George Leo Haydock (1774–1849) was a priest, pastor and Bible scholar from an ancient English Catholic Recusant family. His edition of the Douay Bible with extended commentary, originally published in 1811, became the most popular English Catholic Bible of the 19th century on both sides of the Atlantic. It remains in print and is still regarded for its apologetic value.
Haydock's eventful early years included a narrow scrape with the French Revolution and a struggle to complete his priestly studies in the years before Catholic Emancipation. He would go on to serve poor Catholic missions in rural England.
Early years
George Leo Haydock was born on 11 April 1774 in Cottam, Preston, Lancashire,The "Tagg" where Haydock was born, is now located in Ingol, but at the time of his birth it was still part of Cottam. the heart of Catholic resistance to the Penal Laws that the English government used to enforce Anglicanism. His parents were George Haydock and his second wife, Anne (née Cottam), who produced a generation that would become outstanding in Catholic service. Their eldest son, James Haydock (1765–1809), became a priest who died caring for the sick of his congregation during an epidemic; the next, Thomas Haydock (1772–1859), became a prominent publisher of Catholic books. Among three daughters, Margaret Haydock (1767? – 1854), joined the Augustinian nuns, taking the name Sister Stanislaus. George was the youngest son. He and his father were namesakes of an illustrious ancestor, Blessed George Haydock (1556–1584), a martyred "seminary priest" during the Elizabethan persecution, beatified in 1987. While attending a school established for Catholic students at Mowbreck Hall, Wesham, George received Confirmation, taking the name Leo, after the fifth-century saint, Pope Leo I, whose liturgical feast was at that time celebrated on Haydock's birthday (see General Roman Calendar as in 1954). In 1785, at eleven years of age, he was sent to further his education at the English College, Douai, (English spelling, Douay or Doway) France, established in the 16th century for Catholic exiles, where provision was made for secondary education in addition to training for the priesthood. Among his classmates were many who would go on to play significant roles in the English church, including future bishop Thomas Penswick; the future historian John Lingard; and the future Irish Liberator Daniel O’Connell.
George Haydock's studies were interrupted in 1793, when the French Republic declared war on England and occupied the English College. On 5 August that year, just before the students were expelled and forced into house arrest at a nearby country house, the 19-year-old George Haydock managed a harrowing escape back to England in the company of his brother and fellow student, Thomas. Learning from the mistakes of previous escapees, they were able to sneak out of the town via a canal, carrying a fishing rod so they would appear to be on an innocent fishing trip. They went north, walking much of the way until they reached Ostend, whence they crossed to England.Gillow, Haydock Papers, p. 125 et seq. There was an unsettled period while English Catholic bishops made hasty provision for the continuing education in England of the many refugees from Douai. After a stay at St. Edmund's College, Ware, Old Hall Green in Hertfordshire, Haydock was able in 1796 to resume his studies in earnest at a seminary established at Crook Hall, near Consett in County Durham (not to be confused with present-day Crook Hall and Gardens in Durham City). He was ordained a priest there in 1798, and remained as a professor until 1803, when the pastoral phase of his career began.
During the period of Penal Laws, there was no official Catholic hierarchy in England, so there were no Catholic dioceses or parishes. A Bishop was called a Vicar Apostolic and presided over "missions" in his jurisdiction. Rev. John Lund (1733–1812), pastor to the Haydock family's home mission at Cottam, was sceptical of young George's prospects for pastoral work, once claiming he and his brother Thomas "were chiefly in quest of an easy genteel life".Gooch, p. 254 However, the new priest would quickly prove his mettle, dedicating his career to serve in some of the poorest missions in England. His first assignment was at Ugthorpe, Yorkshire, a poor rural mission, referred to as "Purgatory". Despite the legal disabilities of Catholics during this time, the Haydock family had been resourceful enough to retain a measure of local influence and wealth. Although George Leo was the youngest son, he and his older sister Elizabeth appear to have been entrusted with handling the family finances. He demonstrated considerable proficiency in this regard, acquiring investment properties in the areas where he served as pastor as we will see below. He thus had independent sources of income which he often used to subsidize the poor missions he served.
The Mission at Ugthorpe
Hardly considered a desirable assignment, the small, poor Ugthorpe Mission was nonetheless a challenge enthusiastically met by the young priest. He promptly repaired and improved the existing execrable 1768 thatched roof structure that served as a Catholic chapel and shortly thereafter began planning for a new one. The Roman Catholic Relief Act 1791 (31 Geo. 3. c. 32), although far from repealing all anti-Catholic legislation, had allowed for the building of Catholic chapels, albeit with severe architectural restrictions. Haydock eventually completed his new chapel and presbytery in 1810, and later added a school, a building that still stands (see picture at left below). He also found time and opportunity to ply his property acquisition and management talents. "I have plunged into an ocean of business of farther shores of which I cannot yet descry," he wrote to his family. "I propose staying here (God willing) [the] remainder of my days." In the letter, he expresses interest in acquiring land to raise cattle and farm grain, wheat, barley and potatoes. He appears to have acquired several pieces of land including rental cottages and a 10 1/2 acre farm which he leased for income. Although he was not destined to remain in Ugthorpe for the rest of his days, he would nonetheless complete his most memorable achievement while serving there.
