Grace Kennedy's 'Father Clement' 1823

First edition  - 1823

On page 68 of Grace Kennedy's little book, one of her characters, Ernest Montague, remarks to his sister Adeline, "You are very ardent in proselyting, dear Adeline"... This sums up the whole of Kennedy's novel. Calvinism must triumph over Roman Catholicism. Miriam Elizabeth Burstein, an expert on Victorian novels which shaped religious debates, argues - in her Victorian Reformations (2014) - that Kennedy wraps her Presbyterian catechetical dialogues in a combination conspiracy and inheritance plot set during the Jacobite Rebellion of 1715, indicting the Catholic clergy as conspirators...

Admittedly, I found the 'catechetical dialogues' rather wearying, but it was the essence, the raison d'être, of the polemic. There are frequent footnotes giving chapter and verse from the Bible to support her argument. Essentially, the novel is the story of the interaction of three neighbouring families. The Montagues are led by Sir Herbert, and consist of his wife, Lady Montague; son Ernest; and daughters Adeline and Maude - they are all of the Calvinist or Presbyterian persuasion and live at Illerton-Hall . Their family chaplain is Dr. Thomas Lowther. Nearby are the Clarenhams, residing at Hallern Castle -  widowed Mrs Clarenham; two daughters, Maria and Catherine. An old Roman Catholic priest, Father Dennis is about to be replaced by Mr. Dormer, the Father Clement of the book's title. Their son, Basil, has just returned from abroad with Dormer. The Montagues and Clarenhams are related - Lady Montague and Mrs Clarenham were first cousins.

The third family, the Carysfords, are led nominally by Sir Thomas Carysford, but are really controlled by the one 'evil' character in the novel,  Mr Warrene, their Roman Catholic Chaplain. As Father Adrian, he is the Superior over all the Jesuit priests in that part of England, he is deeply involved in the 1715 Jacobite Rising and his more parochial aim is to resurrect the Roman Catholic strength in his area, via the Carysfords and Clarenhams. He controls Father Clement, Catherine and, to a large extent, the Carysfords. He is also responsible for Basil Clarenham being taken by the Inquisition in Spain (a very unlikely part of the book's plotting!).

The period under study, 1715, saw the Roman Catholics barely tolerated: by every denomination of Protestants they were regarded with suspicion; and even the most truly religious and benevolent of their opponents regarded it as a sin, in many instances, to permit the observances of their church... However, the two families get on well enough, tolerating their religious differences even if regarding the other as simply 'wrong'. Ernest visits the Clarenhams and is invited to a church service; he sees it at least completely addressed to the senses; and which, in his opinion, only served to place a barrier between the soul and God... what a mixture of error and truth... Later he reasons with himself that the Romish faith is so utterly unscriptural...denying free access to the word of God - ordaining prayers to be offered up in a language not understood by the people - praying to departed spirits - setting up images and pictures in the churches for the people to prostrate themselves before...

Catherine Clarenham, the crypto 'saint'

The House of Hanover defeats the Jacobites and Biblical Christianity triumphs over Roman traditions. It centres on Jesus Christ; the worship of the Virgin Mary and saints, sculptures and stained glass, is simply idolatry. Maria Clarenham is convinced by her reading of the Bible (in English) that Roman Catholicism is misguided and she is helped on to a Protestant belief by Adeline. She only marries Carysford on the understanding she can keep her new faith and it is clear that their offspring will be Protestants! Basil Clarenham is weaned away from his faith by the persuasive Ernest. It is suggested that even the ascetic Father Clement has moved in that direction. On his death-bed (lay me in the ashes - in the coffin...), caused by his fasting and almost death-wish, he refuses to add the words Church of Rome to saved only by Christ, much to the disgust of Warenne. Catherine remains a Roman Catholic, partly (as Adeline remarks) because she is so fenced round by the good opinion she has of herself and so full of contempt for is poor heretics, who dare read the Bible...

On the last two full pages, Kennedy brings us forward to the present, in the guise of two travellers, who visit the ivy-covered, derelict chapel of the Carysfords, where Basil and Ernest used to go to read the Bible aloud to previous visitors: The Protestant traveller would recognise the spirit which dictated this only justifiable method of attempting to prevent an erroneous approach to God. The Roman Catholic traveller would sigh as he remembered, that in Britain his church is almost forgotten; her places of worship in ruins...her services regarded as unmeaning ceremonies; her doctrines held as too absurd to be professed by rational men...

Father Clement was in its 12th edition by 1858 and its 16th by 1868, and had been translated into several European languages. However, there was a 'fightback': Father Rowland (!829) by Charles Constantine Pise; Florence; or, the Aspirant (1829); the anonymous Genmoyle Castle (1831); Geraldine (1837-9) by E. C. Agnew; and the anonymous Father Oswald (1842). Above all, the passing of the Catholic Emancipation Act in 1829, by the Duke of Wellington and Robert Peel, just six years after Grace Kennedy's novel, followed by the Tracts of Newman and others, paved the way for a resurgence of Roman Catholicism in England. Grace Kennedy did not live to experience this turnaround, dying in 1825. Did she turn in her grave? 

As an aside, I wonder if it is only me who reads into the book something else. Warenne has two very strong, athletic-looking young men (his young 'brothers') in attendance; Father Clement has strong feelings for both Basil and Ernest. Is the author on the same wavelength as when I gazed at the 'young men', in dark glasses and tight-fitting suits, patrolling St. Peter's when I was there last? An aspect of Roman Catholicism appears to be its love of dressing up, performing in a theatrical way. We will leave my thoughts in the air!