George Oliver (1781–1861) was an English
Roman Catholic
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
*Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
*Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...
priest and a historian of
Exeter
Exeter () is a city in Devon, South West England. It is situated on the River Exe, approximately northeast of Plymouth and southwest of Bristol.
In Roman Britain, Exeter was established as the base of Legio II Augusta under the personal comm ...
, Devon, England, and its environs.
Life
Oliver born at
Newington, Surrey, on 9 February 1781, and was educated, first at
Sedgley Park School, Staffordshire, and afterwards at
Stonyhurst College
Stonyhurst College is a co-educational Catholic Church, Roman Catholic independent school, adhering to the Society of Jesus, Jesuit tradition, on the Stonyhurst, Stonyhurst Estate, Lancashire, England. It occupies a Grade I listed building. Th ...
. During the eleven years that he spent at Stonyhurst,
Charles Plowden
Charles Plowden (born at Plowden Hall, Shropshire, 1743; died at Jougne, Doubs, France, 13 June 1821) was an English Jesuit priest, teacher, writer and administrator.
Life
He was a descent of Edmund Plowden, and was raised in a Catholic fami ...
was his spiritual director, and took an interest in his literary studies. He was promoted to holy orders at
Durham Durham most commonly refers to:
*Durham, England, a cathedral city and the county town of County Durham
*County Durham, an English county
* Durham County, North Carolina, a county in North Carolina, United States
*Durham, North Carolina, a city in N ...
by bishop
William Gibson
William Ford Gibson (born March 17, 1948) is an American-Canadian speculative fiction writer and essayist widely credited with pioneering the science fiction subgenre known as ''cyberpunk''. Beginning his writing career in the late 1970s, his ...
, in May 1806.
In October 1807, he was sent to the mission of the
Society of Jesus
, image = Ihs-logo.svg
, image_size = 175px
, caption = ChristogramOfficial seal of the Jesuits
, abbreviation = SJ
, nickname = Jesuits
, formation =
, founders ...
at
St. Nicholas
Saint Nicholas of Myra, ; la, Sanctus Nicolaus (traditionally 15 March 270 – 6 December 343), also known as Nicholas of Bari, was an early Christian bishop of Greek descent from the maritime city of Myra in Asia Minor (; modern-day Demre ...
, Exeter, as successor to Thomas Lewis. This mission he served for forty-four years, retiring from active duty on 6 October 1851. He continued, however, to reside in the priory, and occupied the same room till the day of his death.
Oliver was one of the last Catholic priests, pupils of the English Jesuits, who did not enter the Society, but remained in the service of the English province, and subject to its superiors. On 30 March 1843 he was elected an honorary member of the Historical Society of Boston, US, and on 15 September 1844 he was created D.D. by
Pope Gregory XVI
Pope Gregory XVI ( la, Gregorius XVI; it, Gregorio XVI; born Bartolomeo Alberto Cappellari; 18 September 1765 – 1 June 1846) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 2 February 1831 to his death in 1 June 1846. He h ...
. On the erection of the canonical chapters in 1852, after the
restoration of the hierarchy by
Pope Pius IX
Pope Pius IX ( it, Pio IX, ''Pio Nono''; born Giovanni Maria Mastai Ferretti; 13 May 1792 – 7 February 1878) was head of the Catholic Church from 1846 to 1878, the longest verified papal reign. He was notable for convoking the First Vatican ...
, Oliver was appointed provost of the chapter of
Plymouth
Plymouth () is a port city and unitary authority in South West England. It is located on the south coast of Devon, approximately south-west of Exeter and south-west of London. It is bordered by Cornwall to the west and south-west.
Plymouth ...
, a dignity he resigned in 1857. He died at St. Nicholas mission, Exeter, on 23 March 1861, and was buried on 2 April near the high altar in his chapel.
Works
Oliver's works relate mainly to the county of
Devon
Devon ( , historically known as Devonshire , ) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South West England. The most populous settlement in Devon is the city of Plymouth, followed by Devon's county town, the city of Exeter. Devon is ...
. They include:
* ‘Historic Collections relating to the Monasteries in Devon,’ Exeter, 1820.
* ‘The History of Exeter,’ Exeter, 1821, 8vo; 2nd edit. Exeter, 1861. An index to the second edition, privately printed in 1884, was compiled by J. S. Attwood.
* A translation of Father
John Gerard
John Gerard (also John Gerarde, c. 1545–1612) was an English herbalist with a large garden in Holborn, now part of London. His 1,484-page illustrated ''Herball, or Generall Historie of Plantes'', first published in 1597, became a popular gard ...
's Latin 'Autobiography' from the manuscript at Stonyhurst College; printed in fourteen numbers of the ''Catholic Spectator'', 1823–6.
* 'Ecclesiastical Antiquities of Devon, being Observations on many Churches in Devonshire, originally published in the "Exeter and Plymouth Gazette," with a Letter on the Preservation and Restoration of our Churches,' Exeter, 1828,; written with the Rev. John Pike Jones of
North Bovey
North Bovey is a village and civil parish situated on the south-eastern side of Dartmoor National Park, Devon, England, about 11 miles WSW of the city of Exeter and 1.5 miles SSW of Moretonhampstead. The village lies above the eastern ...
, who contributed the introduction and the descriptions of twelve churches.
* 'Ecclesiastical Antiquities in Devon, being Observations on several Churches in Devonshire, with some Memoranda for the History of Cornwall,' 3 vols., Exeter, 1839–40–1842. A new work.
* 'Cliffordiana,' privately printed, Exeter
828
__NOTOC__
Year 828 ( DCCCXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar.
