#downsidearchivesandlibrary

Found in the archives is this order from the Privy Council of King Charles II dated 3rd June 1674.

The document orders that (Catholic) 'priests as can be found shall be speedily sent away and transported into the parts beyond the seas;' At the time, it was still illegal to be a Catholic priest in Britain.

The document goes on to state 'And that such discoveryes may be the better encouraged, and more effectually pursued, his Majesty hath given order to the Lord High Treasurer of England to cause speedy payment to be made unto every person who shall make discovery of any Preist or Jesuite of the sume of five pounds for every Preist, or Jesuite, so discovered who shall thereupon be apprehended and sent up in order to be transported beyond the seas.'

The order is an exceptional insight into the feelings of the Privy Council in the late 17th century, and how fear of Catholicism was still rife at that time. Indeed, in 1679, just four years after this document was created, it was revealed that Charles' brother, James, was a Catholic, which sparked the Exclusion Crisis. Of course, on the death of Charles II in 1685, James succeeded to the throne until he was deposed in 1688, being the last Catholic king of England.

This document is signed by many members of the council, including Lord Finch the Chancellor, Earl of Northampton, Earl of Newport, Earl of Anglesey, Lord Bridgwater, Earl Craven and Earl Sunderland, John Seymour the 4th Duke of Somerset, Lord Maynard and Earl Carbery as well as the clerk to the King, Sir Edward Walker.

Another lovely discovery on the cataloguing project is the provenance of Dom Rudesind Barlow, his handwriting extant in a 17th century volume of his own work, “Epistola R.A.P. Praesidis Generalis”.

Dom Rudesind Barlow OSB (1585–1656) was an English Benedictine monk, a recusant academic, and Rector of the English College in Douai, France. His brother became Ambrose Barlow and is venerated as one of the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales.

Dom Rudesind was ordained a Catholic priest in 1608 and graduated with the degree of Doctor of Divinity at Salamanca. In 1611 he transferred to join the community of English monks at the Priory of St Gregory the Great in Douai, France where he was made its Prior in 1614.

From 1621 to 1629 Barlow served as the President General of the English Benedictine Congregation. In 1633 he became titular Cathedral-Prior of Canterbury. Beyond a circular letter to the English Benedictines about their relations with the Vicar Apostolic of England, none of his writings survive. This makes any sample of his handwriting extremely rare, and a very exciting discovery amongst our recusant collection. In the first instance it tells us that the author annotated a copy of his own work.