No Easy Heritage: The Vicars Apostolic and the Welsh Missions,1780-1850

Abstract

Much of the research for this article was originally undertaken by the late Pamela Gilbert, author of This Restless Prelate: Bishop Peter Baines 1786-1843 (Gracewing, 2006), who studied and worked in the Clifton Diocesan Archives for many years. She died in 2014 before being able to complete the book that she had hoped eventually to publish, and on which the present author has since been working. Part of the material presented here was given as a talk to members of the Wales and the Marches Catholic History Society in 2015. The letters quoted from or referred to are all housed at Clifton Diocesan Archives, except where otherwise indicated. The author wishes to thank Canon Harding for permission to consult and cite them, and for his unfailing and good-humoured support.