Events
By place
Byzantine Empire
* Siege of Syracuse: The Muslims under Asad ibn al-Furat defeat ...
containing a detailed account of the Clifford family, three funeral addresses, and a list of the pictures at
Ugbrooke Park. The author made collections for an enlarged edition, and wrote a series of thirteen articles on the 'Cliffords of Devonshire' that appeared in the 'Exeter Flying Post' between 1 June and 29 September 1857.
* 'Memoir of the Lord Treasurer Clifford,' London
828? reprinted from the ''Catholic Spectator''; the article was subsequently rewritten, and appeared in the 'Exeter Flying Post,' 22 and 29 June 1857.
* 'Collections towards illustrating the Biography of the Scotch, English, and Irish Members of the Society of Jesus,' Exeter, 1838; a second edition, limited to 250 copies, London, 1845. These biographical notices appeared originally in the 'London and Dublin Weekly Orthodox Journal,' vols. ii.–iv. (1836–37).
* 'Merrye Englaunde; or the Goldene Daies of Goode Queene Besse' (anon.), London, 1841. This first appeared as a serial story in the 'Catholic Magazine,' vols. ii., iii. (1838–39). The plot is laid in Cornwall, and is based upon the adventures and persecutions of some catholic families in that county.
* 'Description of the Guildhall, Exeter,' in conjunction with Pitman Jones, Exeter, 1845; 2nd edit. 1853.
* 'A View of Devonshire in MDCXXX, with a Pedigree of most of its Gentry,' by
Thomas Westcote
Thomas Westcote (c. 1567 – c. 1637) (''alias'' Westcott) of Raddon in the parish of Shobrooke in Devon, was an English historian and topographer of Devon.
Biography
He was baptised at Shobrooke in Devon on 17 June 1567. He was the third son of ...
, edited by Oliver in conjunction with Pitman Jones, Exeter, 1845.
*
Monasticon Dioecesis Exoniensis being a Collection of Records and Instruments Illustrating the Ancient Conventual, Collegiate, and
Eleemosynary
Eleemosynary may refer to:
*Eleemosynary, relating to charity
Charity may refer to:
Giving
* Charitable organization or charity, a non-profit organization whose primary objectives are philanthropy and social well-being of persons
* Charity (prac ...
Foundations in the Counties of Cornwall and Devon, with Historical Notices, and a Supplement, comprising a list of the dedications of Churches in the Diocese, an amended edition of the Taxation of Pope Nicholas, and an Abstract of the Chantry Rolls,' Exeter: P. A. Hannaford, 1846. An ‘Additional Supplement … with a Map of the Diocese, Deaneries, and Sites of Religious Houses,’ appeared in 1854. These are additions to the edition of
William Dugdale
Sir William Dugdale (12 September 1605 – 10 February 1686) was an English antiquary and herald. As a scholar he was influential in the development of medieval history as an academic subject.
Life
Dugdale was born at Shustoke, near Coleshi ...
's 'Monasticon' by
Sir Henry Ellis
Sir Henry Ellis (29 November 177715 January 1869) was an English librarian and antiquarian, for a long period principal librarian at the British Museum.
Early years
Born in London, Henry Ellis was educated at the Mercers' School, and at Merch ...
and
Bulkeley Bandinel. An "Index nominum, locorum et rerum" by J. S. Attwood was published at Exeter in 1889.
* 'Collections illustrating the History of the Catholic Religion in the Counties of Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Somerset, Wilts, and Gloucester. … With notices of the Dominican, Benedictine, and Franciscan Orders in England,' London, 1857.
* 'Lives of the Bishops of Exeter, and a History of the Cathedral,' Exeter, 1861.
* Letters on ecclesiastical and parochial antiquities, family history, and biography, extending over a period of nine years, sent under the signature of 'Curiosus,' to local newspapers, and principally to the 'Exeter Flying Post.' These communications were collected and inserted in two folio volumes by Pitman Jones, who added notes. Winslow Jones, son of the latter, presented these volumes in 1877 to the library of the
Devon and Exeter Institution
The Devon and Exeter Institution is a subscription library in the City of Exeter, Devon, founded in 1813 for "The general diffusion of science, literature and the arts". It is situated at 7, Cathedral Close, Exeter, in a building facing the nort ...
. Forty-eight of the communications contain the memoirs of about seventy-five celebrated Exonians.
Oliver was a contributor to the English Catholic periodicals of his time, his articles relating generally to catholic biography, history, or antiquities. He also had the principal share in preparing for publication the 'Liber Pontificalis' of
Edmund Lacy
Edmund Lacey (or Lacy; died 1455) was a medieval Bishop of Hereford and Bishop of Exeter in England.
Lacey was educated at University College, Oxford, where he was a mature commoner, then Fellow, and subsequently Master of the College from 1 ...
, bishop of Exeter, which appeared in 1847, as edited by Robert Barnes.
A lithographed portrait of Oliver was published shortly after his death by George G. Palmer of Exeter. This was reproduced as a frontispiece to
Thomas Nadauld Brushfield's 'Bibliography.'
References
;Attribution
External links
George Oliver letters, 1816-1837at Pitts Theology Library,
Candler School of Theology
Candler School of Theology is one of seven graduate schools at Emory University, located in metropolitan Atlanta, Georgia. A university-based school of theology, Candler educates ministers, scholars of religion and other leaders. It is also one ...
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Oliver, George
1781 births
1861 deaths
19th-century English Roman Catholic priests
19th-century English historians
Historians of Devon
Burials in Devon