Correspondence and documents, 1848-1862

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There are relatively few documents dating from the years 1850-1861. The bulk of the letters filmed relate directly to Australia and are itemised below. There are a few letters written from England and Europe to Thomas Heptonstall and also some correspondence of Bernard Barber, the president-general of the Benedictines, and Peter Wilson, the prior of Downside Priory. In addition, there are a few documents relating to the early career of Roger Bede Vaughan (1834-1883), who was eventually to succeed Bede Polding as archbishop of Sydney and metropolitan of Australia. Vaughan was educated at Downside in 1850-1853, professed in 1854, and was ordained as a priest in 1859.

The Australian letters were generally written to Heptonstall, who was the agent of most of the Australian bishops and a close friend of Archbishop Polding. The principal correspondents are Polding and Bishop Charles Davis. Davis had been educated at Downside and was parish priest of Downside from 1844 to 1848. In 1848 he was consecrated bishop of Maitland and coadjutor to Polding. He died at Parramatta in 1854. From 1861 onwards Polding also wrote regularly to Henry Gregory, who had been his vicar-general since 1844 and also prior of St Mary's Priory in Sydney. (Polding gave him the honorary title of 'Abbot' in 1856.) Following numerous complaints from monks, secular clergy and laity in Sydney, Gregory was recalled by the president-general, Father Placid Burchall, and left Sydney in February 1861. He was later exonerated by the Vatican, but decided to remain in England.

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