William Gibson (2 February 1738 – 2 June 1821) 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 ...

prelate A prelate () is a high-ranking member of the Christian clergy who is an ordinary or who ranks in precedence with ordinaries. The word derives from the Latin , the past participle of , which means 'carry before', 'be set above or over' or 'pref ...

. He was president of the

English College, Douai The English College (''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 suppressed in 1793. ...

from 1781 to 1790, and later became a bishop, serving as the Vicar Apostolic of the Northern District from 1790 to 1821.

Biography

Born in Stonecroft, near

Hexham Hexham ( ) is a market town and civil parishes in England, civil parish in Northumberland, England, on the south bank of the River Tyne, formed by the confluence of the North Tyne and the South Tyne at Warden, Northumberland, Warden nearby, and ...

Northumberland Northumberland () is a county in Northern England, one of two counties in England which border with Scotland. Notable landmarks in the county include Alnwick Castle, Bamburgh Castle, Hadrian's Wall and Hexham Abbey. It is bordered by land on ...

on 2 February 1738, the son of Jasper Gibson and Margaret Gibson (née Leadbitter). He was sent for his education to Douai and served as president of the college from 1781 to 1790.Buller, E., "Bishop William Gibson", ''Records and Recollections of St. Cuthbert's College Ushaw'', 1889, p. 73
/ref> Gibson was ordained to the priesthood in 1764. Following the death of his older brother

Matthew Matthew may refer to: * Matthew (given name) * Matthew (surname) * ''Matthew'' (ship), the replica of the ship sailed by John Cabot in 1497 * ''Matthew'' (album), a 2000 album by rapper Kool Keith * Matthew (elm cultivar), a cultivar of the Ch ...

on 17 May 1790, William was appointed the Vicar Apostolic of the Northern District and

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 ''Achantus'' on 10 September 1790. He was

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 ...

Lulworth Castle Lulworth Castle, in East Lulworth, Dorset, England, situated south of the village of Wool, is an early 17th-century hunting lodge erected in the style of a revival fortified castle, one of only five extant Elizabethan or Jacobean buildings of t ...

by Bishop

Charles Walmesley Charles Walmesley, OSB (best known by the pseudonyms Signor Pastorino or Pastorini; 13 January 1722 – 25 November 1797) was the Roman Catholic Titular Bishop of Rama and Vicar Apostolic of the Western District of England. He was known, especi ...

on 5 December 1790. Ushaw College - geograph

When the English College at Douai was forced to close in 1795 following the French Revolution, some of the students were settled temporarily at

Crook Hall Crook Hall, sited near Lanchester, County Durham, some north west of the city of Durham, was one of two Roman Catholic seminaries which temporarily replaced the Douai seminary in Douai, France when that college was suppressed soon after the Frenc ...

northwest of Durham. In 1804 Bishop Gibson began to build at Ushaw Moor, four miles west of Durham. These buildings, designed by James Taylor, were opened as St Cuthbert's College in 1808. Bishop Gibson resided principally at York, although sometimes with the resident priest at Durham, Thomas Smith, who, in 1810, he requested as his coadjutor. In 1819, becoming increasing more frail in mind and body, his powers to transferred to Bishop Smith. He died in office on 2 June 1821, aged 83, at Ushaw and was buried in the college cemetery at

Ushaw College Ushaw College (formally St Cuthbert's College, Ushaw), is a former Roman Catholic Church, Catholic seminary near the village of Ushaw Moor, County Durham, England, which is now a heritage and cultural tourist attraction. The college is known for ...

which he himself had founded in 1804.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gibson, William 1738 births 1821 deaths People from Hexham 18th-century Roman Catholic bishops in England Apostolic vicars of England and Wales People from Ushaw Moor 19th-century Roman Catholic bishops in England