The Haydock Bible
Haydock's tenure at Ugthorpe came during a critical period when the long era of persecution of English Catholics was finally drawing to a close. There was significant agreement even among Protestants that the Penal Laws should be repealed. However, forces opposing repeal were organized for a last-ditch effort. According to the historian Lingard (q.v.) “The [Anglican] clergy have been placed in the front of the battle; and, with the cry of danger to the church has been coupled that of danger to the constitution. To perpetuate religious disabilities, episcopal charges have been published, meetings of the clergy have been held, and petitions from dioceses, colleges and arch-deaconries have been poured into both houses of parliament. In aid of these efforts, the press has also been put into requisition: and the labours of anti-catholic journalists, the establishment of an anti-catholic magazine, and the diffusion of anti-catholic tracts, published in every shape, and adapted to every understanding, bear honourable testimony to the zeal and activity of those who assume the lead in this orthodox crusade.”Lingard, p. 1 Haydock saw a need to meet this challenge. Since interpretations of Scripture were a significant part of the anti-repeal effort, Haydock set out to complete what would become his Magnum Opus: commentary for a new edition of the English Catholic Bible. That Bible was called the Douay Version (Douay-Rheims Bible), originally translated from the Latin Vulgate in the 16th century chiefly by Gregory Martin, one of the first professors at the English College, Douai (University of Douai). It was revised and newly annotated in the 18th century by Richard Challoner (1691–1781), a scholar at University of Douai and then Vicar Apostolic of the London District, and later by Father Bernard MacMahon (1736?–1816). Haydock took his text from the Challoner-MacMahon revision, but added a substantially extended commentary. This commentary was partly original and partly compiled from Patristic writings and the writings of later Bible scholars. It was intended as a counter-offensive to Protestant interpretations. As Haydock states in his Preface, "To obviate the misinterpretations of the many heretical works which disgrace the Scripture, and deluge this unhappy country, has been one main design of the present undertaking."
The commentary is extensive in its number of annotations and far-ranging in scope. Mostly, the annotations explain words or phrases that are not clear or offer interesting elaborations of the text. However, they also deal with textual and interpretational differences with Protestants and address issues with deists and atheists. In his note to Exodus 20:4, in which the Douay Version mentions "a graven thing", Haydock states, "Protestants insidiously translate "any graven image," [original KJV] though pesel, eidolon, glupton, and sculptile, in the Heb. Gr. and Lat. denote a graven thing or idol......They know that the object of prohibition is the making and adoring of idols. But they probably wish to keep the ignorant under the stupid delusion of supposing that Catholics are idolaters, because they have images..." Pointing to the limitations of human knowledge and the resulting need for Faith, he offers in the note to Genesis 1:15, "Shall anyone pretend to wisdom, and still call into question the mysteries of faith, transubstantiation, &c., when the most learned confess they cannot comprehend the nature even of a grain of sand?" He often uses Scripture to justify specific Catholic practices. For example, in his note to Exodus 29:4, which refers to Aaron and his sons being washed with water after entering the door of the tabernacle, he states, "It is for this reason we take holy-water, when we go into our chapels, and we wash our fingers before and during Mass." In some cases, he makes specific scientific observations. For example, in the note to Genesis 1:14, he states the Earth revolves around the Sun at the speed of 58,000 miles an hour (actual rate is 67,000). He also delves deeply into speculation about the Bible's mysteries. For example, in the note to Genesis 2:8 he states the following regarding the size of the Garden of Eden: "How great might be its extent we do not know. If the sources of the Ganges, Nile, Tigris, and Euphrates, be not now changed, and if these be the rivers which sprung from the fountains of Paradise, (both of which points are undecided), the garden must have comprised a great part of the world." Annotations to the New Testament are in a similar vein, but were not compiled by Haydock. Given the enormous scope of annotating the entire Bible, he was unable to maintain the demanding production schedule in addition to his pastoral duties at Ugthorpe. Therefore, another Douay alumnus, Father Benedict Rayment (1764–1842), was called on for assistance.Gillow, Literary History, Vol. III, p. 219 He and a group of colleagues compiled the New Testament portion of the commentary. There was contemporary criticism that haste in preparation of the commentary resulted in some errors. However, given the spartan resources available for Catholic publishing in England at the time, the Haydock Bible must be considered a remarkable achievement.