The Minor Family of Somerset

Name Prefix:<NPFX> Cardinal
2nd son, His Eminence William Alan b 1532 at Rossal, Cardinal Ar
chbishop William Alan, Grandson of Thomas Lister
There are several other documents relating to the family and ser
vants of Allen, which as they are in Latin or Italian I have tho
ught it unnecessary to translate. In Allen's corresPondence wit
h F. Agazzari, S.J., rector of the English College at rome, he m
ore than once mentions "his kinsman William Hawkesworth," at tha
t time a studen in the college. He was Allen's first cousin, fo
r Allen's mother, Jane Lister, was sister of Rosamund Lister, wh
o married William Hawksworth, of Hawksworth, whose second son i
n the William Hawksworth of Allen's Letters.
William Allen:- New Advent, Catholic Encyclopedia
Cardinal b. England,1522; d Rome 16 OConnecticut, 1594. He was the thi
rd son of John Allen of Rossall, Lancashire, and at the age of f
iteen went to Oriel College, Oxford, where he graduated B. A. i
n 1550, and was elected Fellow of his College. In 1554 he proce
eded M. A., and two years later was chosen Principal of St. Mary
's Hall.For a short time he also held a canonry at York, for h
e had already determined to embrace the ecclesiastical state. O
n the accession of Elizabeth, andthe reestablishment of Protest
antism. Allen was one of those who remained most stanch on th
e Catholic side, and it is chiefly due to his labours that theC
atholic religion was not entirely stamped out in England. Havin
g resigned all his preferments, he left the country in 1561, an
d sought a refuge in the university town of Louvain. The follow
ing year, however, we find him backEngland, devoting himself, t
hough not yet in priest's orders, to evangelizinghis native cou
ntry. His success was such that it attracted notice that he ha
d to flee for safety. For a while he made himself a missionar
y centre near Oxford, where he had many acquaintances, and late
r for a time he sought protection with the family of the Duke o
f Norfolk. In 1565 he was again forcedto leave England, thi
s time, as it turned out, for good. He was ordained priest at M
echlin shortly afterwards. The three years Allen spent as a mis
sionary in England had a determinging effect on the his whole af
ter life. Forhe found everywhere that the people were not Prot
estant by choice, but by force of circumstances; and the majorit
y were only too ready, in response to hispreaching and ministra
tions, to return to Catholicity. He was always convinced that t
he Protestant wave over the country, due to the action of Elizab
eth, could only be termporary, and that the whole future depende
d on there being a supply of trained clergy and controversialist
s ready to come into the country whenever Catholicity should b
e restored. It was to supply this need that he founded the Coll
ege at douay since identified with his name. The ideafirst dev
eloped itself in his mind during a pilgrimage to Rome in compan
y with Dr. Vendeville, Regius Professor of Canon Law in the Univ
ersity of Douay,in 1567. No doubt this was one reason why he t
hough of Douay as a suitableplace for his new college; but it w
as by no means the only one. Douay was anew university, founde
d by Pope Paul Iv, under the patronage of King Philip of Spain (
in whose dominions it then was), for the special object of comba
ting the errors of the Reformation; and, what is still more to t
he purpose, itwas already under Oxford influences. The first c
hancellor, Richard Smith, was an Oxford man, as were several o
f the most inflouential members of the university at the time wh
en Allen began. It was his ambition to perpetuate Oxford influe
nces and traditions, and to make his new college practically a c
ontinuation of Catholic Oxford. A beginning was made in a hire
d house on Michaelmas Day, 1568. the means of support included
, besides Allen's private income, and other voluntary donations
, a yearly pens