Michael Hobart Seymour
Encyclopedia
Michael Hobart Seymour was an Anglo-Irish Protestant clergyman and religious controversialist.
(d. 19 May 1831), who married in January 1789 Catherine, eldest daughter and coheiress of Rev. Edward Wight, rector of Meelick
in Limerick. Aaron Crossley Hobart Seymour
. was his brother. In 1823 he graduated B.A. of Trinity College
, Dublin, and proceeded M.A. in 1832. He was admitted ad eundem at Oxford on 2 June 1836, and comitatis causa on 26 October 1865.
Seymour was ordained deacon in 1823 and priest in 1824. The first thirty-four years of his life were passed in Ireland in clerical work. He was also secretary to the Irish Protestant Association. An untiring polemicist, he became very unpopular in Ireland, and about 1834 migrated to England. For several years he was evening lecturer at St George the Martyr, Southwark, afternoon lecturer at St Anne, Blackfriars, and travelling secretary for the Reformation Society.
In January 1844 Seymour married, at Walcot church, Bath, Maria, only daughter of General Thomas of the East India Company
's service, and widow of Baron Brown-Mill (George Gavin Browne-Mill), physician to Louis XVIII. From that time he resided, when in England, at Bath, and did not hold any preferment in the church. In September 1844 Seymour and his wife travelled by easy stages to Rome.
Seymour died at 27 Marlborough Buildings, Bath, on 19 June 1874, leaving no issue, and was buried at Locksbrook
cemetery on 25 June.
. He brought out in 1838 a new edition, with five appendices, of John Foxe
's Acts and Monuments of the Church.
He described his visit to Rome in two books, ‘A Pilgrimage to Rome,’ 1848, 4th edit. 1851, and ‘Mornings among the Jesuits at Rome; being Notes of Conversations held with certain Jesuits in that City,’ 1849 (3rd edit. 1850; 5th edit. 1852). The first book was criticised in ‘A brief Review by A. M.,’ Bath, 1849, and the second in The Rambler
, iv. 144–9 (1849). Seymour was inaccurate and relied on rhetoric. But he followed up his attack in ‘Evenings with the Romanists. With an introductory chapter on the Moral Results of the Romish System,’ 1854; 2nd edit. 1855. This was issued at New York in 1855, and in the same year was reissued at Philadelphia in an edited form. It was also translated into Spanish, and had a large circulation in Mexico.
A lecture on ‘Nunneries,’ issued in 1852, involved him in a controversy with Cardinal Nicholas Wiseman, who published a reply.
Life
He was born on 29 September 1800, the sixth son of John Crossley Seymour, vicar of CaherellyCaherelly
Caherelly is an area within the parish of Ballybricken/Bohermore in County Limerick. It is the location of Caherelly National School and Ballybricken/Bohermore GAA Club....
(d. 19 May 1831), who married in January 1789 Catherine, eldest daughter and coheiress of Rev. Edward Wight, rector of Meelick
Meelick
-Places:Meelick, is a placename used in the West of Ireland.It may refer to:* Meelick, County Clare* Meelick, County Mayo* Meelick, County Galway...
in Limerick. Aaron Crossley Hobart Seymour
Aaron Crossley Hobart Seymour
Aaron Crossley Hobart Seymour was an Anglo-Irish religious author and hymn-writer.-Life:The elder brother of Michael Hobart Seymour, he was the son of John Crossley Seymour, vicar of Caherelly in the Church of Ireland diocese of Cashel, who married the eldest daughter of Edward Wight, rector of...
. was his brother. In 1823 he graduated B.A. of Trinity College
Trinity College
-Australia:* Trinity Catholic College Lismore, a Catholic secondary school in New South Wales* Trinity College , part of the University of Melbourne, in Melbourne, Victoria* Trinity College, Gawler, Adelaide, South Australia...
, Dublin, and proceeded M.A. in 1832. He was admitted ad eundem at Oxford on 2 June 1836, and comitatis causa on 26 October 1865.
Seymour was ordained deacon in 1823 and priest in 1824. The first thirty-four years of his life were passed in Ireland in clerical work. He was also secretary to the Irish Protestant Association. An untiring polemicist, he became very unpopular in Ireland, and about 1834 migrated to England. For several years he was evening lecturer at St George the Martyr, Southwark, afternoon lecturer at St Anne, Blackfriars, and travelling secretary for the Reformation Society.
In January 1844 Seymour married, at Walcot church, Bath, Maria, only daughter of General Thomas of the East India Company
East India Company
The East India Company was an early English joint-stock company that was formed initially for pursuing trade with the East Indies, but that ended up trading mainly with the Indian subcontinent and China...
's service, and widow of Baron Brown-Mill (George Gavin Browne-Mill), physician to Louis XVIII. From that time he resided, when in England, at Bath, and did not hold any preferment in the church. In September 1844 Seymour and his wife travelled by easy stages to Rome.
Seymour died at 27 Marlborough Buildings, Bath, on 19 June 1874, leaving no issue, and was buried at Locksbrook
Locksbrook
Locksbrook is a district in the south of the City of Bath in Somerset, England.Locksbrook lies on the north bank of the River Avon and is, effectively, the area between the river and the main A4 road...
cemetery on 25 June.
Works
Seymour contributed to newspapers, published pamphlets, and lectured against the Roman Catholic ChurchRoman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
. He brought out in 1838 a new edition, with five appendices, of John Foxe
John Foxe
John Foxe was an English historian and martyrologist, the author of what is popularly known as Foxe's Book of Martyrs, , an account of Christian martyrs throughout Western history but emphasizing the sufferings of English Protestants and proto-Protestants from the fourteenth century through the...
's Acts and Monuments of the Church.
He described his visit to Rome in two books, ‘A Pilgrimage to Rome,’ 1848, 4th edit. 1851, and ‘Mornings among the Jesuits at Rome; being Notes of Conversations held with certain Jesuits in that City,’ 1849 (3rd edit. 1850; 5th edit. 1852). The first book was criticised in ‘A brief Review by A. M.,’ Bath, 1849, and the second in The Rambler
The Rambler
The Rambler was a periodical by Samuel Johnson.-Description:The Rambler was published on Tuesdays and Saturdays from 1750 to 1752 and totals 208 articles. It was Johnson's most consistent and sustained work in the English language...
, iv. 144–9 (1849). Seymour was inaccurate and relied on rhetoric. But he followed up his attack in ‘Evenings with the Romanists. With an introductory chapter on the Moral Results of the Romish System,’ 1854; 2nd edit. 1855. This was issued at New York in 1855, and in the same year was reissued at Philadelphia in an edited form. It was also translated into Spanish, and had a large circulation in Mexico.
A lecture on ‘Nunneries,’ issued in 1852, involved him in a controversy with Cardinal Nicholas Wiseman, who published a reply.