John Joseph Hornyold

John Joseph Hornyold (19 February 1706 – 26 December 1778) was an English Catholic bishop, titular Bishop of Phiomelia, and Vicar Apostolic of the Midland District, England for twenty-two years.

Life

Hornyold was descended from two ancient Catholic families, his father being John Hornyold, of Blackmore Park and Hanley Castle, Worcestershire; his mother, Mary, daughter of Pyers Mostyn, 2nd Baronet, of Talacre, Flintshire. At the age of 22, on 7 August 1758, he entered the English College at Douai to study for the priesthood. After his ordination he returned to England and served the mission at Grantham for some time, meeting with persecution and more than once narrowly escaping arrest as a priest.

In 1739, Hornyold went as chaplain to Longbirch near Wolverhampton, the seat of "the good Madam Giffard", a widow. When the priest-hunters would search for him, he would conceal himself at one of the Longbirch farms. In 1766, as his health was failing, he obtained Thomas Talbot as his coadjutor, and consecrated him in 1767 (not in 1776 as has been erroneously asserted, in consequence of a misprint in Milner's "Memoir"). In 1768 he undertook the responsibility of carrying on Sedgley Park School, which had been founded, on the initiative of his intimate friend Bishop Challoner, six years previously, and thus preserved it for the Church. He lived just long enough to see the Papists Act 1778, died at Longbirch, Staffordshire, and was buried in Brewood churchyard, Staffordshire. There is an oil painting of the bishop at the family seat, Blackmore Park, Worcestershire.