Thomas Penswick (1772–1836) was an

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

Roman Catholic bishop In the Catholic Church, a bishop is an Holy Orders, ordained Minister (Catholic Church), minister who holds the fullness of the Sacraments of the Catholic Church, sacrament of Holy orders in the Catholic Church, holy orders and is responsible ...

who served as the Vicar Apostolic of the Northern District from 1831 to 1836. Born in Ashton-in-Makerfield,

Lancashire Lancashire ( , ; abbreviated Lancs) is the name of a historic county, ceremonial county, and non-metropolitan county in North West England. The boundaries of these three areas differ significantly. The non-metropolitan county of Lancashi ...

on 7 March 1772, he was

ordained Ordination is the process by which individuals are consecrated, that is, set apart and elevated from the laity class to the clergy, who are thus then authorized (usually by the denominational hierarchy composed of other clergy) to perform va ...

to the priesthood on 1 April 1797. He was appointed

coadjutor The term coadjutor (or coadiutor, 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: * Coadj ...

to the Vicar Apostolic of the Northern District, Bishop Thomas Smith, on 13 January 1824. On the same day, Penswick was appointed

Titular Bishop A titular bishop in various churches is a bishop who is not in charge of a diocese. By definition, a bishop is an "overseer" of a community of the faithful, so when a priest is ordained a bishop, the tradition of the Catholic, Eastern Orthodox an ...

of ''Europus'', and

consecrated Consecration is the solemn dedication to a special purpose or service. The word ''consecration'' literally means "association with the sacred". Persons, places, or things can be consecrated, and the term is used in various ways by different grou ...

to the

Episcopate A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...

by Bishop

William Poynter William Poynter (20 May 1762, at Petersfield, Hampshire – 26 November 1827, in London) was an English Catholic priest, bishop as vicar apostolic in London. Life Early life Poynter was educated at the English College at Douai, where he was o ...

on 29 June 1824. On the death of Bishop Smith on 30 July 1831, Bishop Penswick automatically succeeded as Vicar Apostolic of the Northern District. He died in office on 28 January 1836, aged 63.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Penswick, Thomas 1772 births 1836 deaths People from Ashton-in-Makerfield 19th-century Roman Catholic bishops in England Apostolic vicars of England and Wales