''The Rambler'' was a Catholic periodical founded by liberal converts to Catholicism and closely associated with the names of

Lord Acton John Emerich Edward Dalberg-Acton, 1st Baron Acton, 13th Marquess of Groppoli, (10 January 1834 – 19 June 1902), better known as Lord Acton, was an English Catholic historian, politician, and writer. He is best remembered for the remark he wr ...

, Richard Simpson and, for a brief period,

John Henry Newman John Henry Newman (21 February 1801 – 11 August 1890) was an English theologian, academic, intellectual, philosopher, polymath, historian, writer, scholar and poet, first as an Anglican ministry, Anglican priest and later as a Catholi ...

. It was one of the leading English Catholic magazines of the nineteenth century. It represented a phase of convert thought which was in opposition to the extreme

ultramontanism Ultramontanism is a clerical political conception within the Catholic Church that places strong emphasis on the prerogatives and powers of the Pope. It contrasts with Gallicanism, the belief that popular civil authority—often represented by th ...

William George Ward William George Ward (21 March 1812 – 6 July 1882) was an English theologian and mathematician. A Roman Catholic convert, his career illustrates the development of religious opinion at a time of crisis in the history of English religious though ...

and

Henry Edward Manning Henry Edward Manning (15 July 1808 – 14 January 1892) was an English prelate of the Catholic church, and the second Archbishop of Westminster from 1865 until his death in 1892. He was ordained in the Church of England as a young man, but con ...

and eventually led to increasing friction with the leading members of the newly established English hierarchy.Thurston, Herbert. "The Rambler." The Catholic Encyclopedia
Vol. 12. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1911. 28 November 2022

History

''The Rambler'' was started on 1 January 1848, and its last number was published in May 1862. According to its final number:

The Rambler was commenced on 1st of January 1848 as a weekly magazine of home and foreign literature, politics, science and art. Its aim was to unite an intelligent and hearty acceptance of Catholic
dogma Dogma is a belief or set of beliefs that is accepted by the members of a group without being questioned or doubted. It may be in the form of an official system of principles or doctrines of a religion, such as Roman Catholicism, Judaism, Islam ...
with free enquiry and discussion on questions which the Church left open to debate and while avoiding, as far as possible, the domain of technical theology, to provide a medium for the expression of independent opinion on subjects of the day, whether interesting to the general public or especially affecting Catholics.

''The Rambler'' had been founded by John Moore Capes, onetime President of the

Oxford Union The Oxford Union Society, commonly referred to simply as the Oxford Union, is a debating society in the city of Oxford England, whose membership is drawn primarily from the University of Oxford. Founded in 1823, it is one of Britain's oldest ...

. It was originally a weekly magazine. John Henry Newman wrote verses that were published and counseled Capes to avoid controversy with Wiseman's competing publication, the '' Dublin Review''. Before the end of the year, ''The Rambler'' was so successful that it was decided to increase the number of pages and to issue it in a monthly form. It continued to be published as a monthly serial from 1 September 1848 to 1 February 1859.

James Spencer Northcote James Spencer Northcote (born at Fenton Court, Devonshire, 26 May 1821; d. at Stoke-upon-Trent, Staffordshire, 3 March 1907) was an English Catholic priest and writer. He served as president of St Mary's College, Oscott for seventeen years. Life ...

, like Capes, a teacher at

Prior Park College Prior Park College is a mixed Roman Catholic public school for both day and boarding students. Situated on a hill overlooking the city of Bath, Somerset, in southwest England, Prior Park has been designated by Historic England as a Grade I li ...

, had spent three years in Rome, some of the time with noted archaeologist

Giovanni Battista de Rossi Giovanni Battista (Carlo) de Rossi (23 February 1822 – 20 September 1894) was an Italian archaeologist, famous even outside his field for rediscovering early Christian catacombs. Life and works Born in Rome, he was the son of Commendatore Cam ...

. Northcote contributed a number of articles on the Roman catacombs. From June 1852, until September 1854, he served as editor. After his wife's death in 1853 Northcote began to focus his attention on preparing for the priesthood,Burton, Edwin. "James Spencer Northcote." The Catholic Encyclopedia
Vol. 11. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1911. 23 November 2022 In 1850 Richard Simpson began to write for ''The Rambler'', and in 1856 became assistant editor. From May 1859, a slightly larger version was published every two months. The last number was published in May 1862, and a quarterly journal, ''The Home and Foreign Review'', under the same editorial management, appeared in its place in July of that year. This became one of the most distinguished periodicals of its day, and was praised by

Matthew Arnold Matthew Arnold (24 December 1822 – 15 April 1888) was an English poet and cultural critic who worked as an inspector of schools. He was the son of Thomas Arnold, the celebrated headmaster of Rugby School, and brother to both Tom Arnold, lite ...

.Josef L. Altholz: "Richard Simpson"
in the ''

Oxford Dictionary of National Biography The ''Dictionary of National Biography'' (''DNB'') is a standard work of reference on notable figures from British history, published since 1885. The updated ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'' (''ODNB'') was published on 23 September ...

''. Sir John (later Lord) Acton was the principal proprietor of ''The Rambler''. In 1858, Simpson became editor and a proprietor. He ran into conflict with those who disapproved of a layman writing about theology and of his liberal views, and was forced to resign in 1859, being briefly replaced with Newman. Acton became the editor in 1859, upon Newman's retirement from the position.MacDougall, Hugh A. (1962). ''The Acton/Newman Relations: The Dilemma of Christian Liberalism''. Fordham University Press.

Editors

* John Moore Capes (1 January 1848 to June, 1852) *

(June, 1852 to September 1854) * John Moore Capes (September 1854 to 5 October 1857)

References

External links

Sample edition
Religious magazines published in the United Kingdom Catholic magazines Defunct magazines published in the United Kingdom Liberal Catholicism Magazines established in 1848 Magazines disestablished in 1862 {{UK-mag-stub