Who’s Who ‘M’

Manning Henry, Cardinal 1808-1892, youngest son of William Manning MP. Educated Harrow and Balliol College, Oxford. 1832 Fellow of Merton and Ordained Deacon. 1841 Archdeacon of Chichester. Began with Evangelical became more ritualistic, and lost faith in the Church of England after the Gorham case in 1851. (Gorham argued against Baptismal regeneration saying the saving faith was a matter of personal decision, not sacramental action. He was refused licensing to a parish in Devon, but the Bishop’s refusal was overturned by the Privy Council). Manning at first was part of the Tractarian movement contributing to it, but fell out with Newman.  He was ordained into the RC church in 1851. He became Archbishop of Westminster in 1865 after Cardinal Wiseman. He negotiated access for RCs into the establishment. Manning was more ecclesial and authoritarian, but also close to the poor.  He mediated successfully in the London Dock Strike of 1889.     

 Beaufort Margaret, (1443-1509) Mother of Henry VII. An important power in the land in support of Henry VII victory at Bosworth Field1485. She founded Christ’s College Cambridge and St John’s Cambridge, and established Lady Margaret Professorships at Oxford and Cambridge.  A disciplined, shrewd and powerful presence at court.

Milton John, Poet 1608-1674 After Shakespeare probably the greatest poet of the English language. Educated at St Paul’s School and Christ’s College Cambridge. A brilliant classicist with great erudition who shone early with his Ode on the morning of Christ’s nativity. A firm parliamentarian and defender of freedom he opposed the ‘tyranny’ of A/B Laud. Among his early works were the play Comus, and the poems L’Allegro and Il Penserso. His first marriage to the Royalist, Mary Powell failed. He pleaded the right to divorce on the grounds of incompatibility and wrote Areopagitica (1644) in defence of freedom of speech and of the press. From 1649 he was involved with the Commonwealth: he defended the execution of the King and became Secretary for Foreign Tongues. His greatest work, written after going blind, which he dictated to his daughter was Paradise Lost (1658-1665)   and its sequel Paradise Regained (1671), followed by Samson Agonistes. He had unorthodox views on the Godhead, was highly individualistic and like William Blake was hard easily to classify. 

More Thomas, Sir St. Chancellor 1478-1535 Lawyer, Classicist and Humanist. More became an MP in 1504 after teaching Law.  Friend of Erasmus, Colet and Grocyn – all humanists. But More had a very conservative view of the Church, and rabidly opposed Luther and his followers. He actively pursued Reformers. For the same reason he could not accept Henry as the head of the Church or agree to the Act of Supremacy. He was imprisoned in the Tower and was executed July 5 1535. Feast Day June 22