

, in succession to Charles Berington, was approved by the pope on 29 May 1800, and he was consecrated on 8 March 1801.Brady, William Maziere. ''Annals of the Catholic Hierarchy in England and Scotland'', J. M. Stark, 1883, p. 219
/ref> He took up his residence at Longbirch near

Wolverhampton Wolverhampton ( ) is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands (county), West Midlands of England. Located around 12 miles (20 km) north of Birmingham, it forms the northwestern part of the West Midlands conurbation, with the towns of ...

, and employed one of his former students, Thomas Walsh, as secretary. Whitfield, Joseph Louis. "Thomas Walsh." The Catholic Encyclopedia
Vol. 15. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1912. 2 March 2020 (Walsh would later become Vicar Apostolic of the London District.) Stapleton died at St. Omer on 23 May 1802, and was succeeded as vicar apostolic by

John Milner John David Milner (December 28, 1949 – January 4, 2000) was an American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a first baseman and left fielder from to for the New York Mets, Pittsburgh Pirates and the Montreal ...

References

* ;Attribution {{DEFAULTSORT:Stapleton, Gregory 1748 births 1802 deaths Apostolic vicars of England and Wales 18th-century English Roman Catholic priests History of Catholicism in the United Kingdom